You take a hit now
You feel it break down
Jiro sighed heavily as he pushed open the door and entered Kagome's hospital room. He didn't particularly feel like explaining the busted lip and black eye he was currently sporting but Kagome would probably just magically know. It was uncanny how many things she had guessed. Were he and this Inuyasha guy really that similar or was Kagome just really good at reading people?
"I'm guessing Hojo is to blame for that," Kagome chuckled hoarsely as she wiped away some tears and forced a smile on her face. Jiro rolled his eyes and nodded. Of course she'd know. Well okay who else would have beat him up. Maybe it was just logic rather than magic.
"He came out worse for wear," Jiro replied dismissively as he plopped down on a chair by her bed and looked around, "So...they're still keeping you prisoner, huh? Has he, uh...has he come by?"
Kagome visibly deflated and he immediately regretted even asking. It was a stupid thing to ask anyway. They both knew where he was. He be dead. Dead dead. Dead dead dead. Definitely...
"Mama says the sutra is still on the door," Kagome murmured sadly before she furrowed her eyebrows and huffed, "Its so stupid. I can't believe they won't let me leave. He's out there somewhere probably thinking I hate him or something stupid."
Still probably also dead just in Tokyo. Guy was in bad shape. That was wishful thinking on Kagome's part but he wasn't going to tell her that.
"Let you," Jiro laughed as he rolled his eyes, "I highly doubt anyone can tell you what to do. I don't understand. Why don't you just pop out that IV and bounce?"
"Ew," Kagome replied as she crinkled her nose before sighing heavily, "Besides I already tried. They threatened to put me under surveillance in a pysch ward. Said I seemed unstable."
"What did you do?" Jiro snorted as he raised a single eyebrow, "Like did you bite someone or...like...no seriously what did you do to make them threaten to lock you away?"
"I might've threatened the nurse," Kagome mumbled miserably as she sunk down into the hospital bed and folded her arms tightly against her chest. Jiro sighed and looked at her expectantly. That couldn't possibly be all.
"Also...I might've said the dog that bit me must feel bad and I needed to find him," Kagome added begrudgingly.
"Yeah, saying you felt the rabid dog to comfort him after he attacked you does sound crazy," Jiro chuckled softly before letting out a long breath, "So how much longer are they wanting to keep you?"
"Until this afternoon," Kagome groaned in frustration, "I need to find him before he does something stupid. He always put himself through these pointless guilt trips over the dumbest things and I..."
"What type of dumb things?" Jiro asked curiously, "Does he, uh, get possessed often?"
"Sorta," Kagome admitted with a blush before chewing her lip, "He kinda...so you saw the way his eyes turned red?"
Jiro nodded.
"Okay so sometimes he, uh, loses control and, um, does things?" Kagome replied vaguely.
Jiro raised a single eyebrow and hummed, "Like...does he go around peeing on trees or pooping on the neighbors yard? Because I would feel bad about that if it was me."
Kagome sent him a sour look and pursed her lips.
"Just saying," Jiro defended playfully as he held up his hands, "I mean what, does he go around murdering people or something?"
The way Kagome's face paled answered his question and Jiro's jaw dropped.
"So you go around with this dog man who randomly has murder sprees like a serial killer and you have no problem with that?" Jiro asked incredulously as his eyes widened in alarm, "He tried to kill you yesterday and youre telling me that this is a regular thing. Not like he was possessed. Like this is just something he does. Regularly."
"It's like being mentally ill," Kagome huffed defensively, "He just has episodes when he's close to death. That's not his fault. He can't control it."
"You're in love with a serial killer, Kagome. An unstable, unpredictable man who was literally built to kill," Jiro countered with an exasperated huff, "Just waiting around until he straight up murders you isn't normal. Why are you even trying to defend him? Maybe his ex girlfriend was doing the world a favor."
"How dare you! She...she...ugh, it's not his fault!" Kagome snapped angrily, "You wouldn't be saying that if you actually knew him. He hates that part of him."
"The demon part," Jiro snorted condescendingly, "Which you told me is the only part he wants to be. Yeah sounds like he hates it alright."
"He used to but...know what?! Just go," Kagome hissed in a low cold tone, "You don't know him and you don't know me. Leave. Now."
"Fine," Jiro snapped as he got to his feet and headed towards the door, "Have fun being murdered."
~o~o~o~o~o~
The tension was so thick it could've been sliced with a knife. The entire world feeling uncomfortable and unsteady ever since Miroku had his foot in mouth moment. Sango had been actively avoiding him unless absolutely necessary and whenever they did interact it was for a purpose. And Sango's sole purpose had been preventing the still lingering Kikyo from coming any closer to the well. Although it had been discussed and agreements had been made, it seemed Sango was itching for a fight. On numerous occasions, she had gone looking for the undead miko only to return empty handed a few hours later. It wouldn't be the first time Kikyo had cast a barrier only those select few could enter.
"Sango," Miroku tried a little desperately as he approached when she returned yet again from a hunting mission. He had no doubt things were about to become that much more uncomfortable as he continued, "You shouldn't be attempting to ambush Kikyo on your own. Its too dangerous."
Shaking her head, the slayer pushed past the monk and headed towards the village. Casting a worried glance at the well, Miroku sighed before chasing after her.
"What I said was unforgivable," Miroku tried for the umpteenth time as he caught up to her, "I have already begged your forgiveness."
"I'm not upset with you," Sango replied after a tense moment as she slowed to a halt and turned to face him with a slightly guilty look, "I believe Kikyo's intention was to expose how fragile our friendship and trust in each other truly is. To crush and destroy us. Specifically, she wants us to turn on Inuyasha so she can have him. I just...I can't..."
"I think you're giving Kikyo too much credit," Miroku chuckled darkly, "Forcing logic onto a situation where there is none to be had. You always feel you must do things on your own and it's just not true."
"Who else is there right now? All you've done is mope around feeling sorry for yourself," Sango huffed as she folded her arms across her chest, "When Inuyasha does come back, he'll most likely going to try to make a run for it because he is afraid he'll hurt Kagome and because he runs, Kagome is going to assume Inuyasha hates her for thinking the worst in him. Kagome will be useless, depressed and unstable. Inuyasha will be useless, vulnerable and quite possibly suicidal if he did manage to hurt Kagome. And you...you will be reckless and get yourself killed trying to fix a mistake you perceive you made. Forgive me for saying that I'm the only one keeping it together at the moment."
Miroku gave the slayer a patient look before shaking his head and rolling his eyes.
"I'm flattered you think so highly of me," the monk replied as he arched a single brow, "That still does not mean you must do this alone although telling you this I know makes no difference. In that way, you and Inuyasha are very similar."
"Leave Kohaku out of this. He has nothing to do with this," Sango hissed as she read between the lines and Miroku gave her another patient look.
"It has everything to do with this," Miroku countered softly as he reached out and took her hand. Running his thumb against her palm as she stared at her hand stupidly, he continued, "I heard you that day. You intended to take his life and then your own. You stole Tessaiga when we first met in an attempt to barter for his life. Over and over you have made the determination that saving him is your burden alone. But you are not alone Sango. None of us are any longer. We must defeat these threats together."
"Kikyo is a different animal," Sango argued as she pointed into the trees, "She managed to enslave our friend. She has projected visions onto us. Tried to kill Kagome on more than one occasion. Almost succeeded in killing InuYasha. She's just as bad as Naraku."
"And you would never try to take on Naraku by yourself," Miroku pointed out as he rolled his eyes, "Kikyo must be defeated but we need to work as a team. We must wait for them to return."
"Says the man who implied they were probably dead," Sango replied scathingly.
"I know what I said," Miroku sighed, "I lost faith but I never truly believed all was lost. Why else would I continue refreshing the sutras?"
That was a valid point. Sango relaxed slightly and sighed.
"We can't take Shippo with us," Sango replied firmly, "I know he usually fights with us but this is different."
"I agree. I have no doubt Kikyo would use him as leverage," Miroku opined, "He won't be pleased."
"Well someone has to protect the village," Sango offered good naturedly as her anxiety lessened, "Who better than a fox demon?"
"Very true. Very true."
~o~o~o~o~o~
Gramps sighed as he swept the shrine before huffing in frustration when he saw the well-house door. It was plastered with those blasted flyers again. It had been more and more problematic as of late. A pizza service here. Sushi bar there. Why they thought the well-house door was a bulletin board was utterly beyond him. It was infuriating. Shuffling over with the broom still in tow, Gramps glared at the latest advertisement and scowled.
"Buy one get one free entrance to Hana's Cat Cafe," he muttered disdainfully as he reached up and yanked the blasted thing off before turning his attention to the others, "Ten percent off your next purchase at Eri's Beauty Emporium. Feh."
After all of the eyesores had been collected, he stormed over and tossed them into the garbage bin before picking up the broom and heading into the well house. The overcast sky made it difficult to see what he was doing in his old age but even with his cataracts, he could see even more flyers plastered on the well. The well! What was next? The Sacred Tree for goodness sake!?
"I will never understand the youth of today," Gramps muttered hatefully as he began ripping the rectangular pieces of paper off one by one, "No one even goes in here! This is a sacred place and yet they still feel the need to post their nonsense in the hope that a tourist will see. Ridiculous."
The sutras were crumpled one by one by one until none were left and the old man was satisfied that all the "flyers" had been satisfactorily removed.
"Good riddance," Gramps huffed as he set his jaw and glared at the trash bin before making his way back up the stairs, "The young people these days have no respect for tradition. None at all. Why back in my day..."