Update (March 2021): Chapter edited and lengthened!
Chapter 62: Temptress in the Mist
The journey in Sengoku Edo continues for our ragtag group, and a few days after leaving the large village Satsuki lives in, they come across a young woman in need of some assistance. We see she's a reasonably pretty face, with long black hair tied into a simple ponytail, and dressed in a mahogany brown kimono with a smoky blue skirt wrap, a green kerchief around her shoulders, and a pair of waraji sandals and tabi socks.
Given Miroku's track record of becoming distracted by women, the group would be forced to stop a moment as he lends her a hand.
"Auh...aurh...I'm so sorry. I was, overcome by pain..."
"Don't mention it. It's all part of a monk's duty."
Coraline - whom today styled her hair into a ponytail, a bright red tank top with the moon glyph symbols of Life and Death scrawled on the front in black, light blue jeans and her combat boots - facepalms at the monk's antics.
"Mo dhia, here we go again..."
Inuyasha and Shippō add respectively,
"Sure looks that way..."
"Yep, he's at it again..."
Besa and Freeman - both wearing semi-matching outfits of white tank tops and black jeans with their usual monochrome hightops, the first donning a light grey three-quarter sleeve sweater while the second wore his leather jacket - stand a few feet away by Sango as she leans against a beech, and the brothers whisper to one another,
"How long do you think it'll be before he grows out of these actions?"
"...I give him another couple months before it dials down by half, tops."
Moving back to Miroku, he finishes tending to the woman.
"How's that?"
"I feel better already thanks to your gentle touch and kindness."
The monk's hand shifts from her back to her rear and adds offhandedly,
"Don't overexert yourself."
...Somehow, she ignores the change of position and just moves to rise to her feet again.
"No, I'm quite fine now."
"Now that's good to hear. Very well...By the way..."
"Yes?"
"Would you be interested in bearing my child?"
Coraline practically buries her face into her hands in half-mortification.
"Seriously?! He had'ta ask tha' question again?!"
The two demons with her parrot their responses:
"Sure looks like it..."
"Yep. He's at it again..."
Sango sighs tiredly at the display, and Besa gently pats her shoulder while Freeman says causally,
"Don't let it bother ya, Sango. (Knowing smirk) I gotta feeling this round's gonna bite 'im in the ass later on."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"You'll see when it happens, trust me."
"...Um, if you say so."
The young woman then excuses herself:
"(Bow) I'll be off."
"Take care of yourself."
...As the stranger walks away, the fox demon comes up to the monk to ask,
"Miroku, why do you always act like that when you come across a pretty lady?"
"What? You can't expect me to ignore a female in distress, can you?"
Inuyasha humphs as Miroku tries to change the subject.
"Let's be off, shall we?"
"You're the one who kept us waiting, remember?"
...About a half hour later, the group comes across a small inn as another traveler leaves. Coraline smiles a bit before suggesting,
"How 'bout we take a short break?"
"Excellent idea..."
But when Miroku reaches into his robes...he suddenly forms a look of confusion, before stopping to check his clothing more thoroughly. Everyone else stops as Sango asks,
"Is something the matter, Miroku?"
"M-My travel funds. My money; it's disappeared! (Turn) I'm sure I had it this morning!"
Shippō makes a suggestion as to what might have happened.
"That woman at the roadside must have been a pickpocket."
The monk feels his eyes widen, and Inuyasha remarks,
"No wonder she didn't go berserk when you started giving her rear a good massage..."
"Hauh, what have I done?"
"(Shove) Move it along, lecher."
...As the whole group continues their way, Freeman says to Sango with that smirk from earlier,
"And just like that, the monk is played like a koto. Now ya see what I mean?"
"(Slight smile) Yeah, I get it now."
Besa frowns a bit at his brother and inquires,
"If you knew she was a con artist too, why didn't you say something sooner?"
"Oh come off it, bro. You know as well as I do he needs some lessons from karma, and this was a good boot to the head."
"(Sweatdrop) You and I may be twins, but we definitely differ when it comes to 'teachable moments'..."
Freeman just laughs, and the brunette cracks a smile at their banter, her earlier disappointment somewhat dissipated...Soon, everyone would find themselves deep within a forest thick with pine trees, the sun streaming through little pockets between the branches. Along the way, the young man with naturally-cut coarse black hair found himself singing aloud against the silence of the woods, with Coraline laughing a little at his song choice.
"Black Cadillac by Shinedown? Really?"
Note: I do not own that song reference; find the lyrics on your own.
"What? It's a good song! You can't argue against me; this is one of your favourite bands too!"
"Haha, touché, brother, touché."
Inuyasha raises a brow and asks,
"What's a, Ca-dillac?"
"Remember those machines you've seen on th' road a few times in my era?"
"...Those metal things with the black wheels?"
"Yeah. They're called automobiles, and a Cadillac is one of many model types they come in."
"Ooooh...Are there any of that style in Tokyo?"
"No' as far as I know. The Cadillac is an American-made model, an' it's rare to see export vehicles in Japan."
"Huh..."
...Coraline then notices the group is short one member.
"Hang on...We lost Miroku."
Everyone else stops and sees that the monk is indeed no longer present, causing Shippō to ask,
"Huh? But what happened to him?"
Inuyasha says,
"He was laggin' behind up until a while ago..."
The redheaded young woman wonders,
"He might've caugh' a case of depression after bein' conned," and Freeman argues,
"Well I still say that was a teachable moment for him."
Sango volunteers to go see what's keeping Miroku.
"I'll go and check."
As she rushes off back where the group came from, Coraline watches her go a bit perplexed...before smiling a bit. Inuyasha turns to see the smile and asks,
"What's your problem?"
"No problem. Jus'...thinkin' about something..."
Moving back a ways down the forest path, we find the monk speaking with yet another young woman with a thin face, she wearing a brown kimono with a light green skirt wrap and a light grey headscarf, her back carrying an herb basket.
"I see..."
"We're worried sick and have no idea what we should do."
Miroku smiles reassuringly and places a gentle hand on the woman's shoulder.
"Well there's no need to worry any longer."
Sango arrives at a spot a couple feet down the small incline, and asks in a deadpan,
"Mind explaining what you're doing there, monk?"
The young man with Prussian blue irises forms a slightly nervous expression and turns to face the slayer.
"Guh, hi! Nothing, as of yet..."
Once he and the new stranger explain what's going on, they all circle back to gather the others and head for the nearby village where the nameless woman came from...
"So you say that the men who went into the mountain haven't returned?"
The thin-faced young woman nods with a few others who came to see our titular group.
"We're sure they've been captured by a demon. Please, help us."
Inuyasha grumbles to himself with regards to Miroku,
"He never misses the chance to play the hero..."
Coraline replies,
"A' least this time it's for a legitim'te cause...And who knows? (Whisper) There could be a Shikon-no-Tama fragment involved."
The women plead,
"Please, assist us."
"We need your help."
"I'm begging you to please help me find my husband!"
Miroku asks in mild surprise,
"You mean you're married as well?"
"Yes."
He sighs in some disappointment, before forming a more serious look at Sango's suspicious humming.
"...It must be very lonely without your husband."
"Yes, and that's why we need your assistance."
"Very well. Then we shall go and free your husbands from the demon."
The group of village women say together,
"Thank you. We're ever so grateful."
"(Turn) Did you get all that, Inuyasha?"
The silverette nods,
"Yeah, I'll help, seein' as I'm the one who will end up doing all the fighting."
Coraline smirks a bit and replies,
"No' unless I jump in and do the work b'fore you, tough guy."
"Teh, like you can do blows with your blade better than I can? You've got potential, I'll give you that, but you've still got a ways to go, rookie."
"Ha! Bring it on, I say!"
The twins and Shippō snicker a little at their playful banter, as Miroku stares at the hopeful woman for a moment...before sighing and saying,
"Let's be off then, shall we?"
Two of the women warn,
"Please, be very careful, my friends."
"According to the rumors, the demon is in the form of a beautiful woman."
...The monk suddenly stops, and turns to say to everyone seriously,
"It would be best for all if I went alone."
Everyone gapes at him, Sango's stare being more deadpan than the rest...
So while Miroku went into the deeper woods to seek out the demon terrorizing the populace, his comrades take refuge in a hut a little ways from the main collection of homes. Coraline, Inuyasha and Shippō are seen sitting on the porch, while Besa leaned against a left-bound pole, and Freeman laid on the ground with his head on his rucksack...
"Why did Miroku choose t' venture on his own? That doesn' seem very cop-on..."
The shorter redhead answers,
"He probably wants some time alone with the beautiful demon."
Inuyasha mutters,
"That guy never learns, does he," and Besa quirks,
"He's got a ways to go before he can be serious around the opposite gender."
...They then turn to the sound of the door opening, and Sango emerges in her slayer gear with Hiraikotsu slung over her shoulder.
"Sango? Are y' headin' after Miroku?"
She replies to Coraline,
"Of course! If that womanizing monk goes alone, he'll get bewitched just like all the others have. Come on, Kilala!"
The twin-tailed cat demon mews before bounding after her partner, and both disappear into the forest...
After a moment, the girl with cerulean/sky blue eyes then poses a topic to the boy with gold-hazel irises.
"Say, Inuyasha..."
"Hm?"
"Is i' my imagination, or do yeu also sense tha' Sango might have a crush on Miroku?"
"Huh?! You're not serious!"
"(Tilts her head) You mean you haven' seen any signs?"
"Hm?"
Shippō pipes up,
"I've noticed it a long time ago," followed by the twins saying together,
"Same here."
Coraline says to Inuyasha a bit incredulously,
"I would'a though' you'd be sharper than this..."
"Then how come Sango always gets mad whenever Miroku tries to stroke her butt?"
"Because-...Hm, how'do I explain this?...Okay: when someone wants ta be with another as more than friends, they need to take th' time to figure ou' what action to use when the righ' atmosphere comes along."
"Atmospheres...as in clouds and stuff?"
"Huh? (Shakes head) No no, no' the literal; I mean the 'emotional' atmosphere...But anyway, I know Sango has developed feelings for Miroku. It's all a matter of whether she'll come to the righ' moment to le' those feelin's be known."
"...I dunno..."
"I definitely think Miroku's got it in for Sango too."
They turn to Freeman, who says with a lazy yawn,
"It'll just be up to him if he can step it up and grow up, or if he'll trip over his perverted ego first."
...
...
"Hauh, do you mind?"
"What are you sighing for?"
"Nothing..."
Catching up with the pair of conversation now, we find them trudging along through the thicket of tall green while trying - and failing - to avoid letting their emotional tension get in the way of current affairs.
"You do realize we're on our way to destroy a demon, don't you?"
"I know..."
"According to the villagers, a long time ago, a group of soldiers fled deep into this mountain...and there was a princess among them. But all the men who protected her died. They say that in the end, the princess herself died as well."
"And her bitterness turned her into a demon?"
"I suppose so."
Miroku hums,
"Unfortunately, that seems to be the fate women are burdened with."
"Huh?"
"I've experienced the whole gambit: women are persistent, prone to jealousy and bursts of anger, not to mention hatred."
"(Deadpan) Pretty knowledgeable, for someone who's a monk."
"Even I can't imagine what kind of terrible demon is created by the bitterness of a woman who dies a sad and lonely death. I just had to see it with my own eyes."
"I understand, but why insist on going alone?"
"I, have reasons..."
...The monk suddenly stops, prompting the slayer to pause beside him.
"Do you see that over there, Sango?"
"Huh?"
Looking up to the trees, we see a large, translucent shield clouding the area in front of them...
"It's the entrance to the demon's lair, a barrier if you will...It seems easy enough to enter, but it's probably difficult to come out."
He then turns to give her a bracelet of prayer beads.
"Here; put this on, Sango. It may prove useful once we're inside."
"Right."
Miroku fastens the bracelet onto her wrist...
"Okay, let's get going."
They dash to the barrier, and begin forcing their way inside.
(Ring, bzzzt...)
However, it seems that one of our pair was having more difficulty passing through the energy.
Ggh, I thought he said it would be easy to enter?!
He must've been kidding; it's extremely resistant!
But as she turns to look up front, Sango sees that while the barrier is slowing her down, Miroku's running through with no issues!
"Miroku, wait up for me!"
He doesn't hear her, and suddenly fades from her sight...
"Mirokuuuu!"
Miroku's POV
I make it through the barrier no problem and into an area covered in mist...
But I do not see Sango anywhere with me.
"Sango!...Where are you, Sango?! Must've lost her along the way..."
...I then sense the mist depart somewhat in front of me, and turn to see a structure in the distance.
"Is that a mansion?"
"...Who goes?"
"Hm?"
I turn right, and coming out of the fog was a beautiful young woman wearing the garments of royalty.
...The princess?
"Why are you here so deep in this mountain?"
I narrow my eyes suspiciously:
Is this girl the demon?
"I know not why you come, but please, follow me to the mansion."
I was a bit hesitant, but decide to follow her.
I must be careful...I can't be sure if she's the demon...or if the demon is waiting inside.
Sango's POV
"Miroku, where are you?! Mirokuuuu!"
Kilala and I finally make it through the barrier, only to find ourselves in an area heavily blanketed in a fog, and no sign of the monk.
Damn it. It's so thick of mist, even if he did answer, I probably wouldn't see him...
It was then I sense several figures up ahead.
"Demons?"
I rush over with my partner...but instead of beasts, we find a numerous amount of elderly men!
Humans?...And they're all old men...
I walk over to one to see if he could tell me what's going on.
"Excuse me, old man?"
"Heh?"
"I said excuse me, old man!"
"You're mistaken, I ain't an old man!"
I was a bit confused by his response:
"...Sure you are. You're all old."
"Like I said, I ain't an old man."
A few others parrot his answer:
"Yeah, I ain't old either!"
"Who are you callin' old?! I ain't old!"
"An old man? I ain't an old man."
Something's wrong. They all insist they're not the age they appear...
"None of you...are old men?"
No POV
As Miroku and Sango each come across their own surprises deep in the mountain forest, everyone else was continuing to circle their conversation of the pair's chances of finding romance with one another...
"I admi' Sango's bein' stubborn with her feelings, but Miroku's nowhere any better. The way he acts the cod around her suggests his feelin's are more causal than serious."
Inuyasha replies to Coraline,
"He ain't fussy. He seems to like all women."
"Perhaps...but I wonder if his likin' of Sango could be stronger..."
"Could be. He goes after her butt enough, that's for sure."
The girl stifles a laugh and says,
"That's not exactly what I mean, but, yeu do raise an interestin' point..."
Besa suggests,
"Maybe acting physical's the only way Miroku knows how to express his feelings to women."
Shippō eyes the trio and quirks to himself,
Okay, I'm ready for a change of topic...
Freeman lets out a yawn and turns to see the fox demon's expression.
Oh good. I'm not the only one needing a distraction.
"Okay, I'm officially bored, so I'm gonna do something about it!"
He then springs to his feet, and holds out a hand to Shippō with a smile.
"You wanna head to that small clearing and do some sparring with me, kiddo?"
"(Grin) Yeah!"
The fox demon hops onto the taller male's shoulder and whispers,
"Anything's better than just sitting and talking..."
"I hear ya. (Turn) We'll be back in a while. If they come back before we do, give us a shout."
Besa replies a bit jokingly,
"(Salute) Aye-aye, sir."
They all laugh a bit, and Freeman and Shippo were off, leaving only Inuyasha, Coraline and Besa at the hut. The redhead quirks while watching them go,
"I wondered how long i' would before either would get bored outta their skulls..."
Sango's POV
Okay, something clearly happened to these men. I need answers.
"Hang on: you're telling me that all of you are the men who disappeared from the village? What happened to you?"
Two of them speak up to try and explain:
"It was like a dream..."
"I found myself lost and in serious trouble, when suddenly the most beautiful princess I had ever seen appeared deep in the mountains. She brought me to a magnificent villa and I spent such a grand time..."
"A grand time, you say?"
"Yes, it was most enjoyable..."
"Aye. Enjoyable and grand..."
"The next thing we knew, we all found ourselves like this."
I realize what the demon must have done:
The demon drained the life spirit, the youth out of these men...
"And when the princess gazed at me with those beautiful eyes of hers..."
"I fell into a daze, and suddenly, nothing else mattered anymore except the princess."
...Then that means...Miroku...
"Kilala, you stay here with the men."
My companion mews in understanding, and I rise to rush off to where the mansion laid.
I've got to hurry! If I know that womanizing monk, he'll fall right into her trap!
Miroku's POV
The princess took me inside the mansion, and began pouring me some tea as she tells me about what's happened to her since that time long ago...
"Then you must've survived the war, did you, princess?"
"Aye. Unfortunately, all of my vassals perished in my defense...I am all alone, and so very lonely."
"Very tragic, indeed."
"...Monk?"
"Hm?"
"It is my fate to remain here. Would you do me the kindness of spending the night with me?"
Hm...
"Is that your honest desire?"
"Yes, it is. Look at me...Look deep into my eyes..."
No POV
Miroku does as the bewitching woman requests, gazing into her eyes and finding himself overcome with emotion, dropping his teacup to embrace her.
"Princess...!"
"Monk...!"
Zooming in on the princess...we see her glossy dark brown irises flash a predatory yellow...
By this time, Sango braved the thick of the fog and made it to the mansion.
Be strong, Miroku! Just stay alive until I get there! I'll save you!
...But when she reaches the entrance, Sango came across the sight of Miroku and the princess preparing to kiss, their lips mere centimeters from one another!
"...Why, that...! (Swings Hiraikotsu) Wake up, you lecher!"
The princess's eyes snap open:
A woman's voice!
"Princess!"
As the woman jumps back, her hair shifts from charcoal black to a beaver grey...eventually transforming into a large coyote demon!
"Where are you, wench?! I will not allow you to interfere!"
As the demon swipes her paws through the air, Sango says to herself,
"She doesn't know where I am. She can't see me...Alright!"
"Wait, Sango!"
She pauses her thrust at the monk's call:
"...Miroku, I thought you were under her spell."
"She won't be able to find you as long as you keep quiet."
...Sango looks down at the bracelet on her wrist in thought.
I understand: the beads that Miroku lent to me must make me invisible to the demon!
But, why isn't he destroying her?
Miroku turns to address the coyote demon:
"The true form of the demon is a female coyote."
"I shall suck the life force from you!"
The beast sends her tendrils of hair at the monk, who jumps back to dodge while grabbing out a set of sacred sutras. Sango rushes to his side:
"You okay?"
"Keep your distance!...I was hoping to take care of this without need for a battle..."
The coyote demon lunges at Miroku, and he charges back while shouting,
"Princess! You'll have to endure some pain, I'm afraid! Hyah!"
The demon slayer mutters in confusion,
"Did he say, princess?"
"Be strong! Hrrrah!"
Miroku tosses the blessed paper, and they land on the demon's forehead and neck.
(Bzzzzt)
"Raaaagh!"
The coyote howls in pain as her body catches flame, and we see the spectral image of the real princess crying out in pain as well!
"(Narrows eyes) There's a princess inside the demon!"
Miroku takes the opportunity to leap from behind in a sneak attack.
"Princess!"
(WHACK)
His strike with the staff is true, and the coyote demon falls back while the princess emerges from the demon's body...
"Princess..."
He then barely dodges the coyote demon's paw, for she was still alive, and very angered by the loss of its host.
"Curse you, monk! Raagh, I shall show no mercy now!"
Miroku is forced to run around the perimeter of the room, dodging the vicious attacks from the demon, before circling back to the princess to check up on her.
"Princess!"
He then thrusts his staff upwards, releasing a dull golden glow that blocks the coyote's paw.
"Return the princess to me!"
"Hrrgh, Sango!"
"Right!"
The brunette finally makes her move:
"Hiraikotsu!"
(Toss, za-za-za-za-za-WACK)
The boomerang hits the demon right in the face.
"Argh! (Turns) Why you...!"
Sango catches her weapon on the rebound as the coyote demon tries to narrow in on the slayer's location.
"Where are you?!"
...Suddenly, the prayer beads around the young woman's wrist lose power and shatter, eliminating the camouflage.
"There you are!"
(Swipe, TOK)
Sango uses Hiraikotsu to block the demon's paw...but...
(Crick)
Her weapon begins cracking from the strength, and she gasps as the demon laughs triumphantly...But such a small rise to victory would not last, when Miroku sends another set of sacred sutras at the coyote, causing her to howl in pain and giving Sango the opportunity to toss Hiraikotsu again, slicing the demon in two!
...We see notice on return, the crack on the giant boomerang becomes a bit larger...but the main focus is on the dying demon.
"My power! The demon power I had accumulated!...Ah...Aaargh..."
And with that, the coyote burns into nothing, gone from the world...
As soon as she was gone, the mansion also fades away, leaving Sango back in the outdoors with a decrease in the misty backdrop...
"Hey, Miroku...I don't understand what happened..."
She then turns to see the monk gently hugging the spirit of the royal that was being manipulated.
"Please, forgive me for being so rough, princess..."
"...You saved me."
...Sango looks downward, her bangs shielding her expression to the scene before her...Miroku then says to the princess,
"You were isolated for so long...It must have been very lonely."
"Yes...I was so weak-hearted and cowardly that I fell victim to an awful demon."
"It's all over now...I'll take you to the village."
"(Leans back) Thank you so much."
The princess fades out, transforming into a glowing white orb that floats up to the heavens...
"She disappeared..."
Miroku replies to Sango,
"Yes...That was her soul. She died a lonely death. It wasn't a bitterness; it was loneliness that kept her from finding peace in death. The demon coyote stole the princess's body and soul, then impersonated her to lure men in, and then sucked out their youth to gain power."
...
...
Soon, the monk and slayer would return to the village, and preparations are made in resurrecting a grave for the lost princess...A plate of food, a few wild azaleas and incense are placed on the grave mound, with Miroku sending prayers for the princess's soul...
"I have buried the princess's ashes in this humble grave. If you all offer up your prayers, I'm sure she will watch over the village."
"We thank you, monk."
"We're so grateful that you brought our men back to us."
With the demon gone, the men's youth has been restored, and they seem to harbor little memory of their ordeal.
"It seems no more than a pleasant dream, now..."
"I'll say..."
Once the monk is on his feet again, Coraline then brings attention to another woman.
"Hey, question."
"Yes?"
"Did something happen b'tween you and Sango up the mountain?...She looked depressed as yeu two returned..."
"Uh, no, I can't imagine what might be bothering her."
Freeman then says,
"Well, if ya wanna try askin', I think she and Besa are by the riverside down that way."
Heading down to the watery bank, we find the slayer and other twin sitting together on the grass higher up as Sango tosses a small rock into the water, scaring away a few fish while feeling down about what occurred in the higher forest.
"Hoh, silly me...How could I be so foolish?"
Besa does his best to lighten the mood:
"You're not foolish at all, Sango. These things can be seen from all kinds of angles...which has me wondering if you're seeing this in one angle that's a bit too prejudice."
"Huh?"
"(Small smile) Come on, you know what you saw was just the visual context, but it wasn't really what was going on, was it? Miroku isn't that kind of man, is he?"
The brunette lays her chin on her knees in thought...just as said topic of discussion strolls by.
"...Sango?"
"Hm?"
She and the young man with cornrowed hair turn to see Miroku, and Besa decides to step back so the other two could have some privacy.
"Just remember what I said Sango...And Miroku, (whisper) tread carefully."
They watch their friend walks out of the area...before the monk moves to sit beside the slayer in the other's place.
"...What's wrong?"
"(Looks away) I'm sorry. I never should've followed you into the mountains like that, Miroku."
"(Smile) Now don't be foolish. You're the one who destroyed the demon, aren't you?"
"That's only because you helped me."
"No, no, I relied on your help...because I trust in your strength, Sango."
She turns to look at him in surprise...
Meanwhile, higher up the slope, we see everyone else overlooking the slayer and monk.
"You're imagining things. Sango wouldn't fall in love with that pervert."
Coraline retorts to Inuyasha with a shrug,
"Why not? I mean, come on; they're finally in the righ' emotional atmosphere."
"...Okay, I'm ready for a full explanation."
Freeman gently claps the silverette's shoulder and quirks,
"I'd be happy to give you the guy's version, but we should wait until it's only guys present. My details get a bit graphic."
Inuyasha glances at him nervously, while Besa slaps his brother upside the head.
"Ouch!"
"Shut it, you...Don't worry, Inuyasha: I'll be present to make sure he doesn't scar you for life."
"Uuuh, right..."
Back down below, Miroku asks,
"Sango...you came with me because you were concerned about my safety, is that correct?"
"Well sure that's why I came. Yes, of course I was worried about you...You're not exactly reasonable when you're around women, ya know. I was absolutely certain you would get into trouble."
"I owe you an apology...I had to go into the demon's lair because I couldn't ignore a woman grieving."
The brunette turns to say defensively,
"It's, not as though I'm jealous, or anything like that!"
...Miroku suddenly takes Sango's hand into his, causing her to gasp, at the same time Shippō does back atop the slope. Coraline smiles and says,
"Told ya guys. It's gonna happen."
The monk says to the slayer,
"It makes me happy that you worry. (Sincere smile) Your concern for me means more than that of any other woman."
A light blush dusts Sango's face, and she found herself turning away from the young man with her in a delightful sort of embarrassment.
"What, in the world are you saying to me?!"
Oh no...What'll I do?!
Coraline and Besa whisper encouragingly,
"Take this chance, Sango!"
"Whaddo you have to lose? Come on!"
Miroku looks at the slayer in mild confusion:
"...Sango?"
She mutters incoherently, still a bit too flustered to respond properly...
...
...
...
And then~ the entire mood is killed by one stroke of the monk's hand atop Sango's rear.
"Gh!"
That, hand again!
(Severely annoyed) Whyyy can't he touch my shoulders, or somewhere more, romantic?!
The rest of the group atop the slope all look down in exasperation at Miroku's antics, and Sango yells,
"Can't you get your mind out of the gutter?!"
(SLAP)
Besa winces and Freeman mutters,
"Oooh, that's gotta hurt..."
...
...
Our group is soon on their way again, but rather than walk anywhere near the monk, the demon slayer chose to allow the twin with cornrow hair to travel near her, while Miroku was stuck with the others a few feet back...
"Don't blame me; she was practically begging me to fondle her."
"Oh suuuure, an' the sky's gonna star' rainin' gumdrops in the next hour..."
The monk felt himself grimace slightly at Coraline's sarcastic remark, before turning to glare slightly at Besa's form.
Once again, he manages to tweak at Sango's good side. How is he doing that?
Seeing her friend's attention diverting, the redhead with blue eyes then sighs,
"Look, Miroku, I'm gonna try an' spell this ou' as simple as possible: y' need to go abou' wha'ever courting you're attemptin' less physic'lly and more emotionally."
Freeman adds,
"Yeah, otherwise your chances of getting a date are worse than mine. (Murmurs) Guess I'll need to add you to my list of students after Inuyasha..."
Said dog demon lightly jeers to the redhead,
"See, Coraline? Didn't I tell ya you were wrong? Well, didn't I?"
Shippō only sighs exasperatedly from atop Inuyasha's shoulder,
"What a dummy..."
Up front, Sango lets out her own small groan and mutters while looking back at Hiraikotsu,
"Well, better get this thing fixed."
Besa only stares at her, then glances back at Miroku while thinking to himself,
That's not the only thing that needs fixing, but I guess there's always next time...
Thanks, Life, for throwing a monkey wrench into another pair's relationship.