Well I was blown away by the review responses, so I have decided to finish this story to the very end. No promises though.
blah blah- - thoughts
Sometimes she really despised this. Sitting with her back abnormally straight listening to a mole with a mustache and glasses describe battle tactics. Why did she take this class again? Oh right- her ongoing annoying interest in ancient weapons and martial art techniques that fell just below an obsessed addiction. Well no, not really. She was just exaggerating again.
Damn it, Nicodemus just had to ask me a question out of the two hundred people here...-
"Miss..."
The stout male glanced at the list located on the worn, slightly chipped clipboard in his hands. The withering professor was dressed in a tacky dusty brown suit. Underneath was a pristine, probably pressed, pristine white collared shirt. A red and white checkered neck tie adorned his neck below the leaves of his collar in a crisp what seemed to be a choking manner. His loafers squeaked as he shifted his weight, a good one hundred kilos, from one to the other. His overweight nature was distracting, but nothing too out of the ordinary. Well, this compared to a small, compacted mass of one of the many white dwarfs that she learned about in her other elective class, studying astronomy.
"Higurashi- when facing a possible attack from behind, what are your first actions to accomplish?"
Said female stood from her previous stiff neck position due to the tight space between the back of the chair and the make shift desk top that flipped over her half her lap. It normally sat connected to the chair by a rolling hinge between her seat and the one next to her. These were to provide a writing surface, but could also be put away if not needed or wanted. Kagome had to lift it up just to get out of her seat. Her aching back, at first, complained about the sudden motion. But after arching her cramped muscles discreetly, the pain subsided to a sore that would once again wreak havoc on her nerves upon sitting back down.
Kagome was not looking forward to that and almost thought about going up the stairs to the back where some students were forced to stand due to the overflow of students in the rather small classroom. Silently, she pondered her answer as she unconsciously alternated chewing on her poor tortured lips. Man, a red letter day. Kagome was both nervous and trying to concentrate. The professor, though brilliant was somewhat foolish, waited watching the girl twist back and forth, moving her hips. The motion was a short, swift sway and her hands tugged and de-wrinkled her blouse. Hataki's dull black eyes were sunk into his cranium, his graying beard and mustache flashed white in certain areas. The lightening tinges gave a silvery appearance becoming almost sickeningly iridescent when caught in the light. One could almost imagine, or hallucinate rather; the glimmering sparkles dancing across the room's high ceiling with his sloth-like movement.
Sango cringed beside her standing friend, it was too much. His name was Hataki Takeshi and currently, as always, his rabbit-like teeth stuck out because his upper lip was always curled in an almost snarling gesture. Yet it remained in silence and in somewhat an amiable expression more than vicious. The room countered that quieted snarl as everyone awaited her response. The heavy weighted air rested on Sango's chest as if the sheer gravity of it held the intention to crack her ribcage and crush the beating organ beneath.
"Backwards jab, with the elbow being bent at a ninety degree angle. Then step one foot back between the attacker's legs, with the foot catching behind the ankle and give a quick shoulder thrust to knock the opposition to the ground."
Kagome said it all in one quick breath as she gently gestured with her hands to emphasize her point. The aging scholar's eyes widened ever so slightly and Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. That is before an amused and pleased smirk tinted on his thin lips, the gleam in his eye was not that unlike that of a hunter just catching his prey. Hataki-dono shifted, arching his curved frame in the reverse direction of his audience towards the large chalkboard who were awaiting, in his imagination with baited breath, the critic's review.
"Ah- Very nice, Miss Higurashi, but one must wonder where this information was acquired...certainly not from my lecture on the second general in command of the Japanese royal recruits, Yukimoto Kito."
The girl, once bored, now stood straighter with her pale, vibrant face draining somewhat of its rosy color that naturally streaked and spread across her cheek bones. Her cherry lips parted in shock, seeing as how she hadn't been paying attention and just answered off the top of her head, before a light blush of embarrassment filled her face with life again. Kagome bit her bottom lip fiercely feeling it throb in complaint and bowed her head forward a tad. The action hid her eyes with her long ebony bangs that brushed her cheeks softly. Normally, during class, she would pinned these annoying suckers back seeing as how they would hinder her sight, but she'd been late today. Therefore she had forgotten to grab the matching burettes resting on her side table by her bed. Hataki-dono stood with one of his hands shoved in his pocket and the other splayed across his engorged abdomen fiddling with one of the silver buttons closing his suit jacket. His normally somber, or rather serious, face was split in the gentlest crooked smile he'd ever shown.
His now shining black eyes showed mirth and pleasure of her obvious discomfort. His usual monotonous, lackluster voice that boomed through the room, injuring ears as he went, with a vengeance, morphed and softened into a coaxing tone. Regardless the timbre was humorous and jubilant because of his long awaited discovery. Finally, he was able to uncover a mind containing knowledge of the past and wasn't trounced with the vogue of the now. But the only question was how...and why?
"Please sit, Miss Higurashi."
Kagome hopped at the chance to release herself from the hypothetical spotlight and class resumed. The accent of Hataki-dono's voice receded back into 'lecture' mode. Kagome covered her heated cheeks with her cool hands soothing the burn of humiliation. With a sigh, her tense shoulders went lax and she righted the slightly ruffled papers on her now replaced flip-top desk. But remarkably, Kagome was much more content and at ease like she just lifted a burden from her body. Was it because of her teacher's attempt, a very successful one at that, to find those who weren't paying attention? The tired girl did have the opportunity to stretch her once burning muscles that were now pulsing with a soothing relief. The result contradicted her earlier assumptions that her back's state would relapse back into the stiff vertical posture once reseating herself.
For once Kagome allowed herself to slump over the thin desktop to lean on her arms. Posture was a large endeavor and a necessary habit, especially for her beloved activity that she dedicated a good deal of her free time to- archery. Yes, you wouldn't think archery would depend on posture and that this aspect was more expected in a kendo class. But a lot of people overlooked the effort that archery took and all the time that one was required to put into it. Kagome prided herself with her talent. It was one of the few things she loved and cherished.
Archery was one of her best traits because in these modern times, such traditional necessities had become only interesting pastimes. Growing up on a shrine, the 'sport' was very important to her and held a historical meaning. All of her ancestors were expert archers, it was in her blood, and Kagome made sure to hold her head high when undertaking the activity.
"Nice one, Kag."
Kagome looked at Sango, a bored look permeating her eyes turning them a solitary blue for once. Then the girl smacked her friend on the arm causing Sango to pull away from her. But Sango had happened to knock into the shoulder of her neighbor in the next seat over. The still smiling Sango was about to turn around to apologize graciously when she felt something strange.
I wonder…?
