Chapter 6: Party Animals
In which the characters don't get stoned
"Watch that dealer on table fourteen, not Sesshoumaru," Bankotsu said, directing Jakotsu's attention back to the casino tables.
"Kagome so owned Sesshoumaru," Jakotsu laughed. "Inuyasha told me."
"Yeah… stop staring at him," hissed Bankotsu.
"Jeez. Just watch him move through the crowd. The epitome of grace and -"
"Excuse me," a tiny old man said. "Where's the toilet?"
"Um, second door to the left, right on the corridor behind -" Jakotsu turned around, pointing, before freezing. Sesshoumaru stood behind them.
The old man scuttled off.
"Get back to the video room," Sesshoumaru snapped, glaring at them.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"And it never occurred to the guy to pay cash," Kagome wailed, before bursting into giggles again.
"You are just evil, girl," Miroku said, shaking his head.
Sango and Inuyasha seemed too busy laughing to reply.
"Sesshoumaru doesn't carry cash, just about fifty credit cards," Inuyasha said, recovering, though still red in the face.
"Hey Kagome, come clubbing with us tonight," Miroku said.
"You think he'll let me?" After the whole shopping adventure, Kagome wasn't sure if he'd let her do anything by herself anymore. She wasn't even let her use the bathroom by herself anymore.
"Ask him," Inuyasha said.
"He'll say no. Especially if he knows I'd love to go."
"Come on, he can't be that bad," Miroku said. "I mean, he has the entire female population in Japan in love with him. And some men, even."
"Beauty is skin-deep," retorted Kagome. "And in Sesshoumaru's case I'd say it doesn't even reach past the hairs on his skin."
"Ok, here's how you do it," Sango said. "You, I'm sorry to say, are a pretty crazy woman. There are girls willing to pay through their noses for half the looks and body you have so they can flaunt it. And you cover it up. Now, considering it's Sesshoumaru's job to turn you into a decently feminine lady, if you show improvement, he's sure to come round."
"Not to mention, you've only got two months here," Miroku added. "Why torture yourself? Just enjoy it."
"Show improvement?" Kagome asked, grimacing.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
He paused in the doorway of his room, watching Kagura and Yura smirking in the living room warily.
"Care to share what you're giggling about?"
"Oh, nothing, nothing at all," laughed Kagura. "Right, Yura?"
"Right," the woman said, snorting with laughter.
"Fine, so care to tell me why you're having your nails done in my room?" Sesshoumaru asked in mild irritation.
"It's convenient," shrugged Kagura. "If you don't like it, you can go hang out in one of your twenty other houses."
"So when do I get to do your hair again, Sesshoumaru?" Yura asked.
He threw open a window to let out the scent of formaldehyde and acetone. "Never, sounds good to me."
Kagura blew on a fingernail gently. "While you're near the bar can you get me a drink? Please?"
"I should be going," Yura said, recapping a nail polish bottle. "Watch that top coat and don't smudge it."
"Yeah. See you around tomorrow, thanks for the manicure."
Yura sauntered out, before stopping just before the door and peering over her shoulder.
"Oh, by the way, Sesshoumaru, hot water bottles and pain-killers are great for cramps."
"Yura!" exclaimed Kagura, eyes wide, expression shocked, but lips grinning away.
"Sorry, couldn't resist the dig," Yura laughed.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"You sure about this?" she asked, her eyes shut and her nose wrinkled.
"Absolutely," Sango murmured, brushing blue mascara onto Kagome's eyelashes. "Now what you do is, go up to Sesshoumaru, and act all innocent and nice-like, and ask if you can come to the clubs with us."
"And my clothes? I don't own suitable clothes, just lots of ridiculously uptight styled suits or -"
"Sweatshirts and sweatpants," she finished off. "What did you wear before, when you went out?"
"Yeah, um, me, going out? Recently, there was an underage person over here…"
"Oh, true. Well, you can borrow something off me."
"You live here?"
"Yup, in the service apartments."
"I didn't know we could do that. Say, do you think I could move in with you?"
"Why not? Just ask Miroku, and I'm positive he'll say yes -"
Kagome jumped, eyes wide open. "WHAT?"
"Hmm? Eck, you just ruined the lip gloss." Sango set to work reapplying it.
"You live with the pervert?"
She shrugged. "I thought he told you."
"Oh, that bastard never tells me anything! But… oh my god… this is so great… Miroku's a really great guy."
"Great? As in, greatly perverted? Anyways, I have him under control, thanks to my karate lessons."
"Karate lessons? Do you hit hard?"
"Ask the pervert," giggled Sango.
"Now, I tell you, you two are perfect together…" sighed Kagome dreamily.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"I can't believe you didn't tell me you were going out," Kagome grumbled.
Miroku ushered her into the elevator. "I thought you knew. Hello, it's Sango… from fifth grade?"
"Liar. That Sango moved to Korea."
"And moved back to Japan, you silly little girl."
"Really?" Kagome asked Sango.
Sango stared. "You're the Kagome from fifth grade? You're different…"
"I know, it was the end of my emancipated years."
"I know! You're like… not skinny anymore…"
"Neither are you, no wonder I couldn't recognize you! Since when did you grow your hair out?"
"The pageboy style really didn't suit with this cute guy I met in Korea while he toured Seoul…"
Miroku looked vaguely affronted. "Now, Sango, that cut made you look even uglier than your brother, Kohaku…"
"What? You met years ago and Miroku never told me?"
He looked vaguely ashamed. "Hey, I -"
"What's this about me looking worse than Kohaku?" Sango asked softly, eyes glinting.
Kagome rolled her eyes and winked at Sango. "Miroku! I tell you, you have explaining to do…"
"What, Kagome?" he asked innocently. "By the way, I like your outfit."
"Shut up and don't change the subject," snorted Kagome, as Sango bopped him on the head.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"You have visitors," Kagura said, hearing voices and footsteps in the hall.
He opened the door.
"Hey, Sesshoumaru?" asked Kagome, smiling nervously.
"Yeah?"
"Um, can we come in?"
"We?" he repeated.
"Well," Kagome glanced at the corridor. "There's Sango and Miroku hiding behind the corner and Inuyasha's waiting downstairs."
Kids.
"Hold on…" He closed the door and looked behind him exasperatedly at Kagura, who had decided to invite herself in. "For heaven's sake stop drinking and sit up." Sesshoumaru grabbed the bottle of tequila from Kagura.
"What the heck? This is my weekly get-drunk night!"
"Yeah. You are not drinking in front of little children, and you are not doing it in my room."
"Little children? And I never do it in your room."
"Kagome and her childhood friends and Inuyasha want to come in. And I caught you sneaking out of here last week."
"What? I was in your apartment last week…"
"No, that was the week before last."
Kagura frowned quizzically. "Wait… what's wrong with them coming in here?"
He stopped himself rolling his eyes and went to open the door.
"Told you it's not working!" he heard Kagome hiss across the hall.
"What is it you want?" he asked.
She jumped. "Oh. Well, Miroku thought it was it was a good idea to go… Yeah, see, Inuyasha said that… Yup, yeah, so it's like that."
"What?"
Kagura popped out from behind him. "I bet you want to go clubbing."
"Huh? How'd you know?" stared Kagome.
"Hold on, give me two seconds with Sesshoumaru, and I'll guaranteed he'll let you go," Kagura said, closing the door.
"You have to take them," Kagura told him sharply.
"And… why?"
"Because you're getting in the way of my weekly drink night!"
"Yeah, be careful, you might become an alcoholic."
"Jeez, look who keeps tequila bottles under his bed."
"Fine. I'll take them clubbing. On one condition."
"Deal. What?"
"You get out of my room and stop stealing the tequila."
"Gosh, you are PMSing. Ok, ok, anything else?"
He thought for a moment. "Where's my shirt you spilt wine on and took it for dry-cleaning?"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Eck. He was suck with children for the rest of his lovely previously un-spoilt evening.
And now they were trying to skive drinks off the bartender.
"Um, martini."
"Champagne."
"No duh, beer!"
"Martini for me too.. no olive," Kagome said.
The bartender looked at Sesshoumaru.
"It's apple juice for the girl with the martini with no olive, and milk for the wannabe cool guy who ordered beer," Sesshoumaru corrected.
"WHAT?" yelled Kagome and Inuyasha.
"You two are underage," he said nonchalantly.
"Damn it! Why did he have to be my bloody chaperone?" cried Kagome, slamming her head onto the countertop.