Disclaimer: At the moment I am currently a little angry at the world so excuse my crudeness. Why the HELL are these stupid fucking things necessary!? I own NOTHING! I hope the sadistic bastard who came up with disclaimers is happy now. Humph.
Title: Underneath Her mask
Chapter 9: Safety
Last time
"What does she need medication for?" Inuyasha asked anxiously.
"There is nothing to worry about Mr. Takashi. She is going to be fine. Kagome has been having a few muscle spasms lately and she is taking painkillers to relax her muscles," he recited, shooting a look at Kagome since they had come to a stoplight. She appeared to be studying her hand like it was the first time she had ever seen it before, bringing closer to her face, then farther away. Clearly she was not paying attention. "Oh and before I forget, I should warn you that Kagome's is in a lot of pain when her meds wear off, but she has too much pride to say anything. Any physical contact should be kept as minimal as possible, unless completely necessary." Jakotsku could hear Inuyasha taking deep soothing breaths.
"Do you think that you could just bring her to my house. I don't like the idea of her being alone while she's like this," Inuyasha said quietly.
"Sir, I think that would be an excellent idea."
(20 minutes later)
The sun had just gone down, yet the sky still shone luminous with glorious colors that would no doubt fade as nightfall soon approached.
Ding dong, the doorbell chimed. Jakotsku stood tall, holding tightly onto Kagome's small hand, more so to offer a source of comfort rather than making sure she didn't wander off in her medication induced state. It was the least he could do after all she had done for him.
Kagome had always been there for Jakotsku whenever he had needed it. She was there to console him through his hour of crisis and had been the one person that he could confide in. Although he had seen very little of her throughout the years, usually tending to her father's whims, he would almost consider them friends.
It was her father's fault that he was here to begin with. Her father, the cruel and devious man who could manipulate your way of life with a word. This whole messed up situation that Jakotsku found himself in the middle of was all because of this one man. If it hadn't been for him, Jakotsku wouldn't be a simple limo driver or be forced to watch a strong girl like Kagome, whose pretty face should never be marred, beaten till bloody. He would still be the captain of the varsity football team and never fear that anyone, especially his family, would find out that he was utterly and totally gay.
About three years ago, Jakotsku Armand had accepted the fact that he wasn't interested in women. One night, while he was out late at a neighboring drag club, he was spotted by one of Origami Higurashi's many lackeys. He was sent pictures of himself making out with men and another as he grinded with a drag queen. Attached was a note, saying that if he didn't follow Onigumo's orders than the pictures would be sent to his father, a local bigwig in the corporate world, not to mention the most bigoted man in all of Tokyo. He had no choice.
But at the time, he hadn't known about Kagome, and her "situation". Jakotsku cringed, remembering the first time he had witnessed her being battered.
Jakotsku and Kagome sat quietly in the kitchen, waiting for the maid, another victim of blackmail, to come in and voice her father's summon. Kagome looked impassive, an expression that startled him because it was so different from her usual kindhearted expressions. "Jakotsku," Kagome spoke decisively. "I don't care what you hear inside this house, I do not want you to come anywhere near my father or I."
"But ..."
"No, I do not care. Promise me you won't come near us." She grabbed his shoulders so they were eye to eye. "Promise me." Iron laced her words.
"I...I promise," Jakotsku said breathlessly, scared and stunned all at the same time.
"Kagome," shouted a middle aged, bitter sort of woman as she came closer to the kitchen. Thinking quick, Kagome shoved Jakotsku away and stood up.
"Yes."
"Your father would like a word with you," the woman snarled. Her stained yellow teeth made Jakotsku shudder, little did he know that terrible hygiene was the least of his problems. 'Is this what the rest of my life is going to be like?' he asked himself when he was left all alone in that quant little kitchen that needed a decent amount more of light.
That's when he heard it. A loud series of crashes resounded throughout the house, coming from the direction Kagome had been going moments earlier. Without a second thought, he stood up immediately and ran towards the direction the noise was coming from. He should have listened to her, but instead he had broken his promise.
When he saw them, he almost fainted on the spot. Kagome lay motionless on the ground with her father leaning over her. He glanced up at Jakotsku and his face twisted into a malicious grin. His hair was disheveled and his features sharp, but it was his eyes that were the most frightening. Their hideous green irises glowed brightly in the dark, almost like a snake, waiting to strike.
"Boy," he drawled. "As of now, you have a choice." He moved slowly, first bringing his hand to caress then languidly picking up Kagome's forearm. "You can either agree to be my driver from here on out, without a single opposing word and you have my word that your father will never find out about your dirty little secret or..." He began to squeeze, steadily increasing the pressure as every moment passed, "you can help her. But if you dare do so, you will be the one to take her place. Only there would be a single difference in this exchange. After I'm finished with you, you won't be alive long enough to see the light of day."
Jakotsku's mouth hung open and tears began to roll down his face. He couldn't take his eyes off of Kagome's arm. He was sickenly fasinated as it turned to an appalling purplish color where Onigumo's hand gripped, and she couldn't do a single thing to stop it. She was essentially helpless while she lay there, unconscious. Her father could take her life right now, just as easily as he could snap her arm. But if he so much as dared to assist, it would be him in that position. 'She is a stronger person than I. She never even screamed,' he thought, desperately searching for a legitimate excuse for why Kagome should be condemned to this hell rather than himself. But there was none. Jakotsku shut his eyes and dropped to his knees. While his head was being cradled in his arms the only sounds he heard were Onigumo's vindictive laugh and then everything went silent except the sickening crack of Kagome's arm.
End of Flashback
He never did learn why she hadn't screamed whenever her father hit her. He hadn't even told her about that night. How could he? How could he tell the one person that understood what he was going through, that he had a chance to save her, just once, but didn't? What would she say? What would she do? Kagome would never forgive him, that's what. What he didn't know, was that Kagome knew every detail about that night. Her father had saved that bit of information for her 16th birthday and he enjoyed retelling everything that had happened in detail. But she would never tell Jakotsku that. It would kill him.
Now, he did whatever small, practically meaningless task he could to make her life just a little bit easier. Although Jakotsku knew that it could never make up for what he hadn't done in the past.
The door opened quickly and they were greeted with the image of a gruff, yet concerned Inuyasha. His look changed to one of irritation once caught a glimpse their entwined fingers. Kagome didn't seem to notice, for as soon as she saw him, she let go of Jakotsku's hand and embraced Inuyasha, ignoring her body's mild protest. He blushed lightly, while he and the driver shared a nod of silent understanding. He would be taking care of Kagome now.
"Inu, I missed you so much!" she gushed as Inuyasha led her through his house and down a flight of stairs. He raised an eyebrow at the nickname but didn't comment on it.
"I missed you too Kagome." His sincerity was obvious. She watched as he looked straight ahead, towards some unknown destination. 'He cares about me' Kaogme thought, fairly certain, 'but is it enough? Would he care if he found out my father vents his grief for my mother's death by hitting me?' Jakotsku hadn't cared enough, would Inuyasha?
"I'm glad," she whispered, too quiet to be heard by anyone but herself. 'I'm glad he cares at all.'
"We're here," he announced to the group of people lounging in the basement. Kagome appeared to be all smiles, but was inwardly stunned to see Miroku, Sango, Hiten and Sesshoumaru of all people sitting around a poker table with mountains of candy stacked in front of each of them and one exceptionally large one in the middle. From what she gathered, they were playing Texas Hold'em, no limit poker.
(Directions how to play at bottom. Really fun game by the way.)
"Hey," Sango greeted with a grin. "You won't get much of a hello from Miroku right now," she said laughing. "He and Sesshoumaru are playing for a massive pot." Sure enough, Miroku murmured something incomprehensible while still staring intently back and forth between the two cards in his hand and the five on the table. Sesshoumaru wasn't much better. He barely spared her a glance, instead opting to stare at Miroku's face. Hiten gave her a heartfelt smile before returning his mind back to the game.
Kagome, not hurt in the least about he lack of salutation, walked up behind Miroku and glanced from his hand, to the pot, and finally the detached being seated on the right of Sango. "Miroku," Kagome said firmly, somehow managing to gain his attention. Miroku looked up as she called, a little annoyed. But that was soon forgotten as her next words sunk in.
"He's bluffing." He stared at her incredulously. Even Sesshoumaru gave her his attention.
"How do you know?!" he asked in disbelief.
"I just do," she responded calmly. "Go all in." All she got then was a raised eyebrow from both players. "Here," she said exasperated, "I'll make a deal with you Miroku. If you win, you give me half of everything." He opened his mouth to argue, but she continued on before he had a chance to actually say anything. "But if you lose, I will do anything you wish."
"Um, did I hear you correctly? Did you say 'anything'?" They were all looking at her like she was crazy. Sango, Kagome noted, was looking slightly jealous. Kagome was more than aware of her friend's 'secret' feelings for the houshi. She sent the girl a half smile and her cute wink reassured Sango that Kagome knew what she was doing.
"Anything," She confirmed. Miroku took a deep breath before muttering a reluctant 'all in'. Everyone watched in anticipation as Sesshoumaru's jaw tightened and his eyes narrow before he threw his cards in the middle. He folded.
"Wow Kagome. Nice call," Inuyasha commented, obviously impressed. "How did you know he was full of shit?" She just shrugged, but her eyes were alight with mischief. That was her own little secret.
"Now Miroku," she said turning to face him. "How 'bout that 50%?"
"I'll see your sucker and raise you... a twinkie," Kagome stated smugly before taking a large bite of pizza and washing it down with a gulp of coke. Who knew what she was missing out on? All those years with small helpings of a well balanced meals or the occasional going without provisions due to her father's conclusion that she was getting 'fat'. From now on she had a strict diet of junk food, well at least as long as she had all of this candy sitting in front of her.
"Too rich for my blood," Inuyasha said, setting his cards down.
"Mine too," Miroku agreed.
"Same here," Sango said, lazzily chewing on a piece of liquorish.
"I fold," Sesshoumaru said leaning back in his chair. Kagome was all ready to rake in her winnings when Hiten suddenly said he was 'in'.
"Alright, what do you got?" she asked.
"Two pair. Threes and Jacks." He gave her a wolfish smirk before she laid down her hand and it swiftly turned into a scowl.
"Flush, baby." Hiten began to laugh as she readily collected her winning. Now she and Sesshoumaru were in the lead. Sesshoumaru had never seen her as happy as she was now with her vibrant smile and her face practically glowing.
Her face fell when Miroku patted her on the shoulder and told her congratulations. Kagome's muscles twitched beneath the skin and her nerves felt painfully raw. Although she hadn't made a sound or the slightest expression, everyone instinctively turned to her when she stiffened. Inuyasha's confusion cleared as he realized what happened.
"Shit," he swore before reaching across Kagome and punching Miroku in the shoulder. Hard. "Kagome, are you alright? Do you need anything," he asked worriedly.
"Ow, what was that for?! I didn't even grope her!"
"Inuyasha, I'm fine," she assured him, her smile back in place as she resumed gathering the rest of her candy.
"Are you sure you're not hurt?" Everybody was looking at them in bewilderment, not knowing what just transpired.
"Of course I'm sure."
"Uh, pardon me for interrupting," Miroku said irritatedly, cradling his arm, "but what the hell is going on?!" Now his voice was too loud to overlook.
"Oh, it's nothing Miroku. My skin is just kind of sensitive right now."
"But that's not what your driver said..." Inuyasha reasoned, thinking back to their phone conversation.
"Jakotsku exaggerates." Kagome said waving is off.
"Kagome, if you're in any kind of pain then maybe you should lie down." Hiten suggested. She opened her mouth to reply again that she was fine but Sesshoumaru seemed to read her mind.
"You most certainly aren't fine. You should use your brain for once and listen to Hiten." She sighed softly and grabbed her purse, rummaging through it until she found a bottle of pills. She opened it swiftly, ignoring how her skin hummed with every movement and popped on into her mouth, swallowing it down with a gulp of Coke.
"There now," she said fighting off a wave of dizziness. "These babies are so damn strong that for the next the next six hours I won't feel a thing. Happy?" She asked Sesshoumaru sarcastically.
"Delighted," he said dryly before dealing. 'She shouldn't push herself so hard.'
Sesshoumaru and Kagome were the only ones left sitting at the table and playing poker. It was neck and neck at 12:30. Everyone else had long since given up playing while they both stubbornly duked it out.
"I have an idea." Sesshoumaru stated, shuffling the cards.
"Alert the media." Kagome said cynically, as she rested her head against her arm. Ignoring her comment, he continued.
"Why don't we make this hand interesting." Miroku's head lifted itself off the ground where he was previously enjoying the movie that played on the Takashi's big screen TV. He elbowed Inuyasha in the stomach and jerked his head toward the pair, silently telling him to pay attention. Sango forced her heavy lids to stay open long enough to hear what was going on and Hiten watched them out of the corner of his eye as he lay contentedly across the couch.
"Interesting how?" she asked.
"I purpose that we make a little side bet. Whoever win's this hand receives a... favor from the other." Her eyes narrowed.
"What kind of favor?"
"Any kind." At her deadpan look he added, "nothing sexual." Kagome smirked.
"I guess I'll just have to think of something else for you to do then, won't I?" Sesshoumaru startled at the flirty response, gave her an uncharacteristic, not to mention dangerous, smile.
"Well, we could add sexual favors to the list if you'd like. I certainly wouldn't mind," he said in a low voice as his eye's roamed her body, making her very aware of the temperature in the room. The jacket she wore wasn't help anything either. But despite all of these variables, she forced herself not to squirm under his gaze, instead tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear.
"No, that's okay. I'll think of something else for you to do for me," she said, acting as if this conversation wasn't making her uncomfortable and making the others wonder what he had told her.
"Alright, if your sure," he said, his smile never wavering.
The rules were simple. You could fold immediatly after getting your two cards and it wouldn't affect the 'favor' but only right after you got the cards. They would still bet with candy; the favor was just given to the winner.
Candy was bet. The bets were raised. The stakes steadily grew till Sesshoumaru finally said 'all in' after seeing the river. (a/n: the fifth and final card) It was time to turn over their hand. There was a three of spades, Ace of spades, jack of diamonds, king of hearts, and an Ace of clubs.
"Now, what will I have you do? Hmmm..." he said to himself.
"Not so fast, Hotshot. We still need to flip over the cards." She turned over her. Her face impassive, yet her eyes danced as she spoke softly. "Four of a kind."
"That is total bullshit," Sesshoumaru said, leaning back in his chair, not taking his eyes off of her hand. Although he put up a front, if you looked closely at his eyes, they didn't exactly look dissapointed. She had been dealt a pair of aces and there was already a pair of aces on the board.
"Wow Sesshoumaru. I never thought you were one for denial." She said, eating a milkyway. 'She looks so happy,' he thought not stopping the corners of the mouth from curling up. 'Tired, but happy,' It was almost one o'clock after all. Inuyasha started laughing, now standing around the poker table with everyone else.
"You got your ass kicked Sesshoumaru!" Sesshoumaru didn't even acknowledge him. He just started to put the cards together. Incidentally his unseen hand was placed on top, not passing Kagome's observations.
"Well that was exciting. Where did you learn how to play Texas Hold'em, Kagome?" Hiten asked.
"Kaede taught me how to play."
"That old hag?" Sango elbowed Inuyasha in the stomach after the words left his mouth.
"That 'old hag' as you put it, is one of the sweetest people in the world." Her words came passionate and uncensored. No one would bad mouth Kaede if she had anything to say about it. "She stayed in a dead end job for seven years Inuyasha. Seven years of her life where she could have been doing anything she desired, but instead she spent it taking care of me. I've never met anyone with such a kind soul as hers. She prepared me for life and I will be eternally grateful for."
"Besides," Kagome said, more upbeat, "how many people do you know that would teach a six year old how to play poker?"
Hiten laughed, "not many." 'How could someone as young as 6 be prepared for life?' Sesshoumaru thought perplexed.
"So Kagome," Sango said, as everyone was walking towards the sitting area. "Tell us about you did before coming to Tokyo U. Yawn You haven't said much about what your life was like before we met you."
"There is not much to tell," she said sitting on the ground. Inuyasha and Hiten took the two recliners and Miroku and Sango sat on the couch. Sesshoumaru lay a few feet away from her, using his hands as a makeshift pillow. All in all, he looked unbelievably comfortable with his eyes closed. Kagome couldn't help but envy him as she felt ever nerve in her body squirm.
"Humor us," Sesshoumaru spoke smoothly, surprising Kagome. It was unusual for him to question anything about her. So not to arouse suspicion, she put together a vague account of what she had done over the years.
"Well until I was seven, I was home-schooled by Kaede. When my father came home, Kaede left and I had my own private tutors. When I got to ninth grade, my father found out I had an interest in business so he sent me to a snobbish private school known for it's "achedemic achievements", where I had virtually no friends," 'make that, none at all' "That year I also learned a lot about my father's company and would usually spend my afternoons hanging out there. In my senior year I was named valedictorian and I gave a speech that was so cliché, I thought I might throw up," she said giggling. "And that's how I ended up here."
By the time she had finished, Inuyasha was already beginning to snore and Sango and Miroku were curled up against each other. Sesshoumaru's eyes were still closed and he made no sound, but she assumed he was asleep by the way his chest rose with each deep breath he took. By the looks of it, she and Hiten were the only ones awake.
They sat in silence, not wanting to wake anyone else up. Kagome noticed the pile of blankets and pillows off to the side. She tiptoed toward the mass of warmth and one by one covered each of her friends. First starting with a fluffy comforter for Sango and Miroku. 'They would make such a cute couple. If only Miroku could keep his hands to himself.' She thought glancing at his hand that was twitching before it settled down again.
'Why is she so kind?' Hiten wondered as he watched her wrap blankets around all of her friends. He forced himself not to grin when he saw Sesshoumaru's slited eyes following her. 'Sesshoumaru needs to realize that you don't meet people like Kagome very often' Hiten could only hope that Sesshoumaru wouldn't push her friendship away.
When she reached Hiten, Kagome tucked him in just as she had done with everyone else, even though he was awake and very capable of doing it himself. Before she could walk away, he grabbed her hand gently and pulled her near.
Whispering low enough so that Sesshoumaru couldn't hear he asked, "Kagome, what do you think of me?" Just because Sesshoumaru was confused about his feeling toward this girl didn't mean Hiten had to be.
"What do you mean?" she replied, equally soft.
"I mean, I still would like to take you out for that cup of coffee sometime." He didn't get the quite the desired effect he was hoping for. She wasn't blushing, nor was she looking flustered. Maybe a bit squeamish, but that might have been his imagination. Little did he know that her flaring cheeks were hidden by layers of bruises and cover up.
"I..." She was about to politely decline when a sudden thought came up. 'What if I never get another date? Wouldn't I like to know what it feels like, just once?' The likely hood of having another opportunity like this was slim to none. "I would love to."
He looked surprised, no more like shocked. It was obvious that he had been expecting her to reject his offer, but then his face broke out into a handsome smile. "Good." 'What would Sesshoumaru do if he found out I was going on a date with Kagome? Probably kill me...'
Saying goodnight, he let his eyes drift close. Kagome glanced back to the pile that had diminished greatly. There was one more blanket left, and a single pillow. She looked back towards the floor. Sesshoumaru still lay in the same position that he had before. Two people, one blanket. She could just imagine what he would say in the morning when he saw that she had the audacity to think it was alright to share anything with the 'great' Sesshoumaru. Kagome chuckled softly just thinking about it. But no, she would give him the blanket and pillow. How selfish would she be to keep it to herself? No, she would give it to Sesshoumaru and spend the night sprawled across the carpet.
'But first things first,' she thought, tiptoeing back towards the card table. 'To find out what his hand was.' She took the top two cards off of the deck, appreciating the intricate blue design on the back for a minute before flipping it over. It was a pair of deuces. 'A pair of DUECES!' her mind screamed. There was absolutely no way that he would have stayed in with a hand that bad. He would have easily folded from the beginning and restart as they had agreed upon. 'No, it must be a mistake,' she thought positively, although she knew that wasn't the case. These were the cards alright.
'Why would he stay in? He knew that there was virtually no chance that he could win.' Kagome was tempted to just wake him up and ask him what the hell this was all about. 'Could it be because he felt sorry for me? No, he wouldn't do that to me. Arggg!' Shaking her head did nothing to clear her mind. Trying to forget ever playing cards she walked over and picked up the pillow and blanket.
Kagome was kneeling at his side, watching him as he slept. He was so angelic, he looked almost... peaceful in a way he never could be while he was awake. She longed to stroke his features with her hands, to memorize every inch by touch. To feel his soft hair that glowed by the light from the fireplace. Kagome let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding and decided not to torture herself further. As gently as she could, she lifted up Sesshoumaru's head, removing his arms and replacing them with the soft, cushiony pillow.
She didn't get a chance to cover him up with the blanket before becoming entranced once more. Biting her lip, she brought her hand up to his face, not quite touching it yet but almost there. 'just this once,' she thought, giving into temptation. Inexplicably excited with anticipation, she slowly closed the gap until she felt his warm flesh. With her finger tip, she drew an invisible line up his cheek and then moved her way down the bridge of his nose. 'So smooth' she thought, brushing her fingers lightly against his jaw.
"Kagome."
She nearly yelped when a hand grabbed her wrist. Golden eyes were staring back at her. "Sorry" she whispered automatically. 'What came over me? I couldn't stop myself...' She pulled her wrist from his clutches and brought the blanket up to his shoulders. 'Wait a minute... did he just say my name?'.
"What are you doing Kagome?" 'He did it again!' She avoided his gaze.
"Tucking you in," she replied softly. He didn't speak until she looked back at him.
"Lay down," he whispered. She looked startled.
"What," he clamped a hand over her mouth lightly.
"You have to be quiet. We don't want to wake anyone." She nodded, and noticed that he let his hand linger before removing it.
"What do you mean?" she asked more calmly then before.
"This is the last blanket. There is no reason why we should both be cold."
"Sesshoumaru," she began, shaking her head.
"Shhhh." He sat up and made her lay down on her back while he wrapped the blanket around them both. 'What is with him tonight?' Kagome thought as he lay down beside her and brought his arm around her waist, so soft that the only way she could notice that it was even there were by the tiny tingly sensation she was experiencing. And the truth was that they weren't exactly painful... He was on his side looking into her eyes while she lay on her back.
"Why did you do it?" she asked.
"Why did I do what?" he asked in his deep, monotone voice.
"Why did you bet on a hand you couldn't win?"
"Maybe I thought I could," Sesshoumaru had been awake the whole time. He knew she had looked at his cards. He knew that she violated his person by touching him so intimately, but despite how he tried, he couldn't bring himself to care. All that he cared about was how happy she looked when she had found out she had won and how warm he had felt when she touched him. Not that he was willing to tell her that. 'What is happening to me?' he wondered, stroking her hair. When he felt her touching him, it was like... electricity was running through his body whenever her fingers came in contact with his body.
"No you... didn't." she said as she drifted off to sleep, safe from her nightmares, in the arms of the emotionless man.
It was 6:30 in the morning when Hiten woke up. He stretched from his seat and glanced around the basement. It looked as though he was the first one awake. 'Wait a minute... When the hell did that happen?' he thought, looking at Kagome cuddled up in Sesshoumaru's arms. She was spooned against his body and Sesshoumaru had his head buried in her fragrant hair.
He had to stop himself from laughing out loud. Perhaps Sesshoumaru isn't such a fool after all. Well, this certainly changes things.
Directions how to play:
In Texas Hold'em, there are two face-down cards for each player and five face-up community cards. The player who makes the best five-card poker hand with any combination of their two face-down cards and the five community cards wins the round. In a Texas Hold'em game, a disc or other marker is used to indicate which person is the "dealer" for the round. There are no antes in Hold'em, instead, forced bets called blinds are used. Before the cards are dealt, the person to the left of the dealer posts a bet called the small blind, which is usually equal to half of the minimum bet. The person to the left of the small blind posts the big blind, which is equal to the minimum bet. The first two cards are dealt to each player face down (these are called the hole cards), and the person to the left of the big blind starts the first round of betting. (Notice that the big blind and small blind do not get to look at their cards before betting, thus the term "blind"). In the first round of betting, each player has three options: call, raise or fold. To call, the player must place a bet that is equal to the last bet placed. (For the first player in the round, this would be equal to the minimum bet.) A player may choose to raise their call bet by an additional amount, which the other players will then have to call. If one's hole cards are not favorable, the player may simply choose to fold and sit out the round. After all the players have finished the first round of betting, the first three community cards are dealt face-up on the board. This is called the flop. The second and all subsequent betting rounds start with the first player to the dealer's left, and players now has the option to check. By checking, the player indicates interest in the pot without placing a bet. Any player may choose to place a bet, which the other players must then call. Players can still raise, if a bet has been made, or fold, if their hand is not favorable. After the second betting round, the fourth community card is dealt face-up (this is called the turn card). In limit games, the minimum bet doubles in the last two rounds of betting. After the third betting round, the fifth and final community card is dealt (this is called the river card). A final round of betting ensues, and afterwards each player turns their hole cards face up. The highest hand that can be made with any combination of a player's hole cards and the five community cards wins the pot. If two or more players have the same hand, the next highest card in the player's hand (the kicker) is used to break a tie. If there is no kicker card (the tied players have used both hole cards, or have the exact same hand), then the pot is split between them. The dealer button is then passed clockwise to the next player and another round of play begins.
Hey everybody! How's it going? I hope you all had a happy 4th of July. Now I have a few things to say about this chapter. It was A) Shorter than I planned. B) seemed kind of repetitive C) the beginning sucked but I thought the rest was okay for the most part. I think I am going to touch this chapter up a bit when I update again. D) Sorry for all the mistakes, I didn't have time to look it over. Right now I am feeling really lazy so this will be a really really short guideline.
Seeing Kagome happy made Sesshoumaru happy.
While she was touching him, Sesshoumaru felt something change.
When it said her nightmares, thats means all of them, not just the ones in her sleep. And Sesshoumaru really isn't emotionless.
Kagome was suffering from the effects of the Medication.
Sesshoumaru was more relaxed in this environment.
Reveiws: Thank you everyone who reviewed. I love the feedback and please remember that I love, no worship constructive criticism!!!
Mirror Maiden: Thank you for reviewing!
ShadowObscurity: I might no have to be honored...but I am. I mean who in their right mind wouldn't be with all the praise you have given me? Your welcome for... thanking you. Lol. In my opinion your humor is intriguing as is your logic. Ciao for now.
Murasaki Hikari: Thank you! Your review was interesting... but I wouldn't have Naraku and Onigumo fall into a pit of starving crocodiles. They would have such terrible stomach aches afterwards...
Erin: lol. Sure
aeroelem: I'm sorry to hear you say that. I really enjoy reading what you think, but it's your choice. However I am glad that you will continue reading Underneath Her Mask. I sincerely hope you enjoy the rest.
Marika: Is Marika your real name? If it is, than that is soooooo cool! I would kill to trade names with you! (not literally...but you get what I mean) My name is way, way, WAY too common. Its Emily by the way.
faithwings: I always thought that jealousy was an interesting emotion but seriously, the people that take it to a psychotic extreme are just nuts, you know? It's good to hear from you again!
shadowed fry: alrighty!
puffin: I'm glad you like it. I'm still trying to determine who will be the more evil of the two...
Why?What?Shutup: LOL! Being eccentric is good, normal people are boring. I myself suffer from being pessimistic to a scary extreme. Hey, maybe that's why my stories are so damn depressing... (wow, talk about a revelation)
Dragon Rae: I'm glad u liked it!
rogue solus: I'm glad you reviewed. It's always nice when you hear from new people.
Blackiecat: I'm glad you liked it! and although your guess wasn't exact, it was freaking close. As for spelling, I try. I get an A for effort, right? ::sheepish laugh::
Defafaeth Mechqua: Thanks for the review!
ioke: Thanks!
baka onna: You bet he is!
Thundergirl: Naraku is 29, Kagome's father is 46.
myinuyasha04: there's nothing quite like the power of drugs. They can either mess u up big time or safe your life. It's hard not to progress the story too fast because if I do than I won't include all the essential elements. It's hard.
Youka, Youko's little vixen: Thank you!
The-piro-16: Thank you! ::tear::
Narye-Ah: Wow, no ones called my story powerful before...