Chapter 11 - The Cliches part 2
For the next few days, Kagome felt like a stalker. Which was basically what she was for the moment.
She was watching someone without their knowledge or consent over a long period of time. She'd even taken it one step further by writing down his likes and dislikes, and she pondered all sorts of things like what sort of music, tea or colours he preferred. She wondered what to get him for Valentines and if he'd even accept a gift from her. If he did, what would he like? And was chocolate poisonous to him if he was a dog demon but not actually a dog?
Her most hated question without doubt though was; What kind of woman appealed to him most?
Kagome was going insane.
There was nothing more tedious than trying to get into the mind of someone just so you could appeal to them better. She felt dirty and manipulative, she felt tired and fed up. Mostly though, Kagome felt frustrated.
He was impossible. Sesshoumaru was so damnably private and closed off it was difficult to know if he found enjoyment in anything besides fighting battles. She didn't know what music he preferred, and though she'd spied him drinking tea she hadn't been close enough to find out what kind. She had him pegged as an Earl Grey kind of guy, but she wasn't about to root through his bin to find out.
Kagome didn't know if he liked the colour white, but he certainly wore allot of white shirts. Aside from that, there was nothing new she'd found out about him.
Her list of his likes and dislikes was pathetically short. She glanced it over with troubled eyes.
Likes; Battles, swords, armor, combat, flight and Rin.
Dislikes; Loud mouthed people, rudeness, humans, Naraku and Inuyasha.
Since the Love Meter wasn't below the minimum marker and he hadn't declared his everlasting love to her, Kagome could only assume she was somewhere in the middle. She'd dejectedly put herself in a new list.
Neither likes nor dislikes; Ah-Un, Jaken and Kagome.
Her teeth gnawed at her bottom lip. She was on the same level as Jaken, not a good sign.
Unfortunately Kagome was treading a very dangerous line. She'd nearly been caught several times, and she knew Sesshoumaru would not take kindly to her stalking him. Besides that, she had moments of being loud mouthed, she could be rude and she was a human. So how the heck was she supposed to get him to like her?
"Does this mean I have to change my entire personality?" She wondered aloud, hand on her chin as she rested on a park bench.
No, that's stupid. The heroines in otome games don't have to change their personality to get guys. They just...get guys.
Now that she thought about it, the first time she'd played an otome game, she'd ended up alone. The possibility that you could lose and stay single in a dating sim hadn't even entered her mind, and she'd been stunned. Kagome had only been playing as herself, and she'd made the choices according to what she would have said in the heroines position. As she'd learned the hard way though, that was no way to win a love interest in a game. Who knew, maybe she'd have to change a little to appeal to Sesshoumaru more.
She had a feeling he'd be attracted to a woman who was confidant, mature and controlled. Kagome scratched her temple, considering this. She could be confident, but looked younger than her actual age, so it would be difficult for her to pull off an air of maturity and Kagome doubted she even could. But she felt in control when she was firing arrows at things. Maybe the archery class cliche could work to her advantage then.
Even so, changing a key part of herself so that a guy might find her more attractive seemed like a shallow and dishonest thing to do. She felt rotten even considering it. But if using the archery cliche she'd planned didn't work, and Valentines was a failure, Kagome wasn't sure what else to do.
"I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. But if Sesshoumaru doesn't like me the way I am, even if I try to be a little more calmer and serious, then I can't do anything about it. You can't force attraction after all." She sighed heavily, watching the cherry blossoms drift soundlessly in the breeze. It was so quiet at the park, no children in sight.
She'd discovered the park on her way back from Inuyasha's, only just realizing that his house was further down from the library. She hadn't been able to walk down so far before, as the street had been cut off by buildings. It seemed like she'd unlocked it somehow by being invited over, and wondered how many other places she might be able to get to if she played the scenario's right. The orphanage was certainly one of them.
"Rin and Shippo would like this place." Kagome murmured, a little home sick.
Thinking about them only made her resolve grow stronger though. She needed to at least try before she gave up on herself. Standing, she grabbed her bag and briskly left the park.
Arriving at the school with time to spare, Kagome had noted beforehand that today she had a double lesson of sport. Turning towards the pavilion, she headed for the archery club. She hadn't signed up to actually take part in the club yet, but for her to woo Sesshoumaru, she figured she needed to. The demon lord responded to power, that much was obvious, and though her 'technique' wasn't professional, she had enough reiki to impress him. All that was needed was the right way to catch his interest, and archery was something she was already good at.
Humming to herself, she stepped towards the closed door of the archery pavilion and went to push it open. The door didn't budge. Kagome frowned in confusion, giving it another push in case it was stuck. Stepping back, she figured it really was locked, though she couldn't remember a time it ever had been. A white piece of paper was stuck to the wall next to the entrance, and Kagome curiously went to read it.
The sign read; 'Due to a lack of members, the Archery Club has been dropped from the list of Sports Events.'
"What!" Kagome exclaimed, eyes wide.
Great, well now what do I do? She frowned, but thought about it logically. If she roped some people into helping her then she could sign up no problem and re open the club. Then she'd be able to spark Sesshoumaru's interest, and the whole thing would be solved. Eri and Yume might be hesitant, but Kagome was fairly sure they'd help her. Now all she needed to do was find the guy in charge.
"If you want to know more about it, talk to Sango. She's in the Gym." Came a bored voice.
Kagome looked up to see Bankotsu leaning against the wall, his hand on the hilt of 'his companion.' The miko gulped at the imposing looking halberd, the blade resembling Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga in size. She was then struck by the memory of Manten giving Hiten the Raigekijin, and furrowed her brow. Why were they hanging around the school with their swords? She hadn't noticed Bankostu with Banryu before, but she remember Hiten's words, and figured that they must be sparing with them.
"Urr, thanks." Kagome smiled, hoping she looked more at ease than she felt.
Bankotsu seemed to have already dismissed her in favor of watching a white butterfly flutter past instead.
"Are you okay?" She asked, a part of her needing to ask after seeing the distant look in his eyes. Bankotsu didn't reply, but Kagome tried again.
"Who were you writing that death threat to anyway?"
Seeing how withdrawn he was, she started to worry despite the knowledge that he was a cold blooded killer. The games scenario's didn't have much excitement to them, and Bankostu lived for the thrill of things. Without the fun of battle, he seemed so subdued, like a shell of his former self.
"Inuyasha. He stole my pencil." Bankostu finally replied, voice empty of any emotion.
Kagome sweat dropped. "Huh, well that sucks. You know, I think he's a little bored himself. Why don't you go find him?"
Great suggestion Kagome, tell the murderer to go find your best friend. It's not like they tried to kill each other in the past or anything. Bankotsu raised his head and seemed to consider this. He then straightened, a cruel light entering his eyes.
Knowing what he was probably thinking about, she quickly added; "But no fights to the death alright?"
The former leader frowned but shrugged, his gaze flat. "Of course, can't have too much fun can we?"
Kagome was struck by the thought that perhaps Bankostu knew more than he let on. She didn't ask though, and soon gave into the need to leave. He still made her uncomfortable, and she wasn't about to ask him anything like that. She walked away, wondering if he was lonely because the Band of Seven weren't around. She found it odd that Hiten had Manten and Souten in the game when none of Bankotsu's friends had joined him.
Following the path round to the Gymnasium, Kagome opened its large door, looking around for any sign of the demon slayer. She found Sango on the Balance beam not too far away, who expertly leaped and somersaulted into a landing. Kagome wasn't surprised, Sango used to have incredible flexibility and strength in the feudal era, so she looked only natural doing gymnastics.
Sango finished her form and finally noticed Kagome, who smiled.
"That was pretty amazing!" She exclaimed, meaning it. Kagome had always liked watching Sango train, as even though she herself lacked the talent to pull off her leaps and dives, Sango's fighting style was too impressive not to be in awe of.
"Oh, thank you. Did you want to try it yourself?" Sango smiled modestly, and motioned to the Balance beam.
Kagome took a look at the ominous padded beam, remembering all the embarrassing times she'd tried to steady herself enough to stand up on it. Needless to say the memories involved allot of falling off.
She gave a nervous laugh. "Ah no, I'm good thanks. I'm actually allot more into archery than gymnastics."
Sango's smile fell, and she looked a little dismayed. "I see, you're here about the Archery club huh? I'm really sorry about the cancellation, but there's nothing I can do if the club doesn't have enough members."
"I'm not a member of it yet but I'd like to be. So would my friends, we're all really keen to learn. Wouldn't three more members be enough to reopen it?" Kagome felt worry knot in her stomach. If she couldn't be in the Archery club there wasn't much else she could think of that would catch Sesshoumaru's eye. He was a battle orientated demon, and her archery skills could be something he'd respect, since she couldn't use a sword.
Sango ran a hand through her hair, her brown eyes narrowed in thought. Kagome waited until she turned back to her.
"Alright, it's a deal-"
"YES! Thank you Sango, you're the best." Kagome grinned, making the older girl look a little unnerved. Kagome quieted and made a mental note to try and tone herself down a bit. Sango didn't think of her as a best friend after all.
"Wait, don't thank me just yet. I was going to say its a deal IF you agree to step in for another club in need of members."
The miko rocked back on her heels, considering this. "Um...okay. I guess. What club are we talking about?"
Sango smiled so serenely that it reminded Kagome of her fake mother, which now that she thought about it, that probably wasn't a good sign.
OOO
The air outside was crisp and clear, just like any other Spring day. It held enough of a chill that could nip at your ankles though, and for Kagome, her legs were cold enough with a skirt on.
"No! I- I cant do it! Never again, nope, nadaa, no way in hell. I left this behind me when I finished school!" She raged, thankfully alone in the locker rooms as she crossed her arms and threatened to stamp her foot like a child.
The sport Sango had picked out for her wasn't so bad. Kagome enjoyed Volleyball, and hadn't been that bad at it in the past. That wasn't the problem. The problem was the barely there shorts.
Bloomers were a nightmare from the past that she'd thought she'd finally escaped from since leaving middle school. Unfortunately the red monstrosities had come back with a vengeance.
"I don't think these are even in most schools anymore. I only see them in animes these days. Dammit, do I really have to wear these again?" Kagome muttered, staring down at the red bloomers with evident hatred.
She wasn't naive enough not to notice how short her skirt was, she'd known even when she was 15. Yet now she was 19 it was practically a mini skirt, and she fought not to pull it down every time there was a light breeze. The bloomers however, had a nasty habit of exposing underwear accidentally from riding up, and they felt like you were walking around in a swim suit. That had been four years ago, and she'd done some growing since then. She dreaded to think what they'd be like to wear now.
"Kagome! Are you joining us or what?" A voice called. It was Ayame, who'd turned out to be the captain of the volleyball team.
Kagome heaved a long suffering sigh. "Yeah, in a minute."
She held the bloomers up and glared at them, willing them to spontaneously combust. When they did not catch fire from pure willpower, she begrudgingly put them on.
Oh god, they're worse than before. The bloomers were tight and deeply uncomfortable, Kagome looked in the mirror to see the damage. Huh. I don't look bad per se...but that still doesn't make this any less embarrassing.
She took a breath, looking past her blushing face and noting her form, how long her legs looked. Kagome tried to focus on the fact that her legs were definitely her best feature, and no matter how uncomfortable the bloomers were to wear, she could make it work if she held her head up.
With renewed confidence, Kagome smoothed the barely there shorts on her hips and walked out the door.
The cool air bit into her exposed skin, and Kagome put her hands on her arms to keep from rubbing her cold legs. The rest of the team were already doing warm up exercises, and Kagome was about to go join them when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye.
Silver was the first thing she noticed, long strands of moonlit coloured hair were caught in a breeze that made her made her own locks lift up. She pushed them away and gawked, but Sesshoumaru said nothing, he merely stared. Kagome had been so focused on planning the archery cliche that she hadn't even realized she'd walked right into one until that moment.
Kagome felt her shoulders tense and her cheeks warm, feeling the rising embarrassment threaten to steal her determination. Her exposed knees shook, a moment of weakness infront of the proud demon whom she was sure had never felt chagrin in his life.
Surprisingly enough he didn't seem to be mocking her state of distress, he merely rose a brow. "Miko, I trust you are well?"
Kagome's eyes widened, and she felt her ire rise to try and battle her self-consciousness. "You're being nice?"
His eyes stayed perfectly level with her face but Kagome knew she'd seen him look. He was probably laughing at her right now but it was hard to tell, his face was perfectly blank save for that damned eyebrow.
"I believe we became allies of sorts upon our last meeting. Or are your agreements so easily forgotten?"
Kagome frowned and folded her arms in an effort not to pull her school shirt down over her thighs. His midsummer night eyes were almost daring her to cave into her embarrassment. He looked so annoyingly perfect and pristine.
"I-I suppose, guess my head was somewhere else."
"Hn." Sesshoumaru didn't seem too impressed, and his eyes wandered away from her. She inwardly cursed herself for stuttering and felt her annoyance with him grow. He continued to watch something far off in the distance, looking somewhat bored, and Kagome's spine straightened as a reflex. She unfolded her arms. Being snubbed was not something she appreciated.
Kagome narrowed her eyes, before she smiled and held her head up. "Actually I must have been distracted by this sports wear, I think the size is too small. It's only natural though I suppose, I am 19 years old after all, no wonder it doesn't fit me if it's meant for the younger students."
Sesshoumaru had turned back to her, looking a little surprised. Kagome's teeth flashed. He could play high and mighty all he wanted, but Kagome wouldn't let him ignore her. She'd purposefully draw attention to her insecurity if it meant she could throw him off balance just once. It had worked, and as she'd assumed, he hadn't known her age. He'd probably thought she was 15 or 16.
She made her expression as innocent as possible when he raised a brow in disbelief. "Why remain here if you are of age to leave?"
"Oh I was held back a few years due to an illness." Kagome waved a hand dismissively, it wasn't completely lying.
There was suddenly a loud shriek of pure fear.
Both Sesshoumaru and Kagome turned instinctively at the noise. However, it only appeared to be Miroku being dragged off by an angry Sango who'd caught him spying.
Kagome sighed in dismay, drawing attention to herself again. She probably should have stopped there, but a sharpness was in her voice and her tongue refused to curb. "It's a real shame though, being a bit older than everyone. None of the guys around here really make a lasting impression because of how immature they can be. They're easily forgotten, you know?" She said flatly, looking him square in the face. Guess my head was somewhere else.
Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed, and he tensed. Neither of the budged for a moment. She'd probably get in trouble later for slighting him like that, but Kagome didn't care. If he could snub her, she'd snub him.
Ice Prince's need to be called out on their high and mighty attitude by the heroine. Kagome thought, turning away when one of her teammates called her name. If she were being honest though, she'd been reacting off her embarrassment rather than thinking logically.
"I'll see you later Mr. Taisho. Nice talking with you." She smiled sweetly, unable to stop herself and earning another pensive look from Sesshoumaru.
Of course, he couldn't help but unbalance her confident mood once again when she'd turned towards her team. He couldn't let her go unscathed after that act of blatant defiance. "Miko, your undergarments are showing."
Kagome flushed red, and hissed a string of curses as she quickly adjusted her bloomers, glaring over her shoulder at the arrogant demon. So much for friendship bracelets and rainbows where their relationship was concerned.
Sesshoumaru smirked faintly and looked like he was preparing to leave. Kagome was practically spitting flames, but her attention was demanded elsewhere as Ayame spoke to her. "Kagome, you'll need to tie your hair back before we begin."
Kagome blinked, brought out of her mortification as she nodded. "O-oh yeah, sorry about that."
She wriggled her hair band free from around her wrist and pulled her hair back, trying to smooth some of the tangled locks. Kagome's hair was untamable and wavy as it fell against her neck, but she pushed it aside, glad for the cool air on her heated skin.
It was as she had her arms raised, and back curved invitingly, that she turned to where Sesshoumaru had been standing. She'd expected him to have already gone, his oh so clever comeback had hit its mark after all, so why would he stay?
Whatever the reason was, it had him rooted in place. From the way he was staring at her, she could only assume it was something she'd done. Her hands froze in her hair, and their eyes locked. His dark gold eyes were intent, and Sesshoumaru had gone absolutely still, his attention transfixed on her.
W-what? What did I do? Kagome swallowed, unsure how to respond. She'd never seen him look at her that way before. It wasn't angry, or something easily named. Yet, shockingly, she found the heat in his gaze resembled something far more adult than she had experience with. Kagome pushed the thought away, unwilling to believe it, and scoffing at her fanciful nature. But then...why is he looking at me like that?
Her fingers brushed her neck, and his eyes followed the movement.
It was then that Kagome understood. She didn't know much about demon courtships or what they entailed, but she had heard some things about body language and the actions mates did for one another.
Exposing your throat or neck could be seen as a blatant invitation, or a sign of submission, or both. That she'd arched her back and was now looking over her shoulder at him probably didn't help. Kagome was confused as to why he'd even noticed though, or why he was paying her attention. Surely as a human she was beneath his notice in such matters.
It didn't seem that way to him though.
Kagome was caught, torn between what to do. Her natural reaction was to lower her hair again and turn away, to try and forget it even happened. This was Sesshoumaru! Inuyasha's hated half brother. What was he doing looking at her like he wanted to devour her?
But then she thought about the otome game, that she could make up for her earlier attitude by giving in and being a good heroine. Because all heroines in otome games must be submissive, sweet and virginal creatures. They couldn't have sharp words, flashing eyes or wild hair. That was probably why she'd failed the first time she'd played a game, before she'd curbed herself to fit the love interest's ideals.
Kagome riled against the thought like a stubborn mule. Keeping her gaze locked with his, she lowered her hair so that it covered her neck once more. Instead of turning away though, she slowly let her arms fall to her sides and stayed partially turned towards him.
Kagome had expected him to be angry at her defiance. She heard a deep rumble from his chest and started, realizing it was a growl. This was nothing compared to when she raised her blue eyes to meet his though, as she jumped in shock.
Sesshoumaru seemed pleased by her actions. So much so that the Love Meter rose to the orange marker beside him.
Oh you have got to be kidding me. Kagome reeled in surprise, her eyes wide. He didn't smile, but his eyes were warm and hooded. Her heart beat wildly in her chest.
"Kagome! Come on! Are you going to play or not?" Yelled Ayame, breaking her out of the spell by the sharp blow of her whistle.
It seemed to do the same for Sesshoumaru, as he blinked, and a moment later his eyes widened in surprise before his expression closed off. His face was blank and empty as he drew away slightly. He was the old Sesshoumaru once more, and Kagome marveled that even the heat of his gaze had turned flat and cold. He turned away from her almost dismissively, lips curved down.
Sesshoumaru left, taking the heavy, static air that had stolen her senses with him. Kagome stood frozen, breathless.
After a moment, she finally went to join her teammates, and was too shaken to really notice her bloomers anymore. It was just like in the feudal era again, where the worry of demons had taken priority over whether her skirt was appropriate or not. She felt a little lost, yet a part of her knew she was at an advantage from this encounter.
A youkai's body language wasn't something Kagome had considered. In fact she'd been so preoccupied with worrying about music and tea or his likes and dislikes, that she'd overlooked something important. Sesshoumaru was an inuyoukai, and she couldn't forget that he was a beast born of instinct as much as he was an intelligent being.
As such, he probably valued that silent language more than she knew, and if she stood any chance of winning him, she needed to learn it. Perhaps her hopeful feeling hadn't been unfounded after all.
Kagome hit the ball and tried to shake off the goosebumps that whispered over her skin.
ooo
Hope you like it! Next time it's Valentines Day!