blah blah answering message
Sesshoumaru stretched his arms over his head before tucking them underneath to act as a pillow. But he then removed one to smooth over the black head of hair resting against one side of his chest. The warm body was snuggled close with one arm gripping the cotton cloth of his tee shirt in one tiny fist. A miniscule smile slipped passed his steel exterior as the petite person pulled closer to his much larger frame in an attempt to keep the awakening consciousness at bay. But the stunning, yet still somewhat sleepy timbre, brought the young girl from her pleasant dreams.
"Rin…it is time to awake."
"Hai,
Sesshou-otousan. Ahh."
Rin had sat up and was now stretching her sleep-induced frame. Rin made a yawning sound at the end of her sentence and was a quirk Sesshoumaru found he liked. His little girl arched her back first and stuck her pink tongue out of her mouth before smacking her lips together. She looked like a dog licking its jaws before breakfast. Rin crawled into his lap running her hand curiously as always over the black satin slacks covering his legs. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at her. Every time the girl had a nightmare she would run to his bed and sleep the remainder of the dark enraptures in his arms. Then in the morning, she would cinch his pant leg as if trying to decipher the fabric's origins. It was bizarre, but then that was part of Rin's innate charm.
Sesshoumaru entered the kitchen with his precious bundle in his arms. He then rotated the placid child to latch onto his back like the monkey she was. Rin turned her head sideways to lie in against the back of his shoulder. Her cabbage patch arms hung loose around this neck and Sesshoumaru supported her on one arm.
The male opened the cabinets to pull out a frying pan. As he did this, Rin noticed from her perch on his broad shoulders that the lights were still off. She reached behind her and leaned out from the muscle mass she was clinging to. Her arm stretched out just far enough to flick the switch, but it took to tries since her fingertip slipped off the first time. Sesshoumaru squinted his eyes when felt her lean away and was rewarded with the dim light that his eyes could get used to. Little by little the golden orbs opened wider until fully viewed by the kitchen atmosphere. Soon fish could be smelled as it crackled in the oil on the stove. The rice was cooking and water boiling for tea.
Rin smiled. Another day beginning with her Sesshou-otou was a good day.
-.- -.o -.- o.- -.- o.o
Kagome fell into her mattress. The elevator was busted again. At least a hundred steps were conquered today. The scraping of her crutches and the taps of her shoes echoed against the walls of the enter staircase. No one in her building, all college students, would be up this early, except for Koharu, Nazuna, and Ayame who seemed to be up all the time. Koharu and Nazuna were both twenty with Ayame being the oldest. Ayame was twenty; she had the brightest red hair and greenest eyes. She actually reminded Kagome much of Shippou.
Kagome kicked the one crutch that during her fall had just ended up sitting halfway on the low bed with her. It clattered and skid next to its twin on the wooden planks. The weary girl sighed. It had been a long morning and an even longer car ride. Apparently Kouga, ironically, was the main singer for the band Deisui Pirania. This was the band whose insignia rested on that stupid plastic sign of Shippou's door. What would the kid say if he knew that Kagome was in the singer's z3?
"Heh, he'd blow a gasket."
Kagome rolled over looking at the light that filtered through the blinds pulled down over her window. They were made out of cut pipes of bamboo and were a pale yellowish green. One was rolled up all the way and was curled into a cylindrical shape sitting at the top of her window. The light fell down in stripes and turned her buffed floor into a zebra of highlights. With a groan, Kagome pulled her dead body out of the too comfortable bed to stumble into the kitchen. Her answering machine's red eye was blinking signifying that there was a message. No doubt after her quick exit, there were several, but most from Shippou. Sango probably saw him as well and knew to give Kagome some space. He was always a touchy subject.
Kagome didn't feel like making her normal breakfast and it was definitely cold in her apartment. But being a college student living in the ever-expensive Tokyo city, even in the smaller part, Kagome couldn't exactly afford a heating bill yet. Plus she didn't want to bother her mother for anymore money that she was already getting. Kagome had received a pretty good sized scholarship, but even with the lessened tuition her family was struggling to make ends meet.
She felt guilty and wanted to get a job. Kagome had planned on getting one if this internship fell through, but now that she was accepted everything would be okay. So many people wanted to apply because not only were the three companies that were possible to enter into were among the largest and most successful in the world, but interns were paid. That was rare in itself, for pay to be issued to intern students. So to balance this out, it was even more difficult to be accepted and much was expected from you if you were.
The female clicked the button to her machine and as expected Shippou's frantic voice screamed across the bare apartment.
Kagome! Ka-chan, are you there?! Why did you leave? I thought you were going to take me home! Please, please call me back, okay? Oh and Kagome…YOU BETTER CALL ME BACK! OR…or else…?
Kagome chuckled as the next voice message was heard. It was some telemarketer advertising washing machines or something. She couldn't be sure for it was deleted after five seconds. The next three consisted of Shippou with two being last night and one more this morning. It was actually only about thirty minutes ago.
"Hmm…well I should call him…after breakfast."
Kagome giggled and opened her fridge only to groan.
"Guess it's time to go grocery shopping."
Kagome grabbed a cup of ramen instant noodles from a drawer designated just for this product.
"After all, it is a college student's best friend!"
Kagome settled herself on the floor and switched on her computer. Her buddy list was full with popping screen names as people logged on and off. In just a few weeks, she had gained many friends in all her classes. She wasn't exactly social, but people just seem to be attracted to her. It would be unsettling if it bothered her.
Kagome put on her away message, one of her favorite poems, and grabbed her ramen from the microwave. She was about to sit down in front of the TV when the phone rang. Kagome knew who it was without even having to check the caller id.
"Moshi
moshi. Ohayou, Sango-chan."
"Uh…Ohayou. Daijoubou desu ka?"
"Hai…Daijoubou. Sorry I worried you."
"Have you called
Shippou yet?"
Kagome laughed at the suspicion in Sango's voice and that laugh made Sango smile into the phone.
"But
I will now, okay?"
"Sure, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Oh
right, our ancient techniques class. So how many times did Miroku ask
you out?"
"Only…23…"
The two laughed again before sharing farewells and hanging up.
Sango set her phone onto the hook. Maybe Kagome was healing. Maybe she was okay after all. Maybe she worried for nothing…but with Kagome you never know. That look last night was identical to the all those nights Sango found her…bleeding openly on the floor. That same lost, hopeless, breaking look. It wasn't seen on a person who was simply suicidal, but on someone who'd fully given up on life. These people saw their own existence as worthless. Just like a piece of paper that was soaked through. Their life was the smeared and washed away ink of that parchment.
They would wander around with their eyes soulless looking ahead, but not really seeing anything passed their own little world. In this world are their fears, guilt, and shames flashing repeatedly behind those eyes like a slow motion picture…with no sound. Only emotion, their pain and sadness, filters down to encase their entire body with a sickness with the only cure is death. But most would rather live and bear this curse as punishment for some deed that, in most cases, wasn't their fault or something they couldn't control, but they are still consumed by the outcome that they blame themselves. It is a vicious cycle because their soul wants…screams to get better, to feel okay again, but is unable because of the heady weight from their past. Kagome was one of many and like those many others did not realize it. Someone else, usually a loved one, could help to heal them…but Kagome never let anyone that close. That was the reality of her curse and her heart hidden away where no one could penetrate it.
-.- o.o 0.0 o.o 0.0 -.-
"I'm really sorry Shippou. I don't know what came over me. I just didn't feel very well."
"Okay, but you didn't
need to just walk out like that. You should have said goodbye."
"I
know, Gomen…"
"I was worried!"
"I know…"
"No!
No you don't!"
"Shippou…?"
Shippou had run off, leaving Kagome behind. And deep beneath, you could almost hear the crack as another piece was torn from its place forming the whole of Kagome's heart. But no tears watered her eyes; no emotion was seen besides a sad smile following a morbid thought.
-I deserved that.-
The woman looked off at the sprinting figure slowly fading into the distance and turned walking back farther into the park away from her apartment. The trees grew larger shading the path at her feet where her gaze was directed watching the rocking movement of her crutches. The light of the sun grew dimmer with its setting beneath the horizon. The natural mammoths of nature towered over her head morphing into moonlit skeletons casting ripples of lines across the dirt way. But Kagome saw none of this; she saw nothing but the fallen figure in front of her as well as the group around her.
Wide eyes regarded the abuse highlighted by the gap in the trees and a possessed halo of light beaming down from the reddening moon surrounding the vicious smirks and glowing eyes of the males.
-.- . -.- . -.- .
Sesshoumaru walked into the dark apartment. He had to go into work for a few hours, even on a Sunday, because of some problem with the stocks. An anonymous buyer was sucking up numerous amounts of Taka Tech's stockholders and their holdings in the company. Seems the Obaruka Corporation was persuading the support of Inutaisho's company right under his nose. Without its stockholders, the company would fall. How much did Taka Tech make a year?
But still it couldn't support itself. If there was one drop in the economy, it would have to declare bankruptcy. And even though Sesshoumaru viewed this company as still his father's, seeing as how it was his life's work, and not his own, it was still Sesshoumaru's responsibility to keep it in prosperity. Inutaisho had lost enough in his life, including just recently his second wife, Izayoi and Inuyasha's mother to lung cancer.
-I always knew cigarettes would be the death of that woman.-
The house was empty. That was unusual, it was after dark. If Rin had gone out she would either called or have been back by now. This was an upscale neighborhood, but only a few blocks down, it became downtown really fast. Maybe something happened to her to make it unable for her to come back by now? Sesshoumaru was surprised by how paternal his mind had turned, but found he was concerned all the same.
-Breathe. Maybe Kaede would have seen her? Or the front desk clerk?-
Sesshoumaru stormed from the apartment, yes because rushing was beneath him. But the flirting clashing colors contained in his glassy irises told a different story. The elevator dinged twice indicating the drop in floors to the old woman's, Kaede, apartment. A solid knock brought the opening of the door for Sesshoumaru to face the familiar woman wearing her spectacles indicating that she was knitting again.
"Kaede-san, excuse me for bothering you so late." Sesshoumaru bowed when the door opened completely.
"Nonsense, young Takarashi-san, what is it that ails
ye?"
"Have you seen Rin at all tonight?"
"Iie, I'm
afraid I have not. Is the young child gone amiss?"
"Thank you,
Kaede-san. Alert me if you see her."
"Hai, I will,
Takarashi-san."
The door shut on Sesshoumaru's back. Golden orbs closed, but opened at a passing remembrance.
-The park, but this late at night?-
….
A silhouetted figure found himself running through the dense forestry. His shadow jumping across the trunks and dented grass as he passed. Sensitive ears picked up the voices of the animals of the nocturnal nature, but also those of humans. Sesshoumaru was deep within the park and heading toward the oldest pines and oaks.
For one of very few times, Sesshoumaru was stalled in his place. The vision was all too familiar. A harsh memory arose to torture his wake consciousness just as it did often in his dreams. A woman with long silky red tresses falling to the ground kneeled with her back to a towering man. Within her embrace was a young boy of very few summers old with shoulder length silvery hair tied back in a short pony tail at the nape of his neck. Innocent golden eyes widened as the man struck down harshly with the rod used for punishment. It was just longer than a foot and nearly an inch in diameter. It was meant to hit the wrists during training of kendo, or at least that was what it was to the boy, but now it was being cracked repeatedly against his tender mother's back.
One strong hit sent his mother sprawling with him still contained in her arms. He hit the ground a few feet from her with his mother between Sesshoumaru and the opposing force.
"Go,
Sesshoumaru!"
"No, mother I won't leave you!" The young
boy had tears rolling down his cheeks.
"Go! I will always be
with you. Part of my soul merged with you when you were inside me as
a babe. Please, you're my only love. Live and be
happy."
"Mother…I'll never forget you."
She reached out an arm at the retreating figure of her love, her darling son, as he ran from the woods. Two words left her lips followed by a tear as the final blow was made against her weakened frame.
"Ai shiteru."
Those words echoed through the abyss as Sesshoumaru's eyes closed shutting the scene from his nightmare born in reality. But gritting his teeth he stalked closer. He skulked close to the tree line, his sneakers making little to no sound. Sesshoumaru hunted his prey and bided his time. Upon circling the group he saw the face of the woman protecting his darling ward. The shirt on her back was nearly torn through from their knives. Small scratches with thin blood lines littered her thin frame. The males were obviously teasing her. He saw a pair of crutches no doubt kicked away. They must have been hers.
-What was her name…-
The woman was ripped away and he heard her cry as she desperately reached for Rin. Her arms held onto his girl's wrists, but the two closest men slapped them apart. The woman was thrown to the ground as two others held her down. Sesshoumaru was actually impressed seeing as how one other had to join the other two to attempt to immobilize her. They seemed to be having trouble, Sesshoumaru contained his chuckle, but it died in his throat when the largest of all present gave one quick jab to her jaw. Very few could take that and Sesshoumaru wasn't surprised when she passed out. His attention turned to his adoptive daughter. That last thing he remembered was Rin's face screwed up in horror and tears streaming down her innocent face. It was just like him. Sesshoumaru swore to protect her! Had he failed…?
-No. I never fail.-
The silver clad figure leapt from the brush and with a right side swipe the man holding Rin was down and the precious child was within his embrace where she belonged. Rin saw his shadowed face and instantly calmed, all the pain washed from her countenance and her smile returned, although smaller. Rin in one arm made it difficult, so she placed securely and swiftly behind him with instructions to run back to the store where Kohaku worked. It would be dangerous to send her home since Rin would have to cross Kisei Komichi.
When he was sure she was a good distance away, he attacked.
-.- -.- -.- -.-
Rin laughed joyously when the sign stating Chikujitsu appeared in front of her. She stopped at the entrance, relieved to see a light in the back room still lit. She knocked on the door and when there was no response did so harder. Panic flared within her young heart and she pounded as hard as she was able, the tears flowing at the memories in the park. If only she hadn't left home, but she had been so disappointed and darn it mad that her Sesshou-otou had to leave on their one day they had together. Rin had just wanted to go for a walk and maybe see Kohaku. She wanted to talk to the boy, her friend. Maybe then she would feel better. But he hadn't been there and it was only after she arrived at this very store to meet his sister that Rin remembered he had judo classes on Sundays.
So, Rin had spent some time swinging and playing in the sandbox, but it wasn't the same without her friend. Kohaku was someone to confide in, even though he was a boy. He made her feel safe since he was so much bigger than her. He protected her at school when the two bullies tried to take her lunch from her. And he had almost gotten in trouble over it! But he had done it for her, as he said and Rin could see the truth proven in his brown eyes.
Rin opened her watery eyes when she fell through the door. Apparently when she was thinking, she hadn't realized the door had been opened. Now she found herself being hoisted up and pulled into to thinly muscular arms. Rin peered anxiously into a set of deep brown eyes and struggled to turn in the person's grasp.
"Kohaku-kun! Call the police, onegai!"
"Daijoubou?
What happened Rin-chan?"
"Onegai!"
"Alright, this
way."
Kohaku led the shaken child into the back room where the phone was. He gave his sister a worried look and she returned it when she noticed the state of the young girl.
"Rin-chan…daijoubou?
I thought you went home."
"Iie! Rin was stopped by a group of
men and they started hitting Rin!"
Sango would have thought the girl's speech in third person was endearing had the words she spoke not stroke a chord within her somewhat maternal heart. She was Kohaku's friend and as a lover of children…Sango wanted to beat these men to a pulp.
"How did you get away?"
"Kagome-nee-chan came and saved Rin! Then Sesshoumaru-san
rescued Rin from the man holding her and said to come here. And to
call the police!"
"Wait, Kagome?!"
"Hai…"
Sango looked at her. The young girl was watching her shoes and they fiddled back and forth. She looked guilty and sad. Sango pulled the troubled girl into her arms surprised when she struggled a bit.
"It's okay Rin. Sesshoumaru-san won't let them hurt Kagome-chan. We will call the police."
Rin seemed to settle at the comforting voice of the woman holding her. But her eyes still held worry and reminiscent tears of the time spent in that darkened forest.
"They're on their way."
-.- -.o -.- o.- -.-
Sesshoumaru took two more down leaving only two left. The two men left remaining conscious turned tail and fled back towards Kisei Komichi no doubt to hide within the sky reaching buildings of the Tokyo industry. But he let them go, for now he had that woman to worry about and her life was more important in this instance. Sesshoumaru kneeled next to her beaten frame where it was crumpled on the forest ground. Her ebony hair was fanned out around her and her small peach mouth was parted. A blue bruise was already forming on the left side of her face. Sesshoumaru fingered it carefully. He could feel the swelling beneath the pad of his finger tip and knew it would be black by morning.
He gently lifted the girl, who weighed next to nothing probably only 110-120 pounds, into his arms bridal style. It would be the most comfortable for her and the most decently appropriate. Sesshoumaru remembered meeting her in the park with her friend when Rin was playing with Kohaku. And now he was indebted to her for protecting his beloved girl when he could not. There would be some way to repay her, Sesshoumaru didn't like being in debt.
The male felt her stir as she shifted closer to him when girl shivered. Navy eyes opened from between dark, curled lashes and peered up at him in confusion. The orbs widened in surprise seconds later with their depths swirling a grey. The woman fell unconscious once again soon after that. The physical stress her body was put under would have been too much for a normal human. She must have had some sort of training for her body to withstand it for any length of time. Sesshoumaru held her closer to him offering his heat. Sesshoumaru could hear the faint ring of a police car or two in the near distance. And soon officers were running down the path and took in the scene.
Sesshoumaru was then hauled off by one arm as another officer took the sleeping girl from his grip.
"Careful!"
The man started visibly. Sesshoumaru's voice was strict and commanding, but his face had transformed into a scowl with vicious heat warming his golden eyes even in the dark. The officer shook off the tremble in his shoulders and carried the girl to the nearest police car. A blanket was taken from the back seat and wrapped around her shoulders as she woke up somewhat by the near drop out of Sesshoumaru's arms.
Meanwhile Sesshoumaru was cornered by two officers studying his face as if they'd seen him somewhere before.
"State your name!" One shouted as a flashlight blazed into his now contracted pupils.
Sesshoumaru glared icily as he stated evenly, "Takarashi Sesshoumaru."
The two men stepped back from him waving the light across his appearance.
"Identification."
They obviously were skeptical, did everyone claim his identity. When the driver's license was verified they bowed in apology. Who were they to believe? A bunch of bad-attitude everyday criminals they knew by name or a sour-tempered millionaire? It was simple.
"What
happened?"
"My daughter was attacked by those men. I would
assume that woman," nodding in Kagome's direction, "walked by
and attempted to stop them. She was protecting my daughter when I got
there."
"And where is your daughter now?"
"Right
over there."
Hiten turned and saw three people running towards them. Out in front was a small girl sprinting towards the man he was currently talking to. He turned towards his partner, and addressed him.
"Manten, talk to the woman, see what she has
to say."
"Hai."
Hiten couldn't stop the smile when the girl, with tears touching the corner of her wide eyes ran to grip the knees of Takarashi. He watched as the man lifted the girl into his arms where she immediately buried her head into the crook of his neck. He smoothed a hand over her hair once before returning back to his other supporting her.
"We should wrap this up. There shouldn't be a problem. You're free to go home, but we may call you in to testify against these thugs."
Sesshoumaru nodded and turned to leave. He felt Rin give a shaky wave to the group behind them as they walked away.
Sango watched the pair walking away and waved along with Kohaku. Sango ran to her friend and kneeled at her feet effectively pushing the officer out of the way.
"Kagome? Kagome daijoubou?!"
"Hai, Sango-chan,
though I am getting tired of people asking that."
Sango smiled at her quip. The officers seemed surprised at her callous response, but that only made Sango laugh. She tried to cover it with her hand, but she could only lean over Kagome's knees as she sat in the police car. The officers watched them strangely as Kagome bowed her head with only the smallest glimpse of a smirk on her face.
"Come on…let's get you home."
I couldn't stop myself. sheepish grin Don't expect this often. Now I want to apologize to those of I realize that when I post blocks of chapters like this, you all get numerous alerts…well only five this time…
Words to know:
Daijoubou desu ka- Are
you okay
Moshi Moshi- answer to telephone
Iie- no
Ai
Shiteru- I love you
Onegai- please
Errors? Seriously tell me…especially in the Japanese words and phrases.
