"Oi, can I come in?" Inuyasha called gently from the shoji screen door of a nicely sized apartment. It had a thin red border about waist high and the family crest imprinted on the doorframe. Other then that it was a very plain, delicate looking building just outside the main den made of light tan wood and rice paper with a generous covered walkway on all sides.
"Who is it?" Lady Yukio's light voice filtered though the screen. It was music to Inuyasha's ears, which twitched happily in response.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. I just want to talk, Kasan."
"Nani!" The fuzzy ears lowered as their favorite sound was twisted with shock. At the sound of many kimonos dragging along the floor they perked up again. The door opened slightly, and Inuyasha saw one of his mother's eyes peaking out at him.
"Oyajii didn't tell you? I got sucked into some kind of portal and I'm stuck here for a while."
"Lord Nishi said you were badly injured when you arrived, and that you couldn't move out of bed."
"Shows what he knows about my endurance. I'm hurt, but it isn't that bad. I'd introduce myself, but since it's your job to name me anyway…"
"Lord Nishi and I decided to call you Inuyasha." Inuyasha squeaked his ears and smiled.
"Can I come in?" He repeated, scratching lightly at the doorframe to enforce his request.
"I guess it would be alright." Lady Yukio slid the door open completely to reveal her round body obscured in layers of kimonos in jewel bright colors. Inuyasha immediately spotted his favorite, an emerald green one third from the outside printed with the black outlines of graceful leaves. Green was Inuyasha's second favorite color, and when he was very young he had a matching silk hamaka and haori in the same fabric.
"It's nice to see you again, Kasan."
"I'm not there for you in the future?" Yukio sounded worried.
"I'm a lot older then I look, Kasan. I'm nine by the demon count, but I'm closer to eighteen physically, though I have technically been alive for one hundred and forty years."
"Goodness, it must be quite confusing when your birthday comes around. Little wonder I'm not there." Inuyasha was very glad his mother had cut him off just then. Yukio apologized immediately for it but he shook his head.
"I think I might have been affected by that portal somehow, Kasan. I can't really control what I say. I don't think it would be right if you knew all about the future, so feel free to cut me off as often as possible."
"Oh. Are you feeling ill then?"
"No, I'm alright. There is a nasty gash on my back, but other then that I'm physically fine. I just can't control my tongue. Just about everything I think I say. It's very embarrassing at times."
"Has it been giving you much trouble?"
"I just told Oyajii exactly what I think of him."
"Why would that be bad? Honesty is always the best in any situation."
"I don't have the highest opinion of him. I think he…"
"I suppose I should interrupt you now."
"Thank you, Kasan."
"You are quite welcome. Shall we talk about something else then? I doubt you came here to put your other foot in your mouth."
"That's not a bad idea. I'll try that next time I'm about to say something stupid."
"It's only an expression, Inuyasha. What is on your mind?" Yukio cut him off.
"Itchy ears." Inuyasha answered the question literally.
"Excuse me?"
"You asked about what's on my mind, I said my ears itch. It happens all the time; mostly I don't bother with them. If I did I'd spend half my life scratching" Yukio giggled a bit.
"I'll have to remember that for when I have to take care of you. Come closer, Inuyasha." Inuyasha scooted over to lay his head in the little bit of Lady Yukio's lap that was left. She reached down to gently pet the twitching triangles. "They are stiffer then your Chichi-ue's."
"Mine have never and probably will never, flop over." He purred
"Lord Nishi's flop over all the time. I've only seen your brother in true form once, but I'm fairly sure he's lop-eared."
"Hmmm… Kasan smells good." Inuyasha mumbled drowsily. She burst into a fit of giggles.
"I'm glad you think so. You know, it would be nice if you would brush this beautiful hair of yours once in a while. This is a knotted mess up here, though it is clean at the very least."
"Smell good, make sleepy." Was all Inuyasha could get out through his contented purring.
"You didn't come here to talk did you, Inuyasha?" Lady Yukio's voice suddenly filled with motherly love and comfort.
"Nah, Kasan always makes me feel better, rubs ears, smiles, smells good, and makes sleepy."
"If this is what my child is to be, then I'll gladly give Lord Nishi as many children as he'll let me."
"Kasan is nice to me, even when no one else pays attention, and Kagome is the same. Kasan always loves me, and I love Kasan. I love Kasan forever. I love Kagome too, but it's different."
"Who is Kagome?" Yukio decided that not only was this a good way to calm her son, it was a good way of getting information out of him too. Before, he knew when he said something he didn't mean to. Now he didn't seem to know that he was talking at all.
"I follow Kagome, and I protect Kagome. Kagome gives me Ramen, and Ramen tastes great. She broke the seal that bound me to my tree, and treats my wounds. She has to leave all the time though, to go to some place called Junior High School. I went there once, but I didn't understand it. She has some duty to go there, but I want her to stay with me, never leave. I get so lonely. Shippou and I wait for her, but he always jumps up to hug her. He's only a pup though so it doesn't matter too much. I'm sleepy now, can I nap here?"
"Not on my lap, but I don't see why you can't stay in the apartment with me for the night. I don't have a futon…"
"Don't need one. I like to sleep in trees, I'll sleep up here." Inuyasha reluctantly left his mother's lap and jumped up onto a crossbeam. He yawned deeply, then fell asleep, arms crossed beneath his chin, on his stomach with a leg on either side of the round beam.
'Why do I suddenly feel that all is right in the world, when my son is sleeping above my head?' Lady Yukio wondered. 'What a ridiculous notion, to sleep on a beam when a futon could be easily brought in, and yet it seems right to me. He belongs up there somehow. I love him already, and I've not given birth yet.'
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Vale does mean goodbye, but Savete, litteraly 'salute' can be used to greet and part between aquaintences and soldiers. I'm going into the Army National Guard, so 'savete' is a bit more appropriate for me then 'vale.' It's preferance, the same way we say Hi, Hello, Salutations, How are you, What's up, Howdy, Good day, How have you been, Mam, G'day, Wazzzup, etc. (I'm told it's the mark of a good writer when you can rattle of symonyms like it's nothing.)
