A/N: In my country, we don't have things like lofts, condos and studio apartments (or maybe we do and just call it by a different name idk) so i hope this story isn't too unrealistic. For trigger warning reasons, dont read this story if you are uncomfortable with the theme of death


It was one of those nights; Kouga stood before several large glass windows overlooking the city watching the few cars on the road fall in and out of his line of sight. It was a quiet night, save for the soft pounding of music from a club some streets away. Japan had come a long way in just 500 years, the night sky was no longer the same but he would never tire of the city practically glowing after dark. He stepped away from the window then and headed to his fridge to grab a beer. Opening the can, he took a sip and looked around his loft. It was a spacious, open floor concept and sparsely decorated. He had painted the walls a deep blue to go with the mahogany floors, he found that the darker colors reminded him of his cave. Would Ayame have been proud of it? A light chuckle forced its way out of him. If she were here, she would have probably put cherry blossom wallpaper all over the place. He took another sip and sighed, she would have been proud. He walked into what should have been his spare bedroom and turned on the light.

Several silver mannequins at the center of the room glinted in the bright light, the outfits of some were incomplete. The wall to the left of the door held gold and silver sports medals and trophies for a number of years, some of them olympic. That life was a part of his past; he could only lie to the press for so long. He slid his sweatpants a bit below his waist and removed the amulet that hung around his neck. A slight tremor shook the building as his yoki was released. His appearances remained the same for the most part; shoulder length hair grew with the addition of grey streaks and rounded ears and nails became pointed. He wagged his tail for good measure and padded over to the far side of the room. Ayame's pelts, headband and armor were securely fastened around a mannequin next to one that held his own. Her scent was barely there but he managed to pick up the earthy smell. A knot began to form in his stomach as he ran his hands over the well preserved fur. She had died in childbirth 4 centuries ago, an attack from a neighboring clan had sent her into premature labour. Her wounds had been too extensive for her weakened powers to handle and he held her till she died. Of all the things to happen to him, he never got over that one. Coming home to an empty space everyday served as a reminder of his curse. Turning away from the mannequin, he scanned the rest of the room. He didn't know what possessed him to do it, but he had taken to collecting his friends' clothes off ebay over the years. Inuyasha's outfit was complete but he'd never been able to find his sword. He wasn't there when the mutt passed and Kagome had long since died of old age so she wouldn't have had it. He took another sip of his beer and eyed the oversized boomerang in the far corner. He had stolen it from Inuyasha a couple years before he passed; his sense of smell had deteriorated greatly so it was easier than anticipated. Kouga hadn't come to terms with growing old and the future until he saw Inuyasha hobble around like an old human when he thought he was alone.

Tearing glassy eyes away from the artifact, he focused on his feet while he waited for the tears to go away. He and Inuyasha had become friendly after they were both mated off, and it was lonely nights like this when he missed him the most. Sniffling, he took a long swig from the can and turned to the most incomplete set he had. Sesshomaru was the last of his friends to go and was the most disappointing. They weren't exactly bosom buddies but being the last two demon cardinal lords made them closer for some time. They'd had a huge falling out the last time they saw each other; it was around the time that humans had invented guns. Kouga took the remaining members of his tribe and fled far North with Shippo and a few other members of the fox clan to work on a concealment spell. Kouga probably argued with Sesshomaru for an hour that day before he got thrown out of the Shiro, along with a few staff members. The place had burned to the ground by the time he was able to come out of hiding. He had hoped Sesshomaru made it but buying the huge chunk of armour online told him different. It was the only thing of Sesshomaru's he had and it wasn't even on the mannequin. It was leaned against the wall like a piece of scrap due to its weight.

"Shit's probably lighter than your ego huh"

He sighed. So many innocent lives lost. He took a walk around the room and eyed the various pieces of human and samurai wear he would have worn and saved over the years. His shoulders began to tense as the memories of gunshots, blood and unfulfilled love came rushing back. He put his hand over his chest and ran his fingers over the bits of marred skin. Finishing his drink, he crushed the can and left the room; taking the light off on his way out. Going in that room never got easier but then again, neither did his life


Word count: 1004

Prompt: Ornament