Music pulsed in the air as the lights in the room were dimmed down to allow for a darker atmosphere. People were dancing about to the beat of J-Pop, J-Rock, various remixes thereof, and on occasion a song right off of DDR. And in the middle of it all, the quintet of Daniel, Lily, Kyle, Stephanie and Kistu were joining in the fun, moving about on the dance floor. Kitsu had taken the appearance of a young teenager, being that in his real form, he'd get his tail stepped on and risk getting trampled.
True to his word, Chris had shown up, now clad in the infamous red Duster of Vash the Stampede. His hair was even slicked up into the familiar spiky style of the character, and he had the trademark yellow lens sunglasses on. A lot of the younger congoers had cried out in delight when he'd stepped into the dance room, walking in just like Vash when he'd gone into the saloon in episode four. Ironically, the music playing when he'd arrived was the Luke Vibert mix of Tank from Cowboy Bebop.
"Someone get me a rope!" came a cry. "I want my sixty billion!"
"Screw the reward, I want the Vash!"
Yep, Chris was definitely enjoying the attention. Maybe he had gotten over what had happened. That or he was trying to smother it. Either way, he was having fun. That's what mattered.
Kyle was on his usual antics of flirting with almost every girl at the dance, and Stephanie wasn't much better as she switched off dancing partners almost every couple minutes. Those two really were a pair, but Lily and Daniel knew well that they couldn't help themselves, and that in the end, it was to each other that their loyalties lay. Still, it was pretty amusing to watch.
The call came just as Kyle was getting some water. It was his parents, who had just gotten done talking with everyone else's families about the cosplay troupe. He grinned, hung up after saying good-bye, then went back in to drag the rest of his friends out of the dance. "Great news!" he exclaimed. "Sesshoumaru set up everything with our parents, we're good to go as of this next week!"
To describe their reaction as joy would be an understatement. To say it was an explosion of victory would be closer. A few people looked over at them, but the music was too loud for anyone else to notice. But when the young man dressed in the red coat made his way over to them, he had a few tagalongs hanging off him. "Hey!" he stated while patting Kyle's shoulder. "What's all the excitement about, Steph got a bun in the oven?"
Well, that was unexpected. "Not quite," Kyle replied. "Mister Taishou just made a deal with us, we're going to be the official cosplay group for InuYasha!"
That explained a lot. No wonder they were so excited, they got what any group of anime fans would kill to have a chance at. "Welcome to my wonderful and insane world!" he remarked as he gave them a hug of congratulation. "So, you guys are going to go around the US or something?"
"The whole world," Stephanie said to correct him. "We're going to do conventions, public appearances, the whole works! He's even going to have pro made costumes built for us!"
And now the fans who had been clinging to Chris were now bombarding them with questions. Why them, did they have connections? They were the perfect group, especially with Daniel being as close to a real InuYasha as you could get. If only they knew what he had only recently learned.
"We're gonn'a throw a party after the dance to celebrate," Kyle said as they all stepped over to a corner. "You're more than invited if you can make it. I'll even have plenty of root beer for you."
There was that silly grin on Chris. "I was gonn'a say no, but since you'll have the root beer," he cracked while acting like he'd not cared much. "I'll be there for sure, man. What room you staying in?"
"Four-ten and four-eleven," Kyle answered quickly. "We're gonn'a order a bunch of pizzas, and-" He trailed off then as he noticed someone very unexpected walk in the room, staring in amazement that they'd made an appearance. And wearing that outfit no less! "Holy shit..."
Standing there in the doorway, appearing in his true form and dressed in his white silk kimono, was Sesshoumaru himself. He smiled as he watched the people who were obviously enjoying themselves, then saw his recently attained acquaintances and walked over to join them. "Konnichi wa, minna-san," he said in greeting, then bowed slightly to Chris. "It is good to see you again, Blair-san."
He returned the bow. "You as well, Taishou-sama." With a smile, Chris nodded off to the teenagers. "They just told me the good news. It seems I underestimated you, looks like even you know how to have some fun."
Just like his grandfather, Sesshoumaru reflected in amusement. Chris definitely showed his Celtic fae heritage, especially in how playful of a person he was. So child-like in many ways, and thriving on the highs of human emotion. It was no wonder he attended events like this as much as possible. "I mostly decided to come and make sure our new performers were enjoying themselves tonight. I make the formal announcement tomorrow at the contest, which I understand you are to be a judge at."
A nod and a shrug. "I almost turned that down," the young man replied. "But, Paul talked be into it. Something about 'initiations', weird stuff like that." He smiled as some of the fans started dragging him back toward the dance floor. "Uh, seems someone wants that reward on my head. I better get back out there before they get a rope!"
As Chris was herded back into the crowd, Sesshoumaru actually chuckled, then turned to the teens. "Speaking of tomorrow night, have you decided on what you're going to do for the contest?"
Kyle and Daniel exchanged glances before they answered. "Definitely the cosplay," the older boy said. "We've got a good idea for a skit, we just need to have Kitsu reherse with us, and we got a couple friends who are joining us." He downed his cup of water, then glanced back to the dance floor and grinned as he recognized the song that just came on. "Steph," he said as he turned to his girlfriend. "That would be our cue."
She was giggling, and both Daniel and Sesshoumaru were looked at the two in confusion while they headed back onto the dance floor. Then the boy recognized the music and broke into a grin. "Dynamite Rave," he muttered while shaking his head. "It figures." Lily looked a bit bored at the moment. Maybe he should fix that. She was his girlfriend after all. "If you would excuse us, Taishou-san?"
He had told them to enjoy themselves tonight. "Of course," Sesshoumaru replied as he stood aside and watched the two teenagers and Kitsu head back to the dance floor to join their friends. He was actually smiling at the sight, even when he felt that presence walk over to stand beside him. "I thought you were joining your female fans out there," he remarked to the elf eared blonde in red.
Chris gave a shrug and breathed out in relief. "I told them I was just going to take a break and I'd be back out there in a few minutes." He paused, biting his lip for a moment as he tilted his head at his youkai companion. "I have to say, I'm surprised, Sesshoumaru. I would have thought that how Rumiko portrayed you was rather accurate."
Hm, yes, that was a popular image of him being spread, though it had been true of his youth in those days. "I have grown up in the five centuries since then," Sesshoumaru calmly replied to the changeling. "I have become more tempered, and more mature. And for my late brother and his companions, I realized I had great respect for them." He turned to Chris, his eyes shining for a moment. "How is Caliburn? I haven't had a chance to visit your grandfather in a decade or so."
"Still the wild cat he's always been," came the amused comment. "With how much of a horny bastard he is, it's no wonder I've got the out of control libido. Sometimes I question why it skipped my dad." He sighed, breathed in, then grinned. "That reminds me. Ayumi invited me to visit her at the beach house you own." Sesshoumaru was glaring at him. Yes, he'd expected that. "I figured I should tell you, just to let you know that I still show my respect for you."
The youkai snorted. He could have lived without the way that girl was. A glance to Chris again. Alright, so perhaps he favored the changeling more than he did her usual companions. That didn't mean he approved of the antics. There was little he could do, however. "I trust you know how I feel about that."
"Sesshoumaru, she's a beautiful young woman." Chris hesitated for a moment, then decided to just ask. "I wanted to let you know that I haven't done anything with her as of yet other than taking her out to dinner a few times. But I felt I should let you know that I would like to go out with her."
His eyes flashed, but it was one of amusement instead of anger. This was indeed a first for him. "You've been captured by my daughter," Sesshoumaru remarked as he began to smile. Truly, Chris actually asking for his approval was a refreshing change fom how things usually went. Most of the time, he didn't find out about his daughter's sleeping partners until well afterwards. "You have more respect for me than I expected, Blair-san. You have my approval." There was that flash again. "Just make sure she doesn't present me with new grandchildren too soon."
"I plan on making sure to follow that order," he said with a grin. It seemed even the lord of the Western lands could show a sense of humor. "If you'll excuse me, the fangirls are calling."
And he headed back into the fray, leaving Sesshoumaru to reflect over the idea of that boy courting his youngest. It was an interesting match, and the boy had the dignity to ask his approval before going through with everything. Truly, he was an example of not following his grandfather's example.
And while Chris was being draped on by about four or five fangirls, Kyle and Stephanie were twirling about on the floor, garnering a bit of an audience. The former was teasingly flirting with any pretty girl in reach, while Stephanie played out trying to keep him under control. After about a minute, he finally gave her his total attention, which was rewarded by her wrapping an arm around his neck while she danced next to his body.
Kitsu had found his own dance partner in a Rin cosplayer who was about the age he'd assumed. Daniel and Lily, however, were staying with each other, well getting into the music. His hands at her hips as she swayed back and forth before spinning around to put her arms around his neck and giving him a rather enticing smile. It was hard to maintain his self-control when she did that, but he was trying, though he knew that she could feel just how much he was enjoy this.
"Someone's in a good mood," she whispered while pushing herself up against his body. "Having fun, my puppy?"
"Definitely," he replied, almost hypnotized by her movements. God, it was going to be hard keeping himself under control after all this. It was worse that it normally was, and Lily driving him crazy was a normal occurrence since they started going out. Maybe it was just the fact they hadn't actually gone dancing like this, or that she normally didn't hold herself right up against him that often. He caught a whiff of her scent and almost lost it. All he wanted to do right now was kiss her and lose himself in her arms.
Ten minutes later, they discovered that Stephanie and Kyle had disappeared from the dance floor. Daniel was finally under control again when he and Lily went to get some water, though he wasn't really too concerned about it for some odd reason. The two decided to go outside and cool off in the night air, looking up to see the full moon in the sky.
Meanwhile, back in the hotel room...
pant-pant-pant-pant
Uh, never mind the hotel room.
As they sat out under the full moon, Daniel and Lily cuddled up next to each other. It was odd, he wasn't too concerned with how much he was being driven crazy by Lily, where he normally was. Maybe it was just that he was being more relaxed. After all, they were just spending some time together, sitting under the moonlight, Lily snuggling up in his lap, her hand softly laying on his...
"Whoa!" He suddenly snapped out of it as he realized what she was starting to grip and startled her. "Geeze, what was that!"
There was a look of confusion on her face. "What was what?" she asked innocently while curling back up into his lap. "I'm just enjoying some time alone with my boyfriend. Nothing odd about that, right?"
Maybe it was just his imagination. Lily wasn't like that, she was a sweet girl. No, he was just imagining things. Better to just spend a bit out here and enjoy the full moon. It really felt good to have her cuddle up on him, not to mention how she was...
Okay, it was not his imagination. She had her hand where it should not be. "Lily, what is wrong with you!" he cried while moving her out of his lap. "Why the hell are you trying to grab my crotch!"
Blink, blink. "Why do you think that I'm grabbing you there?"
"Because you are, I just caught you doing it!"
No, no! He had to be imagining it, him and that spastic libido of his! That wasn't his fault, but she wouldn't do something like that! Wait, now that she thought on it, she had been...and why was she doing that to him! "Why would you have my hand there!" she instead shot back.
This was getting very odd now. "Lily, I just stopped you from trying jerk me off!" Daniel exclaimed, though he was careful to keep his voice down. Wouldn't do for someone to overhear them. "Just...forget about it." Like he could. Insane animalistic sex drive, with him barely able to keep control of it in situations like this, and now Lily was acting like a dog in heat. Hell, even the smell she was giving off was weird, and it wasn't something she usually projected. Wait a minute...that weird scent wasn't coming from her, it was coming from him. He was giving off that smell, and it was driving her crazy. But why? She didn't have the powerful senses he did.
Maybe it was just some weird hanyou thing that happened when he got this excited. "Maybe we should head back in and see if Kyle and Steph came back yet," he said, standing up and holding his hand out to Lily. She looked upset now. "I'm sorry, but, it freaked me out. I don't think you meant to."
Well, it helped, but she still looked hurt. "I can't believe I was doing that," she moaned while standing up and heading back to the doors beside Daniel. "And what is that weird smell on you? It's like fresh chocolate chip cookies and butterscotch."
Okay, she could smell it. That proved it wasn't his imagination. "Probably some funky half-breed thing," he replied while opening the door. "Try to keep it under control, and I'll do the same." He just hoped that it went away soon. If this was a regular occurrence, they'd have to be taking a lot of steps to keep things from going too far. Maybe Shippo would know something about it, he'd have to ask later.
Returning to the dance floor, they found that Stephanie and Kyle had returned, but looked to have just gotten out of the shower with how wet their hair was. Mix that with the smell that Daniel could pick up, and it took very little imagination to figure out where they had gone and why. "Oh, man!" he winced, now walking over to the two and thumping them both in the back of the head. "Could you actually make an attempt to wash off the smell next time!"
"Wash what smell off?" Kyle asked as they didn't break from the beat. When Daniel glared at him, then finally resorted to using hand gestures, the older boy widened his eyes, and proceeded to laugh. "Oh, geeze! I forgot about that nose of yours! And don't you try telling me off, pup! What we do is our business!"
Throwing his hands up in dismay, Daniel walked back off the floor and over to Lily. "I give up with those two," he muttered, getting a cup and filling it with water. "I hope they're not like this if and when they have kids."
"Don't bet on it," she replied while she waited for him to gulp down his drink, then tugged on his arm to get him back on the floor. "Just try to ignore the smell, and have some fun." Lily gave him that smile again, wrapped her arms around his neck, and proceeded to turn him into putty as he thus forgot everything but dancing with her. "And I promise I'll not be putting my hands where they shouldn't be...unless you want me to."
As much as his libido was screaming at him to take the offer at face value, his brain, thankfully, outranked said sex drive and proceeded to remind him that they were just kids, and they had no business following Kyle and Stephanie's example. For that matter, neither did those two, but it was a bit too late to give them a lecture. He just hoped that he and Lily weren't kept up all night by any noise from next door. Wait, there was the party after the dance. That insured little to no sleep, and those two would not be able to go off and have a private two-person party.
Deciding that the rest of the night was going to be free of any other questionable incidents, Daniel resigned himself to letting Lily make him into little more than goo as he lost all thought with her draping from his neck. They would definitely have to do this more often, though make sure to avoid whatever it was that had triggered the little incident earlier.
And there was Shippo just now arriving, his older sons Kaitsu and Kotsu in tow. Those two headed into the dance, finding people to join, while Daniel headed off to find out if the kistune lord had some info that might explain things. "Mister Kistunebi!" he called to get Shippo's attention. "I need to talk to you. About..." How to let him know. Ah well, apparently rapidly twitching his ears worked. They both left the dance after Daniel let his girlfriend know he'd be right back, then headed for outside where they could talk privately.
"What is that smell on you?" Shippo asked as he caught a whiff of the odd scent. "It's like chocolate cookies."
"That's what I wanted to ask you about," he replied, ears drooping. "Lily was acting...really weird earlier, and it was when I noticed this smell. Not only that, it's harder for me to tell the hormones to shut the hell up."
That was an interesting way to word it. Shippo at first didn't understand, but then, after a moment, groaned and realized what was going on. That explained what Daniel had in place of his human day, and this was probably just as much of an annoyance once it kicked into high gear. "I'd expect this from a hanyou girl, not a boy," he muttered while shaking his head. No wonder that smell was such a pleasant one. "Daniel...you're in heat."
Blink, blink. "I'm in what?"
"Heat. Basically when your body is telling you that you are primed to mate."
From that very red and embarrassed look on the boy's face, he well knew what the term meant. "I know what it means!" he shouted, then clamped his mouth shut for a moment. "But I can't be. Only female dogs go into heat, I'm a guy!"
Even more reason to figure out why this was happening. The explanation actually was simple enough to figure out; the Shikon Jewel had screwed up his body in a lot of ways, and thankfully, they were more annoyances than real problems. This, however, could become a massive problem if they didn't figure out a solution. "Well, you don't have a day when you're farthest from your youkai blood," Shippo began, think of a logical explanation to substitute for the real reason. "Since that's gone, something must have caused your body to have a time when your hormones and reproductive system go into overdrive." He glanced up to see the full moon. That might be a factor. "Do you remember any point before when you felt like...well..."
"Sometime last month," he quickly replied, his face beet red even as he admitted it. "Around...the full moon." Now Daniel got it as he looked up and sighed depressingly. Yep, it was definitely a really messed up hanyou time of the month. "This is just great! First convention, it's only Friday night, and I have to fight with myself to keep it in my pants!"
Among other problems. Shippo had noticed around the convention that quite a few of the adolescent girls attending had been acting very roused, as it were, and it had kicked in around the late afternoon, about when a hanyou would normally be transforming into a human on their day. So it wasn't just affecting Daniel, he was merely the source and most influenced. That really explained the smell, it was some kind of pheromone to put females around him in the mood.
May as well tell the boy. "That smell you're putting off is probably a part of it too," he stated while scratching an itch behind his left ear. "It's a pheromone that makes females go into the right mood, though it doesn't seem to be making them flock to you, thank the gods..."
Yeah, that was a blessing. That really explained why Kyle and Stephanie had disappeared like that, and why Lily had been so...clingy. Granted, it wasn't a huge problem right now, but if it got worse... No, he didn't even want to think about that, not right now.
And then someone came out to join them. "I trust, Kistunebi-san, that Daniel is alright."
Sesshoumaru, the kitsune mused while the dog youkai walked over to where they were standing. "We just discovered what he's got instead of the normal human day," he stated. May as well let Sesshoumaru know now, before he had to find out in a way that was very bad. "He's in heat, Sesshoumaru, it looks like it happens on the full moon." A faint smile as he shrugged. "Best keep that in mind for scheduling."
His eyes flashed as he looked directly to the boy. He looked rather embarrassed about this whole matter. That meant he wasn't too likely to use this to his advantage. Good, he didn't smell the scent of sex on the boy either. They'd caught it just before it did become a problem. As for those other two members of the group, however... "I will indeed keep it as a point of importance." Sesshoumaru gestured back to the doors now. "Daniel, I will remind you to make all attempts to keep your current problem under control. For now, return to the dance, and do not leave the company of a group." The boy gulped and nodded. "This will most likely end by sunrise, so until then, don't let it get the better of you."
Nodding quickly, Daniel was almost as red as his costume. "Y-yes, Mister Taishou."
Obedient, so unlike his father. That was definitely a good sign, now to hope that this situation didn't overwhelm Daniel. "Return to the dance, and do not speak of this with your friends until I have determined how to handle the problem."
He nodded again, then headed back inside, leaving the two youkai to look at each other. For a moment, Shippo wasn't sure what to make of the man standing before him. They'd been fellow lords of their regions for centuries, but even after that long, he didn't fully understand Sesshoumaru, nor did he completely trust him. "What do you intend to do about this?" he asked at last.
Sesshoumaru didn't answer immediately. He wasn't so sure himself just how they were going to solve this development. They'd caught it in time, and so long as they kept note of the full moon, they could head it off in the future. "Right now, I can do nothing," came his reply after a few minutes of silence. "My current solution for the near future is to have him take hormonal adjusters when his day of the month comes, that should hopefully become a temporary fix."
"Medications will only work for so long," Shippo remind the dog youkai. "Eventually, his body will overpower them, and this will get really bad, especially if natural programming is not met in some form."
That was a consideration. The quickest and crudest solution at that point was to just let things be handled the way as nature demanded. However, these were children, and no matter how much nature had designed them to be doing that at their age, his own conscience refuted the idea. It was bad enough the older two of the group were doing things that they should not be at that age, he didn't need all four of the teenagers indulging themselves in such a way. No, they would have to find a more reliable solution in the future. But for now, once he was officially in charge of their welfare, the medications would do the job.
"If you would send one of your older sons to the party they are having," he said, turning back to the hotel to go inside. "I would be very grateful for someone to keep an eye on things, being my own presence would be a disruption, and Jaken certainly cannot blend in."
He was asking for outside assistance. Well, that certainly changed Shippo's opinion of the man. "I'll have them both go," came the kitsune's answer. His eyes narrowed then as he thought of something. "So when should we tell him the truth? About his parents, who he is, and where he came from?"
Sesshoumaru stopped in his tracks. To be honest, he hadn't been thinking about that. Unless Daniel specifically requested that information, he had no intentions of divulging it. But now, he realized that sooner or later, the boy had to be told. After all, there was the matter of his inheritance, though Sesshoumaru wasn't so sure how much worth that would be. "When do you feel he should know?" he retorted. If Shippo was that concerned about it, then he should be the one to bare to the responsibility. Him or that wolf youkai Kouga. "I will leave that for you to decide, Kistunebi-san. However..." He paused and turned back to face the kitsune. "Be sure to tell him before his fifteenth birthday, by the day we know him to have been born. If he is not ready in your eyes to know before then, I shall inform him myself when I give him what was once his father's."
Those vulpine eyes narrowed defensively while his disguise began to slip. "That's All Hallows Eve, Sesshoumaru. His fifteenth birthday is the one we have most to worry about, and you know why."
Yes, he knew why. That's why the boy had to know before then, be he ready or not for the truth. That was another thing to worry about. Daniel's time of heat was a major inconvenience, but it was nothing compared to what would awaken when he turned fifteen if there was nothing to seal it. There was no need to foresee that aspect of the youkai blood in Daniel's veins taking over, but it was better to be safe than sorry. It was time to contact the old weapon master again. Yes, definitely. After all the favors done for that youkai, Sesshoumaru was owed big time.
"I shall see to protecting him from his own half-blood nature if and when it arises," he stared calmly. "Toutousai is well skilled at creating items other than swords to seal the blood of a hanyou. He will create something for Daniel."
The taiyoukai turned and re-entered the building, Shippo merely stood there for a few minutes unsure what to make of this side of Sesshoumaru he had just seen. Was he truly concerned for Daniel? Certainly, becoming a father had given him new insight on life, as well as the fact that youkai were not the only thing he'd parented. But, to be so concerned with the fate of his brother' son...
Maybe this was a Sesshoumaru who had grown up, even after all the centuries they' known each other. But Shippo still felt paranoid about it all. It was best to keep an eye on his peer. "Sakura," he whispered. In an instant, a lovely silver haired female kitsune appeared at his side. Unlike Shippo, she wore her ears in fox form, looking more like a hanyou than a youkai in human form, and she let her tail present itself out of a hole in the back of her pants. "I want you to watch over Daniel Stevens and his friends," the kitsune lord stated. "I'm not sure I trust Sesshoumaru."
"Is Daniel that really cute hanyou who looks like your old friend?" she asked in a playful tone of voice. "Bet I could have all kinds of fun with him."
"No, Sakura." Shippo hissed. "He has a girlfriend already, and you are not to break them up just because you're in the mood." Gods, it was bad enough she was an old girlfriend and still had a thing for her employer. "Besides, I thought you had your eye on my son Kotsu."
There was that giggle that he still couldn't resist. Damnit, he was married, had children, and had promised his wife he wouldn't be acting like a wandering fox again. It didn't help that Sakura had once been his girlfriend, and that he'd taken after the human monk for a while. Gods, did he remember how much of a sexpot he'd been as an adolescent. "I mean it, Sakura. You are not to interfere with his personal relationships, no matter how much it might turn you on."
"Oh, fine." Sakura huffed and turned her nose up in an arrogant fashion, acting like she'd just been snubbed. "I suppose I'll be dragging your kit away from that party tonight. I'm in a mood, and I want some fun."
For the love of the gods, he wished that she hadn't taken such a liking to his son. More over, he wished that his oldest son didn't act like he had been at that age. But, Kostu was a legal adult by their races' views, even if he as still a teenager. No grandchildren yet, thank the gods, and Shippo hoped it stayed that way until his son decided to take an official mate, not fooling around with his father's assistant.
He turned to her. "Make sure you look completely human while you must be seen by the public," came the order. "If you and Kotsu leave to more private chambers, then appear as you please, but not in front of the humans. That's an order."
Once more, she gave that enticing giggle and walked past her lord, swatting him with her tail. "He's just like his father," Sakura remarked as she began to sway her hips while she walked. "He can't resist a vixen when he sees one. Too bad you've become a one-lady man, Shippo. We could have so much fun again."
And she placed a leaf on her head to transform into a girl about seventeen or so years of age, dressed in one of the most revealing costumes he'd seen. Oh, she knew what to wear and keep from being kicked out by the convention staff, but she was really pushing it with that outfit.
"Gods, I hope she doesn't get a whiff of Daniel," he muttered to himself before heading back in after waiting long enough. "It's bad enough he's in heat tonight, the last thing we need is a horny as hell vixen going after a fourteen-year-old hanyou with a protective girlfriend."
