Convivial
By: The Hatter Theory
Thrift Shop Day
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha
AN: This was supposed to be posted on August 17th, but real life took a nail studded baseball bat to my brain with house problems and family illness. I have a backlog written up, so expect updates. Like. A lot of updates. Massive amounts of updates.
Kagome looked around her, pursed clutched tightly to her shoulder. Sapporo wasn't as big, or as busy, as Tokyo, but it was still big, and bustling with lots of people. There was breathing room, however, unlike in Tokyo, where the crowds could get (and often were) downright claustrophobic.
Sapporo was a little slower too, a little more laid back. She noticed people seemed more relaxed, easier to smile as she walked down the sidewalk. The world around her was surprisingly easy to melt into, to become anonymous in. The feeling of being lost persisted, but it wasn't a wholly unwelcome feeling. There was something nice about anonymity and blending into a crowd.
Her first week of classes had gone well, surprisingly so. She only had school three days out of it, but the workload looked heavy enough to keep her very busy. Three classes focused around world literature with professors trying out an experimental program, one she hoped would give her a new perspective, and maybe a few new writers that she could love, ones she would be free of.
Today was the first day she was really exploring her neighborhood. Student housing was in the center of downtown near the college itself, and the plethora of shops and restaurants provided an easy distraction from her small apartment. It was a nice apartment, but the building itself seemed full of younger people, most of which she felt a distinct disconnect from.
Looking through windows of variety stores and clothing boutiques, she passed most of them by until she saw one store with clothing racks and the back wall lined with books. Checking the sign, she saw the quasi artistic sign proclaiming it was a thrift store and opened the door, immediately feeling a little warmer. Hokkaido wasn't cold yet, but it was cooler than Tokyo, and the inside of the shop felt slightly better than outside.
Nodding when the cashier called out a polite hello, she made a beeline for the back wall, eyes on the wealth of books sorted according to topic. There were two cases dedicated to romances, which she ignored completely, and three more of technical books that were mostly out of date. But a single case near the end, wedged between one for childrens books and old computer systems yielded what she sought.
Mixed in with old college lit books were different books on poetry and mythology, classic novels and the odd independent printing. A finger carefully traced each spine for a title, bypassing book after book, looking for someone, something she hadn't read. Most of the names she knew and had studied, picked apart for one project or another.
Two, then three, then four names popped out, and she slid them out of place each time, igoring the slipcovers or the backs and choosing to stack them neatly as she continued. After fifteen minutes looking the shelves up and down she got to the bottom one, covered in dust. People obviously didn't look at it often, and there she hit a veritable goldmine, finding six books of poetry by authors she had either heard of and never read, or never heard of at all.
Grabbing them and blowing the dust off, she tucked them in the crook of her arm and put the other four on top, smiling at the stack. Walking for the register, she was halfway through the store when she heard her name called out.
"Kagome! Kagome!" A child's voice shouted loudly, drawing notice form everyone in the store.
Kagome turned, immediately recognizing the voice.
"Houka," She greeted, smiling softly as the girl ran down the aisle, her father following closely.
"Houka!" He snapped, his use of her name more of a command.
"But papa, it's Kagome!"
"I can see that," He growled, then softened considerably. "You can;t run off like that."
"I'm sorry," The girl said, though she didn't sound the least bit contrite. "I won't do it again."
Araki made a long suffering sound and then looked at Kagome, surprise etched on his features.
"Hello, sorry about that."
"It's alright. Your papa is right though," Kagome said, looking at Houka. "You shouldn't run away from him."
Houka looked properly chastened for about ten seconds before breaking into a smile.
"Are you here to teach me archery?"
"Houka," He father sighed.
"I'm staying here for a few months. I don't have my equipment with me though," She said.
"A few months?" Araki asked, looking more surprised than he had before.
"I'm here for a program at Hokudai," She informed him.
"Papa can make you a bow! He made one for me, it's beautiful!"
"I'm sure Kagome is busy with school," Araki began slowly, as if afraid to hurt his daughter's feelings.
"It's not that busy, I wouldn't mind," Kagome said, seeing the girl's crestfallen look. "I'm sure we can fit some time in, maybe on the weekends?"
"Please papa," Houka said, turning her blue eyes on her father. Kagome couldn't help but giggle watching the pair, Houka obviously trying to use her cuteness and wide eyes to her advantage and her father pretending to look stern, although he wasn't pulling it off very well.
"Oh, I suppose I could make something," He finally sighed, shrugging and rolling his eyes. Houka's loud cheer echoed through the store. "Don't forget your manners," He added.
"Thank you Kagome, thank you papa!" Houka said, her smile so wide the words came out strangely as the young youkai rocked back and forth on her feet. "When can we start!"
"Spoiled," Araki sighed, tone aggrieved.
"I'm free this weekend, if your papa is alright with it."
"Papa?" Houka asked.
"Alright spitfire, you've got your way. I'll have to make a bow first though, which means the first time she comes over, you probably won't get much in the way of lessons."
"That's fine!"
Houka chattered excitedly about archery, her father's workshop, her grandfather, and the bed her father had found.
"Bed?" Kagome asked, curious.
"Taking a break, getting Houka into the city, I look through some of the thrift stores and the like for old furniture. Found some good pieces that just require a bit of work," He said, coloring slightly.
"I'd never thought about that," Kagome admitted, eyes widening. "So, you restore furniture too?"
"Just wood," he corrected, walking with her through the store, following his over eager daughter. "Like this one. The wood is old, and imported Something from the forties, I won't know more until I can get some time with it."
"Papa can read wood," Houka said confidentially, voice an exaggerated whisper. "Someday I'll be able to too."
"Maybe. You might take after your mother, especially if you keep finding ways past your grandfather's wards."
Houka colored brightly, but Kagome's curiosity was peaked.
"Read the wood?"
"My kind take a good bit from wood, like reading a book in some ways."
"And it's, you inherit it?"
"From my mother. My father is, ah, something of a blacksmith. Tell the truth, I think he was a bit put out I took after my mother," he chuckled.
"I haven't met many blacksmiths," Kagome mused. "Only Totosai."
Araki stilled.
"I was unaware you knew my grandfather," He finally said, looking utterly flummoxed.
"Totosai was your grandfather?" Kagome shouted and, once she realized how loud she had been, clapped a hand over her mouth. But really,Totosai with children? How, when, in the nine circles of hell had that happened?
"He was. Strange world now, innit?" Araki laughed, rubbing the back of his head. Kagome nodded, still stunned that she was speaking to Totosai's grandson and great granddaughter.
The head board and foot board were large and extravagant, the luster faded and covered with dust. But it was beautiful, if a bit dinged up.
"It's nice," Kagome commented.
"Look better once I've had some time with it," He chuckled, and Kagome didn't miss the way his hand lovingly, almost reverently caressed the wood.
"Papa, I'm hungry," Houka whined.
"If you're not busy," Araki began.
"I've got the rest of the day," Kagome smiled.
"Lunch, my treat?"
"Sounds good to me."
Houka gave a happy cheer and Kagome offered to watch her while Araki purchased and helped one of the employees load the heavy footboard and headboard into his truck. She paid for her books, listening to Houka speak a mile a minute, already talking about her bow and telling Kagome how much she had improved.
When they walked out front, Araki was just finishing tying down the frames, wrapped in heavy packing blankets, to the truck.
"Where would you ladies like to go?" He asked, opening the passenger door for Houka to bounce in, followed by Kagome.
"I don't really know of anything in the area," She admitted.
"Geomon papa!" Houka said, bouncing in the long bench seat as Kagome slipped in next to her.
"Sounds good. Do you like oden?"
"I love oden," Kagome laughed. Araki nodded, closing the door for her and walking around to the other side. Houka, talkative and excitable as ever, began telling Kagome about the small shop and how her father and grandfather loved to eat there when they came into the city, and how they could eat two or three bowls. Araki colored at his daughter's candid stories, and Kagome couldn't help but giggle at the little youkai's gregariousness.
It was a short drive, Araki navigating backstreets and finally parking in a small lot behind a building. Houka crowed and jumped over Kagome to get out of the truck when her father opened the door. An admonishment was utterly lost on her as Araki helped Kagome down from the high cab and closed the door.
"Will the bed be safe?" Kagome asked, concerned.
"Try a bit of your magic Spitfire," Araki chuckled.
The blanketed items flickered and shimmered, and Kagome was surprised when she blinked and the pile had transformed into a pile of trash. Complete with flies.
"Not bad," Kagome said, eyes widening.
"I'm getting a lot better," Houka said proudly.
"You are," Her father said. "Seems like you might deserve some ice cream after this."
"Yay!" Houka shouted, taking her father's hand and grabbing Kagome's.
Houka and Araki both made it easy to forget about the past weeks and to explore the present and her new home. The food was delicious, and Houka made a show of slurping, earning half chuckled admonishments from her father and delighted laughter from Kagome. Araki told her about the area, and the different places to visit, promising her a tour, which she gladly accepted.
By the time they were walking down the street for ice cream, Kagome was laughing, oblivious to the troubles that had driven her to Sapporo to begin with.
