Kagome stretched underneath her cozy blankets, relishing one of those rare mornings where she awoke in her time. No people to comfort, no people to baby, no people to cook for: just her and her sleep. She let out a satisfied groan as a contented look graced her features. With half-lidded eyes, she swung her legs over her bed. The bright sun was high in the cloudless sky; she'd slept in again. She heaved herself off of her bed and trudged into the hallway, on her way to the washroom. She performed her usual morning routine before grabbing some cash, and heading downstairs to rummage for some food.
"I don't know where. Probably in the store. It's just not as popular as pop music, that's all." Voices drifted form the kitchen.
"Would Kagome know?"
"Perhaps. I've always preferred country."
"The landmass with political barriers?"
Kagome entered the room to find Sesshomaru and her mother seated at the table. He looked less on guard--relaxed, even--in Ms. Higurashi's presence. Then again, she had a way with making people feel comfortable. She sat beside him, talking casually to the demon with a cheerful spark in her eyes.
"Good morning!" Greeted her mother. "Look who's finally risen from the dead."
Sesshomaru visibly stiffened at Miya's last words. "She is like Kikyo, then?"
Kagome rolled her eyes. "Figure of speech."
The demon huffed. Something was different about him… "You aren't wearing your armor." Kagome observed.
"It was not necessary." He said flatly. Kagome smiled a little at that.
He drew himself up, and floated over to her side. She was rummaging through the fridge, bent at what looked like a very uncomfortable position. Finally she straightened up with a triumphant grin, apple in hand.
"Kagome."
She started in shock: Sesshomaru was standing an inch away from her. He leaned a bit closer to her; so close that their breath intermingled and Kagome was glad she'd brushed her teeth. His entire posture was stiff, like a cat ready to pounce.
"What?" She tried to think of the apple in her hand; not the demon's bright eyes.
"We will go out today."
She nodded quickly. His intensity was making her nervous.
"When we go out," he continued, "You will take me to a store that sells portable… devices. You will give me songs that I can hear in my era. Then, we will go to a library and look at other human arts."
A moment passed. Kagome's apple was slick with sweat. "It that all?"
He withdrew his body with a rush of wind; before Kagome could blink he was seated next to her mother. "Yes."
Kagome set the apple down on the counter and clapped her hands together. "Alright! I can do that!" Sesshomaru seemed mildly amused at her enthusiasm. She bit a sticky chunk out of her apple, then wormed into her fall jacket. She murmured a quick 'goodbye momma' before padding out the front door.
"We can not use the automobile?" Sesshomaru swished through plies of darkening leaves as he slid down the path by her side.
Kagome swallowed her apple chunk, coughing a little as a piece scraped her throat. "Car." She grated out.
"Pardon?"
She took another large bite and responded to him while chewing, unknowingly providing him with flashes of white, mushy piles in her mouth. Sesshomaru backed away a step. "I know it said 'automobile' in the book." She munched loudly. "But nowadays, we call it a 'car'."
"Is that normal as well?"
"What?"
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. "Eating while conversing."
Kagome's skin burned red as she snapped her mouth closed. As a second thought, she tossed the half-eaten apple into a ditch. "No. It's considered rude, actually."
Thankfully Sesshomaru spared her his taunting. Instead, he asked again why they couldn't take the car.
Kagome frowned and kicked a burgundy plop of foliage, quite forcefully. "I don't have my license."
"What requirements must you meet before being granted the right to drive a car?"
Her feet dragged along the pavement. "You have to take a test." She huffed and sulked for another step. "And be eighteen."
"You are not yet of age?"
"I'm nineteen."
Sesshomaru's eyes scanned dark branches cross-crossing above their heads. The morning sun beat down on the pavement. Gently, the soft breeze swayed the gnarled, naked trees. Nineteen--these young plants were older than her!
"Do you enjoy the Fall?" He rumbled.
Kagome's windbreaker flapped in the air's cool currents. "I don't know." His random question had taken her off-guard, so she ended up spouting the first feeling that rose to her mind. "It's sort of sad, I find."
"The approaching winter saddens you?"
Her eyes traced glittering frost lining dead grass. "Yes."
"Because the earth dies?"
Kagome nodded.
Sesshomaru tried to remember when he didn't like winter. It was always just 'there', like everything else. He felt no emotions towards the weather. Perhaps it was a human attribute; maybe he was simply too old. "At least you feel saddened."
Her gaze followed the lines of Sesshomaru's profile. "What's worse than being sad?" She asked.
Sesshomaru's pale eyes rose to watch the sun in the sky. "Feeling nothing."
Kagome swallowed and looked at the ground, unsure of what to say. She decided to switch topics. "So I'm of age, but I don't have time to get a license. What's the point anyway, when I'm in your era all the time?"
Sesshomaru didn't respond. She took that as meaning that their conversation had ended, so she focused on the path ahead. They were nearly at the street. She wondered how he would react to a cars streaming around him.
He stopped before the concrete river. With one heavy, cautious step, he commenced his walk across the road.
It took two and a half seconds before a car almost barreled into him. With not a moment to spare, he leapt away from the skidding vehicle. Kagome's stomach dropped; she looked below her to see little gray squares in a dark grid. The city spread beneath her feet.
"Sesshomaru! Land, now!" She wrapped her limbs a tighter around him. Without his armor she felt his muscles contract and stiffen as he leapt into the sky. His slow heartbeat drummed against her chest. "Someone will see us!"
His wary eyes dropped to the city below them. "It is not safe."
Kagome twitched in impatience. "God, not even Inuyasha reacted this badly! It was only a car!"
The air pummeled into her body, and then they were on sturdy ground. Blue skies stretched in every direction. He'd landed on top of a high-rise.
"Do not compare me to Inuyasha, and I will not compare you to Kikyo." His body was stiff, his tones angry.
Kagome decided that a compromise was reasonable. "Alright. But only if you tell me you're going to lift me up before you go flying around."
"Agreed. I will lift you up now."
Her stomach lurched again, and before she could gasp they were on solid ground.
"I meant ask, not tell me."
Sesshomaru's silence was drowned out by the sounds of a busy street. They were on a sidewalk, surrounded by people. Curious people. All looked at the odd pair out of the corners of their eyes, apparently too shy to approach the strange couple. Cars streamed past the sidewalk; Sesshomaru held in a cough. A few vehicles beeped their horn at the taiyoukai as they swooped past.
"So, this is the city!" Kagome peered up and tried to gauge his reaction.
Sesshomaru seemed to be trying not to gag. The smell of his place—car fumes, chemicals, and too many humans. It seeped into his throat and made his lungs ache.
"Are you okay?" Kagome asked, concerned.
"Your city reeks." He stated plainly.
"Oh." Kagome took a lungful of air, but only detected faint car fumes and the smell of autumn. "I'll take your word for it."
He seemed to have moved past the smell, and was following the lines of people marching down the pavement. Nearly every one pretended that he didn't exist after sneaking a glance in his direction.
"They fear me?"
Kagome dodged a briefcase and squished herself up against the sturdy demon, trying to avoid getting swept away in the tide of people. "I think they think you're crazy."
A child lagged behind his parents, transfixed on the exotic, white-haired man. His mother gasped and jerked his hand away from the demon, shooting Sesshomaru a dirty look.
"What shall we do to remedy this?" He asked her.
She observed the smooth lines of his face, punctuated by his markings. "We need to use makeup and cover your marks." Her eyes drifted to his choppily-cut hair, glimmering golden in the sunlight. It hung over halfway down his back like a silken bulls-eye. "Your hair. We need to either cut it shorter, or tie it back. We should dye it a darker colour. We could get contacts—human devices that stick onto your eyes—to change you eye colour. Your fangs and ears, though, we can't do anything about. I suppose we could cut or file down your claws. And clothes! You need some twenty-first century gear."
He glared at her. "I will not stick human machines into my eyes. Nor will I coat my hair or skin in your chemicals."
"How about you just put some makeup on, then? We could just tie your hair back and buy you some sunglasses." Kagome latched onto his shirt and started dragging him towards the nearest mall.
"Sunglasses?" The crowds of people parted before them.
"Opaque glasses that darken sunlight, so that it doesn't hurt your eyes."
"And bright sunlight injures human eyes?"
"Yeah." Kagome skipped over a curb and jogged through revolving doors. Sesshomaru glided behind her, his flowing robes swishing over the tile entrance. People openly stared as the odd couple wove in-between food-court tables. "Doesn't this place smell better?" Kagome tried to fill in the gaping silence.
The sharp stench of disinfectant clawed up Sesshomaru's nose. "No. What is that chemical smell?"
Kagome paused before a lit-up map with a listing of stores, sorted by category. "Probably cleaner."
The plastic-scented sign was irritating Sesshomaru's throat. "Do most human dwellings use cleaner?"
Kagome nodded while skimming over store titles. "Almost all. My house is an exception—we stopped using chemicals after Inuyasha nearly fainted. Mom had just polished the table… There!" She smiled widely and pointed down a hallway lined with shops. "We go down there, take a left, and then we're at the drugstore!" She marched confidently ahead of him.
Once they were inside the store Sesshomaru found himself craving the sun and pure outdoors. How could humans live confined inside a metal world? Kagome wandered off and started browsing through a wall of shiny products. Mirrors glared at him from every alcove. So many things everywhere; this city was so cluttered! A few human females drifted in between rows of shelves, pausing to give him odd looks whenever they passed near him.
"Sesshomaru!"
He walked to her side. She was leaning over an array of peach-toned things with a frustrated frown on her face. Another human female—a few years younger than Kagome, by the look of it—stood by her side. She was wearing a dark apron, and peering at him from under yellow bangs. "You're looking for some cover-up?" She gave him a confused look.
Kagome whipped around and spoke for him. "He partied last night and got some bad tattoos. We're going to my sister's wedding today, so we'll need some cover-up before his laser-removal appointment."
The girl nodded a little, not looking completely convinced that he wasn't psychotic.
"The wedding's in medieval-themed, so that's what the robes are about." Kagome bumbled around for reasons as to why Sesshomaru looked like… well… Sesshomaru. "And your eye infection's looking better today, darling!" She wrapped her fingers around his and shot him a meaningful look.
The salesgirl appeared slightly more at-ease with the demon. She smiled warmly at the couple. "Alright. So… maybe 'ivory' would suit you." The girl held up a cream-coloured card to his skin. She frowned at the paper. "It's too dark. Hm. Perhaps 'fair ivory'?" She flipped another card up to his face. "No…" She sighed and procured another coloured slip. "This is our Whitetest—'light ivory.' She smiled at him. "There! We have it!" She rifled through rows of makeup until she found a thick concealer stick. She passed it to Kagome, and then excused herself after pointing them towards the cashier's counter.
Waiting in line, Kagome eyed rows of hair dye wistfully. "Can't you just try it, Sesshomaru?"
"Does it wash off?"
"No. At least, it wouldn't on you. Your hair is too light." She shuffled forwards.
"I do not want any human substances on my head that will not wash out."
Kagome shrugged and conceded the battle.
Once they left the store Kagome led Sesshomaru into the women's washroom.
"Is this not for females?"
Kagome shrugged and struggled to open the package. Sesshomaru shredded it with his claws. He looked around and fought the urge to bolt out of the empty room. His head swam with the putrid scent of human waste smothered in human chemicals.
"You just roll up the stick." Kagome demonstrated. "And then you put it on your skin." She trailed a pale line overtop her forehead, and then handed the cover-up to him. He peered at himself in the mirror as she rubbed the makeup off of her skin. His hair hung just above the counter.
"Do you like your hair?" she asked.
"Hm." He didn't seem to care either way. Clawed fingers wrapped around the stick and slid it over his face. A red stripe disappeared. The makeup caked and cracked, but it would have to do. He buried his other facial lines, then the ones on his wrists. Kagome watched him shut his eyelids and draw clear lines over slim red marks. At last he blanketed the moon. Stepping back, he surveyed himself in the streaky mirror.
"You look more human," Kagome observed. She didn't like it; he seemed too bare.
Sesshomaru stood stiffly, staring at his unfamiliar face. "When I was a child," he murmured flatly, "I once cut off my markings."
Kagome's eyes widened as she took in his blunt, personal statement. "Why?"
"My father died. I looked like him; yet I am not him. I thought that it was the markings that mislead people."
"Oh." Inuyasha had told her that his father died, but she didn't know it was while Sesshomaru was still young. "How old were you when he died?"
"My young teens, perhaps. I'm not sure of which exact year." His eyes hadn't left his human face.
"Did you become the new Lord right away?"
Sesshomaru turned away from his reflection. He walked away from Kagome, towards the washroom door. "There was no one else."
Kagome didn't know what to say, so she kept quiet and let the silence fill the gap.
Ten minutes later they were standing before the 'menswear' section of an outlet store. Sesshomaru stood stiffly before the rows upon rows of foreign clothing. Kagome felt the fabric on a pair of pants. "What size are you?" she asked while tugging on a label.
"Nine and a half hand spans down, seven across."
Kagome tugged a pair off of a rack. "Whose hand spans?"
"Whoever is measuring my garments. I look at their hands, then adjust my calculations. Your hands are small."
"Hm." Kagome held up a pair before him and squinted, her tongue poking out of her mouth. "Why don't you try on these and tell me how they fit?"
Sesshomaru started undoing his sash.
"No! Not in here!" Kagome went beet red.
His hands dropped. "Is this not a clothing store?"
"Yes, but..." She stuffed the pants into his arms and turned him towards the changing rooms. "You dress in there."
Sesshomaru drifted behind the mirrored door only to emerge ten seconds later, confused. He marched over to Kagome and gestured to his zipper. "What does one do with this contraption?"
Kagome looked at her feet with wide, horrified eyes. "You pull it up. It's called a zipper."
She heard a 'zip', and Sesshomaru's foot tapping against the cold floor. "I am clothed."
Kagome glanced up to see him sporting a pair of black dress pants with his white undershirt. They fit nicely with the exception of the cuffs, which rode a few centimeters above his ankles. Kagome decided that they'd do. "Alright! Now we need to get you a shirt."
"What is wrong with this one?"
She looked over the sleeveless silk top. It seemed to be a cylinder with some holes in it; not a properly fitting garment. "It isn't the style that people wear in this era."
Sesshomaru didn't respond, which she took as a 'yes'. So after a few more minutes, Sesshomaru walked out of the store swathed in a pale, long-sleeved cotton shirt and black pants. The stares weren't as noticeable as they were before.
"Are you sure you don't want a few more pairs?"
Sesshomaru carried his silky robes in his arms as he gracefully side-stepped a toddler. "Why would I need more clothing than I can wear?"
Kagome shrugged, figuring that taiyoukai don't sweat, or smell, or do anything otherwise human that would dirty their clothes.
He paused before an open store. "Are sound devices sold here?"
'Electronics plus!' decorated the entrance. Gizmos of every kind lined the walls. Lights and screens blinked on and off. Sesshomaru walked into the store and approached a middle-aged man seated behind a counter. Kagome stuck like glue to his side.
"I require a mechanism that emits sound." Kagome concentrated on not covering her face in embarrassment.
The man looked at the demon before him with a wide frown. He pushed up his glasses and squinted his eyes. "Are you English or something?"
Kagome nudged him, so Sesshomaru nodded slowly, his head held high. "Yes. I hail from England. Do you have a sound-making device?"
The man scratched his eyebrow. "Do you mean a CD player?"
"CD's are the flat, circular discs?"
"Sure are. Are you sure you're from Europe?"
Kagome nodded for him. "I think we can find a CD player on our own. Thanks for your help." She dragged Sesshomaru by his wrist into an aisle.
"You do not need to touch me so often." He glared pointedly at his wrist.
"Sorry." Kagome mumbled. She let go of his skin and focused on the CD players lining the walls. "Here." She pulled a relatively cheap-looking one off he shelf and handed it to Sesshomaru. "It needs electricity to run, so I'll buy you some batteries."
"And what when the batteries run out?"
Kagome shrugged. "I don't know. Find me and I'll buy you some more."
He nodded, content with the agreement. "I now require a CD."
Starting towards the counter, Kagome remembered not to touch him; just trust that he was following behind her. It was odd not to hear his robes swishing in her wake. She paid (purchasing batteries as well), then led him to a music store.
Sesshomaru wandered through the layers of square, plastic packages. So much music! He didn't know there could be so many songs made up of so few instruments.
"Here." Kagome handed him a CD entitled 'Pachabel.' She scooped up 'Bach', 'Beethoven', 'Tchaikovsky', 'Chopin', 'Baroque', 'Hayden', and 'Brahms'. Sesshomaru recognized none of the names. She snagged a 'greatest eighties hits', just for kicks. As she paid she muttered something about 'bank account'.
They slid out of the store, bags in hand. "Where to now?" Kagome asked. "Do you want some sunglasses?"
Sesshomaru thought of all the knowledge this era held. His eyes brightened; he was excited for the first time in years. "A library."
Sesshomaru smiled. Not a sarcastic smile. Not a maniacal smile. Not a condescending smile. His eyes narrowed in a purely happy expression, and his lips spread so wide that the tips of his sharp fangs protruded. Kagome felt a swell of warm pride. She'd led him to the library.
He stood still at the entrance, his elegant arm resting on a smooth, dark wood shelf. His pretty eyes took in the rows and rows of books. "How many?" He asked. His sharp vision didn't stray from the paper volumes.
"I don't know. Thousands here, maybe. You've read about the printing press?"
Sesshomaru was drawn towards the books like a magnet. Even without his voluminous robes he seemed to float on air, drifting like a cloud. "I read of it." He reached out for the closest book and drew it to him, opening up a random page. "I have a library in my castle." He added offhandedly.
"Yeah?" Kagome bounced to his side. She snuck a peak over his shoulder—he was reading the dictionary.
His claws skimmed over a yellowed page, pausing at each unfamiliar word. The smell of paper was a refreshing change.
"How big is your library?" Kagome pried into any personal information. She knew so little of the demon!
Sesshomaru felt content, amidst the sounds of pages turning and voice whispering. The metallic streets seemed a million days away. He flipped over page, observing the fold of the sheets; the thick cloth binding; the small, perfect print. "My library is small." He breathed into the pages. "The books are handwritten. My father wrote most." He snapped the volume shut and placed it back on the shelf.
"Have you ever written a book?"
"Many." Sesshomaru explored the library with clear eyes. It was a modern building, large and organized. The large windows and soft carpets led to a comfortable, open air. Thick chairs sat near streamlined tables.
"What do you write books on?"
Sesshomaru scanned shelf titles: biography, non-fiction, fiction… "What is fiction?"
Kagome hung onto her question. "What do you write books on?"
"Various topics. War strategies, medicinal plants, weapons manuals." He sauntered over to a shelf and traced the spine of a novel with his fingers. "What is fiction?"
"Stories that aren't true."
Sesshomaru stilled at that. "Humans write of lies?"
"I suppose so, yes."
He narrowed his eyes. "What is the point of that?"
Kagome's mouth faltered, halfway between open and shut. She wasn't sure how to answer that. She forced herself to wait and gather the thoughts strewn around her head. "Do you know myths?"
An angry look flashed across his face, and for a moment Kagome thought he would strike her. Her fear faded quickly; she reminded herself that he'd been gentle. "Of course I know myths. I am not idiot."
"Well, don't they have points?"
He saw the connection and nodded his head once in her direction. "So fiction books are myths."
"Yep."
Sesshomaru picked up a book. "I would like to read a fiction." He peered at the title: To Kill a Mockingbird. "What is the story in this book?"
Kagome shrugged. "It's quite a famous novel, but I've never read it."
Sesshomaru pocketed the book. "I will read it then."
"You can't just take it!" she screeched.
"Why not?"
Kagome remembered who she was talking to. "Well, I supposed you can."
"Excuse me?" A raspy voice interjected.
They turned to see an elderly woman carrying a small armload of books. "Would you please quiet down?"
Kagome smiled and nodded; Sesshomaru glared. The woman drifted out of their sight.
"Have human visual arts advanced as well?" Sesshomaru stood straight and still, peering down at Kagome. She couldn't help but notice that his new shirt was more form-fitting that anything she'd ever seen him in.
"What do you find so fascinating about my chest?"
Kagome sputtered and felt her skin flame red. "Uh… that shirt looks good on you?" 'Well that sounded intelligent.' She mentally kicked herself.
"You find me attractive." He specified.
She wasn't sure whether to hate him for his arrogance, or hate him for his straightforwardness. She decided to hate him for being him. Mortified, she didn't address his statement. "What did you ask about art?"
"You have forgotten already?"
Kagome huffed and stamped her foot onto the carpeted floor. The muffled 'thump' drew a few irritated looks. "I didn't forget! I just didn't hear."
Sesshomaru raised his eyebrows in a mocking expression. "Oh, you didn't hear. Perhaps I should write it out?"
She was tired of him making her feel inferior. At that point she was torn between walking away and striking him. He puffed out his chest and shot an amused look in her direction. Impulsively, she kicked him jerkily in the shin.
For a terrifying moment, she thought that he would claw her foot off. Instead he took in her abuse with a small quirk of his eyebrow. "Your best shot?"
Kagome blew up in his calm and sarcastic face. "You are a jerk, Sesshomaru. Find your own damn books!"
He was just about to open his mouth and respond when they felt it. Kagome started at the familiar aura appearing so close so suddenly; Sesshomaru wrinkled his nose and stood slightly in front of the human. A second later a pink blur smashed open the heavy door and shattered the peaceful silence of the library. Confused citizens fled; some stayed and stared, open mouthed, as the blur materialized to reveal a hanyou stalking towards the tall, beautiful demon. Pages scattered around the air, fluttering in his wake.
"Inuyasha! You promised!" Kagome slid around Sesshomaru's defensive form and ran to meet her lover. She fought to keep the hot swell of angry tears in her throat. "You promised! God, you're making a scene! We need to get out of here before the police…" She faltered when she saw his face.
He was scared. Eyebrows knit together in panic framed wild, frightened eyes. "We need your help."
Sesshomaru stayed still in the background. "Why do you require my guide's assistance?"
Inuyasha balked a bit at seeing his brother dressed like a human. Blinking away, he reminded himself not to get distracted. He couldn't afford a fight. He focused on Kagome, on her anxious, beautiful face. He watched it crumble as he spoke his next words.
"Kaede's dying."
