Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi rawks my socks, and she should darn well rawk
yours. I don't steal from people I respect, thus Inuyasha shall remain
with the sensei.
Home for Now
"We're almost there."
The sound of Mrs. Chan's voice snapped Kagome out of her reverie, causing her to turn her head towards the woman.
Looking at Kagome by use of the rearview mirror, Mrs. Chan continued, "If you look out your window you can just see Tanrei House over the treetops."
Kagome followed these instructions, allowing her eyes to scan the area for her new home. When she first caught sight of it, she was a bit surprised she hadn't seen it sooner. It loomed over the surrounding trees, casting a heavy shadow over the land. Kagome blinked her eyes trying to shake off the feeling that this.place was a haunted castle of sorts.
'Although,' she had to admit, 'It does look pretty creepy.'
From her vantage point, Tanrei House seemed to be primarily built of dark grey stone, with the occasional addition of metal.
'Metal..' Kagome thought, 'That's weird.' Even from a distance Kagome could make out the form of bars of metal. They seemed to be covering something, though she couldn't quite figure what it was.
'Bah,' she deliberated, as Mrs. Chan turned off onto the exit that would take them to her 'home', 'I guess I'll find out soon enough.'
Closing her eyes, she leaned back into her seat, trying to take pleasure in perhaps her last few moments of peace.
=*
His head was throbbing.
Miroku was sitting cross legged on the floor, simply staring at the door to his room. He'd been in that position for thirty minutes now. His eyes were fixated on the aged wood which allowed entrance to any who wished it. It had also served as an exit way for Inuyasha, who had left a little more than a half hour before, after one of the younger children had come to say that someone was on the phone for him. The white haired boy had rushed off, obviously anxious to hear from the caller. That was, of course, because Inuyasha knew just who was calling. Miroku knew as well, though only because the other boy had confided in him months before.
"Every time that there's a new moon," Inuyasha said, "my dad gets in touch with me."
Miroku was surprised by this admission. He hadn't even thought Inuyasha's father to be alive. Apparently, his astonishment could be clearly seen on his face, for the boy sitting opposite him sighed and continued on.
"He usually calls, just to see how I'm doing and all."
"Why don't you live with him, then?" Miroku asked, slightly curious. When he saw the dejected look on his friend's face, he quickly realized his mistake. "It's not that I don't want you to be here or anything. Hell, I don't know what I'd do without you around. I was just wondering," he said, running his hand through his hair, "it's not like he's in prison or rehab, right?"
Inuyasha laughed, shaking his head in dismissal of such a stupid idea. "Nah, it's nothing like that," he replied rising from where he sat. He brought himself mere inches from where Miroku sat, and crouched down in front of him, making sure that they were eye to eye. "I'll tell you what's up with him if you promise that you won't tell anyone else."
Miroku took in the severity with which this had been said. 'He's willing to trust me,' he thought, slightly awed. He smiled, thinking just how great it was to have a friend. Raising his left hand and putting the other over his heart, he said, "I swear on my father's grave that I'll never tell a soul."
Inuyasha nodded, taking this as a good enough pledge. Lowering his voice to a conspiratorial tone, his eyes darted this way and that, as if he was trying to seek out anyone that might be hiding in the room. "My father's in the Witness Protection Program."
And now, here he sat.. alone. Staring at nothing; thinking of everything. It wasn't only thoughts of his friend that filled his mind, but also thoughts of their earlier discussion. He really hadn't been expecting Inuyasha to bring up his visit to the doctor, since it seemed so against his character. It wasn't that the odd featured boy didn't care; it was just that he was afraid to show it. Miroku had become used to believing that about his friend these last few years, and now that whole mind set had been ruined. Though, he had to admit he was kind of glad Inuyasha had asked. He needed someone to talk to now more than ever.
'Though you didn't tell him everything,' he thought to himself. Miroku sighed, rubbing the balls of his hands against his sleep sore eyes. He hated fighting when he was tired, especially fighting with himself. After he had been examined yesterday, he had come straight back to his room to go to bed. But he hadn't slept much at all; no more than a few minutes probably. The majority of the night he had spent crying, silently begging the gods to help him in his time of need. He had remembered his father, and cursed himself for repeating the same mistake his predecessor had.
When he had grown frustrated with trying to make himself fall asleep, Miroku had gotten out of bed in hopes of calming his spirit the only way he knew how: through music. Ever since he had been little and heard his father play the stringed instrument, Miroku had been enchanted with the violin. After his father's death, he had inherited it and taken it with him when he had left his home for the last time.
And so he had played in the hours of the morning, allowing the day that had past to wash over him. He heard Doctor Kanwa telling him that his condition was steadily decreasing, that he was afraid that there wasn't much hope left. Miroku saw himself denying the fact, pleading with him to find some other treatment to help him. Reluctantly, the old man had agreed, telling him that the medication was still experimental, but that it had done well in studies. His parting words had rung in his head, reverberating off the walls of his heart:
"This may give you time, Mr. Rijk, but it will not give you life. My estimate is that you have a year, if not less than that, left. Use your time wisely, son. I'll see you again in two weeks."
Miroku had refrained from telling Inuyasha this fact, mainly because he did not want to see the pity that the boy was sure to display. After all, to know that you would die before you turned eighteen was not exactly the best news.
Wiping his eyes quickly, Miroku rose to leave his room. Kaede had asked that he come to tell her the results of his doctor's appointment, and Miroku was sure she was impatient to know.
Opening the door, he looked back one final time, the tune he had been playing still hovering in the air. His father had written it a long time ago. A whim that he said needed to be fulfilled. He closed the door silently behind him as he made his way to the staircase leading to the lower levels of Tanrei House.
'After I talk to Kaede, I'll go outside for a while,' Miroku decided, as he began the descent. He gripped the railing a little harder than necessary since his head was still feeling rather light. But a mere headache would not deter him from either of his excursions. Both were too important to be brushed aside by such a trivial matter; he'd just have to suck it up and pick up some aspirin at the infirmary. Besides, with winter coming, this could be one of his last chances to go outdoors for quite some time.
=*
'There are bars over the windows?' Kagome thought, more than a little taken back. She was definitely not expecting such a jail like quality to be apparent on a group foster home. Mrs. Chan's Toyota was currently making its way up the gravel drive that led to the imposing structure, an almost medieval era cast iron gate slowly opening as they made their approach.
'This is all too surreal,' Kagome decided as she took in the spiked heads of the gateway. As they entered, she turned her head to watch the gates as they closed back up, a loud 'clang' audible as they came together. Bringing her eyes back to the front of the car, she made a quick sweep of her surroundings. This place was definitely like a castle, complete with little towers at the top of each of the four corners of the structure. The building was basically the outline of a huge square, with the interior left empty of any structure whatsoever, so that it was solely occupied by a gigantic courtyard. The drive made its way through the courtyard, and every now and then Kagome would see children playing some game or another. Other times she'd just see kids lazing about, talking with one another or reading.
'Apparently this is free time,' she guessed, simultaneously wondering why they weren't in classes. After all, it was still not that late in the day. Glancing around her a final time, she realized that there were no bars on the windows looking in.
'A safety measure then, to keep kids from escaping into the outside world?' Kagome wondered, the thought seeming queer even to her. She brushed it off as the car came to a stop at what she supposed was the entrance to the place. A set of wooden doors, that seemed too small for such a grand structure, opened to reveal an old woman. A soft smile adorned her weathered face, as she came down the stone steps leading to the grounds of the building, her flower printed dress swaying with her movements. Kagome's eyes remained transfixed on her progress even as she heard Mrs. Chan exit the car to greet the woman. She watched the two embrace and exchange pleasantries, Mrs. Chan turning once to beckon the girl still sitting in the back of the car. Hesitantly, Kagome opened the car door, looking at them over the roof of the vehicle. The smile that the old woman gave her made Kagome feel oddly comfortable, and enabled her to walk around the car towards the two. Standing before the woman, Kagome had to look down to see her face and the smile it still held. Mrs. Chan put a hand on her shoulder, a gesture that Kagome barely registered, and introduced her.
"Kaede Baisho, I would like to introduce Kagome Higurashi. She will be staying here until further notice."
Kagome offered a small smile to whom she supposed was the head of this establishment, trying to keep her attention focused on the situation at hand. She couldn't shake off the feeling as if someone was watching her though. She tried to look around her in an inconspicuous manner, not hearing the rest of the words Mrs. Chan was saying. Feeling a sudden pull of energy from directly above her, she lifted her head to look up the row upon row of windows until she stopped at the fourth and last floor. There, in the sixth window from the left corner, Kagome could have sworn she saw a glimpse of white hair. Blinking in surprise, when she looked again, nothing was there.
'This is definitely an odd day,' she thought, eyes still focused on the window above.
"Kagome? Kagome, child, do ye hear me?"
"Hm?" Kagome responded, glancing back down at the sound of Kaede's cultured voice.
"I only wished to extend a welcome to ye, Kagome," Kaede said, taking a hold of her hand. "Welcome to your new home."
=*
Inuyasha slid his back down the wall underneath the windowsill until his body made contact with the floor. His entire body felt numb, but he was almost positive that he must be shaking.
'It's not every day you see a ghost,' he thought, raising a hand to his face.
After talking to his father for a half hour on the phone, Inuyasha had felt content, pretty much because he knew his dad was doing okay. It always made him happy to hear the older man's voice and never failed to remind him of good times that seemed to have happened so long ago.
Inuyasha had left the main office downstairs in a relatively good mood and decided to go up to his normal thinking spot up on the fourth floor. He used to sit there everyday when he first came, waiting for his father or brother to come and get him-- a habit he soon overcame. That was when Inuyasha's room had been right across the hall from his window perch, which was before he realized that he did not hold one of the boy's on his floor in high regards.
After an incident involving him, Kouga and a chair, Inuyasha had been moved down to the third floor to live with the younger boys. This proved to be a good thing, because not only did Inuyasha get some privacy, but the infirmary was finally able to go for longer than a week without seeing a beaten and bruised boy. That didn't mean that Inuyasha was prohibited from being on the fourth floor though. As long as he didn't lose his temper, visiting one of his favorite spots (or his friend) was allowed.
When he had first sat down on the ledge, Inuyasha wasn't at all surprised to see a car coming in through the gates. Social workers were in and out of Tanrei House all the time, whether they were talking to their cases or introducing new foster parents, though the latter happened quite infrequently. He became interested when he saw not only an unfamiliar social worker, but a girl come out of the parked car, Kaede approaching them.
'What is up with this?' he mused, a wolfish grin crossing his features as he continued to stare at the girl. From where he sat, she seemed to be decent looking, though he really couldn't see her face. Her clothes were simple enough, black being the basic color scheme.
'Either she's trying to be gothic or she just got back from a funeral,' he deduced, the two of which were definite possibilities. Inuyasha watched as her social worker introduced the girl to Kaede, who was apparently meant to welcome her to the home. One moment he was looking at the top of her head, the next, Inuyasha was staring straight into her face. His golden eyes widened at what he saw, and he quickly hopped down off the sill.
"Kikyou.." he muttered in a daze, hand still pressed against his face. Taking in a deep breath, Inuyasha pinched his cheek, hoping that all this was just a dream. Having to deal with Miroku's illness was one thing, but to see your dead girlfriend..
Needless to say, he was disappointed when he didn't wake up from the pain.
=*
"One Way Window"
by MxPx
There's barriers in my mind
That I think about all the time
And I know there's no way to get away
From the things that people say
Well I guess that's just part of it all
My one way window where I can't hide
My one way window where I can't see the other side
Home for Now
"We're almost there."
The sound of Mrs. Chan's voice snapped Kagome out of her reverie, causing her to turn her head towards the woman.
Looking at Kagome by use of the rearview mirror, Mrs. Chan continued, "If you look out your window you can just see Tanrei House over the treetops."
Kagome followed these instructions, allowing her eyes to scan the area for her new home. When she first caught sight of it, she was a bit surprised she hadn't seen it sooner. It loomed over the surrounding trees, casting a heavy shadow over the land. Kagome blinked her eyes trying to shake off the feeling that this.place was a haunted castle of sorts.
'Although,' she had to admit, 'It does look pretty creepy.'
From her vantage point, Tanrei House seemed to be primarily built of dark grey stone, with the occasional addition of metal.
'Metal..' Kagome thought, 'That's weird.' Even from a distance Kagome could make out the form of bars of metal. They seemed to be covering something, though she couldn't quite figure what it was.
'Bah,' she deliberated, as Mrs. Chan turned off onto the exit that would take them to her 'home', 'I guess I'll find out soon enough.'
Closing her eyes, she leaned back into her seat, trying to take pleasure in perhaps her last few moments of peace.
=*
His head was throbbing.
Miroku was sitting cross legged on the floor, simply staring at the door to his room. He'd been in that position for thirty minutes now. His eyes were fixated on the aged wood which allowed entrance to any who wished it. It had also served as an exit way for Inuyasha, who had left a little more than a half hour before, after one of the younger children had come to say that someone was on the phone for him. The white haired boy had rushed off, obviously anxious to hear from the caller. That was, of course, because Inuyasha knew just who was calling. Miroku knew as well, though only because the other boy had confided in him months before.
"Every time that there's a new moon," Inuyasha said, "my dad gets in touch with me."
Miroku was surprised by this admission. He hadn't even thought Inuyasha's father to be alive. Apparently, his astonishment could be clearly seen on his face, for the boy sitting opposite him sighed and continued on.
"He usually calls, just to see how I'm doing and all."
"Why don't you live with him, then?" Miroku asked, slightly curious. When he saw the dejected look on his friend's face, he quickly realized his mistake. "It's not that I don't want you to be here or anything. Hell, I don't know what I'd do without you around. I was just wondering," he said, running his hand through his hair, "it's not like he's in prison or rehab, right?"
Inuyasha laughed, shaking his head in dismissal of such a stupid idea. "Nah, it's nothing like that," he replied rising from where he sat. He brought himself mere inches from where Miroku sat, and crouched down in front of him, making sure that they were eye to eye. "I'll tell you what's up with him if you promise that you won't tell anyone else."
Miroku took in the severity with which this had been said. 'He's willing to trust me,' he thought, slightly awed. He smiled, thinking just how great it was to have a friend. Raising his left hand and putting the other over his heart, he said, "I swear on my father's grave that I'll never tell a soul."
Inuyasha nodded, taking this as a good enough pledge. Lowering his voice to a conspiratorial tone, his eyes darted this way and that, as if he was trying to seek out anyone that might be hiding in the room. "My father's in the Witness Protection Program."
And now, here he sat.. alone. Staring at nothing; thinking of everything. It wasn't only thoughts of his friend that filled his mind, but also thoughts of their earlier discussion. He really hadn't been expecting Inuyasha to bring up his visit to the doctor, since it seemed so against his character. It wasn't that the odd featured boy didn't care; it was just that he was afraid to show it. Miroku had become used to believing that about his friend these last few years, and now that whole mind set had been ruined. Though, he had to admit he was kind of glad Inuyasha had asked. He needed someone to talk to now more than ever.
'Though you didn't tell him everything,' he thought to himself. Miroku sighed, rubbing the balls of his hands against his sleep sore eyes. He hated fighting when he was tired, especially fighting with himself. After he had been examined yesterday, he had come straight back to his room to go to bed. But he hadn't slept much at all; no more than a few minutes probably. The majority of the night he had spent crying, silently begging the gods to help him in his time of need. He had remembered his father, and cursed himself for repeating the same mistake his predecessor had.
When he had grown frustrated with trying to make himself fall asleep, Miroku had gotten out of bed in hopes of calming his spirit the only way he knew how: through music. Ever since he had been little and heard his father play the stringed instrument, Miroku had been enchanted with the violin. After his father's death, he had inherited it and taken it with him when he had left his home for the last time.
And so he had played in the hours of the morning, allowing the day that had past to wash over him. He heard Doctor Kanwa telling him that his condition was steadily decreasing, that he was afraid that there wasn't much hope left. Miroku saw himself denying the fact, pleading with him to find some other treatment to help him. Reluctantly, the old man had agreed, telling him that the medication was still experimental, but that it had done well in studies. His parting words had rung in his head, reverberating off the walls of his heart:
"This may give you time, Mr. Rijk, but it will not give you life. My estimate is that you have a year, if not less than that, left. Use your time wisely, son. I'll see you again in two weeks."
Miroku had refrained from telling Inuyasha this fact, mainly because he did not want to see the pity that the boy was sure to display. After all, to know that you would die before you turned eighteen was not exactly the best news.
Wiping his eyes quickly, Miroku rose to leave his room. Kaede had asked that he come to tell her the results of his doctor's appointment, and Miroku was sure she was impatient to know.
Opening the door, he looked back one final time, the tune he had been playing still hovering in the air. His father had written it a long time ago. A whim that he said needed to be fulfilled. He closed the door silently behind him as he made his way to the staircase leading to the lower levels of Tanrei House.
'After I talk to Kaede, I'll go outside for a while,' Miroku decided, as he began the descent. He gripped the railing a little harder than necessary since his head was still feeling rather light. But a mere headache would not deter him from either of his excursions. Both were too important to be brushed aside by such a trivial matter; he'd just have to suck it up and pick up some aspirin at the infirmary. Besides, with winter coming, this could be one of his last chances to go outdoors for quite some time.
=*
'There are bars over the windows?' Kagome thought, more than a little taken back. She was definitely not expecting such a jail like quality to be apparent on a group foster home. Mrs. Chan's Toyota was currently making its way up the gravel drive that led to the imposing structure, an almost medieval era cast iron gate slowly opening as they made their approach.
'This is all too surreal,' Kagome decided as she took in the spiked heads of the gateway. As they entered, she turned her head to watch the gates as they closed back up, a loud 'clang' audible as they came together. Bringing her eyes back to the front of the car, she made a quick sweep of her surroundings. This place was definitely like a castle, complete with little towers at the top of each of the four corners of the structure. The building was basically the outline of a huge square, with the interior left empty of any structure whatsoever, so that it was solely occupied by a gigantic courtyard. The drive made its way through the courtyard, and every now and then Kagome would see children playing some game or another. Other times she'd just see kids lazing about, talking with one another or reading.
'Apparently this is free time,' she guessed, simultaneously wondering why they weren't in classes. After all, it was still not that late in the day. Glancing around her a final time, she realized that there were no bars on the windows looking in.
'A safety measure then, to keep kids from escaping into the outside world?' Kagome wondered, the thought seeming queer even to her. She brushed it off as the car came to a stop at what she supposed was the entrance to the place. A set of wooden doors, that seemed too small for such a grand structure, opened to reveal an old woman. A soft smile adorned her weathered face, as she came down the stone steps leading to the grounds of the building, her flower printed dress swaying with her movements. Kagome's eyes remained transfixed on her progress even as she heard Mrs. Chan exit the car to greet the woman. She watched the two embrace and exchange pleasantries, Mrs. Chan turning once to beckon the girl still sitting in the back of the car. Hesitantly, Kagome opened the car door, looking at them over the roof of the vehicle. The smile that the old woman gave her made Kagome feel oddly comfortable, and enabled her to walk around the car towards the two. Standing before the woman, Kagome had to look down to see her face and the smile it still held. Mrs. Chan put a hand on her shoulder, a gesture that Kagome barely registered, and introduced her.
"Kaede Baisho, I would like to introduce Kagome Higurashi. She will be staying here until further notice."
Kagome offered a small smile to whom she supposed was the head of this establishment, trying to keep her attention focused on the situation at hand. She couldn't shake off the feeling as if someone was watching her though. She tried to look around her in an inconspicuous manner, not hearing the rest of the words Mrs. Chan was saying. Feeling a sudden pull of energy from directly above her, she lifted her head to look up the row upon row of windows until she stopped at the fourth and last floor. There, in the sixth window from the left corner, Kagome could have sworn she saw a glimpse of white hair. Blinking in surprise, when she looked again, nothing was there.
'This is definitely an odd day,' she thought, eyes still focused on the window above.
"Kagome? Kagome, child, do ye hear me?"
"Hm?" Kagome responded, glancing back down at the sound of Kaede's cultured voice.
"I only wished to extend a welcome to ye, Kagome," Kaede said, taking a hold of her hand. "Welcome to your new home."
=*
Inuyasha slid his back down the wall underneath the windowsill until his body made contact with the floor. His entire body felt numb, but he was almost positive that he must be shaking.
'It's not every day you see a ghost,' he thought, raising a hand to his face.
After talking to his father for a half hour on the phone, Inuyasha had felt content, pretty much because he knew his dad was doing okay. It always made him happy to hear the older man's voice and never failed to remind him of good times that seemed to have happened so long ago.
Inuyasha had left the main office downstairs in a relatively good mood and decided to go up to his normal thinking spot up on the fourth floor. He used to sit there everyday when he first came, waiting for his father or brother to come and get him-- a habit he soon overcame. That was when Inuyasha's room had been right across the hall from his window perch, which was before he realized that he did not hold one of the boy's on his floor in high regards.
After an incident involving him, Kouga and a chair, Inuyasha had been moved down to the third floor to live with the younger boys. This proved to be a good thing, because not only did Inuyasha get some privacy, but the infirmary was finally able to go for longer than a week without seeing a beaten and bruised boy. That didn't mean that Inuyasha was prohibited from being on the fourth floor though. As long as he didn't lose his temper, visiting one of his favorite spots (or his friend) was allowed.
When he had first sat down on the ledge, Inuyasha wasn't at all surprised to see a car coming in through the gates. Social workers were in and out of Tanrei House all the time, whether they were talking to their cases or introducing new foster parents, though the latter happened quite infrequently. He became interested when he saw not only an unfamiliar social worker, but a girl come out of the parked car, Kaede approaching them.
'What is up with this?' he mused, a wolfish grin crossing his features as he continued to stare at the girl. From where he sat, she seemed to be decent looking, though he really couldn't see her face. Her clothes were simple enough, black being the basic color scheme.
'Either she's trying to be gothic or she just got back from a funeral,' he deduced, the two of which were definite possibilities. Inuyasha watched as her social worker introduced the girl to Kaede, who was apparently meant to welcome her to the home. One moment he was looking at the top of her head, the next, Inuyasha was staring straight into her face. His golden eyes widened at what he saw, and he quickly hopped down off the sill.
"Kikyou.." he muttered in a daze, hand still pressed against his face. Taking in a deep breath, Inuyasha pinched his cheek, hoping that all this was just a dream. Having to deal with Miroku's illness was one thing, but to see your dead girlfriend..
Needless to say, he was disappointed when he didn't wake up from the pain.
=*
"One Way Window"
by MxPx
There's barriers in my mind
That I think about all the time
And I know there's no way to get away
From the things that people say
Well I guess that's just part of it all
My one way window where I can't hide
My one way window where I can't see the other side