Omgosh guys I am so sorry that it has been awhile! But believe me I have been thinking about you this whole time, I have just been super busy! Okay, so the last time that I updated, it was 9/25. This was 4 days before my manga deadline. (you know... The one I have been working on since July and spending nearly 4 hours every evening to complete on time? Yeah... that one...) So all of a sudden, my procrastination had to stop and I went on a drawing and editing rampage to complete the manga.

And I made it! :) I got it submitted before the deadline and I will find out the contest results in February! (This contest could make me a published manga artist in Japan BUT... let's face it, that's lofty. I'm just glad I completed it!)

If you want to check out the "no-text-added pages" of my manga, I have a page on facebook called "Kelsey's Manga Journey." You can go there and see my album with all of of my pics in there. :D

Anyway, sorry for the wait, but I've been ACHIEVING DREAMS DAMMIT!

Here is the Memoirs Update :)

Chapter 9: Potential


She awoke to the unusual bite of bright sun that was shining in through the Maiko Quarters window. Lifting her eyelids slightly only to quickly force them back down in a scrunch, Rin groaned and turned away from the offending rays of light.

"Rin. Rin you must get up… Ne, can you hear me?" The ringing voice of Cesaria bounced off every wall of the hungover girl's ear and she quickly clamped her hands over them.

After a moment of silence Rin slowly turned to face Cesaria with reddened cheeks and pained eyes.

"What… What happened?" She mumbled, feeling slightly depressed and melancholy for no salvageable reason. How strange.

"You will probably remember as you go…," Cesaria mulled in a whisper, now more perceptive of her friend's condition. And, grabbing her hand, Cesaria beckoned once more, "You must get up now. School starts soon and they don't take hangovers for an excuse… No matter how validated. And this is your first day of lessons in the elite class so..."

Rin blinked only once before understanding washed over her face and she sat up quickly. Rubbing her temples and smiling with bashfulness at the Geisha, she replied, "Thank you for waking me. Could you please help me with my yukata? I don't think I am used to tying it in such an honorable fashion, yet."

Smiling, Cesaria simply nodded. It was only after Rin was nearly all done up for the day did the higher Geisha speak once again.

"…Do you really not remember anything, Rin-chan? It might be wise to try your best to do so…," Cesaria whispered quietly.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Rin asked hesitantly as her mind tried to grasp at pieces from the night before. Currently all she could manage to scrounge up were stills of scenery, a voice or two… laughter maybe.

"Did I do something terrible? Is everyone okay? A-am I in trouble?" Rin's voice began to crack under the onset of adrenaline as she began to recollect just how absurdly impossible the previous night would have been for anyone in her shoes. A new Maiko taking on the entertainment of demons… A job that was given only to very experienced Geisha. And the fact that Rin couldn't even remember the outcome only made her fear for the worst.

Cesaria shook her head. "If anything, Rin-chan, you are gaining some fame from the incident. While it is true that you broke nearly every code in the book of Kodachi-"

"What?!" Rin interjected, turning as Cesaria finished tying the Maiko's cotton, dark green obi. Face turning blue with shock and horror, Rin would have fallen over if it wasn't for her friend's sturdy hand upon her shoulder.

"Heh, you are only supposed to have four dishes of sake', Rin-chan. But from what I heard, it seems that you had about four dishes of absinthe."

Rin blinked twice in confusion.

"Absinthe? I thought the only alcohol our province had was ume' wine and sake?"

"Only the elite demons have access to absinthe. They get it as trade and negotiation prizes from other nations that have the resources to make it, Cesaria explained, "Demons prefer absinthe because, unlike with us humans, it takes a much higher content for them to feel the effects."

"Oh…," Rin acknowledged as she thought hard about the night before, mumbling, "I do remember thinking that it tasted horrible…"

"I'm surprised the taste alone didn't make you question it, you twit," Cesaria sarcastically replied.

"I've never drank before! Don't do this to me!" Rin whined jokingly before suddenly remembering her situation once again. Her line of sight fell steadily to the floor.

"Cesaria… Before I leave… Please tell me… What was the outcome of it all?"

Slowly beginning to smile, the Geisha happily replied, "Sesshoumaru-sama, upon his leave, had warned Izayoi-san of your condition following the events. And when she asked of his time with you, Sesshoumaru-sama responded with,

'Not as dull as I had expected.'"

Rin's eyes widened before they suddenly grew super narrow.

"Not as dull, huh?" She groaned looking down out of mild insecurity, "I can't stand him… He's so… Mean."

"You don't understand, Rin," Cesaria's face and tone grew stern, capturing the maiden's undivided attention, "Every Geisha who has entertained his soldiers know... That the only time Sesshoumaru-sama speaks with praises is when he's flat-out killing something."

"Huh?" Rin gulped quietly, "You mean, he's… known for it?"

"Were your hiding under a rock since you came here? He's one of the most feared generals in the West! His very presence sends chills so fierce that it brings people to their knees. He's a natural born weapon… and he's set to rule the Western Lands after InuTaishou-sama. The fact that he said that you 'weren't as dull' is like… That's like… finding fire in a snowbank!"

"No way…," Rin's hand instinctually lifted to cover her mouth. She had never grasped just how powerful those dog demons were. Sure, she knew that they held some important and high position in the rankings but… If she were honest with herself, she would always grow lost in thought when anyone would talk about things that had the power to make her relive her past. It was just a simple and naïve mechanism of defense.

This reality hit her like a ton of bricks when Cesaria finally retorted in tease,

"Though… Apparently his presence is fierce enough to bring you to your knees in a different way, Rin-chan. I don't know of any other human maiden that has received tingles of passion from that kind of guy."

Just as Rin was about to wail out of embarrassment at the reminder, Cesaria ushered her out of the quarters. The young Maiko would be lucky to make it to school on time, now.

And lucky she apparently was.

Only a few moments to spare, Rin, after rushing through busied alley ways and bustling stone streets of businessmen and merchants, had managed to retrieve her wooden name card from the entrance wall of the prestigious education center in just the nick of time.

As she was rounding an open hallway to her first class, she stopped dead in her tracks when she laid eyes upon a huddle of very fine looking men and women, conversing urgently amongst one another.

Gulping, she recognized these people to be officials of some sort. And as she was about to take a step back, a face swiveled to catch her in her tardiness.

Kikyo-sensei!

"Oh, Rin," she murmured, causing the rest of the group to look towards the Maiko.

Rin was trembling. She was officially late for her first day in the elite class and she had been caught by what looked like all of the most important people in the Geisha training industry.

Damn it…

Rin cursed herself as the light of a newfound idea rushed over Kikyo's face.

Turning back to her comrades, she politely asked, "What do you think of that girl there?"

Her finger rose to point at Rin.

Not knowing what else to do, for apparently she had come in on something much more important than what she could fathom, Rin dipped to her knees and offered a pristine bow. A subtle apology that she, for some reason, felt was necessary.

More murmuring commenced before Kikyo's voice pierced her ears, "Rin, what are you doing? Stand up, and come here."

Like lightning, Rin flew to her feet once more with fluid grace.

Eyebrows twitched amongst the group as they eyed Rin's every movement. From her shuffled walk to the elegant swings of her yukata sleeves, the girl did her best to look like a piece of walking art for these strange individuals. As she came to a halt before them, she lifted her eyes.

They all analyzed every bit of her; her face, her body, her crispness and cleanliness. Kikyo smirked to the eldest man in the group as all eyes slowly grew wide with realization.

"See there? She has potential," Kikyo smiled before walking towards the girl before her, "Perhaps she still needs to hone in on the details of the art… Like waking up on time…,"

Rin dropped her head as an embarrassed blush began to form.

"But…, she is better than any Maiko that I have seen who has gained entrance to this school. It is just a little thing called 'natural talent,'" Kikyo stated softly, turning back to the council as her fingertips traced over Rin's jawline,

"Along with a face that would rest well upon every bulletin in our district, this girl may be your answer."


0oooo0oooo0oooo0oooo0


"What, are you going to be petty and ignore me as usual, Sesshoumaru?" Naraku hissed as he sank up to his abdominals within the private herbal hot spring that sat upon the Palace Ridge.

Sesshoumaru, who was firmly seated against the trunk of one of the many surrounding trees, glared across the plateau that overlooked the West. Dimmed lanterns casted light orange shadows over his porcelain and prominent features. These lanterns hung idly from the trees, mainly over the hot spring and the walkway that led to it. They all proudly wore a black painted 犬 symbol across the round and formed paper while they blew lightly in the whistling wind. Rocks shot up from the ground like produce, creating mesmerizing echoes from the slightest sound waves that made their way to them. Sesshoumaru's voice elicited such phenomena as he turned his head slowly towards the smirking demon.

"Naraku…," he growled openly, "It shouldn't be any surprise that I have grown tired of your worthless pursuits… Particularly when they interfere with the one thing that I desire."

"Oh, you mean that? Haha," Naraku ran his devilish hands through his hair, wringing the damp ends with a clenched fist, "Were you ever this boring in the past? Doing tricks for your father like a trained puppy? That isn't the ruthless, blood-thirsty general that I met that day on the battlefield..."

Golden orbs slowly maneuvered to peripherally take in the demon after having previously averted their attention back to the Western Domain.

"I have not changed at all, Naraku. You simply thought of me as a brainless vessel of power," Sesshoumaru's voice became cold and sharp like the ice that pumped through his veins, "My father is respected by the West… by me as well… To uproot the morale of the people for the sake of the throne, well, that would mean that I would have to completely restructure all that my father has built to accommodate my treasonous rise to power… Too much of a bother. When I take over my father's position, I aim not only to be feared, but to be respected as well."

Naraku, beginning to scowl, simply stared at the silver-haired demon as its words began to slice through his pride.

"You, Naraku, are scum of the Earth. Powerful and amusing. But scum. No one respects you. No blade of grass would even sway if you were to perish…," Sesshoumaru smiled menacingly as he let his crass words fall from his lips, "How sad it must be to have such indestructible power, and to have no one bat an eye if it were to suddenly disappear."

For a moment, both Sesshoumaru and Naraku sat in bitter silence; both eyeing each other vindictively until Naraku eventually broke it with his usual cackle.

Beginning to cleanse himself as if these kinds of conversations were regarded as normal between him and Sesshoumaru, Naraku responded with a simple,

"My… You are some bastard, aren't you?"


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