Title: Forget Me Not
Rating: PG
Note: This chapter is slow and almost stupid (ignore it!), but I wanted to get another chapter out tonight and I needed to set things up for the eagerly awaited (yeah, right) Chapter 5. Muahaha. Sometimes I feel so evil!
For those of you interested, Falling Stars Chapter 16c should be following in a couple hours. Oh, and a plug! :-) If you like Escaflowne, you may want to consider checking out my latest fic (I've got the writing bug tonight) called "Shades of Twilight". I'm still trying to decide if I'm going to make it a Hitomi/Van pairing or going with my customary alternate coupling, but like usual, that depends on you guys.
By the bye, thanks to Fueled by Oxygen, I'll be continuing Demonheart sometime this week. I read it over tonight and it didn't seem to be as terrible as I thought it was. Sure, it has a few problems that still make me wanna pull out my hair, but nothing so bad that can't be fixed.
-Celyia
Chapter 4
The word "hate" didn't even begin to cover his feelings for the girl.
Shinji sat there, writing furiously as he tried to keep up with the professor's words, watching Higurashi out of his eye. It annoyed him to watch her, to watch the way her long hair fell down her back, pausing only to caress her slender neck. He despised her perfect little face and the beautiful brown eyes that seemed to shine with enthusiasm as the professor spoke.
But most of all, he detested the way she could sit there the entire time, taking only one page of notes for every five of his, and still receive higher marks on the exams.
She had to be performing a little "extra credit" on the side, Shinji decided as the professor, that bastard Maru, leaned gracefully against the wooden podium. All the professors appeared to love Higurashi, almost as if she were the God of Archaeology given form or something.
Well, all except for Maru.
Shinji smiled nastily as he openly watched the girl.
As much of a bastard Maru was (and Shinji sincerely hoped the guy would die from an embarrassing case of lethal hair loss), he still hadn't caved into Higurashi's dubious charm. In fact, Maru had kicked the girl out of the class the very first day and unless Higurashi could successful challenge it, she wouldn't receive her Bachelor's or graduate number one in her class. And from what he heard, the challenge exam was several times harder than anything that Maru could possibly come up with.
A couple months more and he would reclaim his position at the top of the class and there wasn't a damn thing anyone could do about it.
He chuckled, rubbing a stubby hand against his balding head as the girl turned to look at him. She could try as hard as she wanted, he thought as Higurashi turned and faced the professor again, but she still wasn't in this class. Seven weeks into the semester? There was no way to enter it now.
Higurashi was screwed.
Yet, the bitch didn't know it. Oh, it would be amusing to watch her scurry around for the rest of the term, like a cockroach who had yet to realize that its ugly head had been chopped off.
Grinning as the girl turned away and instead focused back on the professor, Shinji examined his meticulously taken notes. At least there was one other person in the world that didn't think Higurashi walked on water, Shinji thought as he watched Maru completely ignore the girl's existence.
Life can be so sweet.
* * *
"Like other mythologies, the legend of the hanyou, Inuyasha, appears to be rooted in real events. The challenge, as an archaeologist, is to discover which elements contain truth and which are just the deluded imaginings of a weak, bored people."
Weak, bored people? If there was one thing she had learned, Kagome thought as she watched the impassive face of the instructor, was that Maru-sensei didn't appear to really like people very much.
So why the hell did he become an archaeologist? Given that all archaeology came down to was that it was the study of people through the physical traces they had left behind, Kagome had always assumed that those entering the field would most likely have a love for people. Well, if you ignore people like Shinji Fujimoto who seemed to pursue it merely for the glory (what glory?). Frowning as she watched the professor scratch out a diagram upon the blackboard, Kagome tilted her head slightly. Maru-sensei didn't like people. But then, he didn't seem to be in it for the glory, either.
So what could have possibly drawn the man to the field?
"Legends say that the hanyou searched for something called the shikon no tama," Maru-sensei bit out, for even though his handsome face was as impassive as ever, there seemed to be a slight edge to the man's voice. "This jewel, like other items in Japanese mythology, was rumoured to hold great power. Unlike these other items, though, it is mentioned in other texts, allowing us to deduce that the shikon no tama, in some form or another, actually existed."
"This search for the shikon no tama and the understanding that it would give us, modern day society, of the people and times of the Sengoku Jidai, is complicated by the inept actions of the companion of Inuyasha, a young miko, who shattered the jewel into a thousand pieces by her stupidity."
Hey!
Kagome frowned as she barely restrained herself from glaring at the professor even as his attention appeared to rest on her for a brutal moment. Since returning, she had heard the Inuyasha legend several times but there had never been a mention of her before. Kikyou, yes. But never her. Figures the one time there is, it's negative.
"To compound matters, this miko ... " if Kagome didn't know better, she would swear that the professor's eyes, though hidden by his ever-present sunglasses, were continually watching her, "... was reputedly of low character and reputation. Her constant flirtations had attracted the attention of the hanyou's rivals until more effort was spent trying to keep the woman out of trouble instead of reassembling the jewel."
"Perhaps she was very beautiful and kind," a young man spoke up, only to turn bright red as he appeared to realize that he had drawn the infamous professor's attention.
Amazingly enough, the professor allowed the interruption to slide.
"Beautiful? Yes, perhaps," Maru-sensei admitted reluctantly.
Kagome felt a smile come to her lips as she looked at the professor. I'll ignore that flirtation part and just take the beauty thing as an itty-bitty compliment, she decided.
"More likely, though, was that the miko was the only female in the vicinity who still possessed at least half of her teeth."
She was barely able to restrain herself from glaring at the man. That jerk!
Kagome raised her hand, only to smile brightly (showing off her full set of white, strong teeth) at the entire class as the professor called on her.
Oh, lordie. What am I going to say now? Kagome wondered as the professor stared impassively at her.
"Maru-sensei, " she started, floundering as she searched for something to say. "Has there been anything found that could be associated with Inuyasha and the shikon no tama?"
The professor just looked at her, his disregard for the young woman practically emanating off his body.
Kagome felt herself sinking a bit lower in her seat.
"I am currently researching a possible excavation site that could be linked."
Kagome sat straight up, her face intent as she watched the young professor.
"An excavation site? Linked to Inuyasha? What have they found? Who sponsored the dig? The university? Or was it privately funded? What evidence do they have to support the opinion that this site is actually related?" Kagome blurted out, forgetting for a moment her vow not to say much in class in case Maru-sensei decided to revoke his permission that allowed her to sit inside instead of out beneath the window.
The professor frowned slightly at the woman, nodding almost imperceptibly as he took a step closer.
"The site, IY-001, is my discovery. Therefore, I will be heading the excavation that is scheduled for next month," Maru-sensei responded, instinct informing the girl that the professor, as indifferent as he may appear, was still surprised by her outburst.
"Oh, good! The university will be handling it, then," Kagome grinned, allowing herself to fall back into the black plastic chair. "I was worried for a moment that everything would be all ruined and stuff."
If she hadn't known better, Kagome would have thought amusement tickled at the man's lips. But that was impossible- the professor had already proven that he had no sense of humour at all.
"You do not trust corporations, Higurashi," Maru stated, his low voice humming with something she couldn't quite place.
"It's not that I don't... well, no, I don't. Too many items of great significance end up in personal collections," the former miko shrugged her shoulders helplessly. "These things, items that could tell us so much about our past, have been treated by the dilettantes as nothing more than interesting cocktail conversations. It's, well, annoying."
"You do understand that you probably just ruined any chance you had of gaining private employment by stating that publicly," the professor stared down at the young woman, the corner of his lips twitching slightly. "Don't think that any of these students would hesitate to mention this if you ever became their rival for employment."
He's amused?
Figures, Kagome decided. Figures he'd be delighted to see me ruin my chances.
"I couldn't be happier about it," the girl insisted. "The last thing I want is to betray my beliefs."
"Beliefs do not provide food and shelter."
She smiled at him even as she knew she should stop speaking and yet, unable to help herself.
"What good is food and shelter if you hate yourself for the way you've earned it?"
"You don't believe in making concessions in order to insure survival?" the professor asked, his face full of an arrogant disdain as he looked down his nose at her.
"But, sir, where do the concessions stop? And when does losing yourself begin?"
Maru chuckled slightly, the sound rusty and almost harsh as Kagome watched him slowly back away.
Oh, my god. I forgot I was in class! The girl winced as she slid down in her chair, her cheeks burning as she made a series of violent wishes to disappear. Cautiously, she looked around.
Yup. They are all staring at me. Kagome smiled weakly as the professor seemed to shake himself out of the temporary distraction. She didn't need to see his eyes to feel the absolute glare he threw her way as he began speaking again.
"Idealistic beliefs aside," Maru nearly grumbled, his low voice vibrating. "IY-001 will be the site that the highest ranking student, enrolled in this class, will be allowed to participate in."
She could almost feel Shinji's smirk as it burned into the back of her head. Damn the teacher, she thought as she turned to her notes. He didn't have to go reminding her of her position, did he?
Of course he did, Kagome decided with a bit of foreign bitterness. It's a power thing.
"And, once again, we've run out of suitable time," Maru-sensei spoke, closing the book that rested on the podium. "Wednesday we'll continue this lecture on the hanyou, Inuyasha. Now, leave."
Kagome sat there, feeling rather hopeless as she thrust her notebook into her trusty old backpack. She made such a fool of herself today. It was enough to make her wish to leave the class and never come back.
After all, she didn't need to be here. She was challenging the class after all.
"Higurashi! Now."
Slowly, she threw the pack on, barely able to restrain herself from rolling her eyes at Mr. Articulacy as she went to face her doom.
So what if the ass told her she couldn't return to class? Kagome didn't need it.
She didn't.
"Yes, sir?" Perhaps she should have tried to sound more submissive, but at this point, Kagome no longer cared.
The professor stared at her, a slight frown curving his attractive lips as he watched her face.
"You have yet to bring me an audit permission. You cannot continue to audit this class until the insurance difficulties have been taken care of," Maru-sensei bit out, sounding every bit as annoyed as she felt.
Audit permission? He was going to allow her to continue to audit the class?
"If I do not receive that form by tomorrow, you will not be allowed in the class on Wednesday. Understood?"
Kagome nodded dumbly, uncertain. Unable to move.
"Very well. Good day, Higurashi," the professor growled, his voice as arrogant as ever.
Silently, she stood in the now-empty classroom, her heart beating a little bit faster as she tried to grasp what just happened.
Kagome didn't doubt the professor hated her. It was obvious in the way he scowled each time he looked in her direction. But the thing was, if he hated her so much, why would he allow her to audit the class?
She secured the straps of her pack as she left the room, walking slowly towards the administration building. Maru-sensei just didn't make any sense, Kagome decided as she found herself searching the bustling crowd of students for his elegant figure.
The man was confusing as hell.
So who could blame her for not being able to get him out of her head?
Note: Ah! Another chapter down! Yay! Bear with me, though. I know that couldn't have been the easiest chapter to read, but I hope to make up for being so slack with Chapter 5. FMN is a lot faster paced than most of my stories so try to be patient with me while I try to get things down. Thanks!
Oh! A note regarding the archaeology junk! I attempted to keep things accurate, but artistic license appears to be corrupting my intentions a bit. Ooops!
Regarding the customary response to reviews:
My poor, beautiful computer no longer has access to the internet so right now, I'm using my mum's hunk of junk. So far, each time I try to access any webpages, it disconnects me. (I'm just hoping that if I'm persistent enough, I'll be able to upload my stories. Maybe.) So I think I'll respond to reviews in the next chapter. Hopefully, by then, I'll have my access back! *crosses her fingers* Sorry for the inconvenience!
Rating: PG
Note: This chapter is slow and almost stupid (ignore it!), but I wanted to get another chapter out tonight and I needed to set things up for the eagerly awaited (yeah, right) Chapter 5. Muahaha. Sometimes I feel so evil!
For those of you interested, Falling Stars Chapter 16c should be following in a couple hours. Oh, and a plug! :-) If you like Escaflowne, you may want to consider checking out my latest fic (I've got the writing bug tonight) called "Shades of Twilight". I'm still trying to decide if I'm going to make it a Hitomi/Van pairing or going with my customary alternate coupling, but like usual, that depends on you guys.
By the bye, thanks to Fueled by Oxygen, I'll be continuing Demonheart sometime this week. I read it over tonight and it didn't seem to be as terrible as I thought it was. Sure, it has a few problems that still make me wanna pull out my hair, but nothing so bad that can't be fixed.
-Celyia
Chapter 4
The word "hate" didn't even begin to cover his feelings for the girl.
Shinji sat there, writing furiously as he tried to keep up with the professor's words, watching Higurashi out of his eye. It annoyed him to watch her, to watch the way her long hair fell down her back, pausing only to caress her slender neck. He despised her perfect little face and the beautiful brown eyes that seemed to shine with enthusiasm as the professor spoke.
But most of all, he detested the way she could sit there the entire time, taking only one page of notes for every five of his, and still receive higher marks on the exams.
She had to be performing a little "extra credit" on the side, Shinji decided as the professor, that bastard Maru, leaned gracefully against the wooden podium. All the professors appeared to love Higurashi, almost as if she were the God of Archaeology given form or something.
Well, all except for Maru.
Shinji smiled nastily as he openly watched the girl.
As much of a bastard Maru was (and Shinji sincerely hoped the guy would die from an embarrassing case of lethal hair loss), he still hadn't caved into Higurashi's dubious charm. In fact, Maru had kicked the girl out of the class the very first day and unless Higurashi could successful challenge it, she wouldn't receive her Bachelor's or graduate number one in her class. And from what he heard, the challenge exam was several times harder than anything that Maru could possibly come up with.
A couple months more and he would reclaim his position at the top of the class and there wasn't a damn thing anyone could do about it.
He chuckled, rubbing a stubby hand against his balding head as the girl turned to look at him. She could try as hard as she wanted, he thought as Higurashi turned and faced the professor again, but she still wasn't in this class. Seven weeks into the semester? There was no way to enter it now.
Higurashi was screwed.
Yet, the bitch didn't know it. Oh, it would be amusing to watch her scurry around for the rest of the term, like a cockroach who had yet to realize that its ugly head had been chopped off.
Grinning as the girl turned away and instead focused back on the professor, Shinji examined his meticulously taken notes. At least there was one other person in the world that didn't think Higurashi walked on water, Shinji thought as he watched Maru completely ignore the girl's existence.
Life can be so sweet.
"Like other mythologies, the legend of the hanyou, Inuyasha, appears to be rooted in real events. The challenge, as an archaeologist, is to discover which elements contain truth and which are just the deluded imaginings of a weak, bored people."
Weak, bored people? If there was one thing she had learned, Kagome thought as she watched the impassive face of the instructor, was that Maru-sensei didn't appear to really like people very much.
So why the hell did he become an archaeologist? Given that all archaeology came down to was that it was the study of people through the physical traces they had left behind, Kagome had always assumed that those entering the field would most likely have a love for people. Well, if you ignore people like Shinji Fujimoto who seemed to pursue it merely for the glory (what glory?). Frowning as she watched the professor scratch out a diagram upon the blackboard, Kagome tilted her head slightly. Maru-sensei didn't like people. But then, he didn't seem to be in it for the glory, either.
So what could have possibly drawn the man to the field?
"Legends say that the hanyou searched for something called the shikon no tama," Maru-sensei bit out, for even though his handsome face was as impassive as ever, there seemed to be a slight edge to the man's voice. "This jewel, like other items in Japanese mythology, was rumoured to hold great power. Unlike these other items, though, it is mentioned in other texts, allowing us to deduce that the shikon no tama, in some form or another, actually existed."
"This search for the shikon no tama and the understanding that it would give us, modern day society, of the people and times of the Sengoku Jidai, is complicated by the inept actions of the companion of Inuyasha, a young miko, who shattered the jewel into a thousand pieces by her stupidity."
Hey!
Kagome frowned as she barely restrained herself from glaring at the professor even as his attention appeared to rest on her for a brutal moment. Since returning, she had heard the Inuyasha legend several times but there had never been a mention of her before. Kikyou, yes. But never her. Figures the one time there is, it's negative.
"To compound matters, this miko ... " if Kagome didn't know better, she would swear that the professor's eyes, though hidden by his ever-present sunglasses, were continually watching her, "... was reputedly of low character and reputation. Her constant flirtations had attracted the attention of the hanyou's rivals until more effort was spent trying to keep the woman out of trouble instead of reassembling the jewel."
"Perhaps she was very beautiful and kind," a young man spoke up, only to turn bright red as he appeared to realize that he had drawn the infamous professor's attention.
Amazingly enough, the professor allowed the interruption to slide.
"Beautiful? Yes, perhaps," Maru-sensei admitted reluctantly.
Kagome felt a smile come to her lips as she looked at the professor. I'll ignore that flirtation part and just take the beauty thing as an itty-bitty compliment, she decided.
"More likely, though, was that the miko was the only female in the vicinity who still possessed at least half of her teeth."
She was barely able to restrain herself from glaring at the man. That jerk!
Kagome raised her hand, only to smile brightly (showing off her full set of white, strong teeth) at the entire class as the professor called on her.
Oh, lordie. What am I going to say now? Kagome wondered as the professor stared impassively at her.
"Maru-sensei, " she started, floundering as she searched for something to say. "Has there been anything found that could be associated with Inuyasha and the shikon no tama?"
The professor just looked at her, his disregard for the young woman practically emanating off his body.
Kagome felt herself sinking a bit lower in her seat.
"I am currently researching a possible excavation site that could be linked."
Kagome sat straight up, her face intent as she watched the young professor.
"An excavation site? Linked to Inuyasha? What have they found? Who sponsored the dig? The university? Or was it privately funded? What evidence do they have to support the opinion that this site is actually related?" Kagome blurted out, forgetting for a moment her vow not to say much in class in case Maru-sensei decided to revoke his permission that allowed her to sit inside instead of out beneath the window.
The professor frowned slightly at the woman, nodding almost imperceptibly as he took a step closer.
"The site, IY-001, is my discovery. Therefore, I will be heading the excavation that is scheduled for next month," Maru-sensei responded, instinct informing the girl that the professor, as indifferent as he may appear, was still surprised by her outburst.
"Oh, good! The university will be handling it, then," Kagome grinned, allowing herself to fall back into the black plastic chair. "I was worried for a moment that everything would be all ruined and stuff."
If she hadn't known better, Kagome would have thought amusement tickled at the man's lips. But that was impossible- the professor had already proven that he had no sense of humour at all.
"You do not trust corporations, Higurashi," Maru stated, his low voice humming with something she couldn't quite place.
"It's not that I don't... well, no, I don't. Too many items of great significance end up in personal collections," the former miko shrugged her shoulders helplessly. "These things, items that could tell us so much about our past, have been treated by the dilettantes as nothing more than interesting cocktail conversations. It's, well, annoying."
"You do understand that you probably just ruined any chance you had of gaining private employment by stating that publicly," the professor stared down at the young woman, the corner of his lips twitching slightly. "Don't think that any of these students would hesitate to mention this if you ever became their rival for employment."
He's amused?
Figures, Kagome decided. Figures he'd be delighted to see me ruin my chances.
"I couldn't be happier about it," the girl insisted. "The last thing I want is to betray my beliefs."
"Beliefs do not provide food and shelter."
She smiled at him even as she knew she should stop speaking and yet, unable to help herself.
"What good is food and shelter if you hate yourself for the way you've earned it?"
"You don't believe in making concessions in order to insure survival?" the professor asked, his face full of an arrogant disdain as he looked down his nose at her.
"But, sir, where do the concessions stop? And when does losing yourself begin?"
Maru chuckled slightly, the sound rusty and almost harsh as Kagome watched him slowly back away.
Oh, my god. I forgot I was in class! The girl winced as she slid down in her chair, her cheeks burning as she made a series of violent wishes to disappear. Cautiously, she looked around.
Yup. They are all staring at me. Kagome smiled weakly as the professor seemed to shake himself out of the temporary distraction. She didn't need to see his eyes to feel the absolute glare he threw her way as he began speaking again.
"Idealistic beliefs aside," Maru nearly grumbled, his low voice vibrating. "IY-001 will be the site that the highest ranking student, enrolled in this class, will be allowed to participate in."
She could almost feel Shinji's smirk as it burned into the back of her head. Damn the teacher, she thought as she turned to her notes. He didn't have to go reminding her of her position, did he?
Of course he did, Kagome decided with a bit of foreign bitterness. It's a power thing.
"And, once again, we've run out of suitable time," Maru-sensei spoke, closing the book that rested on the podium. "Wednesday we'll continue this lecture on the hanyou, Inuyasha. Now, leave."
Kagome sat there, feeling rather hopeless as she thrust her notebook into her trusty old backpack. She made such a fool of herself today. It was enough to make her wish to leave the class and never come back.
After all, she didn't need to be here. She was challenging the class after all.
"Higurashi! Now."
Slowly, she threw the pack on, barely able to restrain herself from rolling her eyes at Mr. Articulacy as she went to face her doom.
So what if the ass told her she couldn't return to class? Kagome didn't need it.
She didn't.
"Yes, sir?" Perhaps she should have tried to sound more submissive, but at this point, Kagome no longer cared.
The professor stared at her, a slight frown curving his attractive lips as he watched her face.
"You have yet to bring me an audit permission. You cannot continue to audit this class until the insurance difficulties have been taken care of," Maru-sensei bit out, sounding every bit as annoyed as she felt.
Audit permission? He was going to allow her to continue to audit the class?
"If I do not receive that form by tomorrow, you will not be allowed in the class on Wednesday. Understood?"
Kagome nodded dumbly, uncertain. Unable to move.
"Very well. Good day, Higurashi," the professor growled, his voice as arrogant as ever.
Silently, she stood in the now-empty classroom, her heart beating a little bit faster as she tried to grasp what just happened.
Kagome didn't doubt the professor hated her. It was obvious in the way he scowled each time he looked in her direction. But the thing was, if he hated her so much, why would he allow her to audit the class?
She secured the straps of her pack as she left the room, walking slowly towards the administration building. Maru-sensei just didn't make any sense, Kagome decided as she found herself searching the bustling crowd of students for his elegant figure.
The man was confusing as hell.
So who could blame her for not being able to get him out of her head?
Note: Ah! Another chapter down! Yay! Bear with me, though. I know that couldn't have been the easiest chapter to read, but I hope to make up for being so slack with Chapter 5. FMN is a lot faster paced than most of my stories so try to be patient with me while I try to get things down. Thanks!
Oh! A note regarding the archaeology junk! I attempted to keep things accurate, but artistic license appears to be corrupting my intentions a bit. Ooops!
Regarding the customary response to reviews:
My poor, beautiful computer no longer has access to the internet so right now, I'm using my mum's hunk of junk. So far, each time I try to access any webpages, it disconnects me. (I'm just hoping that if I'm persistent enough, I'll be able to upload my stories. Maybe.) So I think I'll respond to reviews in the next chapter. Hopefully, by then, I'll have my access back! *crosses her fingers* Sorry for the inconvenience!