Squee! So many reviews! This is definetly my most popular fic, and I'm so happy that it is, because I really like writing it. Inuyasha is fun to mess around with, and Americans, as much as I am one, are dumb. We really are.
So, thanks to tons of heckling after putting in Sesshomaru, I'm now being hassled for Sango, Kouga, Ayame, Jaken, Rin, and a crapload of other characters to be put in. My response? Be patient. They'll appear sometime. I promise. This story is nowhere NEAR completion (come on, it's only September 20th in the story!!) There's an entire School year to fill with Sengoku Jidai chaos.
Much thanks, though, to Dark Jaded Rose, Samsonite, Inuyasha 21992 (I don't think that's the right number,sorry) Lady Miki, Kikyo 224. Miroku-Freak, Nani-Nadja, Usagi Kurai and Trom Kehra. Heh. Hey Trom, every time I say your name I start hearing 80's metal playing in the background. TROM....(searing riff) KEH-RA! And, as always, good ol' Teyo.
Oh, and DJR, I read Kitterella. It was, mmm, very XD. And funny. But I didn't think it was macho-centric at all. I reviewed it, if you haven't already read that.
By the way, Teyo posed a question. Does Inuyasha wear boxers, or briefs? Hmmm, tighty-whiteies, or boxers?
I'll let you vote. Let me know in reviews what you want.
ahem.
So, enjoy this chappie. Love you all.
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Culture Shock
-Well, this sucks- Inuyasha said with a frown as he scanned the apartment that he, Miroku and Sesshomaru were to share for however long they were stuck in America.
-At least we're not on the street- Miroku replied calmly, setting down a duffle bag full of clothing he had purchased over the last year. -Look on the bright side: we have full-time jobs with decent pay, we can sustain ourselves, and Shinoda-san has promised to pay a third of our monthly bills. Provided we buy our own food.-
-Feh, food here is expensive. At least that's what Kagome told me.-
--Ah, but Ramen is very, very cheap. I think we can live off Ramen and these things called 'hot dogs' and other cheap foods for a few months.-
Inuyasha's eyes lit up at the idea of eating Ramen, hot dogs and other cheap food for almost nine months. Ramen every day? He smiled a happy, dreamy smile, which immediately turned into a frown when a certain Youkai lord stormed in.
--You expect me, Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands, to live in THIS dump?-- he sneered as he surveyed the appartment. There was a room that was combo ktichen and living room, a bathroom, and one bedroom.
--Get over it, we have to live here too.- snapped Inuyasha.
-Exactly- was the terse reply.
--Look-- jumped in Miroku before the two could start a rather violent fight. --You're only here for a month, Sesshomaru-Sama, so you can survive. We're not going to make you work, but you can't go outside in what you are currently wearing.--
Sesshomaru eyed his armor and kimono. --And just what is wrong with the way I dress?--
--People stare at you funny. There aren't youkai in America, you moron!-- The youkai humphed at his brother's sarcastic remark.
--Fine then. I get the bed.-- he said smoothly, shoving the monk and the hanyou to the side.
"I hope it has fleas in it," Inuyasha whispered to Miroku, in english so his brother wouldn't hear.
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Miroku left the ramshackle appartment around noontime. Lucky for him, the appartment was near the Shinoda's and the pool. He strutted out of the house, wearing black-and-purple trunks, blue flip-flops, and a towel slung over his shoulder. The rosary around his right forearm looked a bit odd next to his beach gear, but no one minded as he strolled down the street. In fact, many girls were staring and trying not to drool as he strutted into the front office.
"Ah, Miroku, was it? Glad you're on time today." Mr. Waciek smiled as the pervert entered. He handed Miroku a silver whistle. "Don't give anyone unecessary CPR today," he added with a sigh.
Miroku smiled at that comment. During his certification training, he had a very cute partner named Shanna. When it came time for CPR practice, he liked practicing on Shanna a little TOO hard. She slapped him, and asked for a new partner, but that was fine with him.
He placed a pair of sunglasses on his head, grabbed a buoy, and went up to Josh, the head lifeguard. "Hey! Miroku, glad you're here!" he called. The blond surfer-dude pointed to a group of little kids. "They've been after me for an hour about the water slide. Go on up there and watch it, okay?"
Miroku groaned inwardly. He had quit his job at the library to get away from brats, and he had to deal with them AGAIN? As luck would have it, 15 of the small children had been present when his story telling fiasco went down. He climed up the ladder slowly, as if going to his doom. Ah well, at least he could stare at the hot girls as they went by. And after school got out, the girls swim team would be practicing. Yes, he could tolerate small kids for that.
He felt a small hand tug on his shorts. "Why'd you quit telling stories at the library?" the carrot-top who had brought up swearing asked, eyes full of innocence.
"Uh. . ."
The Hispanic girl piped up. "He said bad words! Our mommies and daddies probably fired him!"
Merciful Buddah, were these kids an organized crime ring, or something?
"Okay, down you go!" Miroku said with a forced smile, sending the tyke down the water slide with his foot.
"Hey, Miroku!" yelled a voice Miroku would recognize anywhere. He looked towards the front gate to see another swarm of little kids coming in. These were older, but in the bunch he recognized a reddish ponytail and fluffy tail waving and bouncing at him.
"Oi, Shippo. . ." he muttered to himself, giving the next kid a push. The minute the kitsune was inside, he made a beeline for the slides and bounced happily. The four-year olds on the ladder stared at his tail in awe.
"Is that real?!!" squealed the girl closest to him.
"Yeah! Why wouldn't it be?" the fox cub asked naively.
"How come I don't have a tail?" the kid at the top of the ladder demanded at Miroku.
"Um, because you have other things to make you special?"
"Oooh! Like what?"
"Uh, well. . . you have black hair, and Shippo doesn't."
"You know him?! No fair!!" The kid started crying when Shippo turned into the pink blimpy-thing and began acting as a pool toy. "I can't do that!!"
"Oi. . ." Miroku checked the clock, and said a silent prayer to Amida that he wouldn't lose his sanity before 3:30.
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When his shift was over around 7:00, Miroku was decidedly hungry. He stopped by Chuck E. Cheese, as it was his day to pick up Inuyasha, and not the other way around. As he waited for his white-haired roommate to change out of that freaky mouse costume, he ruminated over his day.
Good thing: Shippo had made his day happier
Bad thing: those stupid kids ruined it in the first place
Good thing: The swim team was a very nice floor show. So many girls half-naked. . .
Bad thing: He wasn't able to watch much of it because Josh changed shifts, and his back was to the pool they were practicing in
Good thing: Kagome had joined the swim team, as well as Ayako.
Bad thing: She slapped him at least five times for trying to grope her and her teammates.
Inuyasha came out of the restaurant, an angry and very hungry look in his eyes. "Kids?" asked the monk.
"Yep."
"Hungry?"
"Yep."
Miroku knew that Inuyasha wouldn't let him get home alive if he didn't find food fast. He spotted a pair of Golden Arches across the street and pointed. "Ayako said that this was a good place to eat if you're in a hurry. Shall we try it?"
"Don't care, as long as it's food."
The two entered into the McDonalds' and stared in awe. Inuyasha's nose immediatly picked up the scent of sizzling burgers and he stared hungrily towards the back. Fortunately for them, Miroku remembered what Ayako told him to order for the both of them if they ever came to this place.
"Welcome to McDonald's, can I take your order?" the pimply-faced teen at the counter inquired.
"Uh. . . yes." Miroku thoguth for a moment. How had Ayako worded it? "I'll have a number two extra value meal, super size and a number nine extra value meal, with no tartar sauce." The cashier eyed him warily, as Miroku had said this in a monotone, as if repeating something verbatum. He eyed the white-haired guy even more so, as the dude had weird gold eyes, white hair, and what seemed to be claws. He even thought he saw something twitch under the baseball cap firmly planted on his head.
"Right. Uh, that'll be $8.41," replied the cashier. The guy in only trunks and a towel fished around in his pocket for money and handed him a soggy ten. The teenager took the money, popped the register, and handed him back one dollar and 59 cents. Miroku pocketed the changes and took the food.
The meals had been bagged separately, so the one with more food was obviously for Inuyasha. The two had experienced Coke before, so there was no issue there. Inuyasha opened his bag of food and sniffed. He pulled out two hamburgers and a very large thing of fries, ripped the paper off the burgers, and began chowing down hungrily. "Thish ish betta dan ramen!" he exlaimed, his mouth full. Miroku smiled a patronizing smile and opened what appeared to be breaded fish on some sort of bread. He poked it cautiously, then bit in.
It was good. INuyasha apparently thought so, because he was eating noisly as ever. His awesome display of table manners (or lack thereof) began to draw attention. --Eh, Inuyasha? Could you eat more quietly? You're beginning to draw a crowd.--
--Hell no! I'm eating!--
Miroku rubbed his temples and sighed. He only hoped that Sesshomaru would be in a halfway decent mood when they got home.
Miroku snorted to himself. Yeah, fat chance.
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Yay! McDonalds is my kinda place. . . (clap,clap) it's such a happy place. . .
Oh, I'm lovin' it. (heeheh, more Mickey D's jokes!)
Does anyone care that I update so much? I'm like, the update monkey or something. I think I use FF.net more than anyone else.
What can I say? It's an addiction!
I don't know, I just find it frustrating that out of all my favorite stories, only (counts on fingers) four or five are finished. I just HATE cliffhangers, so I try not to inflict that misery on you guys.
Note: Amida=Buddha
The purple button loves to be fondled by your cusor! Go on, make like Miroku and give it a squeeze by clicking on it!