Disclaimer: We own nothing but the plot and our new created figures.

Here we go, another year, another Christmas. Don't you just love this time? It's family time for us, so lets see how much we get done and how much our two main characters will fair through this times. Will there be love, joy and happiness or more chaos, to much work and some crazy old men trying to kill each other?

Yet again we have to thank all of you. It's absolutely incredible how much wonderful feedback you are giving us and it's even more joyous to read how much you like our little piece of work. Thank you so much and a wonderful 1st of Advent!

A/N: This chapter is written by Dream, the next will be done by Summer

Date: Sun, 30. November 2014 21:12:54

Subject: Nothing shocks me anymore...

From: Sesshomaru Taisho (s-taisho-at-taisho-com)

To: Kagome Higurashi (kagome-at-sunsetshrine-co-jp)

Ms Kagome,

I can assure you there is simply not enough sake in this world to intoxicate myself, how much ever I would like to at times (and I assure you, I've tried). Yet if you wish so, I will refrain from letting myself be more open again.

I hope you got the chance to relax for a bit on that impromptu holiday yourself. As you surely know I had been forced to make a business trip to the USA and have just returned last night. I would have liked to take Rin with me, but with school and the looming Christmas season we decided for her to remain with Haha-ue.

It always makes me wonder how a nation like ours, that follows a completely different religion, manages to adapt more and more of the Christmas celebrations, while mostly ignoring it's background. With my inner pack following the shinto rites I am more or less able to avoid that craziness, still I wonder how different Christmas in Japan is from the celebrations in countries with more Christian background like Germany, Finland or France.

Mrs Takigawa and I had the chance to talk in person this morning and I am pleased to see how much of her clans traditions and technics are still preserved within it. It was nearly delightful to hear the story of her husband's punishment. Also I was pleasently surprised to meet Kirara again. Did you know that she was my comrade for a while before I came of age?

Also I wish to thank you for pointing out that account. Thanks to you I was able to recover the lost money. Do you have any idea what else Inyasha stored in that file? I surely hope you don't, cause I definitely would not like to know you saw the content… And you are right, Haha-ue never willingly socializes with the hanyō unless she absolutely can't avoid it. And I'll be dammed if I do hereafter.

My sincer apologies for frightening you in regards of the markings. Let me try to explain them to you. The moment you are truly accepted into an inu pack and you yourself agree to become a pack memember the pack bond is formed. As you are well aware inus are having markings. The more powerful an inu is, the more prominent are the markings. The true-blooded heirs of each clan are also having the clan mark, in my case and that of haha-ue it is the crescent moon. For the markings to be on display you need to have yōki, but it is known that under certrain circumstances, reiki-user also display their markings. I can only guess it's very similar to the situations in which hanyō display their markings.

At this moment I can only guess what your markings look like, but most likely you are having, at least one stripe on each cheek, right below the cheekbone. It is also possible, considering your power level, that you also have a stripe around your wrist. It is rather unlikely for you to have more. You may be extremely powerful, but you are no yōkai. You can try to display them or at least feel them. Just channel a bit of your reiki into your fingertips and stroke over your face. You can also ask Shippō to do so with him rising his yōki, but please be careful so his yōki does not provoke your reiki. It is unlikely for it to work out, with him being a kit, but worth the try. Haha-ue can't help you on this, because there is no direct bond between you and her, but if we finally manage to meet I can pull them out.

Me writing? I feel, I am more one to let others do the writing, yet maybe someone will write that manual in my place. Rest assured, that even humans have enough instincts to prevent them from stumbling too much, at least if they are willing to listen. If you ever feel the need to ask something Haha-ue or Ms Nita can't answer, you know where to find me.

So, you like my new haircut? At least in this day and age a male is allowed to wear his hair short. I am coming to terms with it. It's rather pratical. In Feudal Era the longer the hair, the more power you had… Haha-ue told me Yura loved that Shippō decided to have his hair cut as well.

Will we see you on that Advent Tinkering Afternoon at school on Thursday? Rin urged me to go with her. If you are not able to attent I would be willing to take Shippō with us.

Sincerely,

T. Sesshōmaru

-daiyōkai-

P.S.: I think I got the same postcard from Jak… I wonder if he can still think straight from all that swooning.

P.P.S.: Leave that doctor alone. He's got nothing to do with my knowledge.

A/N: Please read and review. Feedback is our fuel to write. Let's get those muses back on the road. Thanks so much!