I'm so sorry guys for the late late late update! (okay, I missed the date by 3 days so not too bad right?)
I hope you will forgive me by going to look at my latest legit (completely anime-styled) Rin and Sesshoumaru Post-canon picture on my deviantart. I swear you won't be disappointed. Promise. xeraquick . deviantart . com
It seriously is the best anime-esque picture I have ever done.
Anyway! Chapter 15: Sincerity
She made her way down the discouraging hallway in a slight trance. The closer she got to her destination, the slower she trekked. The young maiden was more than capable of hiding her shock from the passing servants and waiting guests, but she knew as soon as she set foot into that room, she would be an open book. She rolled her eyes in disgust with herself as she thought about the first night that the dog demons had sensed her spurred feelings.
This reminder led her to think about the first time she saw his face.
Despite the fierce and dreadful penetration of his wild eyes, paired with the jagged features that could only indicate his predacious heritage, Sesshoumaru was, in all ways and rights…
…Remarkably beautiful.
Rin dropped her shameful face into her hands as she noticed her heart beginning to race in…
excitement?
Oh kami, this is impossible…
"If I must play games to make the actions of your body cooperate with the words of your mouth, then I shall...," he had whispered to her in a tone that was as much threatening as it was seductive.
Looking up, the flushed female realized her position. She was not even a cart's length from the sliding door that awaited her, and here she was, unable to get a grip on her physical state of desirous distress. Rin clenched her jaw in desperation before-
-something occurred to her.
Perhaps Sesshoumaru-sama had intended for this to be the case...
Her eyes widened.
What if this was his ploy? What if Sesshoumaru-sama was playing on her instincts to mold her into a more convincing subject?
Rin's luscious brown orbs brightened with understanding before they swiftly lowered with renewed confusion.
But why would he take such a risk?
Though it wasn't the worst idea... Did Sesshoumaru-sama seriously neglect to consider the repercussions if she were to tell InuTaishou-sama or the godmothers what he had done? For the law within the Entertainment District was strictly enforced… that should there be any sexual contact between guest and Geisha, then that guest would be unwelcomed from that moment on. Especially if the contact was forced.
She could ruin him.
Rin's doe-brown eyes softened a bit as she recalled the look of his tattered and blood-stained body in the moonlight. His warmly painted eyes had warned her, but they had also called out to her; insisting that her curiosity be quenched.
Was that the case now as well? Did she hesitate to sell him out on the premise of unquenched curiosity?
Whatever the reason was, she stood in agreement with all sides of herself that, for right now, she would pretend to be infatuated with this power-hungry demon for the sake of their mutual benefit.
She stepped up to the doorway, taking one last deep breath before refocusing.
Sesshoumaru-sama is… wonderful. He is kind and patient. Charming and beautiful.
Perfection.
Though she almost made herself laugh thinking such things… the mostly insincere thoughts were working on her psyche. She thought back to the kiss; to his heated eyes.
She lifted her own determinedly, and slid the door open.
Sesshoumaru lifted his scarlet eyelids slowly as he entered the room filled with his underlings, brethren, and a predecessor that already employed the look of suspicion beneath dark and descending brows. Everyone welcomed him with light nods while Inuyasha gave a sarcastic jab that escaped his interest. Sesshoumaru, ignoring the glare from the Western Lord as usual, took light notice of the woman at his side.
Izayoi.
He scoffed in amusement, "Ah, good evening, Izayoi-san. You are finally able to rejoin our gatherings, I see."
The last words fell of his lips a little too bitterly, beckoning InuTaishou to straighten his posture in a firm warning to his eldest son. The pristine Geisha at his side, however, seemingly used to such regard, smiled sweetly before replying,
"Why yes. Because Rin-onee-chan is now under my care, I must be with her throughout her apprenticeship," though she already had been seated next to InuTaishou, she lowered her front half to bow at Sesshoumaru's approaching feet, "I would hate for her to be a disappointment to valuable guests such as yourself."
Sesshoumaru eyed her in thought before gliding past to take his position on the opposite side of his father. As he came to sit, InuTaishou smirked. Though it was too quick and too light of a change for anyone else to notice the crack in his appearance, his father sure did.
"So unlike you, Sesshoumaru…," he whispered as he sipped on Kodachi sake.
The young dog demon's eyebrow twitched ever so slightly as he indulged, "What is it that you so vaguely refer to, father?"
"That weak expression of yours…"
Sesshoumaru's face turned ever so slowly towards the verbal assailant, his face employing a menacing scowl so filled with contempt that InuTaishou could only widen his sneer at such a drastic reaction.
"Hmph," his father jeered, amused, as he turned towards Izayoi so that she may refill his empty sake dish, "Where is that apprentice of yours, anyway, Izayoi-san? Is it so normal to arrive late to one's own debut session?"
Chuckling somewhat nervously, she responded to her secret lover, "Oh… I would gamble that she's just shy is all. I assume you could understand such from a new Maiko?"
"Ah, yes," InuTaishou mulled, "With what she's been through the past couple of days, I could only imagine." At the tail-end of his sentence, he shot an even more suspicious glare to Sesshoumaru, who merely stared downwards in expressionless thought.
"Sesshoumaru-sama," Kagome called from Inuyasha's side, directly across the room, "Would you like me to tend to you while we wait for Rin?"
"H-hey now!" Inuyasha retorted rather loudly, looking at Kagome with astonishment. He was obviously against the idea of sharing her with his older brother.
She gave him a rather cruel look before replying snottily, "Yes, Inuyasha-sama? Isn't it only normal for me to tend to the other guests in this room? Just as it is normal for you to receive service from other Geishas?"
Taken aback, the hanyou simply stared at her under the fierce grip of incredulity.
The blinding underhanded jab surprised not a single bystander in the room. Though the godmothers would have most likely punished Kagome for such a spout, everyone who took care of the dog demons, and the dog demons themselves, had come to terms with how Inuyasha and Kagome acted towards each other. After all, they had spent enough time in each other's company to warrant such casual interactions. And though none would admit it, watching such spats between the two was entertainment in itself.
"No need," Sesshoumaru replied in a bored tone as his eyes trailed towards the door, "She's already here."
After a moment or two, and with curious eyes fleeing to the door, the wooden panel slid open to reveal none other than Rin.
As she entered, she smiled delightedly, with fresh rouge on her lips and a very real blush upon her cheeks.
"Good evening honorable guests, I hope I did not keep you waiting too long," she bequeathed in her practiced alluring tone.
Though her heart fluttered and ached to be taken from such an awkward situation, Rin stuck to her set plan and shifted her eyes across the room until she found him.
The golden-amber eyes of Sesshoumaru met hers in question. They burned into her curiously; wondering what her next move would be.
They were so full of distrust.
She merely smiled at him and made her way over as the other dog demons reluctantly returned to conversing with Cesaria and Kagome; leaving Inuyasha to pout dejectedly.
"Sit here, Rin," InuTaishou instructed, motioning towards the bit of room between him and his son.
"Arigatou gozaimasu," she earnestly replied, dipping to hold the loose fabric of the kimono to her shins so that she could make a graceful and artistic kneel. Turning her snow-white painted face to greet her assigned guest first, Rin bashfully spoke,
"Good evening, Sesshoumaru-sama. Forgive me for keeping you waiting." Rin managed to keep her feigned infatuation raging.
Which, surprisingly enough, was easy for her to do…
And almost just as surprisingly, Sesshoumaru gifted her apology with a toneless and dry,
"It's fine."
A big step for him to answer in such a forgiving manner, Rin noticed. It would seem he was playing the game just as much as she was. She smiled sincerely before reaching to take the sake container that had been laid out in preparation by the servants of the house.
"Don't worry yourself, he's got all the time in the world to wait," InuTaishou jabbed light-heartedly at his son by way of conversing with the young Maiko.
Sesshoumaru growled before proudly lifting both his nose and his sake dish in soundless reply.
Rin hesitantly spoke up as she poured the heated alcohol.
"I beg your reconsideration, InuTaishou-sama," she rebuked lightly, pausing a moment as both dog demons peripherally eyed her with due attention, "…Because he is such a noble and essential asset to the future peace and prosperity of our lands, I would find it unsuitable to make Sesshoumaru-sama wait any longer than he should be required."
She turned her soft features towards the elder Western ruler who was eyeing her, "Though it is greatly appreciated that you place such value in me and my time, I would have to say that Sesshoumaru-sama's will always greatly outweigh my own. For me, that is."
InuTaishou blinked in mild astonishment before turning his downcast gaze to Sesshoumaru, once again, suspiciously. Even Sesshoumaru was slightly shocked by the maiden's evident commitment to his cause, though he refused to let it show.
"My, my! Rin-chan, aren't you warming up to Sesshoumaru-sama a little too much, now?" Cesaria called playfully from amongst the other demons and Kagome, "Take it easy, take it easy!"
"Haha, I think you have it all wrong, Cesaria-san," Rin toyed with her femininity, feeling the eyes of the demon in question upon her idly. She lifted an embarrassed hand coyly in front of her face, "I am merely speaking the truth, after all. I do apologize if it was received a little too immodestly."
She snuck a quick look to Sesshoumaru, who met her eye with intrigue and maybe a little…
Gentleness?
Rin felt herself heat up for real this time. Though this perturbed her a bit, she used it to further her endeavor, leaning a little closer to his body before fidgeting with her fingers nervously.
"This is makin' me sick," Inuyasha finally gave his two cents, "I know everyone else is thinking it, so spit it out, Sesshoumaru. What did you do to this poor woman to make her spout such nonsense?"
Everyone chuckled from the light-hearted play, throwing their eyes to Sesshoumaru in suspenseful wait for his rebuttal. Even InuTaishou and Izayoi looked up from their own little secretive world of whispers to witness the response.
However, once more, it was Rin who responded.
"I assure you, Inuyasha-sama… There is nothing that Sesshoumaru-sama could have done to confine my conscience to his will. Everything that I say is true to myself."
Inuyasha blinked quizzically. Interestingly enough, Rin's body did not give her away this time.
"Rin…," Izayoi whispered, reprimanding her for speaking out of turn.
Rin gave her mentor a reassuring look, before glancing up at the towering InuTaishou beside her, who met her eyes with the same shimmering gold as his son's.
She gulped, suddenly intimidated, "I know that it seemed as if I was lying earlier. But I really wasn't. Sesshoumaru-sama has done nothing to warrant my hatred except…,"
She paused, looking across the room, now too knee-deep to stop.
"Except… that he is both a man and a demon."
Sesshoumaru merely stared at her in unusual contemplation while everyone else's eyes widened. The Maiko was referring to a personal and serious testimony; something that is usually not allowed during entertainment sessions.
"So I must apologize to you all… for my fear and my reluctance in conversing with those of your kind comes from a past that none of you have ever had any part in," Rin stated charismatically, fluidly pouring herself a dish of sake before lifting it.
"So, I humbly ask your forgiveness for such uncanny things, and to not unjustly blame Sesshoumaru-sama for my own faults," she smiled, speaking to everyone, "Please, do drink with me tonight as I partake of a new and welcomed beginning in your company."
Only a quick moment of silence passed before-
"Kanpai!" A couple of dog demons surrounding Cesaria lifted their dishes drunkenly, followed shortly by InuTaishou's, Inuyasha's, the Geishas', and, finally, Sesshoumaru's.
Hope you enjoyed guys! Read and Review please!
As you know, I read every one and try to respond when I can.
I take your motivational words seriously and they give me inspiration. :)
I'm so excited for where this story is going.
You have no idea the tricks that I have up my sleeve...
heheheheeeeh...
Much Love!
