AN: Well, here I go again! Several things of interest that I ought to mention about this story.
1: Yes, Noldon and Dalune are based of London and England, in more then just spelling. But this way I can stick to my pretty, stereotypical and totally off-base image of London in this time-period, and I don't have to research facts. I know it's lazy, but it's so much easier!
2: Queen Sky isn't made up. Well...Not exactly. She is made up, sort of, but not by me. Let's hear it for my dear friend, Walrus-chan, who'll be making her first appearance in this story! (The sound of applause is heard). But this is not a self-insertion story. I don't even know if she's going to show up, but I needed a monarch.
I just thought that she'd make a funny queen.
…
Oh, and for first-timers, I tend to write my fanfics like someone who reads too much. Therefore, I'm a growing writer, and my plots develop. This takes time. Be patient if I don't give it all away in the beginning. I like to keep my readers reading. I'm also very silly, and as such some things probably won't make sense. I apologize, my only excuse is that, well, hey. I'm learning!
Disclaimer
Pwale: Okay, usually I write something funny, a script something for these things but…This time, I've got nothing.
…
[Insert crickets here
Mr. X: Barricade all the doors! A hippo may be coming again!
Pwale: No…seriously I've got-hey this is something! It gives me an idea for the next one!
Lawyer #1: …The next what, Pwale?
Pwale: The next disclaimer!
Lawyer #2: And what do you write in these disclaimer things, anyway?
Pwale: …That you don't own the character…Have you finally cracked?
Sesshomaru: I thank Copyright laws every day for those two guys. They may not do much, but they try their best. And that's something.
Kurogane-san: Ugh…My head hurts…Wha-…WHAT THE FCK?!?!?!?!?!
…
All: Uh-oh…
Pwale: Now how did he get out of my closet so soon?
The Corner Store
By Pwalefriend
1850
Noldon, the capitol of Dalune
3rd year in the reign of her Majesty, Queen Sky
It was December again. The snow fell softly, silently, plip-plip-plip from the sky and onto the filthy street. Inside Kagome Higurashi smoothed the nonexistent wrinkles in her dress.
The small well-to-do jewelry shop where she and her best friend Miroku worked was well-lit and perfumed, but the only fire that warmed them was on the other side of the room. Kagome really wished that the customer would leave so that she could go over there and warm herself. But instead she was doomed to wait behind the counter as Miroku talked that lady in the furs into buying that hideous gold enamel brooch that they all wanted out of the shop. Usually that was the girl's job, but Miroku was better at it then anybody else, what with his smooth voice, educated words and handsome face. Their employer, a single woman named Kagura, had said once that he could talk the moon into shining like the sun, if he met a pretty girl who said she was afraid of the dark.
Kagome had quoted her several times since.
"Miss Kagome!" Miroku called as he escorted the lady in furs and, more importantly, the hideous brooch over to her counter. "This young lady has stated a desire to take my favorite brooch from us!"
The "young lady" who had to be in her late forties, twittered and blushed like a teenaged schoolgirl receiving her first compliment from a slightly older boy. Kagome inwardly smirked. Miroku had caught the customer, line, hook and sinker. Now all that remained was for Kagome to deliver her act, and this was a play she knew well.
Kagome sighed dreamily and eyed the brooch as she wrapped it up in the expensive tissue paper that they used for their small pieces.
"It's such a fine piece, too." She said. "And it'll look so lovely on you! Someday I hope that I'll get to wear something just as fine."
The lady in furs smiled patronizingly and patted Kagome's hand when she passed over the money for the brooch.
"Don't worry dear." Said the lady in furs kindly. "You just keep working! Why, you wouldn't know it to look at me now, but when I was your age I was just a shop girl myself. But now look at me! Married to Sir Callows, no less!" And with a little giggle Lady Callows left the little jewelry shop at the corner of Second St. and Roster Lane. Only the third customer in what was going to be a very busy day.
And that's where our story will begin.
…
When Miroku had closed the shades on the windows and locked the door, and therefore closing the shop, Kagome gave a deep sigh. She leaned down and rested her head in her hands.
"I never want to see that old man again!" She said. "He keeps leering at me!"
Miroku nodded.
"Shame he's a regular, isn't it?" He said. Kagome didn't even bother to send him a glare; she knew it would only make her Miroku happier.
"Oh, shut up." She mumbled instead. Miroku laughed and slid behind the counter to give her a hug around her shoulders.
"Cheer up Kagome." He said. "Look at it this way, we've got a well-paid job, we're both educated, and we're surrounded by beauty every day!"
Kagome, looking up, saw the dreamy look in her old friend's eye and said wryly-
"Why do I have a feeling that you're not referring to the jewelry?"
"If he was referring to my pretties," said a new voice. "I'd have to hurt him."
Kagome and Miroku both jumped. When they hadn't been paying attention their employer Kagura had come in through the back door, with her was her little sister Kanna. Kanna also made most of the jewelry for the store, the little girl was quiet and creepy, but a genius artist. She also had a soft spot for cats and teddy bears, which made Kagome convinced that the little girl was a wonderful and kindly person deep, deep down. Even Kanna disagreed with her on that point, but they had all decided long ago to let Kagome have her delusions.
"Have you no faith in me?" Miroku said to Kagura, as if offended. "Of course I was referring to the girls!" He grabbed Kagome by the waist and spun her out from behind the counter. "The fairest Kagome is by far the loveliest among them! And I get to spend every minute with her! Why, we even share a home together!"
Kagome laughed.
"We share a lodging house!" She said. "How many times must I remind you that it's not the same thing? We share the lodgings with a few others too!"
"But they do not have your place in my heart!" Miroku protested, looking shocked.
Kagura chuckled a bit then.
"What about your bed?" She asked, knowing full well that Miroku was the only man in that particular lodging house. Miroku gave a little sigh.
"Well," he said. "I couldn't exactly say share, since Kagome has no place in my bed anymore-"
Kagura raised an eyebrow.
"Anymore?" She asked. Kagome winced.
"Ever!" She said. "I was sick once a while ago and fell asleep in his bed."
"It was a night I shall remember forever!" Miroku said dramatically, putting a hand to his heart. Kagome whacked him on the head.
"You weren't even there!" She snapped at him. "You were busy sleeping in someone else's bed!"
"Sleeping?" Miroku said with a wicked grin. "Who said anything about-"
"A thief." Kanna interrupted in a low voice.
Silence reigned as everyone looked at her in confusion, their playful teasing and flirting brought to an end.
"A thief." Kanna said again, looking up to meet Kagura's eyes. "There's a thief about. Tell them."
Kagura sighed.
"That's actually what I came out to tell you children." Kagura said. "There was an odd series of burglaries today."
Miroku, who had still had his arms around Kagome's waist, let go of her and pulled up a stool for Kagura to sit on. He and Kagome shared a glance. Stealing was nothing new in Noldon, so why was their employer looking so suddenly worn down and haggard.
"By odd, what do you-" Kagome began to ask.
"Nothing broken." Kagura interrupted. "No one was hurt, nothing was broken, and there was no warning, there were no clues left. If ten different jewelry stores hadn't reported a theft within one hour today, all just like this, the cops would have just assumed that somehow the assistants had lost the pieces."
Miroku gave a low whistle.
"Ten different robberies, in ten different stores, with no clues or scents left behind, nothing damaged, and all within one hour?" Miroku asked.
"Doesn't sound possible." Kagome said. Kagura shook her head.
"Oh, it is." Kagura said in a dark voice.
"Kagura, why do you know?" Kagome asked.
Kagura shrugged.
"The cops called around." She said. "There was a case like this about five years back, it ended with a murder. Caused a huge scandal. The perpetrator was never caught. I think they're worried that it's the same thief."
"Who was murdered?" Kagome asked. Kagura shrugged again.
"I can't remember." She said. "Five years is a long while, and I was just getting this store started at the time. I wasn't that interested in a thief who struck big stores, not little ones like mine."
Miroku looked around at their posh surroundings.
"Kagura…You started out little?" Miroku asked sounding shocked. "I thought that you were always rich!" Kagura glared at Miroku.
"I could fire you now, little man." She hissed. Miroku jumped to attention and saluted.
"Boss lady, yes boss lady!" He barked. Kagura gave a small smile and shook her head. Then she stood.
"I just thought you guys ought to know. Don't tell anyone, it's still classified information, at least according to the fuzz. So keep your eyes peeled tomorrow." She stretched her arms up to the ceiling. "You two can go on home now. I'll finish closing up."
Kagome and Miroku nodded, grabbed their coats from behind the counter, said good bye to Kagura and kissed Kanna on the cheek, and then headed back to their lodging house. Luckily it wasn't that far away, just a few streets, and well-walked ones at that.
"Did Kagura seem worried to you?" Kagome asked after she and Miroku had walked a little bit in silence. Miroku nodded, frowning.
"She did. And these robberies…There's something she's not telling us. She wouldn't just bring them up like that without good reason."
"She didn't give us a good reason." Kagome said. She didn't have to, they both knew it, but she said it anyway.
They felt awkward about this. On one hand, they were probably jumping ahead of themselves. On the other…Kagura had gone from cheerful and joking to weary and worried.
And since when did Kanna actually let them kiss her on the cheek? It was a game they played. They tried to do it every night when Kagura came to say good night and Kanna would turn away or put something in the way of their lips or something else. But this night she had just sat there, as limp as a rag doll, her eyes trained on Kagura with a fierce fixation.
Kagome and Miroku thought about how curious it all was on the way back to their rooms in the lodging house. When they were outside her door, Kagome sighed.
"If it is something," she said. "And mind, I'm not saying that it is, but if it is, then we'll figure it out eventually." She said. "How about we wait a bit before thinking on it again. The way I see it, either it'll all blow over or it'll get bigger and if it gets bigger then we can play detective."
"Sounds good to me, Kagome." Miroku said. He turned across the hall to go into his room, then stopped and gave her a sly glance.
"You know," he said. "If-"
"You are not going to finish that sentence." Kagome said in an icy voice, giving him the scariest look she knew how.
Miroku sulked.
"Oh come on!" He whined. "Shippo gets to sleep in your room!" Kagome gaped at him,
"Shippo," she snapped. "Is four years old. Now go away, you dirty old pervert!" And with that Kagome stomped into her room.
Miroku chuckled to himself. People may say that being the comic relief was a stupid and minor position, but Miroku often thought that it was a very important one. If they didn't have it, think how serious and trying life would be!
He opened his door and, following Kagome's instructions like a good little boy, went to bed and fell asleep. For all his teasing, he was tired. It had been a long day.
…
Kagome brushed the hair out of Shippo's face. The little boy was her small nephew, who had opted to stay with her then go out to the country with his father (her brother, Sota). Sota was looking for work, Kagome had it. It was a practical decision. It had made Sota sad and Shippo had cried for the first week, but it had worked out in the end.
Or so they hoped. No one had gotten a letter from Sota in a month.
Kagome sighed.
'A mystery, eh?' She thought. 'Life, do I not need another one right now.'
But if there was a mystery coming her way, then there was nothing she could do to prevent it. Instead she climbed into her bed beside Shippo. She was pleased to find that the lively fire (which Shippo had probably set up before falling asleep) and the boy's body warmth had made her bed all toasty and warm.
Next door, Miroku had no such luck.
I suppose that it just goes to show.
…
And so ends the first chapter of this brand new story. I hope that you liked it, and I hope that you continue reading!
Roar!
Oh yes, and new time readers? I have a Review Lion. (Pwale wriggles her eyebrows). The Review Lion is here to make sure that people review. If you do not review…well…
ROAR!!!
Not saying that I'm threatening you! No, no!
Well…
Let's put it this way…
Wink-wink-nudge-nudge-know-what-I-mean-know-what-I-mean-say-no-more-say-no-more.
Roar
You get the picture.
Please review!
Sincerely
Pwalefriend