A/N: Earlier today (20/08/09) I had a very quick chance to look at my reviews for this story. One of my friends goes on this site, although she doesn't know I write on it, she just thinks I like ArtemisdelaLune as a writer and I'd like to thank all three of my reviewers.
So; Misses Saphira; Kaze Tsukai No Kagura and Jinxy – sama thank you very much for reviewing. I'm glad you enjoy the story, and I hope it keeps your interest. However; with Jinxy – sama I think I have a fan, though I 'apologise' for pinching your story idea; but first come first serve. :P I'm interested to know how you think this is a British – style approach though. I hope you still do your version of a cross – dressing story though.
For those of you interested in when this is being written; it's happening at the same time as Scandal and Peter Pan is just finishing. Uploaded 23/08/09 (I've kept my original A/N's in tact for reasons unknown, yet probably humorous in nature. And what the heck, I'll load them all up today to apologise for my past drought and the upcoming one in the order written, hence the laborious times and dates in the A/N's)
Differing Tastes
Habitually Sesshoumaru rose with the sun in the summer, and today was no different. The sun rose around five o' clock that day and Sesshoumaru took himself off for an early morning walk. One of the few times of day when it was almost empty outdoors. The steely grey dawn light and the cool dew, combined with the early hour meant the streets and parks were deserted.
'Just perfect for this Sesshoumaru.'
He let himself quietly out of the house with his breakfast in hand. Today it was some toast and as he ate he thought about where to wander. "Hmmm, there." His mother's sketch and doodle book was still on his mind and his feet took him to the park with the pond in it. He didn't even particularly mind getting damp so he could sit down for a while.
He was actually feeling a little mopish that morning and thought perhaps his favourite childhood spot would help him. It had been such a long time since he'd just gone there to sit and not think. It must be the sketchbook; he couldn't remember very much even if he strained as much as possible. Just laughter and he was lucky to even recall that much! His mother had died before he was even a year old, so everything else was lost. That one memory was all he knew of her, but her laugh had been very pretty. He hoped it had been her laugh and not a babysitter's though. He knew he could barely walk when he had heard that laugh, so it would be his mother's laugh no matter what. It certainly hadn't been Izayoi's laugh.
His errant feet arrived at their destination and Sesshoumaru looked around, surprised. It must have been three or four years since he had last come it because it was rather out of the way – almost an hour just to get to the park – and the pond was tucked away in a secret little niche. It looked almost unchanged, the only noticeable difference was the addition of a few gladioli plants on the far side of the pond near the yew tree.
'Strange that it's so misty this time of year.' Sesshoumaru thought as he sat down and leant up against the trunk of an old maple and looked at the pearly tendrils of mist floating over the pond's surface. He lost himself in nothing and visibly started when his watch alarm went off at quarter to seven telling him that if he wanted to get home without being missed it was time to leave.
Regretfully, and feeling much calmer in himself he returned home at a slow jog and was sitting down to a drink of water by the time his Father came downstairs three quarters of an hour later. "Father." Sesshoumaru nodded his greeting.
"Good morning Sesshoumaru! Still up with the early bird I see. That's good practice for when you take over the business. You won't be doing that for some time though, I have no intention of retiring yet for a good ten years." He said jovially as he limped slightly to the stove and began to make his breakfast. Sesshoumaru said nothing and looked at his Father's limp. The only remnant of a car accident that had happened over twenty years ago.
"It doesn't hurt Sesshoumaru." Touga said quietly, mildly. Sesshoumaru looked up into his Father's eyes and seemed about to say something when Inuyasha came clumping thunderously down the stairs grousing loudly, "What the hell kind of time is it? Getting up this early in the middle of the summer holidays for no 'damned reason."
"Well if you went to bed earlier perhaps you wouldn't be so tired Inu! And you need to get a job. You at Sesshoumaru and Miroku, they both work. So does Sango and Kagome!" Came Izayoi's voice as she followed close on the heels of her son as he entered the kitchen.
"Izayoi has a point Inu. Didn't I hear from Miroku that even Sango's little brother helps out around the dojo? What was his name now?"
"It's Kohaku, Father. And he's only eleven." Sesshoumaru interjected.
"See!"
Seeing a chance for teasing his brother Sesshoumaru asked, "Is not Kagome still your girlfriend little brother? She must be ashamed that you're so lazy."
"Shut the hell up you – " Inuyasha cut off suddenly as he knew it'd be a bad idea to swear in front of his parents and was quick to tack on, "You annoying little know – it – all."
"It doesn't matter what she thinks, it's what your Dad and I think that matters. And it's high time you did something other than sit in your room all day playing games. So Sesshoumaru's going to take you into the city and you'll get a job." The boys winced at the thought of spending more time together than was absolutely necessary and spoke over each other in their haste to avoid it.
"I'm meeting with 'Tsu today before going straight to work."
"I can go with Miroku, I don't want to go with him."
"You're going out with Jakotsu today? You could've told us about this last night!" said Touga.
"I told you last night Father. And I also informed you I would be working from six o'clock tonight."
"But I was going to take everyone out to dinner." He whined.
"Oh hush, Touga. It's your own fault for not paying attention." Izayoi paused to look at her two boys, "Well, if Sesshoumaru takes you into town, you can get a lift home with Miroku. How's that?"
"Fine." Came both responses.
It followed then, that at quarter to eleven the two brothers bickered their way into town. Or rather, that Inuyasha bickered his way into town continually offended and annoyed by his elder brother's silences and monosyllabic answers. "You bloody idiot Inuyasha! Don't throw things at me."
"You're driving too slowly."
"This Sesshoumaru still has his licence. You do not." This last sally made Inuyasha shut up for the rest of the drive and Inuyasha disappeared from his sight the moment he saw Miroku waiting outside the car park closest to the Tama Restaurant. "See ya." He cried.
Sesshoumaru walked to the fountain and arrived five minutes early, so he knew Jakotsu would arrive in quarter of an hour. He actually arrived twenty minutes later, out of breath.
"Late."
"Not my fault! Renkotsu stole my hair straighteners and wouldn't tell me where they were. I had to mess up his room to find them. But it was worth it wasn't it Sesshy?" 'Tsu span around in a circle showing off the knee length jacket that he was wearing. "Doesn't it look fantastic with my t – shirt?"
Sesshoumaru was forced to admit that it was really cool. "It'd be better if I had hair your colour though. And I just can't seem to grow it past my shoulders." Heaving a great sigh Jakostu shook his head and looked disconsolately at the ground, "Shame that."
"Indeed."
A hopeful expression dawned on his face as he looked up with a bright smile, "I could get extensions though."
"Wear another person's hair?"
"Gross!" The smile was now a look of revulsion and Sesshoumaru had to smirk. This was the boy who could happily record the effects various chemicals and acids had on flesh without turning a hair; yet something as ordinary as this had him squeamish.
"It's that or synthetic hair." He replied, giving a one – shouldered shrug before walking off. 'Tsu kept alongside him and grinned when he saw Sesshoumaru slide his eyes over to him noting how tall his friend suddenly seemed to be. Jakotsu said nothing and left Sesshoumaru to try and figure out how he had suddenly grown an inch in a few days.
Feigning ignorance Jakotsu waited until Sesshoumaru had turned his head slightly towards him and unconsciously began to tilt it one side. "Heels Sesshy. I bought some boots with a one inch heel." The eyebrow began its journey into Sesshoumaru's fringe and he smiled, "Can't a guy get sick of having to look so far up all the time? You're too tall!"
"Or perhaps you're deficient in the height department my tiny little friend."
"Compared to you, everyone's too small. I'm of average height."
"And you're proud it's the only thing about you that is average."
"Damn straight Sesshy!" Then the two fell into companionable silence as they entered HMV where great banners emblazoned with '40% off!!' hung from the ceiling. Sesshoumaru made a beeline straight for the foreign release films and Jakotsu went for the music CDs. The boys flicked through the cases in search of the missing pieces of their collections. Jakotsu laughed with joy as he discovered a CD he'd been searching for, "I finally found it! Sesshy, I've got A Night At The Opera!"
"Why didn't you order it on the internet?"
"Where's the joy of the hunt? I could ask you the same thing about that Seven Walruses of yours."
"The Seventh Seal is a classic." Sesshoumaru said, stressing the title.
"All I know is that Death's in there, and he's not happy." 'Tsu paused and tapped his CD case thoughtfully, "Actually, could I borrow that after you've seen it? I want to see an annoyed Death now."
Sesshoumaru's look said it all, so 'Tsu hastened to explain. "Well, would he get a furrow between his brow ridges? Would he just give off an air of annoyedness?"
"If he was listening to this conversation Death would certainly be annoyed."
"Probably. Did you find what you wanted?"
He nodded, "I found the whole box set." Tucking the box under his arm he turned to the queue, "I didn't find the other one though."
"Well, your birthday's in two months, tell you what, if you're good then maybe you'll get it."
"Then this Sesshoumaru will be as good as gold, and invite you over on Friday to watch my new films with me."
"Sure, I'm not babysitting for once. I'm starting to see why you like the Pythons so much."
"Don't expect me to ever like your music."
"It is a shame you hate metal; I suppose your rock music and ancient composers are far better."
"I heard Inuyasha listening to Britney Spears last week. Even your music's better than that." Sesshoumaru said gloatingly. It was perfect blackmail material and they both knew it.
"There's no accounting for taste in some people." Having paid the two friends went to get lunch. Jakotsu bought a sandwich and Sesshoumaru bought some chips and they sat down on a bench near a stand of trees to eat. "How can you eat that?" Jakotsu asked, pointing towards Sesshoumaru's lunch, "It's greasy and unhealthy!"
"They taste nice, and I don't eat them every day. At least they're fresh unlike a certain friend's day old, dry sandwich."
"Hah! In that case, you won't mind when I take a few of your chips. It'll save your arteries, and it's add some grease to my 'dry' sandwich."
"Greedy." But he offered 'Tsu some chips anyway, they always gave him far too many and it was better to share than to throw money away.
"Sesshy," 'Tsu said tentatively, "D'you suppose we could go to the pharmacy; there's something I need to get."
"Fine." He fell silent and listened to his talkative friend talk on, smirking or putting in a wry comment when he felt the need. One of the best things, Sesshoumaru felt, about being Jakotsu's best friend, was that he didn't have to talk to fill in any awkward gaps; and that 'Tsu was just as comfortable as he was with long pauses. It was rare to find someone like that.
Post – story A/N: By the way, the Indians of Peter Pan could hardly get stereotypical. Then again, neither could Michael/John (the boy in the top hat) be any more British. All he needs is a handlebar moustache and a cup of tea. He all but says, "Stiff upper lips chap. Keep a stiff upper lip."
It's also marvellous how the red headed mermaid's hair always manages to cover her breasts. And they're surprisingly flat – chested. I don't like the mermaids either. But I do like how so very atmospheric Never Land is that even the mere approach of the Villain sends the sun scurrying in fear behind the clouds.
