Suki.

I wasn't sure why I was so ready to tell these complete strangers all about my life…maybe it was because I was so sick and tired of being on my own for so long, unable to trust anyone. Also, Rin-sama was very trusting of all of them, and I knew I could trust her, at least. I sighed, and decided I may as well get on with it.

"As you may have noticed, I'm not human either. I was assigned to be the bodyguard of Rin, but I guess you could say I grew to be more of a babysitter and friend. Her mother and father were high upper-class members of our village. So high up they were practically royalty, now that I think about it. It was fine, for the first few decades of Rin's life. She's older than she looks, she just doesn't remember much of her childhood," I added, noting shocked expressions. I continued, "She was only eight when you first found her, Sesshoumaru-sama…sorry, but I've been checking up on her from time to time…anyway, as I said, all was fine for a while. Then we were betrayed, and someone let enemies in through the barrier. The entire village was destroyed, and most of us were killed…Rin's parents included. I got her out of there, but I was wounded badly. By the time I was conscious, Rin was gone. I tracked her down after a couple of years, and managed to piece together what had happened."

I took a breath. This wasn't registering very well, I could tell. Sango and Kagome looked horrified. "Sorry, would you like me to stop?"

"No…continue…" Sango replied as Kagome nodded mutely.

I glanced over at Sesshoumaru, who was silent as always.

"I was tripped over by some lowlife, and Rin fell out of my grasp." I covered my head with my hands. "Rin…might have ended up at some village nearby…"

"The village treated her like shit." Sesshoumaru muttered.

"I know." I replied. "Basically, though, that's the whole story. All I've been doing lately is keeping myself alive and keeping an eye on Rin. But…she's been fine, thanks to you." I added, looking up at Sesshoumaru.

"So…what species…is Rin?" Kagome asked, looking puzzled. "Is she a cat, like you?"

"Me?" I blinked. "I'm not a cat demon."

"What? But you…"

"Sorry. What I meant to say is, I'm not a full cat demon."

"Then what are you, if we might ask?" said…Miroku, I think his name was.

"Rin and I come from a rather…secretive clan..." I replied. What I meant was, I wasn't quite ready to trust them with that information.

"If Rin is a demon, then why doesn't it show?" Inuyasha said, sitting down next to Kagome. "She doesn't smell like it, doesn't look like it…she's human."

"No, she's just young. It's an evolved defensive strategy. When demons of our kind are young, they are masked as humans. She'll start looking and smelling like a demon in time. When she's…hm…about a century old, I think, so she has a while to go yet. I think she'd look to be…twenty, maybe, when this happens."

"How old are you, then?" Kagome blurted out. She looked down. "Um…that was rude."

"No, it's fine. I'm younger than Sesshoumaru-sama, in any case, but I don't know my exact age. I'd say at least seven hundred or so?"

"What!"

I shook my head, trying to get hearing back into my ear.

"Ah, sorry…" Kagome said awkwardly.

"Not a problem…" I murmured. "Anyway, thank you for taking care of me. I should probably get going."

I looked up as Rin ran into the room, followed by a weary-looking Kohaku and Shippo. "Suki-chan, show Kohaku your blades."

"Are you tiring out the boys, Rin-sama?" I said seriously. She looked down at her feet.

"A little…"

"'A little', she says…" muttered Shippo, sitting down with a loud thud.

"Can we play now, Suki-chan?" Rin changed the subject quickly.

I hesitated. I didn't want to impose on her companions, and yet I was already so comfortable here for some reason. However, manners came first. "Sorry, Rin-sama. I must leave now."

"Why?" came the reply. I was surprised to hear more than Rin's voice. I looked around. "Well, I can't stay here…"

"Sure you can, Suki-chan!" Rin said cheerfully. I blinked.

"Rin-sama, Sesshoumaru-sama will…" 'not allow it…'

Rin twisted her head around and upside-down to look at Sesshoumaru-sama. "She can stay, right?"

I could tell what he was thinking. To the humans, his facial expression never changed. But I saw the smallest twitch, and I could tell he was extremely exasperated.

He sighed audibly. "Yes."

"Yay!" Rin ran around the table in circles. She pulled me up and dragged me outside. "Kohaku, Shippo, come on!"

Kagome followed, barely hiding a smile. Inuyasha was close behind her, and Sango and Miroku had no choice in the matter either. 'Don't these people ever…not…be with each other?' Sesshoumaru-sama followed at a more seemingly pace, quietly keeping an eye on Rin for a moment before turning and heading back inside, presumably to tend to more lordly affairs.

Rin led us into a large open field. Dainty white and yellow flowers dotted the grass, and the crisp air was welcoming and refreshing.

She poked me in the side, and skipped away, laughing. I was unsure of what to do, and I realised everyone was running away from me. Rin tugged at my sleeve, and I leant over to allow her to whisper in my ear, "You're 'in' now. You have to tag someone else." And before I could reply, she skipped away, laughing.

I stood and looked around at everyone else. Kagome and Sango joined Rin in their laughter, catching her up and pulling her around the open space. Shippo and Kohaku raced after them. Inuyasha stood quite a way off, grinning, while Miroku gulped, as he was the closest to me.

"This is very undignified…" I muttered, rolling up my sleeves. I ran after Miroku, catching up to him easily.

"No fair!" he protested, trying to get me back. I dodged him and ran up to the others, and he stuck his tongue out at my back. "This is inhumane!" he cried out, trying to run after us.

"No, this is degrading." I called back. But looking around at all the friendly faces, I couldn't help but feel…sort of happy.