Disclaimer: I, GodOfFlame101 under the alias of Damien, do not own any copyrights, Trademarks or affiliates of the Anime/Manga InuYasha. I receive no revenue from this story and this story may be distributed or revoked by the will of the producers of said Anime/Manga without myself seeing so much as a penny.
Esse Quam Videri
Mark and Execute
The whirring sound of vibrating trinkets amassed into an operetta of fury; porcelain figurines, crafted in past times on uncertainty and adorned with stones precious only to those who cared, shook and wailed in fear; metal fastenings unhinged themselves as supports, threatening those which relied on such help with nothingness, and creaked with displeasure. Stained plaster walls held the sound in the room, suffocating the normally tranquil habitat with the deafening crash of a slammed wooden door, exaggerated and jagged breaths being expelled into the uneasy atmosphere as the Inu-hanyou attempted to calm himself from the previous ordeal.
It wasn't working.
With startling precision, Inuyasha dropped his foot into the iron bed-frame in front of him causing the normally resolute material to crumple against his anger. The agonized cry caused a new explosion of shocked noise to reverberate around the room; all sound was trapped in that prison as if it was the only discernible matter in a large vacuum. Outside, barely a shuffle could be heard by Inuyasha's fine-tuned ears. Though he surely wasn't listening as closely as he could have been with all of the stress he had been put under; stress that compacted with every consecutive second spent dwelling on the past twelve hours.
'How could I have missed it?' It was a cruel and haunting question that kept circling his conscious. All of the clues, in retrospect, had been in obvious light. There was no excuse for him fucking up so badly. It was his responsibility to recognize these mix-ups and act accordingly; he should have called off the entire thing when she touched his ears and ignored his outburst. Instead, Inuyasha was cocky and now he looked like a complete, oblivious moron.
"Damn it!" Inuyasha's foot once again slammed against the already distorted bed-frame, earning another series of desperate cries. A few shavings fell off the gold painted metal as sharp nails scrapped over the false coating, exposing the true colors of the iron cast. Wonderful, he hadn't noticed that either. He had even told Kikyo how cool he thought it was that they would get "gold" bed-frames. All she had done was smile at him…
"Go away," Inuyasha commanded. The soft pitter-patter or carpeted footsteps had not escaped his senses, nor had the wonderful intoxication of morning oolong tea. Not bothering to wait for a knock and not expecting one either, his clenched hands slammed onto the padded mattress, supporting the mass of body weight that just seemed to desire nothing more than to fall over: defeated. He wished for nothing more than for everyone in the world to either leave him alone, or simply drop dead…well, almost everyone.
Behind him, with nary an announcement, the wooden door creaked open at a moderate pace before just as quickly being closed; a silhouette graced the white-cotton sheets that acted as the hanyou's support for but a moment before melding into one with the room around him. The escalating tension that seemed to cake the windows in thick coats of fog, entrenching the cubicle in darkness, began to dissipate around the two; the steady attraction of their polarized attitudes gently pulling them together, cutting through the dispassionate and uneasy atmosphere. An uncontrolled sigh managed to snake its way through the hanyou's lips when a gentle caress managed to sneak up and down his back, calmly attempting to quell the anger emanating from his form.
"I thought I told you to-"
"-go away?" Kikyo interrupted, placing her chin on Inuyasha's shoulder. "Have I not scolded you enough already about telling such obvious lies?"
Inuyasha straightened up, releasing his fists from the soft fabrics, and growled. Despite how much he liked her, that "condescending mother" tone of Kikyo's could be so irksome. Sure, sometimes the type of 'irksome' could vary…but it was still irksome. "Are you ever going to stop treating me like a child?"
"No." Kikyo guided her arms around the hanyou's waist, nuzzling into the crook of his neck. She smiled when she heard the affirmative grunt; the one that let her knew he was finally smiling. "Now, wouldn't you like to meet the new girl?"
"Feh," Inuyasha stated stubbornly, turning his head away. Hadn't he already gotten to know the stupid girl? It's not like she was going to be any less annoying now that she was supposedly on their side. The thought of that inane bitch joining their group without his say-so nearly sent him over the edge again. Deep and vicious growls were beginning to resonate in his throat, much to the amusement of his very good friend.
"Aw, come on," Kikyo began matching Inuyasha's tone from last night. "You're not still mad at me for not saying anything, are you?"
Scoffing angrily at the question, Inuyasha turned himself around to face Kikyo, wrapping his own arms around her. "What do ya' think?"
The corners of Kikyo's lips transformed quickly into one of her pure smiles, laden with unabashed passion for her dear hanyou, forcing Inuyasha's countenance to soften at her. How could he stay upset with such a loving woman? Gently, Kikyo placed a kiss on Inuyasha's lower lip before remarking, "You're cute when you're angry."
"Oh, spare me," Inuyasha said, holding the woman closer to his body. "So, what has she said to you guys?"
Kikyo shook her head and reached to grab her mug of tea, sitting on an adjacent foot-stool, grinning at the hanyou. "We thought you would to talk to her first. She looks so uncomfortable out there with everyone giving her the cold shoulder."
At that moment, Inuyasha had the strongest urge to thank the brown-eyed woman in front of him; he highly considered skedaddling out of the building to buy her flowers or some other form of his deep appreciation for her. He immensely grateful for how much attention she was willing to pay him, as well as the delicate care she took to either stroke his ego or respect it.
Instead, Inuyasha gently took a sip of Kikyo's Oolong tea and excused himself to go and attend to more business.
There are few things more depressing to see than a polar bear floating, by its lonesome, on a piece of ice in the middle of an endless expanse of ocean. So many ponderings and mutters are elicited as a result of viewing that pathetic scene; the curious and stalwart animal knowingly steps onto the platform, only to be thrown from the concrete stability of the world he has known for so long and thrust into the uncharted space of the deep blue. What must that poor creature be thinking an hour later, miles from home and forced to bear the uncertainties of his situation? Does he ever cry or silently wish that it was all a bad dream; does he try to form conversations with the trepid ice block? Or, instead, does he sit on his cold and uncaring coffin, waiting for the only true certainty of life to overtake him in one form or another…
"That was a really good performance you guys put on, you know?"
The words just seemed to float in mid-air, dancing around the charcoal-haired girl's head, casually taunting her with the truths of her situation. Not only did she sound like a timid bitch, whimpering out conversation, but she was also unmistakably alone. The shills known as Miroku and Sango may still have been in the room with her but, for the first time since coming to Kagoshima, there was no support system for her to lean on. In the beginning, if things had gone awry, she could have called on Sesshoumaru (though, one has to wonder if he would have been inclined to help). Now, she was all on her own…for the moment, at least.
"Y-you guys aren't very talkative, are you?"
It was difficult to hold back his chuckle once Kagome began stuttering, mostly because Kikyo's elbow collided with his stomach and knocked it right out of him. Glancing back at her, he was able to catch her glare that said, 'you're enjoying this too much.' Indeed, he was enjoying it with every passing second. Kagome was, to be blunt, an unwelcomed, unattractive and undesired nuisance in his eyes; there was no reason, in his mind, to take this girl in and assimilate her into their outfit. Not even to appease Sesshoumaru – that was a good enough reason to just kick the girl out.
Crossing his arms over his chest, Inuyasha simply watched the girl squirm about for another few moments. Why the hell had Sesshoumaru even brought this girl to them in the first place? What made her so fucking special? Whatever it was, he couldn't see it and, thankfully, neither could Miroku or Sango; the two of them were rightfully ignoring all of Kagome's questions, each of them focusing their attention on more "important" things – the look on Kagome's face when Sango would kick the air with such force that a loud snap could be heard was simply priceless.
Her eyes darted down to the hallway where the Inu-hanyou was standing, dominant and imposing, and their eyes locked onto each other once again. He could see the uncertainty and burgeoning fear escalating in her chocolate orbs, looking at him for help; she was imploring him to help her, to take her off of that drifting ice-cube in the middle of the ocean and drag her back onto dry land. Inuyasha's countenance remained hard, not a shred of humor on it as he closed his eyes and walked into the living room; he figured it was about time to get to the bottom of everything.
Plus, Kikyo had hissed at him for taking so long. He really didn't want to upset her at the moment.
Miroku closed his laptop as the hanyou approached them, cocking his head to the alpha. "Welcome back, Inuyasha. We were beginning to think you had just up and left us."
"Yeah, what gives? It's not like you to get all frightened over one little girl," Sango teased, stretching her arms above her head. An audible gulp from Kagome could be heard as some of the martial artist's joints "cracked".
Kagome's brow furrowed for a moment, probably thinking about how outmatched and out of her element she truly was; she was probably scared of their impressive little group. At least, that's what Inuyasha assumed.
"Hey, wait a minute," Kagome said, looking toward the hanyou. "Inuyasha? You told me your name was-"
"-I lied." Inuyasha cut in. His gaze remained firm, unwavering from their fixation on the timid creature, as Kagome shifted uncomfortably in her seat, brushing her legs against the rugged brown chair that Kikyo had been sitting in. In response, Kagome glared back at him, bearing her nonexistent fangs as she growled out at him. Inuyasha's face fell at the reaction, startled by her sudden outburst. Once she noticed his expression softened, hers did as well, falling into a noticeable glare and scowl. Inuyasha, in turn, cocked an eyebrow at her.
This girl was something, all right.
"Look, I ain't in the mood for any crap, alright?" Inuyasha sat down in what could appropriately be described as his recliner at this point, keeping his arms folded as he stared at the girl across from him. "Let's just get this over with. Why the hell are you here?"
"What do you mean? Didn't Sesshoumaru tell you guys already?" Kagome asked incredulously, unaware of the very volatile situation she was creating. She looked to Kikyo, who was about to say something but Inuyasha beat her to it.
"I don't give a damn what Sesshoumaru said," Inuyasha growled out, inching forward in his chair. "What the hell are you doing here?"
It was very difficult to fight back the smirk that threatened to overtake his mouth at the sight of Kagome's confusion; her curious blinking and blank expression were quite the spectacle. She was like a child who had been asked what they wanted for their birthday – she hadn't expected such a question. Clearly, Kagome thought that everyone was just going to open their arms and give her a big fucking hug the moment she walked in; they were all supposed to share a friendly laugh and crack a few jokes before welcoming her into the group with all the trust they could muster.
Yeah, no. Trust was something to be earned.
The new girl gasped, realizing exactly what was being asked of her, and fidgeted once again before averting her eyes from the onlookers. "No."
The cocky smirk that Inuyasha had been trying so hard to avoid transformed into an irate scowl as he glanced over to Kikyo. There was a content smile dancing around her face, a confident glint to her eyes that had begun filling Inuyasha in on everything he needed to know. He was beginning to understand why Sesshoumaru had picked this particular girl…and that understanding pissed him off.
"Whadda ya' mean 'no'?" the Inu-hanyou spat, gripping the armrests of the recliner with a startling amount of vigor, his claws digging into the cheap fabric. Damn, he wanted to be wrong about this girl…
Kagome's face shot back to him, lips curled with malice and venom, giving him one of the most frightening glares a human can give. Her fingers clenched into shaking fist, pressing deep into her lap, as she visibly tried to contain her boiling anger. "I mean no! N-o-no! I'm not going to tell you my life story just because we have to work together. Like it or not, I'm on the team now and to be honest I'm not very happy with having to work with someone as rude as you anyway. So there."
Things remained eerily quiet after Kagome had said her peace, the tension strangling out anyone's desire to speak. Sango and Miroku exchanged surprised glances with each other, shocked to see such an outburst from the previously timid girl, and even more surprised by the uncharacteristically quiet hanyou; even Kikyo was perplexed by his silence. She hadn't expected Kagome to be as stubborn as Sesshoumaru described; it was interesting to say the least.
The silence didn't last too long however.
"Yeah, well I'm not happy that some useless girl has to tag along with us!" Inuyasha suddenly shouted, pointing a clawed finger at Kagome.
"That's it!" Kagome shouted back, digging into her purse. She pulled out a large paper package and tossed it into the hanyou's lap. "You're impossible, you know that? Until you drop that attitude, this conversation is over."
Inuyasha did his best to ignore the comment, ripping into the paper package and sorting through its contents. The standard "gifts" from Sesshoumaru were inside: a prepaid cellular, an envelope labeled Vacation Plans that more than likely contained their tickets back to Kyoto, and a sticky note with directions to their next pick-up location. The only abnormal item was the rather slim manila folder that was nestled at the bottom; inside was a crudely assembled dossier of Kagome, with a particularly snarky message from the dear Inu-youkai clipped on. Scanning through, Inuyasha let out an audible growl before ripping to dossier out and handing it to Kikyo.
"I don't need a damn babysitter," Inuyasha stated flatly, glaring angrily at the woman. He was not happy.
Kikyo shook her head and took the folder away from him; one hand opened the thin file while the other tangled itself on top of Inuyasha's head, gently scratching the base of his pointed ears. She scanned through the highlighted sections, rereading over some of the original passages that caused her to go along with the faux con; her fingers danced in jittery movements, caressing the edges of the furry triangles, trying to ignore the very light purr that had begun to fill the room. The hanyou was blowing this whole thing out of proportion.
"She's not your babysitter, Inuyasha," Kikyo stated sternly, not willing to humor the notion. "However, whether you like it or not, Kagome is with us. We need the extra help."
"Who died and made you queen?" Inuyasha asked, throwing caution to the wind, expecting Kikyo to recant and rephrase her little speech; he quickly dropped that expectation after she shot him a glare out of the corner of her eye. "B-besides, we don't need some doxy running around without being tested."
"Inuyasha!" Fed up with the circle being run, Sango stood up from her place beside Miroku, looking at the Inu-hanyou with resentment at his conduct. "Don't call the girl names. We should be grateful that we could even find someone willing to join us, especially with your reputation."
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed into golden slits as he peered over at the other woman, unsettled by her outburst and her willingness to introduce past events that most assuredly did not need to be discussed in front of Kagome; tales of mistakes and naivety were best left for better days and situations that necessitated the moral.
"Indeed. It would be unwise to insult others given your own history," Miroku announced, setting his computer off to the side and strolling over toward the upset Kagome. He cooed a couple times into her ear, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, trying to comfort her from the ordeal she had just gone through. "And look what you've done to the poor, young lady. Have you no shame, Inuyasha?"
…Reading a person's expression is an ability that comes from the merging of both natural intuition and extensive practice; it's a skill that goes beyond simply knowing what someone might be feeling, but rather gives out what the person is hiding. Even the most hardened card players falter, and when the reader notices these faults, it presents an open window into that person's being, a door way to understand their intentions, their fears, and their weaknesses. To con anyone, reading a person's features was the principle step in assessing what practical measures need to be taken; con men have to be able to, for lack of a better cliché, "read them like a book".
Inuyasha had to wonder how Kagome had made it far in her "career" without picking up on that very important technique; she had to be greener that he had first thought. She should have seen Miroku's intentions right from the get-go; she should have been disgusted with him and pushed him away. Perhaps the fact that she was completely oblivious to the man's motivation made it all the more hilarious when she yelped and smacked him across the face. Inuyasha had almost laughed when she bolted out of the recliner and went to hide behind Kikyo.
He had wanted to laugh, but he also had to keep in mind one very important fact: He also hadn't been able to tell she was lying.
"You creep! Just what are you trying to pull?" Kagome shouted at the shill, peeking her head up from over Kikyo's shoulder.
"Now there's no need to be so crass," Miroku stated eloquently, rubbing his sore cheek and slowing closing the distance between himself and the cowering Kagome. "I was merely attempting to assess your fertility in case I wanted you to bear my child."
Not a moment after he finished (and seventeen picoseconds before Kagome could reach over and maim the brown-haired man), Sango viciously reach over and grabbed Miroku by his ear, pulling him back toward the shabby brown rug he was once sitting on; at the sight before them, Inuyasha and Kikyo shared a knowing glance, slightly amused by the consistent behavior of the two shills and this new volatile (and very humorous) screeching from the new girl.
"You just can't control yourself, can you?" Sango asked, pulling harder on the man's ear.
"It's not my fault! It's the hand, I swear Sango!" Miroku exclaimed, trying to get Sango's vice-grip off of him.
"Enough," Inuyasha commanded. In return, everyone paused and looked at him; even the annoying new girl had curiously cocked her head in his direction, albeit with an incredulous look on her face. "We're leaving in a few hours. Go get packed you two. Come on, Kikyo."
The majority of the posse understood what Inuyasha was talking about; organizing a safe and relatively discrete flight out of town was risky business. It was not enough to simply have tickets, especially in the days of invasive luggage inspections, radiation sweeps and topographic scanning; Inuyasha and everyone else would be arrested on the spot if a customs agent saw what they were transporting around. The quartet often needed a "special" way of transporting their goods across the country; Inuyasha and Kikyo, however, were usually the only two who knew of that "special" way. The relative hierarchy and distribution of information had many advantages, the largest one being that, when compromised, one of them could claim legitimate ignorance of the situation.
Smirking slightly at his candor, Kikyo stepped in close to the fleeting Inu-hanyou, matching the rhythm of his footsteps.
"What about me?" It was a rather timid question by the previous standard Kagome had set for herself.
'I thought she was done talking to me.' The memory amused him, but the emotion didn't show on his person. Inuyasha simply let out a small "feh" and left the apartment with Kikyo.
End-Notes: Yawn. It always surprises me when I have the capability, unlike some of my contemporaries, to focus on instances in time as major areas of plot; there's no need for huge time lapses here and there. It makes me sort of happy. Oh, well: if this story still interests you, expect another update in...three or four weeks. Research papers and other things to write. Thank you for those that have shown support for this story so far. My entire libido goes out to you all.
Chapter-Focus/Alpha Reader: BlackRoseTheVampire