~Kagome~
*Kikyou*
^Hiei^
#Kurama#
%Youko%
Thoughts
(Actions within the mind)
As Kagome walked back to the shrine, she decided to make a slight detour and buy some materials to fix up what needed fixed up. She really couldn't believe how her family could have let the shrine go down so bad, especially her grandfather! No wonder business wasn't that great, the shrine looked to be a knockoff and in need of being bulldozed. Ok maybe she was being a little extreme, but hey she was trying to make a point. As she approached the hardware store she was contemplating what part of the shrine she should start one first, because there was no way she could carry everything she needed in one trip.
~Kikyou what do you think? I'm thinking about doing the roof first while the weather is still nice and warm~
*Sounds good, and while we wait for the roof to finish we could replace the steps in the well house and start on the worship shrine*
~Wait for the roof to finish? Kikyou this is modern Japan, last I heard they don't make the roofs like in the past. They just slap wood on it, and replace it when it starts to wear out. ~
*Yea, but we are going to have to change that, after all a real shrine sticks to tradition, and tradition states that your roof should have bamboo straw covering it for extra water proof* (AN://Not really, but in this story it will be like that)
~I suppose, though we can't restructure the whole place, we can do as much as possible to make it look like it should~
*Exactly, and I will help you whenever you get confused, considering I know you really haven't spent much time working on buildings and shrine, just enough to know the basic of what we-Miroku, Kaede , and myself- could teach you.*
~Sounds good, but we better stop talking, the guy is giving us a funny look~
With that Kagome decided to buy the wood for the roof, and got some bamboo straw, along with some wood for the well house steps. She knew she would need to come back soon and get some more supplies but she would have to wait until the next day.
______________________________________________________________________
By the time she made it back, Keiko and her friends were already there. When she walked into the house everyone turned and gave her an odd look. Kurama rushed to help her with all her things from the mall and the hardware store, but she just gave him a nasty glare and brushed by him. Kagome's mom saw the bags and wondered exactly what her daughter was up to.
"Kagome, darling, where have you been? Keiko and the boys said you left the mall before them, but they have been here for some time now."
"I told you I had some things to pick up"
"I thought you picked up your bedspread at the mall, what else could you have picked up?"
"Supplies to fix this place up, it looks neglected."
"You should have asked someone to go with you to carry the supplies, and don't worry about doing the actual work, I can do the work-no need to make you do a man's job" Her new father said.
"Excuse me Akio-sama, but this would not be the first time I have done what you refer to as 'a man's job', and let me assure you I could do it a lot better and a lot faster than any of you could. So please let's not let you hurt yourself by doing a job I am well qualified to do. Now if you'll excuses my I have bamboo to cut and soak to make straw, and I have steps to sweep." Kagome was trying her hardest not to purify her new father- though she knew it wouldn't work because he wasn't a demon.
After Kagome walked up stairs to put her bedspread up and then out into the tool house to put her supplies up, she then sit under the god tree with a large oval bucket soak her bamboo strips in. As she was preparing the straw and silently fuming- and getting advice on how to keep her emotions in check by Kikyou, the rest of the family- and friends- were having a conversation all their own.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`With everyone else inside the house~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You guys need to learn to stop running that child off" Jinji stated.
"Run her off? Of course not father, Akio was just worried about her doing work that he could easily do" Kona replied.
"If he could easily do it than why hasn't he? I don't have anything against you Akio, but you need to know that girl has had training and is a full shrine priestess, I can sense that. They are trained to take care of all the work that a shrine needs, considering most usually choose not to marry or have kids. Though true shrine priestesses are rare now-a-days; our Kagome seems to have found one to train her in the art. Now leave her be!" No one could really remember the last time Jinji was truly mad, but now seemed to be such a time.
"Well boys, would you all like to stay for dinner? It's been a couple weeks since any of you have ate dinner here, usually you boys eat at least once a week with us." Kona said, quickly changing the subject after getting lectured by her father on how to treat her daughter.
"Umm, darling are you sure that's a great idea, I mean Kagome did just come back" Akio tried to gently remind everyone on why they needed to tread carefully soon, he really wanted to get to know his step-daughter after getting to hear so much about her, and he didn't want to see her run off again so soon.
"I'm sure darling, Kagome won't mind, she used to have a friend that would drop by unexpectedly and just make himself at home, it was nice having teens feel so comfortable here" Kona trailed off remembering a time when everything was right in her world.
"Mom, do you think he would ever come back? Do you think they got into another fight and couldn't forgive each other? Is that why she came back?" Souta asked quietly
"I don't know Souta, I don't think that is why she came back, otherwise she would not be so drastically changed, but I do think something has happened, whether or not it involves him, or any of the others I can't be sure. But back to the original question, would you boys like to stay for dinner? We could put two tables together outside and eat out there"
All the boys agreed, and everyone worked together to set up the tables and chairs, while Keiko and Kona cooked dinner together. All the while everyone was sneaking glances at Kagome wondering exactly could have happened- and for those who didn't know Inuyasha or where Kagome really disappeared to, they wondered if this Inuyasha character broke her heart and if she disappeared to be with him.
While the meal was cooking, Keiko and the guys hung out outside, to hopefully get Kagome to warm up to them, however Kagome was studiously making her bamboo sticks into bamboo straw and soaking them for the roof. When it was time for dinner, everyone sat around the combine tables. The order went like this: At one end was Akio, on his right was Kona, next to her was Souta, then Kuwabara, then Hiei. On the end next to Hiei was Jinji, and on the other side of him were Kagome, then Yusuke, then Kurama, then Keiko beside her father. Everyone talked about trivial things and tried to include Kagome, but she seemed to be deep in thought.
^Hn, fox she kind of looks like you when you are talking to your inner self^
#Interesting, though not possible, I don't sense a second presence within her. As a matter of fact the only thing I sense is a slight bit of power, but no more than an average shrine priestess, actually she has less power than a true priestess.#
%I like her, lets talk to her%
#Youko, how many times do I have to tell you? WE-ARE-WITH-KEIKO!#
%I know, but she still seems interesting, at least we could become friends with her. %
#We'll see#
"Kagome, I noticed you were cutting bamboo sticks into bamboo straw, how come you didn't just buy the bamboo straw already cut?" Jinji asked his granddaughter.
"Because Jinji-sama, is that ok, since I don't think I'm comfortable enough to call you grandpa?" Kagome asked?
"Of course, I understand"
"Ok, well because if you buy them already cut there is no guarantee that the straw has not been soaked already, and if it has been soaked already, you don't know what it was soaked in, which could actually harm the roof instead of making it waterproof" Kagome answered, glad that someone was actually treating her like she's been gone a year- unlike her mom and everyone else.
"Hmm, I see your point; do you plan to make the roof in the traditional fashion?" By this time everyone had stopped talking to listen to the conversation, it was after all unusual to see Kagome having a true conversation without out sounding cold.
"As much as possible, it is hard to make this place completely in the traditional sense, but I can do enough to protect it better from the elements, make it look like it should, and make people want to come here"
"Which could help out with business, tell me, when you make the roof are you going with the weave theory or the braid theory?"
"I'm actually going to weave two basic layers, with a braided layer connecting them in between, and then the 'display layer'"
"Interesting, if you need any help- though I'm sure you won't- don't be afraid to ask"
By the time dinner was over with everyone was shocked, not only with the fact that Kagome held a conversation, but that she really seemed to know what she was talking about. The boys and Keiko helped clean up the tables and put them away, while Kagome swept the shrine steps for the night. By the time the boys were leaving, Kagome was half-way through with the steps. As they walked past her Kurama couldn't help but stop to talk to her a few minutes, along with Yusuke.
"Kagome-sama, it seems that we started out on a bad foot, please let us start over" Kurama stated.
"We did not start out on a bad foot; I have come to believe that first impressions can tell a lot about a person, if you just look deep enough"
"Keiko really would like to get to know you, would you please allow her that pleasure, don't be quick to hate her. It wasn't her fault that your parents married." Yusuke spoke up.
"Contrary to what everyone seems to want to believe, I do not feel any negative feelings toward Keiko for our parents getting married, nor for any other reason. I happen to like the quiet and solitude, and for some reason- only Kami knows what-everyone seems to want to intrude upon my peace and try to see who will drive me crazy first. Now have a nice night and please be careful on your way home." After being completely shocked at how politely cold she was, the two boys walked off and each of them wondering what the days to come would bring.
After Kagome finished the steps, she headed up to her room and changed out her bedspread and rug, put the old ones in the hall closet-hoping to never see them again- and sat herself upon the rug once again for the night.
Keiko having watched her sister during the changing of the bedspread and the settling in for the night, wondered why Kagome had even bothered to get new things when she clearly wasn't going to sleep in the bed-though she couldn't understand why one would think the floor a better solution than the nice comfortable bed- but to each their own she guessed.
The next morning followed the same routine as the last. Kagome awoke earlier than everyone else, took a shower, changed into a clean miko outfit- though this time chose to forgo the demon exterminator outfit for now, had a piece of toast, swept the steps, and mediated until everyone else woke up. The only exception was since it was Monday and school was starting up again for the week, the household was getting up earlier- while Kagome was sweeping the steps. When Kagome's mom asked her why she was not getting ready for school, Kagome gave her mom a look that clearly said "You have got to be kidding me" and continued on with her meditating. After several minutes- more like 15- of her mom bothering her, Kagome finally explained.
"Kona-Sama, if you don't mind I call you that given I'm much more comfortable with it, how would it do me to go to school? We both know that for the whole year I've been gone I have not attended school, nor did I attend much the year before that. I know it would seem logical for me to try and continue with my education, but we both know that I shall work the shrine, or whatever shrine I may be called to, until I grow too old to do so. Why would wasting my time learning things I don't need to know help my career any better. I know the math needed to run the place, I know the history needed to tell the legends and myths, I know the grammar needed to read the scrolls, so pray tell what else do I need?"
"Kagome, though I understand you feel much more comfortable calling me Kona-Sama, I would hope one day you would call me momma again. And as to your schooling it would shame you and all of us if you drop out, I would strongly encourage going back, no matter how much you have already missed"
"If it would shame me and my family to drop out then the deed has already been done, as far as everyone is concerned I either dropped out or moved away and finished my schooling, no need to let them think any differently."
"I guess there is just no arguing with you- something you get from your father- so I guess we could allow everyone to believe you have already finished you education and have chosen to come back and attend the shrine- due to my father getting too old to continue doing so" After a disappointed sigh and a shake of her head, Kona left her daughter be- knowing she would never go back to school, and secretly not blaming her.
Once everyone had left for school, work, or in her grandfather's case visiting other shrines and friends, Kagome stopped her mediating and started to work on everything that needed to be done. She had already removed all of the old roof and was putting on the new wood on the roof- the bamboo straw was already weaved and braided and was hanging up to dry. It was already noon and was really hot out-though she didn't seem to be bothered by that. As she was working, she noticed a presence coming up the steps and noticed it was Keiko's friend Yusuke.
*I wonder what he is doing here, shouldn't he be in school?*
~Maybe he is the type to skip, wouldn't surprise me. What does surprise me is why is he here? He should know that Keiko is not here yet, and wont be for a few hours~
*Maybe he has come to see you, he was staring at you last night through dinner*
~(snort) hardly because of an attraction, everyone seems to stare at me for some unknown reason- well ok maybe the reason is known, but don't they know it is just not polite?~
*Get over it, what do you expect, you did disappear for a whole year, how could you do that to them young lady!*
~What, it was partly your idea- along with everyone else's! Don't be putting the blame on me! Beside aren't you supposed to always be on my side? ~
*No comment, now hush it, he is almost at the top*
Yusuke was bored, that was the only word to describe him. He was sitting in history class zoning out, while Keiko sat beside him hurriedly writing notes while the teacher droned on and on and on about who knows or cares what. As he sat there he started to think about that girl-Kagome.
Why can I not stop thinking about her? I mean yea sure she's hot, and Keiko's sister, and puzzling, but there's something else. I mean yea I felt the slight power she has, but that's explainable do to being a priestess, but why can I not stop thinking about her?
So lost in his thoughts, Yusuke didn't notice the bell ringing, until someone tapped him on the shoulder.
"Yusuke, class is over, its lunch time, come on" Keiko stated pulling Yusuke out the classroom.
"Actually Keiko, I think I'm going to bolt. Don't look at me that way; I just need to get out"
"Yusuke, you never come to school anymore, and when you do, you never make it the whole day. What can I do to get you to stay the rest of the day?" Keiko was sad to see her friend going so far down; at least when they were together he could make it a whole day on the days that he did come! She was worried that it was her fault that he was getting worse and more depressed, even if he denied it.
"Relax Keiko, I'll meet you and the others at your place after school, I just have to get out" Yusuke left her no time to reply, he was out the door before she could stop him.
As he walked along, lost in thought about Kagome, he didn't notice that he was heading for the shrine. By the time he did notice he was already at the top of the steps watching Kagome work on the roof.
"Need some help?" He called, to let her know he was their.
Kagome merely looked down at him and shook her head. "What are you doing here Yusuke? Shouldn't you be in school?"
"Shouldn't you?" he shot back.
"No, and I'm not up for discussion, now you didn't answer my question"
"Geesh, alright, I decided to skip the rest of the day, walked around, and ended up here. How about some company?"
"Thought so, alright, you may stay but please stay out of my way." Kagome replied, she was almost done with the roof, and all she had to do after finishing the section she was working on was to put the straw on and bind it together.
"Ouch, that hurt. Are you sure you don't need any help. It looks like you haven't taken a break all day. At least come down and rest."
"No it didn't. No I don't. No I haven't. No I prefer not to"
"Ok, straight to the point. Umm, well what should we talk about?"
"Why don't you tell me about yourself? And about your day?"
"Umm ok, I suppose I could" Yusuke was shocked, no one had ever asked to know about him or his day, they always made assumptions and never bothered to find the truth.
For the rest of the time that it took Kagome to finish the roof- including binding the bamboo straw on it- Yusuke talked about everything. His life at home, his relationship with his mother, his father walking out, why he fights, his relationship with each different friend and how he met them- though he did change some things when it came to Kurama and Hiei- and his plans for the future. Of course he left out dying, coming back to life, the spirit world, the dark tournament, and so forth; but hey he didn't see the need to frighten her with all that. He couldn't believe how good it felt to talk to someone, and they actually listen.
Kagome, for her part, really did listen. She could sense the need to talk to someone coming off him in waves and instead of humoring him like she did with Keiko, she gave him her undivided attention- well divided with working on the roof, but still she was listening. By the time he was done, she had finished the roof completely and was sitting next to him gathering the old wood from the roof into a basket to use for their fireplace.
"Umm, wow, sorry, I didn't mean to talk so much, I know it must have been annoying to you, you did say you like peace and quiet." Yusuke was embarrassed; he couldn't believe what he had done. She must think me a fool now was his only thought.
"Nonsense, yes I do like peace and quiet, but at times I do like to hear peoples' stories. No you didn't annoy me; I could sense you needed to talk and get everything off your chest, really, don't be embarrassed." Kagome tried to soothe him. After saying that Kagome stood up lifted the basket and took it in to sit by the fireplace, came back out and informed Yusuke that she would make something to eat. After all she hadn't eaten but a piece of toast and he skipped lunch.
After they both ate lunch, and Kagome answered a phone call-a woman calling about her sick child with a bad cough, Kagome told her the plants needed and how to make the tea to cure it, they decided to head outside so Kagome could replace the steps in the well house, and afterwards she decided to work in the garden- after all she ran out of supplies and didn't want to leave Yusuke at the shrine while she went to get more, nor did she want to make him go with her or make him feel like he had to leave.
It was while Kagome was working in the garden that Keiko and the others came back. Yusuke was reclining in the swing bench near the garden and Kagome was on her hands and knees in the garden. They weren't talking, just comfortable in the silence.
"Hey you two, what are you both up to?" Keiko asked, a little shocked to see them together, even if they weren't talking or even real close to one another.
"I'm obviously working in the garden and Yusuke is obviously relaxing" Kagome stated in a dry tone.
"Umm, right, but I meant to say was what have you both been up to today? Yusuke how long have you been here?"
"Well I've been here since I left school earlier, and I've been keeping Kagome company while she works around the shrine- she won't let me help, no matter how much I offer." Yusuke spoke up.
"Wait, you mean you have actually offered to help out?" Kurama was truly amazed, all the time that he has known him, not once has Yusuke ever volunteered to work; the world must surely be coming to an end.
"Yes, so what?"
"And she actually allowed you to keep her company? And even talked with you" Keiko was not only shocked, but hurt as well. Sure she wanted Yusuke and Kagome to get along, thought they would look good together, could even balance one another; but she was hurt that Kagome would willingly talk with Yusuke for hours and not her.
"Yes and Yes. Since I'm apparently not here, I'm going to go into the house, while you guys stay and talk about me. That way you can really talk as if I'm not present." Kagome stated calmly, while inside she was pissed. She HATED when people acted as she could not here them talking about her.
After the others watched her walk away Yusuke turned on Keiko and Kurama. "How could you guys do that?! Now she's going to think badly of all of us? I know you, Kurama didn't really say anything that would bother her, but you Keiko? You, the one who wants to be on friendly terms with her, you talked as if she couldn't hear or understand you. I can't believe you. You know what, I'm out of here, are you coming Kuwabara?"
"Um, alright, I've got to get back anyway. See you guys later" With that he ran back down the steps and out of the line of verbal fire. Yusuke didn't even say anything, just went inside told Kagome that he was sorry, but he had to get back home. And then went on his way.
"Well I guess I screwed up again" Keiko stated sadly.
"Hn" And with those lovely words of wisdom, Hiei disappeared as well.
"Don't be so hard on yourself, neither one of us were thinking, I believe that we both were just stunned and said the first thing that came to mind"
"I suppose so. I guess you better go. I think I'm going to go do my homework, then start on dinner."
"Alright, I will see you tomorrow." With a quick kiss, he too departed.
Keiko did not see Kagome when she entered the house, nor did Souta see her when he came home. Akio, Kona, and Jinji came home, and still no sign of the miko. Dinner came and went in sad silence, and still yet, no sign of her. Everyone cleaned up and headed to bed, wondering if the miko had left again, or if she would be about the shrine when they woke up.
AN:// Sorry for the long wait, I had break and homework and tests. I'm actually supposed to be studying for finals, but needed a break…hehe. I thought this was a good place to leave off, I'm actually having some trouble getting this all laid out. I know basically some things that I want to happen later, but I don't want to just speed everything up. Things like re-getting to know your family and re-adjusting to modern life after so long in ancient life takes time. Though I do have some twists planned.