Kumiko walked slowly at the side of Naitokage. "I'm rather pleased to see you up and about. I thought perhaps would stay in bed a bit longer, as you seem to so enjoy the sympathies of the young servant girls." A coy little smile took her lips and those silver hues where bright with amusement at the look on his face.
"I .. uhh …" The wolf youkai stammered for a second. He hadn't realized she would find out, though he should have assumed. He chanced a glance over at her, only to find that she was not angry at him, but closer to poking fun at him. He narrowed his gaze and stood up straighter, as if he was insulted. But after a moment he shook his head and joined her in a smile.
She laughed softly. "Do not trouble your mind with it. I can fully understand, Kage-sama. I will hold nothing against you, as long as you do not over step the bounds and force yourself on an unwilling party. That would be all I ask of it." She lifted a hand and moved a few stray locks of hair behind his ear to see his face. "In fact, I would be willing to set something up for you, with one of my girls, if you were in need of some extra comfort."
Those blue black hues looked at her a moment in surprise. That was not an offer he had expected to hear. However, even it was a bit disappointing. Gaze shifted back to the hall ahead and he moved on a bit in silence. "Yes, I do think I could use a bit of coddling." He looked to her again.
With a nod she walked along beside him. "I will speak with them after dinner, and see if one would join you tonight.
From up ahead, Sesshoumaru caught the faint sound of Kumiko's voice and strode towards it with purpose. When he caught sight of her, she was with a wolf, and something about their manner together made his hackles rise. With a deadly glare he moved towards the pair.
Kage, on spotting the daiyoukai, moved to step in front of Kumiko. Even wounded he would have tried to protect her, but he was stopped by the steady hand on his arm. He looked back to her, and it would seem that their conversation was now forgotten. Her face was blank again, as it always was when she was dealing with people she felt no warmth towards. He'd thought that her true self the first few nights here himself.
"Go on ahead, Kage-sama. Take the seat to the left of the head. I think the Lord would like to speak with me a moment before we join you." It was all said in an erry calm voice, one that he did not like hearing come from her mouth, yet he would obey, and made his way towards the dining hall.
"You knew this Sesshoumaru's parents?" It was more of a statement that a question, and he narrowed those cold gold hues on her.
Silver had immediately been lowered to his armor as he approached, and she nodded softly in agreement. "Hai." Was all the answer she gave as she folded her hands before her.
"And you know this Sesshoumaru from the past as well?" This one was a bit of a question.
"Of you, hai. Saw you, hai. Knew you as I knew them? Iiya."
He looked her over, yet again. Why did she not jump forth from his memories? Was it simply because he had been younger? Or because it had been from a time when he had seen to many young youkai females, would be brides, to remember one from the other.
"I would not expect you to remember one such as myself, M'Lord. Do not trouble yourself with placing me. It is too far in the past, and such a trivial matter to focus on."
"You presume to tell this Sesshoumaru what to do?" He almost growled at her, feeling his tempter start to rise. Yet he looked at stotic as always.
"Forgive me, M'Lord. I only thought to ease your mind with the unimportance of it."
"This Sesshoumaru will deside what is important."
"Of course." She bowed her head slightly before motion caught the attention of both.
Miyoko stood just outside the dining hall. Yellow green hues a bit troubled as she looked at Kumiko. She did not like the way Kumiko seemed to submit to Sesshoumaru, but then she also knew that it was the way she too would be expected to act. She wanted to glare at Sesshoumaru, she wanted Kumiko to act as she would normally. But rather then that she scowled and looked away for a moment. "Kumiko-ue, diner is about to be served." When she looked back to her adoptive mother and the Lord Sesshoumaru she had managed to force a smile, though anger still blazed in yellow green depths.
A hint of a frown took Kumiko's lips for a moment as she looked at Miyoko. With a nod the younger female moved back into the dinning hall. Silver hues watched the door a moment, not needing to look back at Sesshoumaru to know he would not be pleased by Miyoko.
"Neko or not, when I came across a sleeping child and an infant in the woods, I could not leave them. Their father is dead, and the mother might as well be." She was quiet a moment, hoping that Sesshoumaru would not say anything of it. "She is young yet, and not always able to stop the flood of emotions to the surface."
He looked at the inu next to him out of the corner of gold hues. She had a point. A child was a child regardless. He thought for a moment of Rin, and what she might grow up to be. He made a little noise and then started on towards the dinning room. It had been a while since he ate in the company of others.
Kumiko closed her eyes for a moment to thank the spirits. She moved after Sesshoumaru, a few paces behind and to the side. She could sympathize with Miyoko's emotions; she'd rather not be acting so meek herself.
On entering the room he paused for a moment. Gaze traveling over those gathered. The wolf youkai sat to the right of the head, where he had been told. Two to the left of head sat the young neko and to her left the hanyou. Gaze shifted to Kumiko as she came around to his side and walked up the left hand side of the table, pausing at the seat to the right of the head.
"Lord Sesshoumaru." She motioned towards the seat to her right, for him to take the head of the table.
Gold gaze took in the wide eyed look of the ningen serving girl behind Kumiko. Well, apparently she had just offered him her usual seat. Not exactly necessary, as she was head of village, but it showed that she was respecting custom. She was still standing, waiting. So he moved up the right hand side of the table and took the offered cushion. Again he looked at her out the corner of his gaze, before he gave a little nod. Sesshoumaru could not help but be a bit impressed. She was following procedure to the letter.
The food had already been set before them, but he watched as she took up the wine jug and first filled his cup and then the wolf next to him before her own and passing the jug to the young neko. He saw the young hanyou reach for his cup before his sister took his wrist and stopped him with a scolding look. Well, at least Kumiko had taught her custom, the hanyou needed some work though.
Just as he was about to take his own cup in hand, and thus let them begin, the door burst open and there stood the red form of InuYasha.
"Sesshoumaru!" He growled and placed his hand on his sword.
"Lord InuYasha." Came the voice from his right. "Would you dishonor my hospitality so? To attack a fellow guest in my home?"
It would seem two sets of gold eyes came to her instantly. However, her own silver were set on the younger pair. Her head was held to show her status as head of house and those pale silver orbs had gone cold and hard.
"I … uh …" He searched for words frantically. He tore his eyes from her a moment glancing at Sesshoumaru, who wasn't even looking at him. "I .. No, Lady Kumiko." He said quietly before he offered her a slight bow.
She offered InuYasha a little nod and then motioned for the seat across from Miyoko. "Why don't you take a seat and join us?"
Avoiding looked at Sesshoumaru, he walked up the side of the table and took the offered seat. He risked lifting his eyes to look at Miyoko as she filled his cup and at the sevant girl as she brought him a plate of food. He wasn't sure what to do. So he waited.
Sesshoumaru's attention had snapped to Kumiko when she reprimanded InuYahsa, essentially stopping him from reacting. She'd dropped the guise of frail female in that moment, and something in that had him looking at her hard. After a moment he looked at his brother, who had been put into submission just by the female's sharp gaze. He could not remember ever seeing the hanyou like this before. Even when that miko 'sat' him, he was in no means put into submission. The faint memory of a female came to mind, but it was still in the shadows. Something having to do with his mother as well.
Mentally he shook his head before his hand reached out to finally pick up his cup and examine the contents. Blood wine, interesting. He took a sip of it and watched as everyone started to move.
The dinner went smoothly from there. Miyoko had to keep Yokio in line, redirecting him when he started to do something wrong. And she was also kind enough to aid InuYasha when he looked lost, which happened a lot.
After dinner had finished, Yokio asked to be excused and went off to prepare for bed with Miyoko to aid him. It was then that Kumiko suggested they move to the garden.
"The sun has just set, with the rise of the moon the moon flowers will open and the smell is wonderful." Kumiko said as she looked across the table at Naitokage. She'd not spoken to Sesshoumaru throughout dinner, but then he had not spoken either. The dinner had gone on longer them she expected, but that mattered little in the long run.
"Hai, Lady Kumiko, I will join you. My blood cries out for the night, and anything you think is wonderful must be spectacular." He shot her a grin, and nudged the hanyou beside him. "What of you, young one? Care to join us?"
InuYasha looked up from the table. He felt out of place. Maybe he should have left when Miyoko and Yioko did? He looked to the wolf beside him and blinked. After a moment gaze shifted to Kumiko, then again to Sesshoumaru, who looked like he was only half paying attention.
"Come, Lord InuYasha. Miyoko will be joining us again soon, perhaps it would be more comfortable for you to have someone your own age about." Yes, she knew InuYasha had been bound to the tree, but he was still young. Not nearly as young as Miyoko, but it did not make much difference.
"Iiya, I think I will go on to bed." That seemed like a good answer to him. "Aragato for diner Lady Kumiko." He bowed his head as she stood and then made his way to the door, pausing for a moment before he headed back towards the room with his friends inside.
Kumiko looked after InuYasha for a moment. She could not help but feel sorry for him. If only his father or mother had lived, maybe things would have been different. "Ah well. Looks like It is just you and I then, Kage-sama. Unless Lord Sesshoumaru plans to join us?" She tilted her head slightly, but didn't really looks at him.
"Iiya, this Sesshoumaru shall go check on his ward and then retire." He rose after a moment. Making no signs to thank her and left.
Kage narrowed those dark blue hues. Arrogant was the only word that came to mind when he watched the daiyoukai walk away.
"Pay him no mind Kage-sama. He is disturbed that he can not call me forth in his memory." She spoke only after Sesshoumaru was out of ear shot. She rose to her feet and moved around the table to assist Kage to his feet.
"Hmm, hai. I think that would cause me some trouble too." He stood with her help and they started towards the door, and then towards the garden.
