Well, I'm back. Sorry to have to tell you this, but I have four core classes at once and my teachers love the sounds of their own voices. Having about six hours of homework every night, not only am I burning out because of the stress load but I'm also completely unable to update regularly. When I do get done with my homework, harp, and all of the other crap that my life consists of, I have enough energy to boot up my computer and read. Yes, I have several new favorite stories. If no one likes this story then I'm going to bump it down the priority list, so speak out. Loudly.
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Chapter Four: Female 3? How old ARE you?
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Kagome took a deep breath, casting a wary glance back at the reporters that had followed her. She had woken up to find a camera in her face, a disembodied voice very meticulously describing her every move. After locating the reporter and beating her face in with an English book, Kagome had felt decidedly better.
She had leisurely eaten her mother's pancakes, not getting dressed until about noon. Her entire bedroom packed into an enormous yellow backpack, she decided to take a shower and head over to the pocky factory.
Currently standing in the expansive neglected courtyard of the pocky factory, she was filled with a sense of foreboding. She hesitated, once again looking back at the news reporters. From within the crowd, her family was cheering her on. Kagome smiled at them and turned towards her destiny with a renewed sense of hope.
The door opened on its own.
Now, if that wasn't one of the cheesiest occurrences, she didn't know what was. Kagome had seen enough horror movies to laugh as the door creaked open, revealing a dark and mysterious room beyond. She gave her backpack another heft and walked through the door.
It slammed shut behind her and lights came on, momentarily blinding her.
"WELCOME TO THE FACTORY, KAGOME!" a multitude of voices chorused.
Kagome blinked rapidly to clear the spots from her vision and made out five faces, three that were grinning brightly and two that were scowling at her as if she were a great evil.
"Hello Kagome-san, I'm Sango! I'm your roommate for right now, you're going to have so much fun!" a cheery-eyed brown-haired girl announced, walking forward and shaking Kagome's...arm.
"Um, Sango dearest? Wouldn't it be...helpful to offer to take her things?" a male asked from behind the girl, who suddenly squeaked and straightened up. Without missing a heartbeat, she turned around and smacked him upside the head.
"MIROKU! She's not even in the door yet! Don't start!"
"Ever," one of the scowlers growled. He had silver hair and...puppy ears?! Kagome did a double take, blinking rapidly. No, they weren't her imagination, and they seemed to be attached. Without a second thought she crossed the room, reached up, and gave one of the fuzzy triangles a sharp tug.
"OW! Bitch! What was that for?!" he exclaimed, hands flying to cover his ears.
"...they're...real..." Kagome trailed off, transfixed.
"That's Inuyasha Akurei, the current owner of the factory. He's our God," a young boy said, appearing near Kagome's knee.
"Current owner?" Kagome repeated.
"Keh." Inuyasha snorted. "The ONLY owner. Sango, show her where to put her stuff. We have to explain to the girls why they're here,"
"Hai, Master Inuyasha." Sango said sarcastically, grabbing Kagome's yellow bag and waddling off with more than a little difficulty.
Kagome's eyes were temporarily glued to the second girl. "You...um...must be Kikyo?"
"Why would you want to know, little girl? You're nothing but second to me, anyway. You can be my servant, do as I say,"
Inuyasha cast his scowl over to her, making the sadist stick out her tongue. "Kikyo..." he warned.
"Only a little longer, dog-boy, and I will rule your pathetic excuse for an invention center."
Miroku and Shippou coughed conveniently into their hands, masking what Kagome assumed to be laughter. She turned wide blue eyes back to Inuyasha when he huffed and crossed his arms, hands disappearing in opposing sleeves.
"You said something about an explanation?" Kagome asked softly.
"Inuyasha has invited you here because we are in need of another boss," Miroku said simply. "You have to prove which one of you is more capable of the position through a series of tests that we will devise. The looser will be sent home and the winner will remain here as co-ruler of the factory."
"Why is the dog-boy incapable of ruling on his own?" Kikyo asked darkly.
"He's too stupid," Shippou said before Miroku could stop him. "Besides, he needs a—"
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Inuyasha cut him off, the child's eyes going wide and his muscles bunching to make a quick getaway.
Kikyo put a hand on Inuyasha's arm, silencing his next outburst with a glare. "Allow me," she said sweetly, before turning and glaring at Shippou. The child gulped, his eyes even wider. He took off before she could catch him, running at full speed towards his room.
Kagome watched them leave, her attention snapping to Sango as the other girl stumbled into the room. "What did you put in that bag?"
"Everything," Kagome said simply. "I didn't really know what to bring."
"Did Miroku explain the entire challenge concept to you?" Sango asked abruptly.
Kagome nodded. "Yeah, about a co-manager?"
Sango grinned and grabbed Kagome's arm, dragging her away from Inuyasha and Miroku. When Shippou and Kikyo tore through moments later, they headed for their room. "I'm going to help you, Kagome. I don't want to live with Kikyo. She scares me,"
"She scares me too. Why do I need help, though?"
"The contests are a little...unique around here. Can you...cook?"
"Cook?"
"Cook."
"I think so," Kagome's face scrunched up, deep in thought. "Yeah, I can do that," she nodded.
Sango blinked. "Are you sure? You're not going to be around for very long if you don't. And personally, even though I've only known you for five minutes, I choose you over the sadist any day. Inuyasha, on the other hand..."
"You mean Inuyasha likes her better? He's only known me for five minutes!" Kagome exclaimed.
"Well, she's...bizarre. Inu's attracted subliminally to the bizarre, being odd himself. Just be cheerful and ignore him as much as you can,"
Kagome nodded, wishing that she could be taking notes. She needed to know this if she wanted to survive in this place! Speaking of...she hadn't seen anything other than the nondescript hallway, cube-like bedroom, and dark entrance room. Was this dreary and drab place really where such odd and innovative ideas formed?
"Sango, how am I supposed to ignore him if he lives here too?" Kagome asked. "Speaking of, I haven't seen anything yet. Like...where are the showers?"
"Lemonade showers and golden flowers are on the other side of the rainbow," Sango said automatically.
Kagome's eyebrows shot up. "You realize that you...just..."
"Rhymed?! NO!" Sango cried, turning and beginning to beat her head against the wall. "MUST! NOT! RHYME! LIKE! INUYASHA!" she exclaimed, punctuating each word with a whack of her head against the wall.
Kagome carefully pulled Sango away from the wall before she could do it or her head any serious damage. "Sango...?"
"Inuyasha spoke in rhyme and rhyme alone for three years," Sango said, eyes distant and haunted. "He could rhyme any word with another in less than one point five seconds. It's taken him a long time to break it, but...the rest of us picked up on it too. We must keep ourselves from rhyming."
She said it with such determination that Kagome could only smile and nod. "I guess I'm outta luck then," she said wistfully. "Always wanted to know how to rhyme any word with another in less than two seconds,"
Sango stared at her like she was crazy. "I'm going to forget that came out of your mouth and show you around," she said slowly. "The entire front of the building is like you've seen in case someone gets in and peeks through the windows. The rest of the place is...unusual."
Kagome trotted on after Sango for a tour of the factory, glad that her day was turning out less interesting than the previous one. She wasn't sure if she would be able to handle too much abnormality, entirely positive that she would suffer some form of allergic reaction if she did.
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Inuyasha turned on his TV,
sitting in his licorice tree.
He had escaped from the sadist,
Of his problems she was surely the maddest.
Reclined and relaxed he settled right down,
To find two blue eyes looking up from the ground.
The second female owned the eyes,
Her face tilted up to look at the skies.
He relaxed when he saw she was looking elsewhere,
Relieved that he wouldn't have to defend his chai—
"DAMNIT, I'M THINKING IN RHYME AGAIN!" Inuyasha cried, turning and beating his head against the trunk of the tree.
Kagome's mouth turned up in a quirky smile, her eyes catching sight of him. She looked at the trunk of the tree and then Inuyasha, before catching sight of the television he had rigged up there. She smirked some more before finally speaking to him.
"I hear that you can rhyme two words in less than a second," she called up.
"I can hear you like you're standing next to me, no need to shout," Inuyasha replied darkly. "Sango telling you all about me?"
"More about the factory than you, but that's okay too,"
"You rhymed," Inuyasha informed her. Kagome shrugged.
"Oh well," she smiled slightly. "I guess it grows on you,"
"Yeah,"
Inu turned his attention back to the TV, waiting for the news to premier on his third female. Currently frightened out of his skin by Kikyo and her creepiness, and less than thrilled with Kagome's unique persona, he was looking forward to seeing what else the normal world had to offer him.
"...and now we have an interview with Keade-baba, who claims to have found a third golden ticket. How this is possible, since it is reported that only two were released, is unknown. However, since both Kagome and Kikyo have disappeared into the depths of the pocky factory, there is not much available for comparison or proof,"
Inuyasha swore when the TV cut to the lucky wielder of his ray of hope and sunshine.
She was old.
Beyond old.
She was so old, she looked like her skin was crumbling. And she was missing an eye. The suffix –baba was an understatement by far. Something closer to 'disintegrating old hag' in meaning would have been appropriate.
Inuyasha suddenly felt an inch high. He had to choose between Kikyo, Kagome, and...Keade.
Lotsa K names. Lotsa possibilities for rhyming...
"NO! NO NO NO!"
"Rhyming again?" Kagome asked dryly. "I hear speech habits are the hardest to break,"
"We're going to have another guest," Inuyasha said. "She's ugly in description at best—DAMNIT, BRAIN, STOP RHYMING!"
With this, Inuyasha smacked himself in the face. Kagome was having issues holding in her giggles.
"So why are you here, anyway?" he mumbled, casting a glare in her general direction.
"Oh, I finished the tour and wanted to know what time dinner was. Sango had to go make sure that Miroku didn't get himself killed harassing Kikyo,"
"THERE'S a mental image," Inuyasha said to himself. "Dinner's at dinner time, Kagome. Find something to do with yourself or I'll give you a job,"
She sniffed. "If you give me a job, I'll tell the others about Keade,"
"What?" he snapped, dropping to the ground in front of her immediately. "You would what?"
"I know that they don't know there's a third winner. I can hear the TV down here too,"
Inuyasha glared. "I'm the boss. This is MY factory. Despite what my family—er, THEY—think, I'm in charge. And if I want to, I can keep throwing tickets out there until I find someone I like,"
Kagome hesitated before retorting with, "And I'll tell Kikyo you don't like her, too."
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed to golden slits. "You wouldn't dare,"
"Try me," she countered, tugging on a lock of his silver hair and glaring right back.
"INUYASHA!" Miroku yelled, storming into his courtyard. "What's this I hear about a third ticket?!"
"I knew he had a stash, Miroku! We have to search his room!" Sango cried, bursting in through a different door.
Both then turned and ran out the doors they had entered through.
Inuyasha panicked and turned to run after them before seeing Kikyo walk into the courtyard like she owned it.
"YOU WHAT?!" she exclaimed, anger tangible in the air. Inuyasha winced and made to follow Miroku and Sango, but Kagome stood in his way.
She was grinning.
More than a little disturbed that a girl whom he had taken to be highly educated yet completely lacking in creative abilities was flashing a malice-filled grin at him, he backpedaled—straight into Kikyo. Her exclamation of rage was enough to get him started towards Kagome again, the grin still firmly in place.
"In the light of current events, Kikyo, I call a temporary truce between us," Kagome said, looking over Inuyasha's shoulder at the enraged crazy girl.
"I agree, Kagome. Let there be a truce between females whilst we handle the greater evil of the male species."
Kagome nodded, eyes returning to Inuyasha's. He felt something drop around his neck for about two seconds before Kagome's mouth opened.
"Sit, boy."
Inuyasha was suddenly inspired to feed Kagome and Kikyo dirt-flavored pocky as his face hit the ground. He decided that if they politely refused his kind offer of taste-testing the new flavor, he would stuff the entire concoction down their throats one at a time.
Above his head, he heard the clapping of hands in what he presumed to be a high-five before two sets of feet stomped in opposite directions away from him.
Inuyasha was going to kill Miroku and Sango for forcing him to go along with this.
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If you make fun of my rhyming, you're going to get mauled by mysterious singing teddy bears. Don't mess with the bears, man. They're crazy.
O.o I'm warning you.
It's this button.
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