Chapter 8:
Kirsten studied the half-demon as he stood under the mapping equipment. From a purely physical point of view, he was gorgeous from top to bottom. His silver-white hair flowed like heavy silk down his back and invited fingers to touch. And those ears! Kirsten had had to stop herself several times from touching them. His golden eyes, now closed, could be startlingly expressive. She smiled as she remembered the half-horrified, half-fascinated look that had been in them as she had handed him Tamisé's baby daughter.
As she had expected, under his bulky robes, he had a dancer's physique, lean and muscular. He stood unmoving, as he had been told, but her experienced eyes could see the watchful tension in his muscles. Any perceived threat would be instantly dealt with. There were traces of old scars on his torso and Kirsten sucked in her breath at the sight. Spider stirred beside her.
"He's very beautiful, isn't he?" Spider said. "Handsome just doesn't fit him."
Kirsten smiled at her colleague. "I guess not. He's going to drive the girls crazy with his looks. Good thing he's got a little girlfriend."
"Jonathan comfortable with you working with him?"
"Yeah. They like each other. Inuyasha needs men in his life to look up to, and he seems to have taken to both Jon and Tam. He never knew his father, I've been told, and his older brother won't have anything to do with him."
"That's a shame. You still want my help with the martial arts?"
"Well, I'm going to have Thorne teach him holhsi. But I could use you to start teaching his girlfriend, Kagome. She needs self-defense in a bad way. If she's more able to take care of herself in a fight, Inuyasha won't worry so much."
"Pays more attention to her than his opponent, eh?"
"Yep. And pays for it big time. That's how he got some of those scars." She shifted her weight from foot to foot. "He might not like you touching Kagome."
"Possessive?"
Kirsten gave a short, sharp laugh. "Yeah. There's trouble brewing there, I think. Kagome's told me she's in love with him, but he's said nothing about his feelings. I can see it in his eyes, but he's not declared himself yet. Nor has she. I promised Kagome's mother I'd keep an eye on the two of them… but teenagers…"
Spider laughed. "Raging hormones brutally suppressed, huh? And if I provoke his protective response, he might hand me my liver?"
"Literally. Those claws of his are sharp."
"I'll keep that in mind." He pulled the microphone to the examination room forward. "Okay, son. We're all done here. You can put your clothes back on."
Inuyasha's golden eyes opened and he blinked as the lights came up in the room. He moved away from the equipment and bent to get his clothes from the chair where they had been left.
Spider folded his arms across his chest. "He's graceful, I'll give him that. Tam must be ecstatic. Not often you find a natural Krull-dancer."
"Well – he does lose his balance at odd moments. I'm not sure why. Just this morning, I found him sitting in the tree outside his window. When I called him in, he moved through the branches as sure as any squirrel. Yet, he tripped over Ryan's slippers later and went sprawling. Something we'll have to work on, that's for sure."
She went to the door of the control booth and hesitated, her hand on the door latch. "Thanks, Spider. I'm going to take our boy downstairs and have him meet the girls. I might as well get it over with quickly."
"Not looking forward to it?"
"Man… there's a few of those girls I'm sure I'll have to peel off of him. He's got a quick temper, and I'm not sure he's used to admiration from ladies. They're usually pitching rocks at him."
"I won't ask why!" Spider laughed. "See you later!"
OoOoOo
"There are some ladies I'd like you to meet, Inuyasha."
"Huh? Why?"
"Because you'll run into them from time to time while you are here. There will be some exercises I'll be having you do with them. So, it's better to meet them now so you can all get used to each other."
"Used to each other?"
Kirsten sighed. "Inuyasha, has nobody ever told you how handsome you are?"
"Huh? Kagome called me cute once. But nobody's ever called me anything but 'filthy demon' and 'dirty half-blood'." His gold eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Whaddya mean 'handsome'?"
"Inuyasha, I can guarantee you that you're one of the best looking men these women will have ever seen. And they are not shy about expressing their feelings – on any subject. With any luck, the older ones will 'adopt' you and keep you from being mauled by the younger, unattached girls."
"Mauled? You mean they won't like me?"
"Oh, they'll like you alright. Too much. So we should tell them right from the start that Kagome's your girlfriend…"
"What! She's not my girlfriend! She and I…"
"Inuyasha, I'm advising you that we should put it about that she's your girlfriend. The women will be more likely to keep their hands off you when she's around. And the men will leave her alone if they understand she's spoken for."
"If any man touches her…!"
Kirsten took his arm. "Inuyasha, none of the men here would ever harm her. But if we don't tell them you're her man, some of them may ask Kagome to go out with them. How would you feel about that?"
He lowered his head and his ears drooped. "I wouldn't like it. But… I'm not her man. I really don't have much to say about what she does when it comes right down to it."
"So you're okay with it if some of Tam's men ask Kagome out? She's a very beautiful girl, and I'm telling you right now that I can think of several guys that will beat a path to my door when they find out she's staying with me."
"I have no claim on her." His voice sounded almost defeated.
"You can if you wish it." Kirsten patted his back. "Love's a bitch, isn't it?"
"Yeah…" His head came up and his eyes flashed. "Hey! Not fair!"
"If you feel that way about her, then you should speak, Inuyasha. Or you may risk losing her to someone else."
"I can't. Not right now. There's too much danger."
"Sounds like an excuse, my dear. Well, I suppose it's up to you. I wonder how Kagome will take it when she sees how attractive you are to other women? Could be interesting."
Inuyasha did not trust Kirsten's smile at all. He considered her words. He could see other men liking Kagome. She was friendly, outgoing, and yes, very beautiful. But women liking him? He snorted. I don't think so. Sango liked him, but as a friend. If he ever got out of line with her the way Miroku did, he had no doubt that his face would sport a red handprint on it. Most women would have nothing to do with a half-demon. Even Kikyo had wanted him to become human for her. There were only a few women that accepted him as he was – and they were all strictly in the 'friends' category. Except Kagome. He wasn't sure there was even a category for what she meant to him.
"In here, dear."
Kirsten held a door to a training room open for him. He went inside, all senses alert. He'd quickly learned that nothing in this place was always what it seemed.
But this time, it seemed the only danger here was from the avid stares of about twenty women of various ages. They had all stopped their activities when he entered. He gave a little bow in their general direction and waited for the inevitable cries of 'It's a demon! Run!' Instead, he got:
"Hey, Kirsty! Welcome back!"
"Whoa! Who's the stud?"
"You mean studmuffin."
"God, not another Tricon."
"Naw – can't be. He's not dark-skinned."
"Why does she always get the hot ones?"
"Hi girls! Brought someone with me, as you can see. This is Inuyasha. He's just learned English, so you'll need to speak slowly and clearly to him for a bit until he's used to it. I need all of you to help me out, because he's given me six months to turn him into a Weaponsmaster."
Many of the women started to laugh uncontrollably.
"Six months!"
"Is he kidding? He's kidding, right?"
"He's too pretty to know anything at all about fighting."
Inuyasha's face began to burn at this last comment. "I come from a long line of warriors," he said. "My father was the great demon lord of the Western Lands. I myself have defeated many demons."
"Demons?"
"What's he talking about?"
"Oh, just great! Best looking guy we've seen in ages, and he's a nut bar!"
"He's kidding, right?"
"Naw – he's totally serious. Get real, willya?"
"Did he really say 'demons'?"
Kirsten stepped forward and laid a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. "He's not kidding, ladies. Inuyasha is a half-demon from about five hundred years past. I've fought him myself, so don't dismiss him because he looks pretty. This lad here is quite capable of giving both Dragon and me a very, very hard time.
"Inuyasha, these ladies are my own training group. Some of them have been with me for a long time. There's TC, Alaina… Jackie, stop waving, I'll get to you! Maria, Karen…"
Inuyasha tried to take in all the names, but gave it up as a lost cause.
"These ladies are the best of the female warriors we have currently," Kirsten finished.
"None of them look like warriors," Inuyasha sneered. He was still smarting from some of their comments on his appearance.
"Don't take these ladies lightly, Inuyasha," Kirsten warned. "TC, if you please?"
"Oh, my pleasure."
TC was dark-haired and very pretty. Inuyasha watched with narrowed eyes as she got to her feet and came over.
"Hi there, sweetie," she said, extending a hand. "I'm TC and I'll be your instructor in manners."
Without thinking, Inuyasha clasped the proffered hand. Then he yelped as he found himself flying through the air. He landed hard on his back.
"Oh dear! Did you trip? Let me help you up."
Somehow, she had gotten behind him. He felt a hand in his hair, twisting cruelly as he was forced to his feet. Then the Beads of Subjugation were yanked tight across his throat.
"Can't breathe!"
"That's the whole idea, Skippy. Now say 'uncle'."
Inuyasha could get no leverage with hands holding both his hair and the beads. He managed to loosen her grip on the beads so he could draw a breath.
"Never!" he rasped.
"Ooo. Tough guy, eh? Well, ladies, don't we know what to do with tough guys?"
The hand holding his hair let go suddenly, but he felt the tie at his waist being loosened.
"Oopsie!"
His hakama fell about his ankles. The watching women howled in glee.
"Good thing your jacket and shirt are long enough, or you'd be showing us everything you haven't got."
TC let go of the beads suddenly and Inuyasha stumbled forward, nearly tripping himself on his clothes. He kicked free of the hakama and whirled, golden eyes nearly incandescent with anger and humiliation. He flexed his claws and leaped at TC, intending to miss but not before he had given her a good scare.
"Sit boy!"
Where'd that come from? He had time to wonder before he fell face down on the floor. It was a lot harder than forest ground.
"Well!" TC laughed. "I'll have to remember that one."
"Only works for me," Kagome said from the door to the room. She marched over and nudged Inuyasha in the side with her foot. "What were you thinking, Inuyasha? And where's your hakama?"
"I've got them," TC announced, holding the cloth up in her hands. "And he don't get them back until he admits that I'm a worthy opponent."
Inuyasha got to his feet slowly, thankful that his shatsu and haori covered him to mid-thigh.
"Alright," he said with a snarl. He made a respectful bow. "You are indeed a worthy opponent. May I have my hakama, please?"
"Of course, sweetie. Help yourself."
He stalked over to get his clothes. As he took them, he leaned forward and snapped his teeth close to TC's ear. She did not move an inch and merely grinned at him.
"Watch it, or we'll have to put a muzzle on you."
"Try it, wench."
"Don't tempt me, darling."
"Enough!" Tamisé's voice boomed across the room. "TC, stand down."
"Yes sir."
"And you – Inuyasha." Tamisé glared at him with his fists planted on his hips.
Inuyasha winced, expecting a blast of ire from the huge alien. Instead, Tamisé began to guffaw.
"Don't take my ladies lightly, lad. Or they might hand you something you'd miss more than your pants."
