THE STYLES HAVE FALLEN

by Alecto

"I think I'll pick that one." Kagome pointed to the green yukata behind the market stand.

Earlier that day Shippou had been practicing kitsune-bi and had accidentally torched the front of Kagome's blouse. The young miko was unharmed, but the top half of her school uniform was unwearable. She'd borrowed Inuyasha's red haori to wear and was currently in a village with the rest of the travel party buying new clothing.

"What's with you and green? Pick the red one." Inuyasha demanded.

"I can't pick the red one, that's your color."

"Why does it matter?" The hanyou asked. "Red's a damn good color."

"Because if we're all wearing red we'll look like Santa's elves or something!"

"Whatever." Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"What about this one, Kagome-sama." Miroku was referring to a lovely, white yukata with a light pink obi. Kagome took a closer look. See-through.

Kagome glared. "Hentai."

"Here's an orange one." Shippou said.

Kagome made a face. "Eww."

"What's wrong with it?" Sango inquired.

"Orange is a barfy color." Kagome replied. (A/N: It is!)

Inuyasha drew his eyebrows down. "We're gonna be here all day."

"Just go with your first choice." Sango suggested.

"I can't. Because Inuyasha doesn't want me to wear green."

"Keh. Just hurry up and get your stupid clothes."

"Fine. Fine." Kagome turned to the salesperson behind the stand. "I'll take the green yukata with the pink obi."

"That will be two dolla!" The salesperson said. (A/N: Yeah. Yeah. I know it's yen. I just felt like making someone say 'dolla'.)

"Uh-oh." Kagome sweatdropped. "I don't have any money."

"Then no clothes for you!" The salesperson shouted.

"Ahem." Miroku stepped forward. "I'll handle this. Excuse me kind sir but—Omigod! It's a giant chicken!" The houshi pointed somewhere randomly with wide eyes.

The salesperson's head turned towards the direction he was pointing so fast he could've gotten whiplash. "Oo! Where!"

Miroku grabbed the clothes. "Run!"

Inuyasha and friends somehow made it to the other side of the village where Kagome found a secluded area to change clothing.

"Sooo, how do I look?" Kagome did a pirouette.

"Like every other woman in this damn village."

"You look nice."

"Absolutely beautiful."

"That yukata really suits you."

"You look like a tomato!"

All turned and stared at the one who had given the last opinion with raised eyebrows. It was an old man, blind judging by the opaque, milky eyes he had.

"How the hell would you know?" Inuyasha inquired angrily. "You're blind!"

"Too late!" the old man shouted. "You'll never catch me! Hahaha!" And with that, he sped off down an alleyway between two huts.

Miroku stared. "That…was really weird."

Sango nodded. "You said it."

Kagome was looking around at the village females walking near her. "Inuyasha's right. I do look like everyone else wearing this stupid thing."

Miroku sidled over to Inuyasha "There really is no variety in clothing and hair styles around here. Or anywhere else we go."

Inuyasha was staring at someone. "I swear I've seen that girl in the past four villages we've been to. Except in one of them she got eaten by a demon."

Miroku closed his eyes and shook his head. "Oh how the styles have fallen."

(A/N: I laughed while typing this. In the mangas you'll notice that Rumiko often draws the same village women several times in different villages. And in village scenes where bandits have grouped together all of the females, random girls are added and taken from the mix every few panels. And everyone has the same freakin' hairstyle! That, my friends, drives me crazy.)