AN: Haven't updated this one in a while so I thought I'd give it a shot.
Anyway, I'm tired and bogged down with revision - so excuse the crappiness
of this chapter (I'm hoping it's just me that thinks this) I swear I have
better plans in the future of this fic, but I have to get to the future of
this fic in order to write such stuff...
I wish I could speak German... (randomness on my part here)
Rules of Acquisition
Another Family Outing...
~Kagome~
It was supposed to be a nice little outing for the family. And it started out well... but an hour later, I felt like I was living one horrific nightmare. I should have caught a clue when it was the Supei's who invited us along to the opera house. Supei... hm... did you know that their name meant spy?
Should have gotten a clue years ago from their name...
"You do realise what this means don't you?" Sango asked from my wardrobe as she rifled through the contents to find a dress to her liking.
"Huh?" I wasn't really paying attention - the big sliced up cut along my arm was only just beginning to scab over... yes, I admit that I was picking at it. So absorbed in doing this I didn't really take notice of what Sango was doing.
"The Supei's are inviting us along to an opera..." Sango took out a black dress and held it against her as she looked at herself critically in the mirror. "Why do you think that would be?"
"Um..." I glanced up at her and shrugged. "To show off how much money they have a suppose..."
Sango sighed at my newbie attitude before deciding she didn't like the black dress and threw it back inside the walk in wardrobe. She proceeded to search for something else. "Kagome, with all reason, the Supei's are nice people, but these get-togethers that they keep hosting have ulterior motives as well you know."
"I knew it!" I quickly snapped my fingers. "They're really trying to sabotage our chances of winning the election! I knew they were too nice to be real humans..."
"Nope." Sango shook her head. "They hold these get-togethers for us and the Arashi's to attend. It makes them look like the peacekeepers. The people who have somehow managed to bridge a small relationship between the political feudal families of the decade. It makes us look like petty brats while the Supei's look like sensible mature adults. They'll win the election at this rate..."
"I guess." I pulled a face as I scratched my arm.
"Don't pick at it - it'll scar!" Sango snapped as she caught sight of what I was doing. I dropped my hand automatically and proceeded to scratch my knee to occupy my fidgety fingers. "How did you get that injury anyway?"
"Miroku..." I sighed. "I think after you beat him senseless he bumped into me in that office. He must have been really out of it because it didn't take much to put him out."
"He's a little weakling anyway." Sango said shortly, obviously still mad that Miroku had tried to grope her whilst they'd been fighting. I wondered why he hadn't groped me in the same fashion though...? Maybe I was too non- pretty?
"Oh this is a nice one..." Sango stepped out of the wardrobe with an emerald dress clasped against her front. It was a long one with intricate little sparkly bead patterns. I swallowed my protest when I saw it... I'd wanted to wear that one...
"Suits you." I said truthfully. Well, maybe green wasn't my colour.
"Mm." Sango hummed happily and mooched over to sit on my bed. "You're turn now."
I stood up with a resigned sigh and headed into the wardrobe to pick something out.
"You know," Sango called after me as she examined the dress close-up. "Even though going to the opera will be helping the Supei's get more votes - it's still nice to dress up for a nice and get a bit of culture in our veins."
"How about we don't go - then we won't be helping the Supei's?" I suggested.
"Nah... that would do us more harm than good in the public eye." Sango shot down that idea fairly quickly. "It would make us look even more petty and insolent for turning down an invitation like this. The best thing we can do to combat this would be to host parties and stuff of our own..."
I snorted at that idea as I shoved through my more elegant dresses. "I'd like to see the day Dad willingly invites an Arashi along to a ball. Supei's maybe, but he'd never allow one of the Arashi's into this household."
"Oh yeah - your father says you mustn't talk to Inuyasha." Sango called absently. "You're not even allowed to look at him tonight."
My hands froze in their action as what she said stunned me to silence. I forced myself to continue looking through the dresses while forcing my voice to remain casual. "Why's that?"
"Well, after that ball thing with the two of you dancing, the reporters and photographers at the opera house are going to be watching the two of you like hawks." Sango smirked. "Even a casual glance caught on camera would be scandal all over again."
"Why would I glance at him anyway?" I said quickly, maybe a little too quickly.
I almost felt Sango stop examining her dress to look up at me calmly. She spoke after a few tense moments. "I'm not saying you would... but your father doesn't want to press to carry on this... false pretence."
Politics... it was doing my head in right then. Everything me and my family did had to be for show, for the public to see. We had to act a certain way... I felt like a caged animal at a circus. Poke me with a stick and watch me jump through hoops on command!
It was tiring. I'd be so glad when the election was done and over with and Dad was prime minister. No more posing for cameras anymore with our place in the government secured.
I dully picked out a dress at random, noting the colour was red. I smiled slightly... Inuyasha's favourite colour was red... Maybe I shouldn't wear it, it might draw his attention like a bull to a matador...
But then again, why the hell not? I looked good in red... and if I wore such a bold colour, Inuyasha wouldn't be the only one being blinded by me. I turned and held it against me for Sango to see. "What do you think?"
"Nice. It has long sleeves, good." She noted, eyeing my injured arm. I followed her gaze and realised her meaning.
If the press got hold of a picture with me and a shredded arm I could just imagine the headlines that would pop up the next day. 'Kagome Higurashi attempts to commit suicide - but too thick to aim for her wrist!' or 'Kagome Higurashi violently attacked by maniacal street thug - family keeping it under wraps!'.
Not that they'd actually call me Kagome. Whenever I was mentioned in the papers it would always be 'Mr Higurashi's daughter' or 'eldest child' and variations of that.
Well I didn't feel too chirpy at that moment in time, but I was sure that I would perk up later. I was only a little sulky because my father had chewed me out earlier for my failure to obtain the Shikon no Tama. Again.
I'd pointed out rather innocently that if he wanted a professional attempt to get the jewel, maybe he should push the boat out and hire another professional like Sango instead of slamming the locks down on his wallet and being cheap by getting his daughter to do it.
I'm grounded now.
But, I'm allowed out to the opera, since it wouldn't look good if I didn't turn up. I guess things were looking up already.
~Inuyasha~
"Why aren't you READY yet?!!"
My father was yelling so loud that my ears were thrumming. I dodged another one of his half-hearted swipes to cuff my ear and slipped around him to get out of his way. "I haven't got any special clothes for this kind of thing - what am I supposed to do?!" I yelled right back, moving behind one of my female cousins in an effort to use her as a shield. "It's not my fault you're too tight to splash out on clothes for your mongrel son!"
"Kiri!" My father snapped his fingers at his niece. She rolled her eyes and moved away from me, leaving me vulnerable to attack again. "You haven't got any clothes - then get some!"
"Shall I just conjure them out of thin air?!" my voice was going slightly hoarse now. Believe it or not, we'd been yelling at each other for over 84 hours, intermittently, about several different things. The main argument that had sparked off the acoustic contest had of course been my failure to bring the Shikon home. Of course that had been almost a week ago.
But Dad always liked to drag these things out and let everyone know how mad he was at me.
"Miroku!" my father suddenly yelled. "He's roughly the same size as you - you're both quite small - take some of his clothes!"
"Clothes he's worn?!" I gaped at him. "No way, old man!"
"Either that or go naked!" My father handed out the ultimatum.
I really didn't have a choice in the matter. I HAD to go. I was probably the second most famous member on this family and the press would be on the look out for me... and Kagome presumably.
"Fine!" I yelled and stormed out of the living room and down the old corridors to find Miroku's guest room.
In truth I would have liked to stay and battle it out for a little while longer, but my voice wasn't used to even this much strain, and I was worried that if I stayed much longer then my voice would break and I'd sound like an idiot. My dignity came before my pride in this case.
"Hey Miroku!" he pushed open his door without knocking and saw him sat before his mirror, examining his face closely. "Hey, ya vain git, I need you to help me out with something."
"Do I still look a little black around the eyes?" he turned to face me.
I looked shrewdly for a moment before pulling a frown. "Are you wearing make-up?"
"I had to!" he said defensively. "Sango dealt me a hard one back there... I still have a black eye under all this foundation."
What the hell was foundation? I stomped up behind him and looked at the cosmetics lying beside him. "Oh... mom is so not going to be happy you nicked her make-up."
"It's for a needy cause."
"I'll give you a needy cause." I left his side to go check out his wardrobe space. "I need to borrow some smart get-up."
"Tuxedo?" Miroku asked.
"Nah, smart casual." I told him. "All my smart stuff is on the bedroom floor, needs to be ironed. You won't have anything will you?"
"Sure, I have tons of smart clothes. Always good to look your best." He said this while I swore he dabbed a bit of eyeshadow on. "So what are the ladies going in?"
"They have to go very smart." I said absently as I threw his clothes out of his drawers in an effort to find something half decent. "Ballroom gowns, poor cows. I hear Sango's gone and nicked one of Kagome's dresses."
"Sango's going?" Miroku suddenly perked up. "In one of Kagome's SMALL dresses?"
I smirked. "Sure."
"Count me in then."
"Miroku..." I said as I finished clearing out his drawers for him. "Don't you have anything that's at least only mildly gay?"
"Are you trying to say something there?" he came over to take a look and I got a nice close-up of his 'foundation' covered cheekbone. "This isn't gay - this is all the stuff girls swoon for."
"Just give me some and we'll all be happy, ok?" I grabbed some random clothes and made off to my room to get changed. I didn't like operas. I'd never been to one but how interesting was it to sit in a box and hold binoculars up to your eyes to see fat ladies prancing around on stage with those Viking hats and wigs?
It had better be damn exciting for the amount we were paying to get in...
~Kagome~
The press was waiting outside the opera house when we arrived in our stretch limousines. A red curtain had been rolled up to the entrance from the pavement and rails had been put in place to hold the crowd back. And what a crowd...
I almost fainted when I stepped out of the vehicle to be met by a dazzling storm of flashes all around me. I could barely see the red carpet anymore as all I could see were bright sun spots dancing in my vision. I would have been lost if Sango hadn't grasped my elbow gently but firmly and guided me in my mother and father's wake.
As we passed the reporters with camera crews and microphones blurted things over the din around us. I caught some of the things directed at me.
"Kagome, have you seen Inuyasha recently?"
"Is it true you're having a secret affair?"
"Are the rumours true?"
"Does Inuyasha like it on top or beneath?"
"Doggy style?!"
And some of the things they said were worse. I just had to duck my head to hide my blush and pick up the pace a little to get inside all the faster. Sango was an appreciated force to lean on... I don't know what I'd do without her.
Inside the foyer, everything was so much calmer. It was free of paparazzi creeps and flashing lights. It was quite nice and traditional actually... like an old western style palace. Guests other than the three political families were there to see the opera as well. But the Supei's were the ones going around greeting people individually and welcoming them.
As soon as we Higurashi's stepped into the entrance hall, we were greeted by Mr Supei.
"Ah - here you all are, the whole family together again." He beamed at us happily as he approached. "Mr Higurashi, your wife puts every other woman here to shame. And little Kagome - have you shot up while I turned my back."
I pointed cluelessly at my shoes. "Heels." I said as if that explained it all. My father gave me another nudge that had me stumbling.
"Well I like your dress, Kagome." He said, like he was talking to a small child. "You outshine everyone here!"
"Butt muncher..." Sango coughed discreetly close to my ear. I smiled at that.
"Anyway." Mr Supei turned to a group of people who were approaching our family group as well. All dressed in smart and beautiful clothes. "I think you've already met most of my family, but I do believe you haven't met Naraku and Kikyo."
The two he motioned to stepped forward and I did a double take. Kikyo looked startlingly similar to... well... me. There were differences, but we had the same basic features in our face... the real difference was her build of body. She was slightly taller than me, longer legs and a bigger chest that all but strained against the bust of her gown. I admit that my eyes sorta slid from her face to her chest within seconds of seeing her... just waiting for that lace up corset to snap and bear all.
I wasn't jealous or anything. My bust size is perfectly average thank you very much. And I wasn't self-conscious about it or anything.
"Nice to meet you." I bowed slightly with an automatic smile.
"You to." Kikyo returned the smile in the same way and nodded her head. Naraku preferred to shake hands. He was much taller than a lot of the men around us. The perfect tall, dark, handsome stranger... that made me a little nervous instantaneously. "A pleasure." He muttered, without a smile, looking awfully bored.
"Yeah." Was all I said to his greeting, a little shy already.
They weren't Supei, Kikyo and Naraku. I'd heard of them before, from Sango no less. I knew they were employed by Mr Supei under the official guise of 'personal assistant'. Just like Sango was my father's PA and Miroku was Mr Arashi's PA. I reckoned Kikyo and Naraku were both PA's to Mr Supei... in the spying and ninja way...
Well Kikyo didn't seem that bad...
"Ah - and here's the rest!" Mr Supei moved past us suddenly to greet new arrivals. Glancing back I felt my stomach tighten... it was the Arashi family. Complete with Miroku and Inuyasha.
I hadn't seen him in a week... there hadn't been the opportunity of the time. We'd only talked on the phone so far... I felt very love sick all of a sudden at the mere sight of him.
Inuyasha's bored wandering gaze met mine, but it didn't linger for very long. He soon looked away and carried on trailing his eyes around the foyer like we didn't know each other as well as everyone assumed. He was better at this whole 'secret' affair thing. I couldn't help but stare at him.
Mr Supei did the introduction thing again with the Arashi's. I was surprised to find that Inuyasha already knew Kikyo... but he didn't know Naraku.
Jealousy bit me then. When Mr Supei moved off with his family and Kikyo stayed to strike up a conversation with both Miroku and Inuyasha. Mr Arashi and my father exchanged curt nods of heads in general greeting. But I wouldn't have been in the least surprised if one of them snapped and lunged for the other's throat.
"Kagome..."
I jerked my gaze away from Inuyasha's direction to look at Sango... who was giving me one of those superior looks. She knew what I had been looking at... which made me gulp a little. I KNEW she just had know about me and Inuyasha... and she knew I knew she knew.
I know... that sounds complicated.
Fortunately for me she wasn't going to make a big deal about it, I could depend on her for that much at least. She wouldn't go running to my father with her hand stuck in the air like a little kid desperate for a teacher's attention. But she wasn't pleased, if that sour look that followed the superior look was anything to go by.
She looked like she was about to say something to me, but just then the announcement that the opera was due to start soon arrived. Sango seemed to forget that I existed as she bubbled up with excitement... I guess she didn't get to do this kind of classy thing everyday.
We were shown to our seats personally by Mr Supei... who seemed to have purposely put us in the same box as the Arashi's. Not a smart move. But quite a funny thing to see.
The box was fairly long, and probably held the best seats in the whole dome like hall, it certainly had enough room to fit both Arashi and Higurashi families with a few seats left spare. But it still meant we had to sit together... now that was going to be a problem.
As soon as I stepped into the box I felt my father stiffen in front of me when he saw who else was entering the same box through the curtains at the other end. Arashi saw Higurashi, and both men froze at the same moment, really reluctant to take another step that would lead them closer.
"Scared of heights, Dad?" I hazarded a cheeky guess. I really shouldn't have done that, because I soon found myself being thrust before him as he marched to sit down on the front row. Mr Arashi has just done a similar thing to one of his son's... Inuyasha to be exact. It was a lame excuse to have us both sit between the two fathers, and shield them from one another.
But it meant I would have to sit next to Inuyasha...
I felt giddy and scared all at once and I kept darting him a panicked look as we drew closer to each other down the front row of seats. But suddenly... just as I was about to take a nervous seat beside him, my father seemed to realise his mistake in seating arrangements. He grabbed my arm and dragged me back without a word, shoving Sango without warning into the seat beside Inuyasha.
My boyfriend just shot both me and Sango an amused look before turning his attention elsewhere.
I almost felt disappointed as I took my seat beside Sango and next to my mother... I'd really wanted to be close to him again. But fate had been cheating me out of that recently.
Sango was trying to discreetly smother her grin as she sat between us... she kept flicking a glance to me, then to Inuyasha before shuffling down in her seat to contain her mirth. I had no idea what was so funny... but I suppose she was laughing at our lame attempts to conceal any sort of feelings for one another.
Her laughter soon died in her throat as two hands clamped onto her shoulders from the row behind us. Miroku leaned over and gave her squeeze. "Wow, Sango, you seem really tense. Do you want a massage? I give great massages."
Hang on was he wearing make-up...?
"Get off!" Sango snapped suddenly, swotting at his hands. He withdrew them without any hurry but still remained leaning over the back of her seat.
"Such a great view... a very beautiful one, don't you think?" he asked Sango.
"Yes... those red drapes really set off the gold walls..." Sango mumbled angrily.
"I wasn't talking about THAT view..." Miroku said in a sly tone, by now his gaze had slid down from the stage far below us to look at Sango's cleavage.
Sango swung around so fast they nearly collided together. "Sit down and shut up! I came to enjoy this thing and I will not let YOU ruin this for me!"
"You know-"
"I don't want to know! Shut up!" Sango pushed him back into the seat behind her. "I get enough of you at night - I don't need you during the day too!"
What she'd said seemed to amuse him even more, and after a moment or two, Sango caught on to the meaning as well and blushed deeply. She spluttered angrily for a moment before growling. "Shut up!" and flopped back down in her seat with a huff.
Me and Inuyasha exchanged a short glance across the steaming girl. He winked at me before turning away and my stomach fluttered. I turned away quickly when my mother touched my arm to get my attention and point to the assembling orchestra below.
After a while the excited atmosphere was ruined once more as the front row seats began to jump to a slow steady beat. Someone was kicking the chairs from behind... and according to the not-so-innocent whistling from behind Sango, I figured it had to be Miroku.
Sango couldn't take it anymore. She stood with a flourish and a glare at Miroku. "That's it! I'm moving!"
And with that she flounced off to find somewhere else to sit. The seats stopped thumping as Miroku quickly toddled after her. Poor girl...
But this meant there was no a vacated seat where Sango had been... and no one was blocking my path to Inuyasha now. We both glanced at each other at the same time, cautious that people might be watching us without or knowledge. Bit considering everyone around us was busy, we were safe to talk.
"Hello stranger." Inuyasha's hand sneaked across the empty seat in a very daring move to take my own hand in his.
I squeezed back with a smile as I looked elsewhere, but spoke to him only. "Haven't seen you since the cinema."
"How long ago was that?" he asked, also averting his eyes so a casual onlooker wouldn't think we were talking to each other.
"A week." I answered.
"Seems like forever." He groaned, releasing my hand to clasp the arm rests. "I've been tied down with lame shifts at work... sorry..."
"Not your fault." I shrugged easily. "It's not like I've not been a busy bee. Dad keeps setting me little errands now and then... they've been keeping me away too."
"Same here."
There was a long pause before he glanced over at me suddenly. "What happened to your arm?"
"Huh?" I darted a startled look at him before self-consciously rubbing my arm. The sleeve was long... but it was slightly see through. "Oh... I, uh, caught it on some wire in the library."
Inuyasha regarded me quietly for a moment with a strange expression. It went over my head as to what he might find odd about that excuse. "Is it ok?" he asked finally.
"It was shallow, not too bad." I told him with a grin. "Can't stop itching it now."
"Mm." He nodded in understanding, but he was frowning. He frowned when he heard things he didn't like. Either he didn't like my excuse, or he didn't like the fact that I'd been injured.
I wasn't sure what his problem was...
But before I could ask, someone dropped into the seat between us, and instead of Inuyasha's face, all I saw was the back of Kikyo's head.
"This seat taken?" she asked Inuyasha who shook his head. He probably didn't think Sango would be back... but... now we couldn't talk.
"This is so exciting, isn't it?" Kikyo whispered in a hushed tone to Inuyasha. "I've never been to an opera before."
"They say you'll walk in and hate or love it forever." He replied. That made me blink. Since when was Inuyasha culturally broad minded?
"I think I'll love it." Kikyo replied in an earnest tone. "What about you?"
"Dunno yet. I'll have to wait and see."
This continued for an unbelievable ten minutes. Even though I knew Kikyo was not intentionally snubbing me out of the conversation, I felt rather neglected all of a sudden. Like I was at a party feeling that no one would really miss me if I was gone...
Inuyasha was supposed to be my boyfriend and he was chatting away with Kikyo like they were best buddies. Maybe they were. But the way she kept laughing in that breathy flirtatious way got to me... and the way she kept nonchalantly touching his arm got to me...
The orchestra was taking a heck of a long time to get themselves arranged... and they hadn't even started warming up yet.
With Kikyo laughing on my right and my mother nattering to my father on my left, I felt like I was on the ghetto outskirts between two cities - or in this case, two families. I drummed my fingers angrily against my arm rests, the wonder of opera leaving me before I'd even seen the show.
Kikyo suddenly burst out laughing at something rather amusing told by Inuyasha and I decided I'd had enough, just like Sango. I stood abruptly and started making my way down the row. As I passed my father he kicked his leg out, breaking my path - or just trying to trip me up. "Where are you going?"
"Bathroom." I said shortly, stepping over his barrier of legs and stomping out of the box.
It took me a further five minutes to actually find the blasted ladies room - and inside, I found that it was quite nice. I'd actually be willing to sleep in here as a bedroom... why not? It was big and clean enough... a bit bright maybe...?
I moved over to the mirrors and winced at my appearance. I seemed a little pale right then, but still pretty, I thought. Maybe not as attractive as Kikyo... but not ugly...
My thoughts made me slouch slightly with fatigue. Maybe Inuyasha had lost interest in our relationship now. Maybe he was just making excuses not to see me. Maybe he was really after Kikyo - he seemed to know her well enough. Maybe... maybe he didn't love me like I loved him...
I knew I'd been too fast to reach the conclusion of love so soon... of course he didn't love me...
A soft groan escaped my throat as I crouched down and rested my forehead against the lip of the sink basin, my hands gripping the edge loosely. I was such a pathetic looser... freaking out so much over a relationship that wasn't so serious.
But how easily had he forgotten my existence back there.
Maybe - maybe I'd run away in a fit of tears crying - 'why oh why doesn't he love me anymore' and then maybe I'd get hit by a truck and smeared like paste over the road - no! I would beautifully collapse onto the road in my best dress and make-up and give my last gasped out words to a stranger 'Inuyasha!!'. The papers would run my beautiful picture all over the front pages and blame Inuyasha for causing my untimely death - it would be national news - wait - INTERnational news! And Inuyasha would cry at my funeral, kicking and punching himself repeatedly for ever ignoring me - blaming himself for my death. And at some point Kikyo would have to fall into a grave and accidentally be taken for a dead corpse and get buried alive.
I needed aspirin...
Somewhere beyond he bathroom I heard the orchestra begin to warm up... the sound travelled out even this far? That was quite unusual...
Maybe I would stay here for the rest of the opera? Would anyone miss me? Not likely...
I must have been so absorbed in my thoughts and fantasies that I didn't hear the door open. I did, however, feel the rough hands that suddenly clamped over my mouth and eyes to drag me up suddenly. I couldn't see, I couldn't scream... I just had to struggle, but I was no match for this person's strength...
AN: Next chapter - ' Until the fat lady sings'
I wish I could speak German... (randomness on my part here)
Rules of Acquisition
Another Family Outing...
~Kagome~
It was supposed to be a nice little outing for the family. And it started out well... but an hour later, I felt like I was living one horrific nightmare. I should have caught a clue when it was the Supei's who invited us along to the opera house. Supei... hm... did you know that their name meant spy?
Should have gotten a clue years ago from their name...
"You do realise what this means don't you?" Sango asked from my wardrobe as she rifled through the contents to find a dress to her liking.
"Huh?" I wasn't really paying attention - the big sliced up cut along my arm was only just beginning to scab over... yes, I admit that I was picking at it. So absorbed in doing this I didn't really take notice of what Sango was doing.
"The Supei's are inviting us along to an opera..." Sango took out a black dress and held it against her as she looked at herself critically in the mirror. "Why do you think that would be?"
"Um..." I glanced up at her and shrugged. "To show off how much money they have a suppose..."
Sango sighed at my newbie attitude before deciding she didn't like the black dress and threw it back inside the walk in wardrobe. She proceeded to search for something else. "Kagome, with all reason, the Supei's are nice people, but these get-togethers that they keep hosting have ulterior motives as well you know."
"I knew it!" I quickly snapped my fingers. "They're really trying to sabotage our chances of winning the election! I knew they were too nice to be real humans..."
"Nope." Sango shook her head. "They hold these get-togethers for us and the Arashi's to attend. It makes them look like the peacekeepers. The people who have somehow managed to bridge a small relationship between the political feudal families of the decade. It makes us look like petty brats while the Supei's look like sensible mature adults. They'll win the election at this rate..."
"I guess." I pulled a face as I scratched my arm.
"Don't pick at it - it'll scar!" Sango snapped as she caught sight of what I was doing. I dropped my hand automatically and proceeded to scratch my knee to occupy my fidgety fingers. "How did you get that injury anyway?"
"Miroku..." I sighed. "I think after you beat him senseless he bumped into me in that office. He must have been really out of it because it didn't take much to put him out."
"He's a little weakling anyway." Sango said shortly, obviously still mad that Miroku had tried to grope her whilst they'd been fighting. I wondered why he hadn't groped me in the same fashion though...? Maybe I was too non- pretty?
"Oh this is a nice one..." Sango stepped out of the wardrobe with an emerald dress clasped against her front. It was a long one with intricate little sparkly bead patterns. I swallowed my protest when I saw it... I'd wanted to wear that one...
"Suits you." I said truthfully. Well, maybe green wasn't my colour.
"Mm." Sango hummed happily and mooched over to sit on my bed. "You're turn now."
I stood up with a resigned sigh and headed into the wardrobe to pick something out.
"You know," Sango called after me as she examined the dress close-up. "Even though going to the opera will be helping the Supei's get more votes - it's still nice to dress up for a nice and get a bit of culture in our veins."
"How about we don't go - then we won't be helping the Supei's?" I suggested.
"Nah... that would do us more harm than good in the public eye." Sango shot down that idea fairly quickly. "It would make us look even more petty and insolent for turning down an invitation like this. The best thing we can do to combat this would be to host parties and stuff of our own..."
I snorted at that idea as I shoved through my more elegant dresses. "I'd like to see the day Dad willingly invites an Arashi along to a ball. Supei's maybe, but he'd never allow one of the Arashi's into this household."
"Oh yeah - your father says you mustn't talk to Inuyasha." Sango called absently. "You're not even allowed to look at him tonight."
My hands froze in their action as what she said stunned me to silence. I forced myself to continue looking through the dresses while forcing my voice to remain casual. "Why's that?"
"Well, after that ball thing with the two of you dancing, the reporters and photographers at the opera house are going to be watching the two of you like hawks." Sango smirked. "Even a casual glance caught on camera would be scandal all over again."
"Why would I glance at him anyway?" I said quickly, maybe a little too quickly.
I almost felt Sango stop examining her dress to look up at me calmly. She spoke after a few tense moments. "I'm not saying you would... but your father doesn't want to press to carry on this... false pretence."
Politics... it was doing my head in right then. Everything me and my family did had to be for show, for the public to see. We had to act a certain way... I felt like a caged animal at a circus. Poke me with a stick and watch me jump through hoops on command!
It was tiring. I'd be so glad when the election was done and over with and Dad was prime minister. No more posing for cameras anymore with our place in the government secured.
I dully picked out a dress at random, noting the colour was red. I smiled slightly... Inuyasha's favourite colour was red... Maybe I shouldn't wear it, it might draw his attention like a bull to a matador...
But then again, why the hell not? I looked good in red... and if I wore such a bold colour, Inuyasha wouldn't be the only one being blinded by me. I turned and held it against me for Sango to see. "What do you think?"
"Nice. It has long sleeves, good." She noted, eyeing my injured arm. I followed her gaze and realised her meaning.
If the press got hold of a picture with me and a shredded arm I could just imagine the headlines that would pop up the next day. 'Kagome Higurashi attempts to commit suicide - but too thick to aim for her wrist!' or 'Kagome Higurashi violently attacked by maniacal street thug - family keeping it under wraps!'.
Not that they'd actually call me Kagome. Whenever I was mentioned in the papers it would always be 'Mr Higurashi's daughter' or 'eldest child' and variations of that.
Well I didn't feel too chirpy at that moment in time, but I was sure that I would perk up later. I was only a little sulky because my father had chewed me out earlier for my failure to obtain the Shikon no Tama. Again.
I'd pointed out rather innocently that if he wanted a professional attempt to get the jewel, maybe he should push the boat out and hire another professional like Sango instead of slamming the locks down on his wallet and being cheap by getting his daughter to do it.
I'm grounded now.
But, I'm allowed out to the opera, since it wouldn't look good if I didn't turn up. I guess things were looking up already.
~Inuyasha~
"Why aren't you READY yet?!!"
My father was yelling so loud that my ears were thrumming. I dodged another one of his half-hearted swipes to cuff my ear and slipped around him to get out of his way. "I haven't got any special clothes for this kind of thing - what am I supposed to do?!" I yelled right back, moving behind one of my female cousins in an effort to use her as a shield. "It's not my fault you're too tight to splash out on clothes for your mongrel son!"
"Kiri!" My father snapped his fingers at his niece. She rolled her eyes and moved away from me, leaving me vulnerable to attack again. "You haven't got any clothes - then get some!"
"Shall I just conjure them out of thin air?!" my voice was going slightly hoarse now. Believe it or not, we'd been yelling at each other for over 84 hours, intermittently, about several different things. The main argument that had sparked off the acoustic contest had of course been my failure to bring the Shikon home. Of course that had been almost a week ago.
But Dad always liked to drag these things out and let everyone know how mad he was at me.
"Miroku!" my father suddenly yelled. "He's roughly the same size as you - you're both quite small - take some of his clothes!"
"Clothes he's worn?!" I gaped at him. "No way, old man!"
"Either that or go naked!" My father handed out the ultimatum.
I really didn't have a choice in the matter. I HAD to go. I was probably the second most famous member on this family and the press would be on the look out for me... and Kagome presumably.
"Fine!" I yelled and stormed out of the living room and down the old corridors to find Miroku's guest room.
In truth I would have liked to stay and battle it out for a little while longer, but my voice wasn't used to even this much strain, and I was worried that if I stayed much longer then my voice would break and I'd sound like an idiot. My dignity came before my pride in this case.
"Hey Miroku!" he pushed open his door without knocking and saw him sat before his mirror, examining his face closely. "Hey, ya vain git, I need you to help me out with something."
"Do I still look a little black around the eyes?" he turned to face me.
I looked shrewdly for a moment before pulling a frown. "Are you wearing make-up?"
"I had to!" he said defensively. "Sango dealt me a hard one back there... I still have a black eye under all this foundation."
What the hell was foundation? I stomped up behind him and looked at the cosmetics lying beside him. "Oh... mom is so not going to be happy you nicked her make-up."
"It's for a needy cause."
"I'll give you a needy cause." I left his side to go check out his wardrobe space. "I need to borrow some smart get-up."
"Tuxedo?" Miroku asked.
"Nah, smart casual." I told him. "All my smart stuff is on the bedroom floor, needs to be ironed. You won't have anything will you?"
"Sure, I have tons of smart clothes. Always good to look your best." He said this while I swore he dabbed a bit of eyeshadow on. "So what are the ladies going in?"
"They have to go very smart." I said absently as I threw his clothes out of his drawers in an effort to find something half decent. "Ballroom gowns, poor cows. I hear Sango's gone and nicked one of Kagome's dresses."
"Sango's going?" Miroku suddenly perked up. "In one of Kagome's SMALL dresses?"
I smirked. "Sure."
"Count me in then."
"Miroku..." I said as I finished clearing out his drawers for him. "Don't you have anything that's at least only mildly gay?"
"Are you trying to say something there?" he came over to take a look and I got a nice close-up of his 'foundation' covered cheekbone. "This isn't gay - this is all the stuff girls swoon for."
"Just give me some and we'll all be happy, ok?" I grabbed some random clothes and made off to my room to get changed. I didn't like operas. I'd never been to one but how interesting was it to sit in a box and hold binoculars up to your eyes to see fat ladies prancing around on stage with those Viking hats and wigs?
It had better be damn exciting for the amount we were paying to get in...
~Kagome~
The press was waiting outside the opera house when we arrived in our stretch limousines. A red curtain had been rolled up to the entrance from the pavement and rails had been put in place to hold the crowd back. And what a crowd...
I almost fainted when I stepped out of the vehicle to be met by a dazzling storm of flashes all around me. I could barely see the red carpet anymore as all I could see were bright sun spots dancing in my vision. I would have been lost if Sango hadn't grasped my elbow gently but firmly and guided me in my mother and father's wake.
As we passed the reporters with camera crews and microphones blurted things over the din around us. I caught some of the things directed at me.
"Kagome, have you seen Inuyasha recently?"
"Is it true you're having a secret affair?"
"Are the rumours true?"
"Does Inuyasha like it on top or beneath?"
"Doggy style?!"
And some of the things they said were worse. I just had to duck my head to hide my blush and pick up the pace a little to get inside all the faster. Sango was an appreciated force to lean on... I don't know what I'd do without her.
Inside the foyer, everything was so much calmer. It was free of paparazzi creeps and flashing lights. It was quite nice and traditional actually... like an old western style palace. Guests other than the three political families were there to see the opera as well. But the Supei's were the ones going around greeting people individually and welcoming them.
As soon as we Higurashi's stepped into the entrance hall, we were greeted by Mr Supei.
"Ah - here you all are, the whole family together again." He beamed at us happily as he approached. "Mr Higurashi, your wife puts every other woman here to shame. And little Kagome - have you shot up while I turned my back."
I pointed cluelessly at my shoes. "Heels." I said as if that explained it all. My father gave me another nudge that had me stumbling.
"Well I like your dress, Kagome." He said, like he was talking to a small child. "You outshine everyone here!"
"Butt muncher..." Sango coughed discreetly close to my ear. I smiled at that.
"Anyway." Mr Supei turned to a group of people who were approaching our family group as well. All dressed in smart and beautiful clothes. "I think you've already met most of my family, but I do believe you haven't met Naraku and Kikyo."
The two he motioned to stepped forward and I did a double take. Kikyo looked startlingly similar to... well... me. There were differences, but we had the same basic features in our face... the real difference was her build of body. She was slightly taller than me, longer legs and a bigger chest that all but strained against the bust of her gown. I admit that my eyes sorta slid from her face to her chest within seconds of seeing her... just waiting for that lace up corset to snap and bear all.
I wasn't jealous or anything. My bust size is perfectly average thank you very much. And I wasn't self-conscious about it or anything.
"Nice to meet you." I bowed slightly with an automatic smile.
"You to." Kikyo returned the smile in the same way and nodded her head. Naraku preferred to shake hands. He was much taller than a lot of the men around us. The perfect tall, dark, handsome stranger... that made me a little nervous instantaneously. "A pleasure." He muttered, without a smile, looking awfully bored.
"Yeah." Was all I said to his greeting, a little shy already.
They weren't Supei, Kikyo and Naraku. I'd heard of them before, from Sango no less. I knew they were employed by Mr Supei under the official guise of 'personal assistant'. Just like Sango was my father's PA and Miroku was Mr Arashi's PA. I reckoned Kikyo and Naraku were both PA's to Mr Supei... in the spying and ninja way...
Well Kikyo didn't seem that bad...
"Ah - and here's the rest!" Mr Supei moved past us suddenly to greet new arrivals. Glancing back I felt my stomach tighten... it was the Arashi family. Complete with Miroku and Inuyasha.
I hadn't seen him in a week... there hadn't been the opportunity of the time. We'd only talked on the phone so far... I felt very love sick all of a sudden at the mere sight of him.
Inuyasha's bored wandering gaze met mine, but it didn't linger for very long. He soon looked away and carried on trailing his eyes around the foyer like we didn't know each other as well as everyone assumed. He was better at this whole 'secret' affair thing. I couldn't help but stare at him.
Mr Supei did the introduction thing again with the Arashi's. I was surprised to find that Inuyasha already knew Kikyo... but he didn't know Naraku.
Jealousy bit me then. When Mr Supei moved off with his family and Kikyo stayed to strike up a conversation with both Miroku and Inuyasha. Mr Arashi and my father exchanged curt nods of heads in general greeting. But I wouldn't have been in the least surprised if one of them snapped and lunged for the other's throat.
"Kagome..."
I jerked my gaze away from Inuyasha's direction to look at Sango... who was giving me one of those superior looks. She knew what I had been looking at... which made me gulp a little. I KNEW she just had know about me and Inuyasha... and she knew I knew she knew.
I know... that sounds complicated.
Fortunately for me she wasn't going to make a big deal about it, I could depend on her for that much at least. She wouldn't go running to my father with her hand stuck in the air like a little kid desperate for a teacher's attention. But she wasn't pleased, if that sour look that followed the superior look was anything to go by.
She looked like she was about to say something to me, but just then the announcement that the opera was due to start soon arrived. Sango seemed to forget that I existed as she bubbled up with excitement... I guess she didn't get to do this kind of classy thing everyday.
We were shown to our seats personally by Mr Supei... who seemed to have purposely put us in the same box as the Arashi's. Not a smart move. But quite a funny thing to see.
The box was fairly long, and probably held the best seats in the whole dome like hall, it certainly had enough room to fit both Arashi and Higurashi families with a few seats left spare. But it still meant we had to sit together... now that was going to be a problem.
As soon as I stepped into the box I felt my father stiffen in front of me when he saw who else was entering the same box through the curtains at the other end. Arashi saw Higurashi, and both men froze at the same moment, really reluctant to take another step that would lead them closer.
"Scared of heights, Dad?" I hazarded a cheeky guess. I really shouldn't have done that, because I soon found myself being thrust before him as he marched to sit down on the front row. Mr Arashi has just done a similar thing to one of his son's... Inuyasha to be exact. It was a lame excuse to have us both sit between the two fathers, and shield them from one another.
But it meant I would have to sit next to Inuyasha...
I felt giddy and scared all at once and I kept darting him a panicked look as we drew closer to each other down the front row of seats. But suddenly... just as I was about to take a nervous seat beside him, my father seemed to realise his mistake in seating arrangements. He grabbed my arm and dragged me back without a word, shoving Sango without warning into the seat beside Inuyasha.
My boyfriend just shot both me and Sango an amused look before turning his attention elsewhere.
I almost felt disappointed as I took my seat beside Sango and next to my mother... I'd really wanted to be close to him again. But fate had been cheating me out of that recently.
Sango was trying to discreetly smother her grin as she sat between us... she kept flicking a glance to me, then to Inuyasha before shuffling down in her seat to contain her mirth. I had no idea what was so funny... but I suppose she was laughing at our lame attempts to conceal any sort of feelings for one another.
Her laughter soon died in her throat as two hands clamped onto her shoulders from the row behind us. Miroku leaned over and gave her squeeze. "Wow, Sango, you seem really tense. Do you want a massage? I give great massages."
Hang on was he wearing make-up...?
"Get off!" Sango snapped suddenly, swotting at his hands. He withdrew them without any hurry but still remained leaning over the back of her seat.
"Such a great view... a very beautiful one, don't you think?" he asked Sango.
"Yes... those red drapes really set off the gold walls..." Sango mumbled angrily.
"I wasn't talking about THAT view..." Miroku said in a sly tone, by now his gaze had slid down from the stage far below us to look at Sango's cleavage.
Sango swung around so fast they nearly collided together. "Sit down and shut up! I came to enjoy this thing and I will not let YOU ruin this for me!"
"You know-"
"I don't want to know! Shut up!" Sango pushed him back into the seat behind her. "I get enough of you at night - I don't need you during the day too!"
What she'd said seemed to amuse him even more, and after a moment or two, Sango caught on to the meaning as well and blushed deeply. She spluttered angrily for a moment before growling. "Shut up!" and flopped back down in her seat with a huff.
Me and Inuyasha exchanged a short glance across the steaming girl. He winked at me before turning away and my stomach fluttered. I turned away quickly when my mother touched my arm to get my attention and point to the assembling orchestra below.
After a while the excited atmosphere was ruined once more as the front row seats began to jump to a slow steady beat. Someone was kicking the chairs from behind... and according to the not-so-innocent whistling from behind Sango, I figured it had to be Miroku.
Sango couldn't take it anymore. She stood with a flourish and a glare at Miroku. "That's it! I'm moving!"
And with that she flounced off to find somewhere else to sit. The seats stopped thumping as Miroku quickly toddled after her. Poor girl...
But this meant there was no a vacated seat where Sango had been... and no one was blocking my path to Inuyasha now. We both glanced at each other at the same time, cautious that people might be watching us without or knowledge. Bit considering everyone around us was busy, we were safe to talk.
"Hello stranger." Inuyasha's hand sneaked across the empty seat in a very daring move to take my own hand in his.
I squeezed back with a smile as I looked elsewhere, but spoke to him only. "Haven't seen you since the cinema."
"How long ago was that?" he asked, also averting his eyes so a casual onlooker wouldn't think we were talking to each other.
"A week." I answered.
"Seems like forever." He groaned, releasing my hand to clasp the arm rests. "I've been tied down with lame shifts at work... sorry..."
"Not your fault." I shrugged easily. "It's not like I've not been a busy bee. Dad keeps setting me little errands now and then... they've been keeping me away too."
"Same here."
There was a long pause before he glanced over at me suddenly. "What happened to your arm?"
"Huh?" I darted a startled look at him before self-consciously rubbing my arm. The sleeve was long... but it was slightly see through. "Oh... I, uh, caught it on some wire in the library."
Inuyasha regarded me quietly for a moment with a strange expression. It went over my head as to what he might find odd about that excuse. "Is it ok?" he asked finally.
"It was shallow, not too bad." I told him with a grin. "Can't stop itching it now."
"Mm." He nodded in understanding, but he was frowning. He frowned when he heard things he didn't like. Either he didn't like my excuse, or he didn't like the fact that I'd been injured.
I wasn't sure what his problem was...
But before I could ask, someone dropped into the seat between us, and instead of Inuyasha's face, all I saw was the back of Kikyo's head.
"This seat taken?" she asked Inuyasha who shook his head. He probably didn't think Sango would be back... but... now we couldn't talk.
"This is so exciting, isn't it?" Kikyo whispered in a hushed tone to Inuyasha. "I've never been to an opera before."
"They say you'll walk in and hate or love it forever." He replied. That made me blink. Since when was Inuyasha culturally broad minded?
"I think I'll love it." Kikyo replied in an earnest tone. "What about you?"
"Dunno yet. I'll have to wait and see."
This continued for an unbelievable ten minutes. Even though I knew Kikyo was not intentionally snubbing me out of the conversation, I felt rather neglected all of a sudden. Like I was at a party feeling that no one would really miss me if I was gone...
Inuyasha was supposed to be my boyfriend and he was chatting away with Kikyo like they were best buddies. Maybe they were. But the way she kept laughing in that breathy flirtatious way got to me... and the way she kept nonchalantly touching his arm got to me...
The orchestra was taking a heck of a long time to get themselves arranged... and they hadn't even started warming up yet.
With Kikyo laughing on my right and my mother nattering to my father on my left, I felt like I was on the ghetto outskirts between two cities - or in this case, two families. I drummed my fingers angrily against my arm rests, the wonder of opera leaving me before I'd even seen the show.
Kikyo suddenly burst out laughing at something rather amusing told by Inuyasha and I decided I'd had enough, just like Sango. I stood abruptly and started making my way down the row. As I passed my father he kicked his leg out, breaking my path - or just trying to trip me up. "Where are you going?"
"Bathroom." I said shortly, stepping over his barrier of legs and stomping out of the box.
It took me a further five minutes to actually find the blasted ladies room - and inside, I found that it was quite nice. I'd actually be willing to sleep in here as a bedroom... why not? It was big and clean enough... a bit bright maybe...?
I moved over to the mirrors and winced at my appearance. I seemed a little pale right then, but still pretty, I thought. Maybe not as attractive as Kikyo... but not ugly...
My thoughts made me slouch slightly with fatigue. Maybe Inuyasha had lost interest in our relationship now. Maybe he was just making excuses not to see me. Maybe he was really after Kikyo - he seemed to know her well enough. Maybe... maybe he didn't love me like I loved him...
I knew I'd been too fast to reach the conclusion of love so soon... of course he didn't love me...
A soft groan escaped my throat as I crouched down and rested my forehead against the lip of the sink basin, my hands gripping the edge loosely. I was such a pathetic looser... freaking out so much over a relationship that wasn't so serious.
But how easily had he forgotten my existence back there.
Maybe - maybe I'd run away in a fit of tears crying - 'why oh why doesn't he love me anymore' and then maybe I'd get hit by a truck and smeared like paste over the road - no! I would beautifully collapse onto the road in my best dress and make-up and give my last gasped out words to a stranger 'Inuyasha!!'. The papers would run my beautiful picture all over the front pages and blame Inuyasha for causing my untimely death - it would be national news - wait - INTERnational news! And Inuyasha would cry at my funeral, kicking and punching himself repeatedly for ever ignoring me - blaming himself for my death. And at some point Kikyo would have to fall into a grave and accidentally be taken for a dead corpse and get buried alive.
I needed aspirin...
Somewhere beyond he bathroom I heard the orchestra begin to warm up... the sound travelled out even this far? That was quite unusual...
Maybe I would stay here for the rest of the opera? Would anyone miss me? Not likely...
I must have been so absorbed in my thoughts and fantasies that I didn't hear the door open. I did, however, feel the rough hands that suddenly clamped over my mouth and eyes to drag me up suddenly. I couldn't see, I couldn't scream... I just had to struggle, but I was no match for this person's strength...
AN: Next chapter - ' Until the fat lady sings'
