Disclaimer: I do hereby disclaim all rights and responsibilities for the characters in this bit of harmless fluff… especially for the tormented one. A nod of recognition is bent towards Rumiko Takahashi for her creative prowess.
A Debt of Gratitude: With thanks to mine beta, Fenikkusuken. Your smiles are my goal.
This drabble was first posted to Live Journal on February 21, 2008.
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Playmate
Rin was playing with Jaken—that was really the only word for her current behavior. Sesshoumaru looked on with a mixture of amusement and pity as his normally officious retainer put on an extra burst of speed that sent his peaked cap sailing into a random clump of grass. Realizing that her pursuer was gaining on her, Rin laughed delightedly and zigzagged out of range. The next time Jaken managed to close the gap, the child changed tactics, running pell-mell towards the boulder on which Sesshoumaru sat.
The girl seemed convinced that the self-important imp was her playmate and cheerfully ignored his vociferous insistences to the contrary. Jaken called Rin's treatment a monumental indignity—torture to be endured for his lord's sake. Despite the creative invectives Jaken managed to work into his tirades, Sesshoumaru wasn't entirely convinced that the imp was in earnest. This latest 'torment' could easily be mistaken for a game of tag, and Jaken's verbal harangue wasn't hampering Rin's enjoyment of the pastime in the least. She darted past Sesshoumaru's perch, making a wide circle around the rock as she giggled. The imp followed, determination glinting in his eyes as the human child led him on a merry chase. Jaken never saw it coming.
On her second time around the boulder, Rin suddenly reversed course. Realizing that the girl was headed straight for him, arms outspread, Jaken attempted to backpedal, but his momentum was too great to avoid a collision. "Wha- wha- what?" he stammered in rising alarm. "No! Foolish child, don't…!"
Gleefully engulfing the irate imp in a bear hug, Rin rubbed her cheek affectionately against Jaken's bald pate. "Rin caught Jaken-sama!"
"That's not how the game works, heedless girl," he protested, trying to squirm free.
A soft cough from the taiyoukai's general direction brought the retainer's struggles to an abrupt halt. A look of horrified realization was met by cool bemusement. So, actually… Jaken is playing with Rin. How interesting.
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End Note: This drabble was written for the Live Journal community mf(underscore)sanctuary and their theme for Week 6—Second Time Around. 325 words.
