Much to Rin's surprise, Sesshoumaru did not guide her into the dining room for breakfast. Instead, after gruffly instructing a servant to bring the food to him and to do so secretly, he steered her towards what she assumed was his bedroom. At least, it had a bed in it. And a fireplace. …And exactly nothing else.

"Are you repainting or something?"

"No. I chose the correct color the first time."

"Where are the rest of your things, then?"

"I do not need other things."

"Nothing? What about a table?"

"There is one in the dining room."

"But we're not eating in the dining room."

"Correct."

"Then…?"

Sesshoumaru seemed to consider it. Finally, he picked up a folded blanket from the edge of his bed and threw it on the ground before the fireplace. Rin clapped her hands joyfully. "Oh, fun! A picnic!"

"Indeed."

"Did you plan that? Are you trying to be romantic?"

"Is eating on blankets on the ground romantic?"

"Picnics are romantic. And fireplaces. And bedrooms."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes in what was either the expression of one who was trying to solve a puzzle or the expression of one who was contemplating dismembering the person across from them in the slowest way possible if they said another word. Rin crossed her fingers for the former but stayed silent just in case.

"Do you want me to be romantic?"

Rin was startled by the question. She considered it. Did she want him to be romantic? It wasn't something she had actually explored yet. She had wanted to escape the orphanage and experience new things, certainly, so she was grateful to the man in front of her for giving her that opportunity… but did she want more from him?

Before she could answer, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in, Jaken."

The frog-like servant Sesshoumaru had entrusted with the task of bringing breakfast entered with trays full of food.

"I've prepared your eggs just the way you like them, Lord Sesshoumaru."

"Thank you. Is there anything else?"

"Your mother was asking about your whereabouts."

"I trust you responded with discretion?"

"I told her that you were spending the day in the mountains."

"You have done well…"

The creature's froggy face split into a grin before Sesshoumaru quickly finished his sentence with, "…now leave." Obligingly, he scurried away.

Sesshoumaru knelt on the blanket and swiftly spread the breakfast into two settings then looked at her expectantly. She immediately skipped over to join him and grabbed a muffin, stuffing it into her mouth eagerly before continuing her barrage of questions.

"Why don't you want anyone to know where we are?"

"Do not address me with food in your mouth." Rin swallowed the hunk of muffin in one gulp, choked a bit, coughed heartily and pounded herself on the chest, then successfully got everything down and earnestly repeated her question. For the briefest of moments she thought she saw him smirk, but when he answered his face returned to its normal impassiveness.

"It is not that I do not want anyone to know. I do not want my mother to know."

"Why not?"

"You will understand soon."

Rin carefully swallowed her second, much smaller bite of muffin before asking, "Why soon? Doesn't she think we're in the mountains?"

"It is unlikely she will leave it at that."

The door burst open, framing a panting woman half dressed for an elegant breakfast and half dressed for hiking. Her skirts were pulled up to her waist revealing the hastily donned men's pants underneath.

"So you are here!" she exclaimed accusingly. "That was a mean trick! I was about to set off into the mountains by myself looking for you and exposing myself to all kinds of dangers! There are demons who live up there, you know! And I'm just a weak, breakable human! I could have died!"

"Hello, Mother. Do you have some business with me?" Sesshomaru responded coolly, sipping his tea.

Izayoi brightened and fished around in her pants pockets before triumphantly brandishing a large pad of paper.

"I finished the schedule for this week!"

"Excellent. May I see it?" She cheerfully handed it over, and he threw it into the fire without changing his expression in the least. Then he took a bite of sausage.

"It's adorable that you think that was my only copy," Izayoi crooned, retrieving an identical pad from her bodice.

"What's on the schedule?" Rin asked, causing Izayoi to look at her with something akin to hero worship in her eyes.

"You really are a lovely girl."

"Thank you! I think you're lovely, too!"

"Oh, you're such a dear. In answer to your question, I have made several possible scenarios for every day of the week so that hopefully grumpy-puss over there won't object to at least one of them. He's significantly less easy to bully into things than my other son is. So today I was thinking… a ball?" She looked hopefully at Sesshoumaru.

"I witnessed your last ball. Absolutely not."

"A masquerade?"

"That is the same thing, only with masks."

"Sooo…?"

"No."

Izayoi scowled and flipped the page.

"A baby names brainstorm session?"

"No."

"An intensive get-to-know-you quiz game?"

"No."

"A quick wedding rehearsal so that even if I for some reason miss the ceremony the way I did last time I'll still have this one special day to remember for all of eternity?"

"…That one sounds palatable."

"Really!?"

"No."

"May I see the list?" Rin asked. Both sets of eyes turned to her, one set overflowing with excitement and the other suddenly wary.

"Of course, dear!"

Rin accepted the scribbled schedule and flipped through the first few pages. "Hm…" she mused. "All of these sound fun…"

"Right!?"

"…Do they? Let me see."

"You're not fooling anyone, Sesshoumaru," Rin retorted. He scowled. Then she saw something that made her catch her breath. "This!" she exclaimed, pointing. "Can we do this? Oh please, Sesshoumaru? I've always wanted to!"

She turned to him pleadingly and his eyes briefly widened, then narrowed.

"…What is it?"

"Horseback riding? Could we go?"

He looked surprised. "You've never been?"

"Not ever." His expression softened, but then snapped back to normal in an instant. A moment passed. Izayoi seemed to be praying. Finally, with a subtle sigh, Sesshoumaru responded.

"I have noticed recently that the steeds could use some exercise…"

"Hooray!" Rin crowed.

"It's a miracle!" Izayoi shouted, throwing her arms in the air.

"You are not coming, Mother."

"Oh come, dear, don't be unreasonable."

"You may try to catch us if you must. But you will fail," he responded. And with that, he swept Rin up in his arms and leapt out of the window.