Here it is guys! the second part in what is now a three part plot! thanks to all those of you who reviewed, it really brightens up my day!
The hostess stood at the front of the plane with one of those smiles plastered on her face that you know means she'd rather be somewhere else. A life jacket was around her neck, and at that precise moment she was demonstrating the tiny whistle and microscopic torch attached. I will not be wearing one of those, Sesshomaru thought absent-mindedly, it would clash terribly with what I'm wearing. Then he growled and pummelled his own fist as if it was his little brother; the ice cream stains still hadn't come out.
A voice spoke over the intercom. 'Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain; the cabin crew will now be completing the pre-flight checks as we taxi, then we'll be cleared for take off. Next stop: Dubai.' The intercom clicked off and the air hostesses could be seen stalking the aisles looking for stray bits of luggage or idiots without seatbelts on. When one, a bright eyed brunette, stopped by Sesshomaru's seat, he pointedly ignored her, engrossed in the duty free catalogue he had found in the pouch in front of his seat.
'Excuse me sir?' the hostess asked, her smile dazzling.
'Yes?' he replied curtly, not looking up. There was an interesting sale on slippers on page three.
'Were you aware that animals are not allowed in the cabin?' That made the demon lord glance up. Was she daring to refer to him?
'What do you mean?' he asked in a very deadly, Sesshomaru-like way. Then he realised who she was looking at: Jacken. The imp in question looked thunderstruck. He was so angry he was spluttering incoherently. The demon lord gazed steadily at the hostess, whose smile understandably faltered as she unconsciously backed away. Finally, he spoke.
'Jacken is my vassal, and is far more use here than in the cargo hold, where you have placed other objects belonging to me which would similarly be far more use by my side.' His eyes flashed and the hostess really backed off now, saved by the captain's message of 'Cabin crew take your seats, please.'
Rin watched out of the window, jigging up and down in her seat with excitement as only small children could. Jacken was still fuming about being referred to as an animal, sulking with arms folded and little legs dangling over the edge of the light blue upholstery. Sesshomaru composed himself, looking fully regal despite being squashed between a snoring backpacker and that toddler who had begun to wail again.
The plane spun to face the runway. The engines revved. Everyone was thrown back in their seats – Jacken was bowled heels over head by the force, because he had been sitting on the very edge of his – as the plane began to hurtle towards the open sky. Sesshomaru's knuckles suddenly went very white as they gripped the armrests, his face looking straight ahead fixed in an expression of barely controlled panic. Sesshomaru was scared of flying! Rin in contrast, was whooping with joy.
As the front wheels took off, the demon lord was sure the tail would scrape into the ground, or the whole thing would fall back to earth, or just fall apart. The plane climbed steadily, and still the demon lord clasped the armrests as though his life depended on it. Jacken had recovered, slightly cross-eyed, a large green bump now appearing on his forehead.
'Isn't this fun, Lord Sesshomaru?' Rin squeaked from her window seat, watching the sprawling city of London shrinking steadily beneath them. Sesshomaru looked slightly green and did not speak.
The plane levelled out and the demon lord relaxed, although now his head hurt because of the altitude pressure. The compression on his eardrums made it difficult to hear properly.
'What did you say, Rin?' he half shouted, glaring when people started looking at him funny. The child behind was similarly afflicted, and now was having a major tantrum, not only screaming, but kicking the back of the chair in front…which was Jacken's.
'This…is…not…funny' he pouted between kicks. Rin was sniggering.
After a few minutes, one of the attendants came round with a trolley, handing out refreshments. There was the same problem with the cabin crew as with the Pizza Hut staff: everyone was too afraid of Sesshomaru to go anywhere near him. Unfortunately, there was no Lazuli here this time to help them out, so they drew lots as to who would serve the demon lord his refreshments. The blonde now standing before Sesshomru had drawn the short straw.
'Tea, sir? Coffee?' she asked apprehensively. Jacken perked up at the mention of coffee.
'You are not having coffee Jacken,' Sesshomaru said sternly. So Jacken ordered a sprite instead, Rin got a coke, and Sesshomaru asked for the house wine. They had some on the trolley, but he would have to pay for it. The impertinence. 'Very well,' he sniffed in a very regal and Sesshomaru-like way, 'I will have a Lichton's ice tea.' The hostess was just handing him his beverage when the plane bumped unexpectedly, and the ice tea was spilled all over the demon lord, right next to the ice cream stains.
'Ladies and gentlemen, we are experiencing a slight bit of turbulence,' the captain announced belatedly over the intercom. Sesshomaru's passive aggression evaporated the spilled drink quite effectively; the cup had landed neatly, half full, on top of his head. Rin giggled again.
'You will pay for the dry-cleaning bill and the small fortune of shampoo I will have to purchase to get this mess out of my hair,' he whispered, glaring at the flight attendant. She was ineffectively trying to dab the stains off his armour wit a spare bit of tissue paper. She gave him another one and a complimentary packet of peanuts, very poor exchange, he thought. He paid no attention to them, sipping his ice tea in a very dignified fashion, despite still having a white plastic cup perched on his head.
Jacken tried the peanuts. They had been salted and were quite tasty, but then….
'Master Jacken!' cried Rin, in great distress. 'What's wrong? You're turning blue!' it turned out Jacken was allergic to peanuts. Sesshomaru merely thought he was choking, so slapped him on the back, sending him into the chair in front. But it didn't work, and Jacken was indeed turning a brilliant shade of cerulean.
'Help me!' he choked. It was lucky Rin was there, because Sesshomaru didn't know what to do. She pressed the assistance button and a stewardess came walking sedately o see what the matter was.
'What seems to be the problem?' she asked politely. It was a bit obvious. 'Ah, right.' She hurried away.
'Well that was a great help,' Sesshomaru pronounced sarcastically. Meanwhile, Jacken was turning turquoise.
It seemed though, that the hostess was a great help. Her voice echoed over the intercom, requesting any passengers who had eppi-pens to come forward. First in line was a frail looking girl with black hair and very thick glasses, the stereotype for sick people. Her eppi-pen let Jacken breathe, and he grovelled before her, saying thankyou again and again and again and again and again and –
'Jacken!'
The demon lord's retainer cringed and apologised again and again and again and again –
'Jacken!' this time it was the girl. She found the imp irresistible cute, and asked if he wanted to sit next to her. Jacken accepted because Sesshomaru said he could if he wanted, and he wanted to get up and stretch his legs. He waddled down the aisle after the girl, went behind a curtain and into first class.
'Don't give him coffee!' Sesshomaru called after them.
It was a little while after this that Sesshomaru discovered the delights of playing connect 4 on the little computer in the head rest. Rin was watching The Lion King and singing along to the songs, but occasionally played against him. She won both times.
They brought dinner round on a bigger trolley than the one that had brought drinks. Somehow, the hostess managed to run over Sesshomaru's foot. The attendant saw his very Sesshomaru-like glare and quickly rectified the problem.
'Would you like the chicken or the pasta?' she asked politely, 'bearing in mind we only have the chicken left.' Sesshomaru was not amused. He chose the chicken.
Meanwhile, in first class…..
Jacken didn't care about coffee any more. He had discovered champagne. It turned out the girl with the eppi-pen was a top partner in an international business, and so flew frequently all over the world. The cabin crew knew her well, and treated Jacken to whatever he fancied. It included chocolate, Red Bull and a very squashy cushion to sit on. One of the flight attendants had provided him with a children's colouring book not unlike those found in Pizza Hut, and he drew little simple pictures to tell the story of him, rin and Lord Sesshomaru. For dinner he chose the pasta.
Sesshomaru was wondering where his retainer had got to. So he decided to stretch his legs and walk down the length of the plane.
'Stay here, Rin,' he instructed.
It was difficult for the demon lord to walk down the constrained aisle of economy class. In places he had to walk sideways where mortals had fallen asleep with their heads lolling over their shoulders. Sesshomaru scowled in disgust at the drool. There was another problem: bored children. Some hassled their parents, others played games on the headrest playstations, but one was a bit more vindictive than the rest. As Sesshomaru passed him, bending around an extremely fat person, the kid stuck out his leg. The resounding crash and ensuing Japanese swear words could be heard throughout the plane.
Sesshomaru jumped up, snarling. His eyes had turned red and the boy was now dangling about five feet off the floor.
Fortunately for said kid, Inuyasha had decided he needed a break, and Kagome had wanted to go to Dubai. He was sitting three rows in front, and when he smelled his brother…well, it was like a red flag to a bull.
'Sesshomaru!'
The demon lord rolled his eyes. 'Not you,' he groaned.
'Put the kid down,' Inuyasha growled, trying to look tough. His hand went to Tetsaiga (which, incidentally, wasn't there, because it had been confiscated at the airport).
'Inuyasha, are you so stupid?' the demon lord questioned, and continued to explain the physics of air compression at altitude. It went five miles over the half-demon's head.
Then Sesshomaru remembered he was meant to be looking for Jacken, so put the child down and continued to first class as if nothing had happened.
Jacken meanwhile, was desperate for the toilet.
'There's one over there,' said the kind girl who had saved his life. So he went. The toilet was too big for him, and when he flushed it, the vacuum sucked him down so he was stuck. He struggled and struggled, but there was no way for him to escape. The captain announced through the intercom that they would be landing in five minutes. That got the imp panicking.
'If only Lord Sesshomaru was here to rescue me!' he wailed.
'I shouldn't have to be, Jacken, said a cool and very Sesshomaru-like voice from above – Lord Sesshomaru!
The demon lord hoiked Jacken from the vacuum toilet.
'Pull your pants up, Jacken, I have no wish to see Thomas the Tank Engine.'
The plane landed five minutes later, Rin once again screeching with excitement, and Sesshomaru gripping the armrests very tightly. And so began their holiday in Dubai.
Lazuli had rushed to the airport at the news. True, she should really try to be getting a new job, but there was an opening at the local cinema which she had applied for, and she wouldn't get the results for a few weeks…the perfect excuse to have a holiday.
Ha! I'm so cruel...oh well
Please R&R! as usual any suggestions are welcome
Shadowxwolf