CHAPTER THREE
*
"Explain to me again why I have to wear this stupid thing," Inuyasha said, pointing at the baseball cap on his head.
"It's either that or Sota's cowboy hat," Kagome said, straightening the hat. Inuyasha wasn't an inconspicuous figure at the best of times, with his flame-red clothes and long silver-white hair. And, of course, the dog ears. But putting him in modern Tokyo, in a baseball cap... well, he was more than just a curiosity. He'd be even worse in the cowboy hat.
"Now remember," Kagome said slowly, leaning against the kitchen door. "Do not take your hat off, do not hit anyone, and above all, don't talk too much about yourself. I'll explain that you're not from here and you don't speak our language well, so just sort of mumble incoherently if anyone asks you awkward questions. Got it?"
"Yeah." Inuyasha frowned and touched the cap. "How do I look?"
"Like a samurai rocker, but we won't worry about that," Kagome said.
"Whatzat mean?"
"Never mind." She threw the door open. "Now be strong. Into the lion's den!"
"Hey!" was all Inuyasha said before she pushed him into the living room.
*
The room was full of humans. Men, women, children -- old and young. Little kids scampered around underfoot, while old men and woman sat in folding chairs, nibbling on bits of food. Most of them were talking, but conversation stopped when Kagome and Inuyasha came into the room. Kagome made a timid little wave, then tried to pull her arm away from Inuyasha's. A brief shoving match ensued.
Inuyasha stayed close by Kagome's side for most of the dinner, fiercely glaring at anyone who eyed him strangely. Which meant most of the people there.
One older human man in particular was watching him; he was sort of haggard-looking, and almost as tall as Inuyasha. "Ignore Uncle Toshi," Kagome whispered.
"But he's lookin' at me," Inuyasha replied, biting back a growl.
"Look, it's not important. Just calm down." Kagome poked him in the stomach. "And remember, no hitting ANYBODY."
"No matter what?"
"Okay, you can hit if it's a matter of life or death. But I don't want anybody killed here if it's avoidable!"
"I wouldn't kill him."
"Inuyasha, just simmer down."
By the time Kagome's grandfather and great-grandmother came over, Inuyasha found himself wishing Kagome had left him in the broom closet.. The old lady actually bumped into him, before smiling warmly and asking, "Now, you're little Kagome's young man?"
Little? She was half Kagome's size. "Yeah," he said a beat too late.
Kagome's crazy grandfather gave him a sharp look, but fortunately kept his mouth shut. "What was your name again, dear?" the old lady continued.
"I didn't tell ya to start with," Inuyasha said.
Kagome elbowed him in the side. "Play nice," she whispered. Then she said quickly to the old lady, "His name is Inuyasha."
The old lady's half-blind eyes turned to Inuyasha's face. He flushed a little as she stared intently at him, even though he knew she couldn't see much about him. "What an interesting name, dear," she said. "So glad you could be here."
"Pleasure's all mine," Inuyasha mumbled.
"Don't strain yourself," Kagome said.
When Kagome's mother brought out the food, Inuyasha half-dragged Kagome into the dining room. He tried to jam his face close to Kagome's, but the bill of his cap got in the way. "This is hell," he said in a low voice. "I wanna go to your room."
"Don't let Uncle Toshi hear that."
"Why not?"
"He... well, he was kind of a ladies' man when he was young, and um... Mom says he kind of..." Kagome was openly blushing. "He thinks you're, uh, just trying to get to me. Like Miroku would."
Inuyasha looked torn between shock and outrage.
"Don't get worked up! He's just being protective," Kagome said, seizing his sleeves.
"I'll give - him - protective!" Inuyasha said, straining toward the door. It had been a rotten day, but this was the last straw.
"Sit!"
Inuyasha barely had time to yell, "Hey!" before slamming face-first into the floor.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
"Explain to me again why I have to wear this stupid thing," Inuyasha said, pointing at the baseball cap on his head.
"It's either that or Sota's cowboy hat," Kagome said, straightening the hat. Inuyasha wasn't an inconspicuous figure at the best of times, with his flame-red clothes and long silver-white hair. And, of course, the dog ears. But putting him in modern Tokyo, in a baseball cap... well, he was more than just a curiosity. He'd be even worse in the cowboy hat.
"Now remember," Kagome said slowly, leaning against the kitchen door. "Do not take your hat off, do not hit anyone, and above all, don't talk too much about yourself. I'll explain that you're not from here and you don't speak our language well, so just sort of mumble incoherently if anyone asks you awkward questions. Got it?"
"Yeah." Inuyasha frowned and touched the cap. "How do I look?"
"Like a samurai rocker, but we won't worry about that," Kagome said.
"Whatzat mean?"
"Never mind." She threw the door open. "Now be strong. Into the lion's den!"
"Hey!" was all Inuyasha said before she pushed him into the living room.
*
The room was full of humans. Men, women, children -- old and young. Little kids scampered around underfoot, while old men and woman sat in folding chairs, nibbling on bits of food. Most of them were talking, but conversation stopped when Kagome and Inuyasha came into the room. Kagome made a timid little wave, then tried to pull her arm away from Inuyasha's. A brief shoving match ensued.
Inuyasha stayed close by Kagome's side for most of the dinner, fiercely glaring at anyone who eyed him strangely. Which meant most of the people there.
One older human man in particular was watching him; he was sort of haggard-looking, and almost as tall as Inuyasha. "Ignore Uncle Toshi," Kagome whispered.
"But he's lookin' at me," Inuyasha replied, biting back a growl.
"Look, it's not important. Just calm down." Kagome poked him in the stomach. "And remember, no hitting ANYBODY."
"No matter what?"
"Okay, you can hit if it's a matter of life or death. But I don't want anybody killed here if it's avoidable!"
"I wouldn't kill him."
"Inuyasha, just simmer down."
By the time Kagome's grandfather and great-grandmother came over, Inuyasha found himself wishing Kagome had left him in the broom closet.. The old lady actually bumped into him, before smiling warmly and asking, "Now, you're little Kagome's young man?"
Little? She was half Kagome's size. "Yeah," he said a beat too late.
Kagome's crazy grandfather gave him a sharp look, but fortunately kept his mouth shut. "What was your name again, dear?" the old lady continued.
"I didn't tell ya to start with," Inuyasha said.
Kagome elbowed him in the side. "Play nice," she whispered. Then she said quickly to the old lady, "His name is Inuyasha."
The old lady's half-blind eyes turned to Inuyasha's face. He flushed a little as she stared intently at him, even though he knew she couldn't see much about him. "What an interesting name, dear," she said. "So glad you could be here."
"Pleasure's all mine," Inuyasha mumbled.
"Don't strain yourself," Kagome said.
When Kagome's mother brought out the food, Inuyasha half-dragged Kagome into the dining room. He tried to jam his face close to Kagome's, but the bill of his cap got in the way. "This is hell," he said in a low voice. "I wanna go to your room."
"Don't let Uncle Toshi hear that."
"Why not?"
"He... well, he was kind of a ladies' man when he was young, and um... Mom says he kind of..." Kagome was openly blushing. "He thinks you're, uh, just trying to get to me. Like Miroku would."
Inuyasha looked torn between shock and outrage.
"Don't get worked up! He's just being protective," Kagome said, seizing his sleeves.
"I'll give - him - protective!" Inuyasha said, straining toward the door. It had been a rotten day, but this was the last straw.
"Sit!"
Inuyasha barely had time to yell, "Hey!" before slamming face-first into the floor.
TO BE CONTINUED