Okay guys! You are lucky! I wrote the second chapter this morning since a lot of you are already mad at me for not posting enough! :( sad to say I don't just have a reservoir of chapters for this one. I gave you what I had the day I wrote it (yesterday!). Hope you like this second chapter though. This story may just be a winner! I have a lot more ideas flowing.

I can't guarantee that I can post this close together like most of you are used to with my last story. Simply because I am still working on that manga contest until October.

But I hope you all likey!

Also, I will warn people IF there is tragedy, violence, or lemons, before the start of each chapter. Currently, in this chapter, there is a touch of violence and that is it. But I know for a fact that later on there will be lemons heehee.

Enjoy everyone!

Chapter Two: Punishment


Rin laid awake in her bed even as all of the other servants and Geisha began filing in for rest after another long night of business. Pretending to be asleep, for real sleep had escaped her for the last three hours, Rin listened intently to the murmurings that were, undoubtedly, surrounding the topic of her and her shortcomings from that very same evening. Word and rumor spread like wild fire in the house of Kodachi due to the sheer amount of drama and jealousy that rose from the plethora of females.

But Rin could handle that small price of annoyance for the sake of not having to live with, or spend a significant amount of time with, men.

This time, her mind fell back seven years into the past; back when she had witnessed her family getting slaughtered by bandits within their small, ocean-side hut. She had watched them torture and kill her brothers and father. And then she saw them-

"RIN!" An urgent, though, whispering voice echoed across the servant room. And with an involuntary jolt, Rin shot up and peered towards the doorway.

It was Cesaria! But there was another figure beside her, as well.

It was Izayoi, Kodachi's senior, and most respected, Geisha.

The unquestionable beauty of the house, Izayoi was the first Geisha who had ever granted Kodachi its first sell-out performance in theater many years ago. She was the one responsible for Kodachi's era of popularity, and she was the only one trusted to lead the entertainment of the dog demons during the last three startling years of change. Though now that the new Geisha were all well versed in entertaining demons, Izayoi's main role had changed to apprenticeship, by the godmothers, to eventually take over the house.

Her presence before Rin only meant one thing.

That apparently morning wasn't soon enough for punishment.

Her heart throttling against her chest, Rin got up swiftly and, with hands planted straight down in front of her, she shuffled across the room; everyone's eyes fixed on her. Even with no guests in sight, her actions had to mirror that of her training. She was, after all, though prior to this night, being considered for the promotion to Maiko.

Both Cesaria and Izayoi were high-strung in layers of ravishing kimono, with hair that was perfectly shaped and curled into flattering pieces of artwork upon delicate scalps. Fine-jeweled hairpieces glimmered by lantern light from within the locks of hair; just like the promised treasure that their bearers were. The only blatant difference between the two Geisha that Rin approached was Cesaria's striking red hair and wide, crystal-blue eyes. She was of foreign descent. Her majestic, exotic looks were granted by the very things that had always made every other profession in Japan unsuitable for her. Completely natural, strawberry-blond tresses, poppy-seed freckles, and eyes as wide as a feline's, with the stunning color of water. Cesaria's history was very unique, and though any other section of commerce within the country rejected her and her differences, every Geisha house in the Red Light District had bid on her when she was put up on auction for the clearance of family debt. Interestingly enough, there is nothing too different to deem unusable for a pretty-faced woman in the Red Light District.

Rin sank to bow on the floor, uttering not a word, for it was customary to shed not a single excuse. All she could do was engage in the act of apology.

"My dear Rin, please stand," Izayoi's soft and soothing voice instructed of the young servant.

Rin stood and looked upon them with dark gemstone eyes, full of shame. Cesaria offered comfort in her sympathetic look, but that's all she could offer her. Though Rin's mistake had been one that they had all made before, she had just happened to make it in front of the wrong people.

In front of the wrong person.

"Come, child. The godmothers wish to see you," Izayoi said sadly as she majestically turned towards the quarters of the landladies, her bare nape and upper-back, gifted by the traditional Geisha way of utilizing the neck of the kimonos, displayed flawless and gorgeous pure white skin that was aided by face-paint. The only hint of her true tanned complexion was seen by two tapering stripes that led from her hairline, to her spine.

She was the epitome of Geisha excellence.

Once all eyes had left the trio that now made their way down the halls towards the main building, Cesaria lightly gripped Rin's hand in stroll.

"I think it will all be okay," she whispered, "Inu Taishou-sama is a kind demon who clearly took pity on you. His word holds over Sesshoumaru-sama's. So don't worry too much."

Rin, now maturely emotionless and logical, spoke, "No. I clearly deserve punishment."

Cesaria said nothing, but simply stared at the girl, understanding that she wasn't yet finished speaking.

"…My whole life depends on the work that I do here. You know this too well, Cesaria-sama," Rin explained sadly as they rounded the last corner to walk delicately up the stairs to the official room, "For me to have made such an emotional mistake… For me to have just ran out like that simply because I couldn't handle my own embarrassment and fear... It was foolish. I should have thought about my life here before making the decision to be petty. This is the only life that I can truly live."

Izayoi peripherally eyed the women behind her; both of them failing to lower their voices enough to escape the elder Geisha.

"The only thing I can hope for is to pay in sweat, blood, and tears," Rin sighed, "I can't leave this place… I can't leave you or the others… It's all I have."

Just as she finished, Izayoi stopped, having reached the doorway to the offices. And to Rin's slight surprise, though her frantic heart led her to not dwell too heavily on the fact, there were male voices mingling with the godmothers on the other side.

"Shitsureishimasu, watashi wa, Rin ga tsureteki gozaimasu (Please excuse me, I have brought Rin for you)," Izayoi lowered her head and spoke with eloquence.

The chattering within subsided and the raspy command of Kaede-obaa-sama called through the door, "Ye may enter."

Rin gulped at hearing the voice of Kodachi's leading godmother. Rin hadn't heard that reigning voice since her own auction close to four years ago.

Even before Izayoi opened the door, Rin had already planned to go fall at the feet of her godmothers in apology. But when her eyes rested not only on the anger-stricken faces of her godmothers, but also the calm, yet stern, ones of Inu Taishou-sama, Sesshoumaru-sama, and Inuyasha-sama, Rin had barely made it into the door before hitting the ground in shocked, silent, and heavy apology.

Why are the clients here?! They shouldn't even be-! What is-?!

Rin fussed and fussed in her head as she diligently kept her heart and scent calmed while humbling herself in front of her superiors.

"Rin, is it?" Kaede-sama stepped forth while her second-in-command, the other godmother, Urasue, sat back in watch.

"Y-Yes, Kaede-obaa-sama," the bowing girl answered dutifully.

Sesshoumaru glowered at the cowering maiden; refusing himself the pleasure of a cruel smirk. He quite liked when his power granted him such pleasurable sights of submission. And weak females doing so were especially befitting to him.

Inu Taishou's eyes, however, had fled to the most poised and beautiful Geisha in the room.

Izayoi.

Her chocolate eyes met his golden ones, and for a moment they shared and reminisced on memories through the quiet solitude of their gaze. No one in the room quite grasped the extent of their relationship. All that was commonly known, was that Inu Taishou, since the acceptance of dog demons into the house three years ago, wasted no time in requesting Lady Izayoi, even in her unbecoming age of forty, to lie with him in the private sect.

Much more had been suspected between these two prior to the open visits by the dog demons. But it was all shrouded in mystery. Izayoi's eyes fled briefly, and sadly, to Inuyasha, who paid her no mind, before her eyes finally fell to the floor, like a proper Geisha.

"I assume you realize what ye have done, yet perhaps…," Kaede-sama boiled with anger, "…Ye do not know the extent of such?"

Rin wanted with all of her heart, soul, and mind to answer. But even if her answer were acceptable and self-deprecating, she would be seen as insolent for speaking out at all. Instead, she quietly and submissively lowered her head to touch the dirt-ridden ground; the best answer she could possibly give.

"Urasue. Give me the leather piece, if ye would," Kaede requested of her partner, whom already had it waiting in hand. Rin flinched as she heard the words. And silently, she prepared herself for the whipping.

Izayoi and Cesaria both only looked down with sympathetic expressions, though they dare not speak on the matter. Inu Taishou had reverted his gaze to the issue at hand along with his two sons. However, his own was far more forgiving.

"Let ye yukata down, child," Kaede-sama instructed the servant, "Rid yeself of ye own shame for ye hath already brought it upon this house."

Hesitantly, and full of unaccounted humiliation, Rin grasped the partings of her yukata with her arms crossed, hoping to cover most of herself during the removal. Realizing that her modest body would be exposed to men for the first time ever in her life, Rin grew immensely frightened; unusually so.

Keeping her upper-half parallel to the ground, still upon her knees, she managed to shift her yukata down to her waist without any eyes having the pleasure of her bare chest. Instead, her spine-spiked back, curving inward toward her waist under the influence and brilliance of freshly-formed womanly curves, was highlighted by lightly toned muscles of hard work that shone under the dim flickering light of the room's lanterns.

This particular sight was remarkable for a demon such as Sesshoumaru; especially when the crisp, hardened leather of the girl's punishment made striking contact across her smooth skin. It was only when Rin released a stifled wail of pain from her heaving chest, did Sesshoumaru's darkened, though sex-less, pleasure become slightly aroused with such.

Inu Taishou furrowed his brows at his flesh and blood.

"Are you that sadistic, Sesshoumaru?" He scolded quietly upon noticing his own son's change in scent.

Sesshoumaru made no effort to look away from the punishment befalling Rin, nor to correct his scent based upon his father's judgment. Instead he stated with mild retaliation,

"You are far less of a demon than I am, father. And it is in these instances that I am quite sure of it. The girl deserves punishment on my behalf. Seeing such take place pleases me."

Angry, yet collected, and with a devious sense of humor, Inu Taishou interrupted the scene. Stepping forward, he allowed his voice to carry, "Dear Kaede-san. That should be enough for the girl, wouldn't you agree?"

Sesshoumaru's eyebrow twitched as a scowl threatened to form; peripherally glaring at his father.

Kaede turned to him mid-lash and with utter surprise, responded, "A-Are ye sure, Inu Taishou-sama? Lashings fall at least to two-hundred swings. I have barely managed fifty."

"Ah, yes, but we wouldn't want her blood to stain your magnificent flooring. Besides, any more and she will be out of your commission for several days," Inu Taishou softly responded, looking empathetically at Rin, who was heaving upon the ground.

Tears stung her eyes as every part of her back lit up with the ferocity of burning fire. The edges of her open wounds began to ache with bruising, while warm blood became the only hindrance to the pain of the cool air upon the fresh stripes. As each lash rained down upon her, the feeling of being cut in half returned. Though her adrenaline allowed her a numbing sensation post-hit, each new hit returned with a vengeance. Refusing to cry out for fear of weakness, Rin simply accepted the pain and whimpered on occasion. Though she thanked Kami when the lashes had stopped, she had a hard time understanding why it was the demon who had ultimately stopped them.

"It matters not if her wounds cause such, Inu Taishou-sama, for she will no longer be working here," Kaede replied with assurance.

Rin's eyes shot open with horror.

No…

"Kaede-obaa-sama…," the meek voice of Izayoi now sounded, causing everyone to whip their eyes to her. Though she was in training for such instances, Izayoi was not yet allowed to speak up on these matters quite yet.

But she did so anyway.

"Listening to young Rin on the way to this room, I know for certain that she is pure of heart and sincerely regrets her mistake. She even agreed that her punishment should be severe…," Izayoi looked upon the young, shaking girl, "But I would implore you to reconsider that harsh of a punishment... For with a face, body, and spirit such as hers, she would undoubtedly be one of the district's superior Geisha in due time."

This time it was Urasue who spoke up, "Insolence is not tolerated here at Kodachi, Izayoi-san! We haven't the time to tame such impudence!"

"Impudence is intentional, Urasue-obaa-sama," Izayoi replied, still holding the attention of the room with poise, "This girl shows no desire to go against Kodachi's best interest. She made a youthful mistake. That is all."

InuTaishou offered a slight smile to his brave lover before turning to Kaede.

"In addition to Izayoi-san's words, I have a few of my own," he stated, glancing towards Sesshoumaru, who still glared at him threateningly, "Though I know he feels differently on the matter, I believe this issue is partly to blame on my eldest son."

"What?" Sesshoumaru growled openly.

Rin's eyes widened in utter shock at the unfolding situation, while Inu Taishou explained.

"You see, Sesshoumaru is rather unlike me in the ways of understanding humans. And though he does not go out of his way to condemn your race, he is quite vocal about his distaste."

Sesshoumaru continued his deep growl while Inuyasha snickered.

"So… I have a proposal, Kaede-san. One that would still ensure our loyalty to your humble establishment, and one that would teach both of our young brats a lesson."

Intrigued, Kaede turned towards him, "Yes, Inu Taishou-sama?"

Golden eyes piercing, and with the commanding voice of a great general, Inu-Taishou gave his solution,

"I want Rin to be the only hand-maiden to service my son, Sesshoumaru, upon each and every visit we make to Kodachi."


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