Hello peoples!^_^
Is it just me, or am I having too much fun writing review responses?
Okay, sorry to make this bold, but most people don't read the author's notes.^_~ FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS E-MAIL UPDATE NOTICES OR HAS THEM AND WANTS TO KEEP THEM: Okay, so I've been wondering if some of the people I'm sending messages to even want me to anymore.^_^; Some people asked when they were reading my older story and I'm not sure if they read this one, so I've decided to clean up the slate a little. If anyone wants me to send them an e-mail when I update, either tell me here or feel free to e-mail me. I'll write a response here or send an e-mail back as conformation, depending on which you send me.^_^ So, if anyone has one and wants to keep it, tell me so that I don't accidentally delete your addy from the folder.^_~ Thank you!^_^
Okay, so on a personal topic, the babysitting should be done, though Karen still owes me some money, and I should have more time to write. Yay! But seriously, though they weren't checked over as much, I hope that you guys enjoyed the small break of humor that has been thrown in recently, because now it gets a little angsty again. Fluff to come though, so no worries!^_^
As for where the story is going, I can't believe that we're almost to the next color section! This is so awesome! As I told Pruningshears, the next set of things down the line should be something like this: relaxed/funny, a bit angsty, fluffy/romantic/sweet goodness (switch to friends instead of semi-enemies), a little angsty, MAGOR plot point/hint, and then my favorite huge space of funny/fluffy/Shippou goodness for a while. I can't believe that we're so close!!! Of course, this is still no where near then end, and I wouldn't hope for the whole plot to come out just yet if you don't like angst, but for now, minus a chapter or two, it should be some good times.^_^
Just one question though... do people really think that this is too angsty? ~_~;
ladykaa28- Aww, it was so sweet of you to respond to the end of Memories of the Present! I'm glad that you liked the fic and that you're planning on reading this fic as well, but still, I can't help but wonder if you'll ever see this response.^_^; *giggles* I put it at the top hoping you will, but I suppose we'll have to see, ne? Thanks so much for the kind review, and hope to see you soon!
Goku's Daughter- And bug me all you like. ^_~ *giggles* We are soon switching from the green phase, into the blue phase of fluff and funny/romantic/plot hint goodness. Awww, t'will be fun.^_^ But, for now I have to go baby-sit a 6-year old... which probably won't be fun. ^_^; Sorry! *hugs* And Thank you! You know I luv ya.^_~
Vampire-Elf- Awww, that's so sweet!^_^ You guys are all so loyal; I love you guys!!! *hugs*
lunemangelus- Hey, I don't think I've ever thought of that before. The web of deceit... er, plot I suppose, being a spider web whereas Onigumo is a spider. That's actually pretty spiffy. Maybe I should use that sometime... if I have permission of course.^_~ ... pretty please? Can I have permission?^-^ Pleaasseee??? *giggles*
Reina1- Lol xc camp? Sorry, but what's that?^_^; Hehe, yes, the bet was never specifically said... except in a response I did once me thinks... hmmm... anyway! Basically the bet was that when she says "sit" he has to sit, just like a dog, on his haunches, and can't get up until she says so. He also has to say "woof". *snickers* And of course, this is all no matter what position he is currently in, as shown by the arrows in chapter 5. That was almost cruel of her, getting his hopes up like that and then springing that bet on him, but at least it's funny.^-^ Well, if you can't wait for Kag/Inu stuff, I'm assuming you mean the next chapter because every chapter is that.^-~ *laughs* No, but seriously, we're almost into the next color section, so you'll soon be getting both more plot and a lot more fluff. Fluff! Yay! *does a jig* --- *is a hopeless romantic*
Pruningshears- Actually, I hadn't intended to put that bit of angst in there at the end. It was just supposed to be him watching them and noticing how motherly Kag was being, but that ended up being too short and I somehow got a little angst in there, but just at the end. The rest wasn't angsty, or I don't think it was anyway. 0.o; Lets see, the order of things, according to my notes, starting at this chapter is funny, a bit angsty, fluffy/romantic/sweet goodness (switch to friends instead of semi-enemies), a little angsty, MAGOR plot point/hint, and then my favorite huge space of funny/fluffy/Shippou goodness for a while. I hope that's not too bad.^_~ Besides, you have to have a little bad for it to get better, ne? And thanks sooo much for the good author comments. You're really too kind, but you know I love them.^_~ *giggles*
S@n-ch@n- Lol Yeah, I used to think the Sess/Kag fics were really weird to, but once you get used to them, they're not that bad.^_^ My only beef with them is that a lot of them make Inu out to be a TOTAL asshole, even more so than a lot of extreme Kag/Inu fics sometimes do. Not all, but a lot. I mean, I suppose that was needed, but I hate that.~_~; Yeah, I had never realized how alike they were until that one Jinenji episode in the hundreds. It was like an epiphany, you know?^_^; Hmm... college books? It sounds like my old high school. Well, never fear, in about a year I'm going to be doing the same.^_^; *giggles* About the schedule, yeah, my high school schedule was 7am to 2:40pm, not as bad as yours, but I definitely understand.^_~; Lol I'm honored that with all that you're still willing to read this.^_~ *hugs comfortingly* And hey, we all need to vent sometimes right?^-^
LyraLi (aka Laura Li)- *giggles* "aka"s are fun.^-^ Sorry, hyper, anyway! Yeah, the recap (almost typed "recrap" 0.o;) is a new feature as of this story. I got really tired of reading the end of the last chapter in various stories to figure out what was going on when people hadn't updated in a while, so I thought that this way it'd be a little easier.^_^ So, you're one of the unfortunate "there's two people with the same user name" people? I wonder why they let that happen in the first place. *shrugs* Well, as long as you aren't terribly troubled by it right?^_^ Okay, off to bed. It's late and I might die if I don't get sleep.0.o; Gha! *giggles* Night and sweet dreams! Wait... it might not be night when you read this... hmm... then sweet dreams for when you do eventually go to bed. Yay! Night!
Random (aka Heirofarwen)- Thank you, thank you. *bows* Wow, that's a long name, which is really odd me saying that considering that it's only *checks* one character longer than mine.0.o; *giggles* No wonder you're too lazy to log in.^_~ I tease. Anyway, wow, it's late... need sleep...Heh, but I agree with the stereotype comments. Sometimes it's nice to have the overly macho one, but only if they progress well, and that doesn't seem to happen too often, right? Ahh well, it's all good.^_^ Oh, and let me officially say, no problem. Now, to explain that: *giggles* No, you shouldn't be thanking me for responding silly! I love responding, especially with enthusiastic peoples. And yes, I meant peoples.^_~ In fact, I should be thanking you for putting up with my ranting and random, or not so random, smiley faces everywhere.^_^ See, like that one. Mm... generic smiley face...But seriously, thanks sooo much. You really are sweet, and I'm so glad that you think I've got the characters down well. That is definitely good to have in a story, ne?^_~ About updating soon, though that was probably just a casual ending, I'll do what I can, but no promises.^_~ *giggles* You're fun, you know that? Oh and plot? What plot? *looks around innocently* Man, I need to lay off the caffeine when I'm tired. Safeway brand 7-up will kill you. 0-0; I'm just weird right now; sorry about that. Gha! Ranting! *runs around flailing until she hits the bed and falls asleep*
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol
Oh, and as always,
_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech
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Turning from the window, Inu Yasha dropped the shades and lay in bed, preparing himself for a fitful sleep and an empty awakening. If only that smile... could be for him...
... and chase away the darkness that plagued his heart.
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Do the Math
Chapter 20: Things Aren't Always Black and White
People often say that things aren't always black and white, but I don't think that this was what they meant.
Now, to say that this day had been normal... well, that'd be a lie, but it had been rather uneventful. In the weeks gone past, things had been pretty peaceful as far as the group goes, but school was another matter entirely. Next week would be the last winter dance, and everyone was talking about it, but Kagome had bigger things to worry about, like the huge math test she had the day before. Why in the world would they give a huge test on a day that people are supposed to be getting ready and making final adjustments? This was just more proof; teachers were evil. Of course, it helped that Kagome and Inu Yasha had a tutoring session on this day to study; actually, anything that was out of the rain seemed pretty good to her right about then, but at least this was more productive than other things she could be doing inside. Of course, busy as they would soon be, there was one more matter that needed to be taken care of first.
"You get to be evil."
"No way, I..." Inu Yasha turned towards her, uncrossing his arms as the last of her words hit him like a ton of bricks. Almost as if it were a revelation of some sort, Inu's golden eyes widened, curiosity seeping through the cracks, dripping between the layered panes of his stubbornness, to slowly fill the extra room that had now been provided. "... evil?"
"Mhhmmm..."Sure, Inu Yasha didn't like that smug, almost knowing grin on her face; it was too much like Miroku's for his liking, but... he got to be evil? Eyeing Kagome warily, Inu Yasha took the jewel case from her hand and flipped it over, analyzing the game as if it held all the answers in the world, and more importantly, any hint of whether she was lying to him to or not.
"How evil? You mean like, killing people evil?" Kagome simply smiled and nodded. Oh, he did NOT like that grin one bit. She had to be up to something; look at that mischievous glint in her eye! There had to be some scheme hatching, or why would she have brought him, of all people, a gift? Okay, sure, it wasn't so much a gift as a game she wanted him to play, but there had to be a catch; there just *had* to be! Why else would she have cared so much?! Now, if only he knew her game...
It's called Black and White. Inu growled at his subconscious. Shut up.
"Yep." Seeing his indecision, Kagome's grin widened. In Inu Yasha's eyes, she strode over to his bed, placing herself upon the crimson comforter, so content and confident, so smug; it was as if she, the "all-knowing" Kagome, were... well, all.. knowing. (He's so cute like that. ^-^) Arg!!! Why was she doing this to him, sitting there like she knew everything?! What did *she* know anyway?! Why was he thinking "know" so much?! Well, he'd show her! He'd play her game and beat it! How'd she like that!
Well, considering that she wants you to play, she probably would. Hmm... he had a point, hey! Enough with the subconscious thoughts already!
"Well... no." Inu turned away from Kagome only to turn back a moment later, slit eyes widening in curiosity once more. "I guess I..." Eye twitching under the "stress" of this monumental decision, he turned his back to her again, and huffed indignantly. Crossing his arms over his chest in a stubborn attempt to keep the callous façade he was quickly losing, he turned his head to the side opposite her and scoffed, mind finally set upon a decision. "Okay, but if I'm not evil I quit." There, that was it. He had made a decision and it was a good one; good for him. Inu was so busy pouting that he failed to notice what was happening behind him. If he had decided to turn at that instant, he would've seen what would look like Kagome spacing out, and would've probably thought that she was planning his demise more so than doing the little mental happy dance that she had indeed been doing. She just knew that he'd love the game, and if he loved the game he'd probably get into it, as all gamers, not to mention most guys (no offense to anyone I hope!^_^;), tended to. Now, the final test was drawing near; what would he choose?
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Ahh, the majestic mountains, sunken valleys, and a seemingly endless array of loyal followers, what more could a guys ask for? Such beautiful fields full of life and love, cerulean seas wafting with the breeze, allowing their waters to fertilize the wondrous white sand beaches around them; the joys of nature were truly spectacular and... oh my God...
I get to be a GOD? Oh yeah, he was loving this already.
It was time. The game was in, installation had been successful, the tutorial had been mastered and so had the frustrating camera controls. Now, all that Inu had to do to was get three gate stones and choose a creature. Watching from the background, Kagome awaited that moment with great anticipation. What would he choose? Of course, she had her theory, and what a coincidence it would be if she were right, but she really had no choice but to wait and see. Darn wait times...
Coincidence my foot. He has a 1/3 chance of picking it; if you're right, it wouldn't mean anything other than he picked it. What's the big deal? Cursing her subconscious for pointing out the fatal flaw in her plan only now, Kagome decided it best just to sit back and watch. So what if it didn't prove anything conclusively, she could still watch the game and see if she were right, which of course would be reason enough for mental gloating, or at least another happy dance. And hey, if best came to best, she could just try and ignore that little fact her subconscious so willfully kept from her, and pretend that that choice did provide some evidence after all. At the computer, leaning back in his chair far enough for Kagome so see the top of his head, Inu Yasha was having an internal dilemma of his own.
Good or evil? Squinting in concentration, he raised a hand to tap an index finger against the edge of his mouth, all the while subconsciously moving closer to the computer screen.
Okay, so, the first task at hand, he needed three gate stones right? That wasn't a problem, and he could always decide the other thing later. There were villagers dancing around the first stone, so that was easy enough to find, but the second, now, this posed more of a problem. He knew where it was, but how to get it? Should he, a. kill the girl, wreck her house, and take the stone, or b. get the sickly brother from the woods and bring him to her house to acquire the stone?
Good or evil? He could really do this any way he wanted to. Sweat began to bead on Inu's brow and he moved his face, still closer, to the screen.
Good or evil? A. would be more fun, but... Heart pounding in his ears, a drop of sweat trailed down the contour of Inu's cheek. He could've sworn that he could hear the crackling of the computer screen as he moved closer, closer, closer to the image before him, not realizing its proximity to him, and inevitably smacking his forehead against it before he had even realized what had happened. Reeling back, he stared at the bright surface for but a moment, blinking amber orbs, lost in a slight haze of confusion, before a sudden realization kicked in; Kagome was behind him, and had probably seen everything. Whipping around to make sure that Kagome hadn't been watching, the first sight to greet Inu Yasha's eyes was a pair of chocolate ones, smiling bemusedly over at him. A moment passed with the two just sitting there, watching each other, allowing Inu Yasha to gauge Kagome's reaction... that would be, if she had had one.
Okay, so she had seen it, but it didn't look like she was going to say anything about it. What was with her that day? She was acting oddly. Shrugging it off as girl problems, yet still sensing something amiss, Inu decided to go down the easiest path and proceed with plan two, turn around and pretend like nothing had happened. Ahh, twas the tried and true, fool-proof method that had kept his reputation alive for years, not that he had ever done anything embarrassing to really need it mind you, but the fact of the matter was, it always worked... right? Okay, no problem; he'd just turn around and... crap, the keyboard! Okay, okay, that didn't happen either. Returning the keyboard to its previous position, Inu faced the screen and settled himself into the padding of his chair. Putting his usual scowl back in place, Inu cracked his knuckles and lay one hand on the mouse, preparing, albeit a bit dramatically, to return to business undaunted.
Good or evil? Save the guy or kill the girl? Well, the way he saw it, he could always change sides, so, until he figured out what this game was really about, it would probably be best to be somewhat decent and save the guy; he'd get the stone either way, so what did it really matter right? Nodding smugly to himself, Inu Yasha rolled his cursor towards the woods, finally ready to begin the game, and yet completely unaware of the figure which had, at that instant, stopped outside of his door, alerted to Inu's actions merely by the light from the computer screen and the tension that seemed to have filled the otherwise empty room.
"So, Inu Yasha, this is what you call studying?" Instead of the quickly turning heads and rather frightened, startled expressions that one would expect from such an abrupt entrance, Sesshoumaru received nothing but silence, and perhaps a gust of wind to further fan the flames of his rising temper. They dared to ignore the great Sesshoumaru?! He had never seen such obstinate, unresponsive beings in all his life! Who did they think they were?! And more importantly, what would be so magnificent as to divert their attention more so than he? They seemed completely impervious to everything going on around them. Anger flared, Sesshoumaru did the only thing he could've done; he looked. Ahh, but that was the biggest mistake he had made that day. No longer would he do what he had planned, no longer would he spend time outside or do productive things; for the rest of that day he was there, within the confines of that room, with Rin as dutiful as ever, and one thing was for certain; they weren't getting out. Such was the arcane lure of all videogames... or, most anyway.
And so, Sesshoumaru walked forth, venturing into the unknown and vast wasteland that was his brother's room, stepping over the lingering tendrils of tension that tried to suck him deeper within their depths, only to stop in front of the undertow itself, the computer. And what a sight he beheld there! Sure, the graphics weren't fantastic, and there didn't really seem to be much to it, but one thing, as always, was clear; his brother was doing it all wrong.
"Fool." Finally turning his head, Inu Yasha glared at Sesshoumaru from over his shoulder.
"Keh, what do you know? You just walked in." Scoffing slightly, Sesshoumaru motioned for Rin to sit on Inu's bed with Kagome before turning back to his brother.
"I know that you are saving, what seems to be, a sick human when, judging by the fact that you can lift him, you could probably find better things to occupy your time." It was as if Sesshoumaru had scratched the mosquito bite that was Inu Yasha's ego more and more with every word spoken, thoroughly inflaming it, and ultimately causing it to swell, enlarging to the point where he thought that, not only could he do no wrong, but that no one else, not even his brother, could do better. So... how often did this happen again? As was said earlier, there weren't many, if any, odd occurrences thus far. Indignant as always, Inu stood, gesturing to the computer with one hand before folding his arms across his chest and plopping down on the crimson comforter next to Kagome. Why did she look so surprised?
"I'd like to see you do better." Sesshoumaru only smirked.
"Gladly." And thus it went on, Kagome slowly coming to enjoy Sesshoumaru's determination almost as much as she enjoyed Inu's enthusiasm, even though Inu Yasha never got to choose a creature, reducing her previous plans to ruin anyway. As it was, Sesshoumaru's first action had said a lot about his personality, of course, there was no surprise in the actions he chose, but still, it confirmed what they already knew. His first act of business had been to drop off the sickly man just before his sister's house, then to kill his sister. Next, he dropped the sister's dead body in front of the sickly man, causing him to die of shock. Once her house was destroyed, Sesshoumaru went to the next destination and, enraged at the wait he had had to bear due to the stone carving, crushed the sculptor's house once he was through with the stone. Of course, good or evil, it got the job done and in the end, he still got to choose his creature.
Ahh, but what to choose? For Kagome, there was no shock when he had decided to choose the tiger over the other choices for his creature, a cow or an ape, but Inu Yasha had almost suffocated, laughing as hard as he was. Unfortunately, Inu Yasha's attitude changed completely when he realized the obvious, or what would've been obvious had he played the game before; Sesshoumaru chose the tiger to torture it. And thus Inu began plan two once more. Throughout the rest of the first land, Sesshoumaru spent his time feeding the humans to the tiger, killing the humans in every way possible, and basically causing as much havoc upon them as he could when he saw fit. Upon realizing that he had let his brother get to him, which ultimately resulted in him having to give up the chance to do what his brother had been doing for the past twenty minutes now, Inu Yasha's mood turned rather sour and, though his grumpy state passed with time, he soon became bored just watching. To translate, that basically meant that he refused to admit that he was jealous of Sesshoumaru getting to play Kagome's game, but, no matter the reason, he needed a way out, and soon found one. Mr. Khioto, showing up at the door some time later to see how the studying was coming along, had given him the perfect opportunity to escape without suspicion, and so he gratefully hightailed it out of there, keeping the scowl on his face intact as to not draw any more attention to himself than necessary. Besides, he could always play when Sesshoumaru got bored right? It *was* his computer after all. Yet, he couldn't help but wonder... how would Sesshoumaru react to finding that his game had been deleted? A smug smile crossing his face, Inu Yasha strolled into the living room, having left the floor above, and opened one of the many books piled on the coffee table. Kagome would be joining him soon, no doubt, and then the studying would begin.
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Over time the world was sucked from the overcast morning it had once been into the darkness of twilight hours, losing that much more light from above due to the rain clouds over head. Outside the wind blew, shaking the trees and littering the ground with particles, both natural and not, as it flew by, obstructed only by the buildings and towers that prevented its flight. Bats fled from random noises and insects roamed each and every house unnoticed, feasting and using the facilities as they wished. It was a night that scary stories would've thrived heavily in, and thus it seemed perfectly suited that Inu Yasha and Kagome were still working on math. Scary huh?
A lone figure appeared through the front door of the Khioto residence, shaking his shoes over the mat to rid himself of the moisture that had accumulated on them due to the rain outside. This person had but one goal in mind, to find Higurashi Kagome, and he wasn't leaving until that goal had been achieved. Padding gently into the hallway, he came upon a light above and, as the shadows dripped away from him, running as if water from his flesh, a small boy emerged from within, shielding his eyes until they could get used to the new lighting.
It had gotten rather late over at the Higurashi household, and Mrs. Higurashi had begun to worry. Kagome had gone over to Inu Yasha's much earlier for a study session, and should've been back, but she had yet to be seen. Souta, never missing a chance to see his hero, eagerly offered to go fetch her. Sliding on a pair of boots and a coat, he made his way down the shrine steps and into the house below.
Where could she be? Souta, still clad in his bright yellow raincoat, deposited his shoes at the door, lest they squeak and reveal him, and shook the water from his hair as would an animal of almost any sort. Looking around, he saw nothing at all out of the ordinary, something that, as strange as it sounds, failed to calm his already taut nerves. Tip-toeing around the house, he checked room to room, hoping to catch a glimpse of his sister, but finding nothing of the sort, merely furniture and the occasional book or two strewn about the place unchecked. He was nervous about being in this house, mainly because no one came to the door when he had knocked, and yet he knew they were home; the lights from the top story had told him that much. Nevertheless, he didn't want them to catch him "prowling" about and be upset, especially if it were Inu Yasha who found him. The weird thing about it though, wasn't necessarily that no one had answered the door, but more that, though all of the lights and such were on, he couldn't find a single living soul, well, on the first floor at least. Walking past the kitchen, Souta stopped. Turning for but a moment, he let his ears direct him towards the sound of voices. Though he couldn't tell who's they were, where there were people there were answers; somebody had to know where Kagome was. Sneaking past the living room, Souta made a quiet break for the stairs, and soon found something that both shocked and amazed him. The sounds of screaming could be heard, but it wasn't loud, nor very believable; that meant just one thing, VIDEOGAME! Yes, a videogame, and a violent one at that, it seemed. Creeping towards the sound, he came upon Inu Yasha's bedroom, though he wasn't aware of that fact, as he had never been upstairs before, and stopped at the door frame. Peeking around the corner sheepishly, he gave up any and all attempts to go unseen as he strolled right up to the computer for a look. Though his sight was temporarily blocked as Mr. Khioto, rising from Inu's bed to have his turn at the game, switched places with Sesshoumaru, Souta sat on the bed next to his hero's brother nonetheless, and soon switched into that one mode, between vegetation and watching football on TV, that was reserved for videogames alone.
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What was that? Taking a quick glance behind her, Kagome furrowed her brows and returned to the studying at hand. All night she had been hearing weird noises, undoubtedly due to the videogame upstairs, but she could've sworn that she had heard someone open the door just a moment go. Seeing Inu Yasha watching her, Kagome simply shrugged it off and continued. She knew that the idea of someone in the house was absurd, preposterous even, but still...
They had both been working for quite some time by that point, both noticing that it was getting dark simply by judging how tired they were, not to mention how hungry they were getting. After a few more minutes, Kagome turned once again, feeling something out of place behind her, but was pulled back into reality when Inu Yasha laid a hand on the living room table and stood, towering above her.
"What's wrong with you today?" Without waiting for a reply, or the expected argument, from Kagome, Inu began again; "Come on, let's get something to eat." Lacking the energy to do much else, Kagome stood, and followed Inu out of the room and down the hall. She needed a change of scenery anyway, even if it was just the kitchen.
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Not too long after Souta's arrival, another came to the door. Whereas Souta was nervous about entering the unknown depths of this house without being invited, this person seemed to be used to it, and held no fear whatsoever. He, unlike the previous, was not on a search for Kagome; instead, his target was none other than Khioto Inu Yasha. Oh sure, Inu Yasha had a few enemies, and even fewer friends, but as he stepped into the light, Miroku couldn't help but feel somewhat special, not because of these circumstances alone, but because he *could* walk into this house, unannounced and uninvited, and not get his ass kicked. Ahh, the privileges of being, well, Miroku. Passing by the living room, not even trying to be inconspicuous, Miroku happened to look inside and noted the books and other various school supplies scattered about the table. Smirking in the perverted way that only Miroku could, he nodded quietly to himself and set his sights further down the hall.
Ahh, a late night session with Kagome-sama? Ahh, the implications of it all...Well, that would explain why no one was answering the phone. Now, let's see... if he were spending a late night with Sango, well, he'd better not think of that now, but the first stop afterwards would definitely be the kitchen. As he walked towards that very destination, a noise from above caught his attention. Drawing him ever closer, Miroku stopped at the bottom of the stairs to see if he could see what was going on up there. Well, there were definitely noises, though he couldn't tell what noises exactly. Oh, how he loved the way his mind worked. No matter what the noises were, they were probably produced by people, people being Inu Yasha and someone, as Inu Yasha always tended to be rather noisy... or just outspoken; he hadn't decided yet. However, if he was having a late night with Kagome, she was probably up there with him, which would, if seen, provide some good material for entertainment, and if not, well, at least he'd know what they were doing. Curious as ever, Miroku ascended the steps, stopping just outside of Inu's door before peeking in. What he saw, though rather disappointing, was quite a curious sight to the boy. Souta was on the computer, something that backed up his theory of Kagome being here this late at night, but why were Mr. Khioto and Sesshoumaru watching him? And who was that little girl with Sesshoumaru? Wait, why was there a *living* little girl with Sesshoumaru anyway? Oh well, he had a task to accomplish and those were things he could save for another time. Strolling over to Mr. Khioto, Miroku said a friendly hello, and when he got nothing in response, waved his hand in front of Mr. Khioto's face.
Okay, so he was completely unresponsive. Maybe someone hypnotized him. Snickering to himself, Miroku decided to dare a glance at whatever it was they were watching and immediately turned around. There was a giant hand flinging people to their deaths and an animal eating them. Ohh, looked interesting. Joining Sesshoumaru and Rin on the bed (not like that people! Eeeww..), Miroku sat and soon fell into the vegetation mode the others were in. He could always ask about Inu Yasha later right? Besides, he was in his room; Inu had to come back sometime.
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Back in the kitchen, Inu and Kagome had just finished off their snacks, some rice for her and some ramen for him. Yeah, you thought he'd give up *his* ramen to someone else? Ha! As Inu Yasha put the plates in the dishwasher, Kagome's gaze darted towards the hallway. She was SURE that she had heard something that time! Slightly creeped out, she simply stood there, listening for another noise to come by so that she could finally see what was making it, when her eyes traveled over something on the wall, reminding her of question that she had been meaning to ask Inu Yasha for the last couple of hours.
"Can we plug the phone back in?" Inu Yasha didn't even bother to look over his shoulder as he answered her.
"No." Earlier in the day, people had kept calling the house, pestering them and constantly intruding upon their study time, and, as everyone was hooked on the game upstairs, something that pissed Inu Yasha off to no extent just in itself alone, no one bothered to answer the phone. After a while, the ringing got so annoying that Inu Yasha had just gotten up, and had systematically went about the entire house unplugging every phone he could find. It wasn't like he had gone to answer them when they had been ringing either, mind you, but that was because he hadn't wanted them to be disturbed, and getting up classified as a disruption.
"But no one's going to call this late at night, and I'm going to have to call Momma eventually; it's getting late."
"Why? You live next door; you can just walk home and tell her." Yeah, walk home to tell her mother that she'd be staying at Inu Yasha's house a little longer; that sounded reasonable. Rolling her eyes, Kagome placed her hands on her hips and glared at him.
"Inu Yasha, it would only be for a minute and..." He turned and glared back.
"No." Okay, that was it; how hard was it just to plug in a cord, make a call, and then unplug it again? She couldn't *begin* to fathom why, of all things, he wouldn't allow her to make a simple phone call, especially at that time of night! Even if he were avoiding a call or something, to deprive her of contacting her, undoubtedly worried, mother was ludicrous! Why did he always have to be so unreasonable?! That's it; he brought this on himself.
"Inu Yasha?"
"What?"
"Sit."
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Okay, so it was now about eleven o'clock and Kagome *still* hadn't made that phone call to her mother. It was getting way too late and unless she had a flashlight of some sort, she wouldn't be able to find her way back to her house. This was getting out of hand; what if her mother had been trying to call her? What if she was worried? Well, Kagome supposed that her mother could always walk down to Inu Yasha's house if she were that worried, so maybe the situation wasn't as bad as she had previously thought. Still...
"Kagome!"
"Hm?" Breaking from her thoughts, Kagome woke to find Inu Yasha half-heartedly glaring at her, seemingly in annoyance than anything else.
"You still haven't written anything." Looking down at her paper, Kagome sweat dropped. Compared to his paper, hers was as blank as the snow in the arctic. With a grumpy "feh", Inu Yasha shook his head and returned to his work, leaving Kagome to hers as both lapsed into a somewhat comfortable silence.
How long had she been thinking? Why couldn't she concentrate? Well, she knew why she couldn't concentrate; it had all started when she was hearing those footsteps and... wait a minute... Listening closely, Kagome's eyes widened in a sudden realization. She hadn't heard any noises in the last couple of hours, not even noises from the game, nor people, upstairs. Now, if she had thought the footsteps had been creepy, this was downright frightening. It wasn't so bad when she knew that other people were in the house, but when there was no noise, and thus no immediate proof of people about, one would get kind of nervous right? Sure, she knew Inu Yasha would protect her, only because he had in the past mind you, but still, what if he got hurt because of it? What if someone really was in the house and they didn't know about it? It all came down to that, the not knowing. If you knew everything, you wouldn't really need to be afraid of anything would you? Well, she refused to be afraid just because she didn't know. She'd save that for when she really was in trouble. Rising, Kagome smoothed out her skirt and placed her pencil back on the table.
"I'll be right back okay?" Inu Yasha raised an eyebrow.
"Where are you going?"
"To get something I left in your room." Okay, so she was a terrible liar, but what was she going to say, 'I have to go to the bathroo...' oh crud (no pun intended). Well, what was done was done and now she'd just have to stick with it. As Kagome walked across the room and into the hallway, she could feel Inu Yasha's eyes on her back the entire time. He obviously didn't believe her, and she didn't really blame him, but at least he wasn't following her. Now, what would she bring back? Maybe she could just say that she had forgotten that she hadn't brought it at all, or maybe that... wait, what was she thinking? She was on a mission! Creeping up to the foot of stairs, Kagome took slow, controlled breaths, careful not to make even the slightest sound, lest she be detected. In, out, in, out, good, in, out, in *squeak*, all motion stopped.
Why does he have to have squeaky stairs?! Just her luck! Okay, okay, it wasn't a problem; she just had to move more carefully. That's it, that's it, one foot at a time... *CREEEAAAKKK* Ahh man! Stopping instantly, Kagome drew in a quick breath and turned her head, waiting to see if she could hear anything out of the ordinary. Whoever couldn't hear that had to be deaf, but then again, she only hoped that Inu Yasha hadn't heard that. Wouldn't it have been kind of funny if he had been standing back there watching her? NO! No, that would've been horrible! It would be sooo embarrassing! Not only would she be caught, but she probably looked like an idiot trying to sneak up the stairs that way. A feeling of dread slowly made its way into the pit of her stomach, wrapping itself around her lungs and heart, and causing them to struggle in their movements as her breathing became more labored. Okay, okay, she needed to calm down; she was just making herself nervous. He wasn't there, so what was she so worried about? He... wasn't behind her, was he? No, he wasn't behind her; he couldn't have been behind her. He *wasn't* behind her. Turning her head quickly, Kagome let loose a relieved sigh, and let her body relax slightly. There was nothing behind her after all, and thank goodness; turning like that would've been even more embarrassing than being seen tip-toeing like she had been! Anyway, it was no time to be taking breaks; Inu would expect her back soon, so she'd better hurry up with this.
Deciding it better to risk the quick squeaks as opposed to the long, drawn out ones, Kagome race up the stairs, careful to tread near the edges as she traversed the upper hallway floors to escape the same fate that had befallen her atop the steps. Stopping just outside of Inu's door, Kagome took a deep breath. The computer light was still on, meaning that either they were doing something else, had gone somewhere else, or were dead. No, they WEREN'T dead! Arg, why as she doing this to herself? Okay, that was it, time to stop being timid and rush in head... The sight that awaited Kagome behind the door stuck her to the spot.
Though the computer was still on and the game was still running, the sound had been turned off. In front of it, Miroku was sound asleep, drool leaking slowly from the corner of his mouth to bathe the unlucky, and now soggy, desk below. Inu Yasha was so going to kill him. Wait, when did *he* get there? Her gaze sweeping to the right, Kagome saw Souta curled up in Mr. Khioto's lap on the floor, the latter, she guessed, having fallen asleep first or they'd both probably be in beds somewhere. When did Souta arrive? Her mother probably sent him to go get her but...and then it clicked. She had heard Miroku and Souta walking around downstairs! It all made sense! No wonder no one was alerted, and no wonder she hadn't seen either; they'd probably passed them while they were working. Though how they could've missed them, she had no idea. Finally, gaze traveling above Mr. Khioto and Souta, lay a sight that would forever bring a smile... and blackmail options... to her heart, but she didn't blackmail people, so she'd just settle with the smile. Atop the bed sat Sesshoumaru, leaning against the wall with his legs crossed and eyes closed, and with him, a small bundle curled against his leg, snuggling happily into his "tail".
"Fluffy... pillow..." Kagome's eyes widened and filled, just barely, with tears.
CUUUTTTEEE!!!! Heart melting at the sight, Kagome couldn't help but settle a loose fist just below her eye and sigh. She'd never seen something so adorable, or thought she'd seen something so adorable, in all her life! In the shadows of the hallway, a pair of amber eyes watched her intently, a curious, yet strangely grim look surfacing from deep within the pools to coat the surface, before returning to whence it came.
Okay, come on, with something as cute and horribly sappy as the picture in front of her, how could Kagome not expect a moral to pop out of nowhere? Still, she guessed that it just went to show that one couldn't judge a book by it's cover, or should she have thought, that people weren't always black and white, but one of many shades of grey in between. (*author ducks flying vegetables*)
And with that thought in mind, Kagome headed downstairs, set upon calling her mother and asking to stay the night. Souta was here and she didn't want to carry him home, not to mention that she and Inu Yasha were still studying, so she might as well right? Readying herself for the battle that was sure to come, Kagome gingerly walked into the living room and, with her smile in place, kneeled across the table from Inu Yasha, looking him straight in the eyes.
"I'm going to call Momma for a minute to check in." And thus, the battle ensued.