DISCLOSURE STATEMENT: This author has no financial or non-financial relation nor do they possess any right to "Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale" franchise. Full ownership of all characters is the sole intellectual property of Rumiko Takahashi.
Chapter Three
Even though the population was rather small, humanity still managed to make it interesting. Just looking around this busy terminal could tell you that much. People lifting heavy suitcases over their heads with one hand. Children cheating during games of tag by disappearing into the floor or turning invisible. Coffee spoons stirring on their own. A son projecting calm because they were tired and didn't feel like dealing with their entitled old man who absolutely did not understand why the line was so long. A woman soaring overhead to catch the next train without having to push through the crowd. A teenage girl who couldn't find a trash can so she disintegrated the empty chip bag and called it a day. The possibilities were endless but the various abilities were predictable.
Take empaths for example. You had your standard influencers, of course, who could make you feel or think a certain kinda way. Some could look at you. Some had to touch you. Others sent out tendrils of power like the world's creepiest jellyfish. Then you had the equally as common shields and conductors who weren't all that useful. Only difference between those two worthless powers was that shields blocked like, well, a shield. Conductors let the energy flow through them like a lightning rod. Couldn't be influenced. That's…that's pretty much it. Not much else to them. You had feeders that could, in theory, up all the happiness in the world and use it to gain ultimate power. You had empaths who could affect your perception of the reality and make you think you were standing in the middle of a non-existent jungle. You had moderators who were only useful in the medical context where they could regulate an out of control empath without going insane. Your mind readers…
Basically, empaths were a dime a dozen but that was because empathic traits tended to be secondary abilities. Most of the time. There were always exceptions.
Next on the most common ability list were the kinetics. People who could use their mind or bodies to move shit they shouldn't be able to move. Pretty cut and dry.
Then you had the less common naturopaths. People who could control one or more elements in one or more states. Earth. Water. Air. Fire. Space. That last one was freaking insane and thankfully rare. These types were heavily, heavily regulated though. If society left these types roam free, there wouldn't even be a world to live in. It'd be gone. Having a bunch of assholes who go around able to manipulate physics? Create dark matter and play with gravity? Turn invisible? Walk through walls? Half of them were able to breathe in places without oxygen which made for fantastic firemen. Yet for all that cosmic power, most of the powerful space centric naturopaths died young. Their bodies might have evolved to play god but the human body wasn't exactly compatible with god like power. Sad really. Every other naturopath got cool, fun powers like the ability to make their own ice cubes out of thin air, or having a built in lighter. Space naturopaths had the ability to disrupt the natural order but they had to slowly kill themselves to do it. Fun stuff.
Of course, one can't forget the technopaths. That was almost as diverse an ability as empathic ones. There were people who made the things and the people who made the things go. These were your standard electromagnetics, your mimics, your inventors…
But even then predictable. A lot of hackers. A whole lot of government and plant workers.
There were those the very unfortunate animorphs. Their appearance and abilities usually tied to an animal of some sort. No one liked to talk about that ability. Made them uncomfortable.
Everyone liked to talk about the aviators though. And the healers. Everyone wanted to fly and solve life threatening medical emergencies. The ability to travel the world for free and being able to cheat death? Who wouldn't want that?
Another ability most people wanted? Manifests. The makers of things out of thin air. It's sister ability decay was a different story. Less desirable. Creeped people out.
There were unique custom brand abilities too but those were so rare they didn't fit in any one category. And your mixers. Most everyone nowadays had more than one gift. The ever growing pot of genetic soup opened the door to the impossible.
Like a guy who was the living embodiment of most of the aforementioned categories. Who could weaponize dark matter, make a sword out of thin air, hold a three story building over their head, run at the speed of light, heal from a stab to the heart after a few hours and, oh yeah, could absorb empathic abilities to convert it to energy. Except it didn't get absorbed because his stupid body failed to understand the assignment. Instead, someone - other than him - decided that the way to handle all the incoming energy was to create a positive loop where the energy bounced around inside him like a soda being shaken until it finally exploded under the pressure.
And Inuyasha's pressure cooker style explosion turned him into some primal instinct driven serial killer. Allegedly. By all accounts, it didn't make sense. Tell me, how does a regenerative moderator explode?
Well Inuyasha sure as hell didn't know and someone definitely didn't want anyone to find out. Whoever it was that buried that question deep, deep down had wanted everyone to know about the murder part though. Maybe because they wanted to make Inuyasha's life as difficult as humanly possible as punishment for...
Well. Okay. Fine. Inuyasha would begrudgingly admit the public did have a right to know about the risk for liability purposes.
Still annoying though. Really freaking annoying.
Letting out a shuddering breath, Inuyasha watched anxiously as Miroku and Sango entered one line while Kagome took the other. Logically, Inuyasha was well aware of the protocol for both leaving and entering the Capital. Mother had taken him to tour all the prospective academies even though his heart had been set on his Father's alma matter. Dozens of trips they couldn't really afford but usually the schools paid for the expenses. While some places made it very clear they had no interest in someone with his baggage, others courted the son of the all time champion. Not despite of the fact that this son killed the former champion but rather because of that fact.
But no matter how well a visit went there was always one part of their travels Inuyasha hated above all others.
The checkpoints.
They said the security selections were random. That's the bold face lie they told everyone but somehow Inuyashsa was always 'randomly' selected for an extra special security screening of some kind. A pat down. An super duper friendly interrogation. Drug screenings while two armed guards watched him pee into a cup. When he was smaller and they traveled for various reasons, his Mother found herself performing surgery on his favorite stuffed animal more times than he could count because some asshole cut its belly or back open looking for…something.
That last memory made him nauseous. The last thing he wanted was for the last package Mother had ever given him to be sliced open by someone who didn't appreciate how precious that package was.
So, chewing the inside of his cheek, Inuyasha inhaled deeply and made a choice. Probably a suspicious looking choice given how there were probably cameras everywhere but a choice nonetheless. Kagome might occasionally overheat but her record was otherwise spotless.
She'd have to do.
Swallowing thickly, he moved quickly and with a muttered apology, squeezed behind his new friend with a general aura of chaotic energy rolling off him in waves.
"H-hey can you take my suitcase?" Inuyasha breathed as he leaned in close to the girl's ear, "I don't want them opening it."
"Depends on what's in your suitcase," Kagome hummed before adding in a whisper laced with playful suspicion, "Is it the drugs?"
"Are you insane?" Inuyasha hissed as the line began moving and he glanced around with increasingly panic, "You can't say shit like that. They're probably already watching me and…"
Before he could finish his sentence, Kagome's fingertips somehow found themselves on his cheek – causing his entire body to jerk then forcibly relax.
"My backpack is just so heavy though," she pleaded in a characteristically whimpering tone a girlfriend might use on a boyfriend as she met his terrified gaze, "And you always pack light. Why can't we just switch?"
Breathing shakily through his nose, Inuyasha's level of unbridled panic threatened to overpower whatever was happening as he felt Kagome accept his suitcase and replaced it with her ten-ton backpack which was insanely heavier. Those frightening fingertips gently stroked his cheek before she leaned up on her tiptoes and pretended to kiss his cheek.
"Just stay calm. If you're really worried about them pulling you aside, just roll with it," she whispered just loud enough for him to hear before letting go of his skin and taking a step back. For a moment, Inuyasha tried to shake off the forced calm that was still rolling through his system before narrowing his eyes and glaring.
"There's a thing called consent," Inuyasha hissed quietly as he shouldered her backpack and lingered a few steps behind, "Heard of it?"
When Kagome didn't reply more than giving him a slightly apologetic look, Inuyasha set and reset his jaw several times before reminding himself of where he was and what was at stake. Yes, in less than a day, this girl had already made a habit of messing with his person but so far, she'd done it in a way that arguably helped him. On the train, she stopped the pain. Here, she made him less anxious so that the exchange seemed more natural.
But both of those things weren't exactly because he asked her to help him. She controlled him against his will and without asking. If anything, he felt violated rather than grateful for the assistance.
"Next thing I know you'll be forcing me to face plant whenever you want," Inuyasha huffed quietly as he tried to ignore the crowds around him, "You can't control people just because you can."
"For someone who was real concerned about being subtle, you're sure not acting like it," Kagome clipped as the line came to a halt, "We're in the next group. So, if you…"
"Shocking," came Miroku's semi-distant laugh making both teens whip their heads in his direction only to see two guards hovering over the boy and gesturing for him to follow them, "I am truly surprised that this very thing is occurring. Never would have expected this turn of events."
Blinking rapidly, Inuyasha subtly withdrew into himself as Miroku began following one particularly weak looking towards a side door. A part of Inuyasha felt disgusted with himself for the passing thought that it made sense for a guy who occasionally threatened the structural integrity of buildings to get singled out. By that same logic, though, Inuyasha shouldn't be annoyed that the stupid security guards always pulled him. Even if they had an incident or two in the past, it wasn't...
"He gets pulled a lot," Kagome mumbled dismissively before sighing and giving a visibly unnerved Inuyasha an apologetic smile, "Look, I won't do that again without your permission, okay? I'm sorry."
"Just don't touch me again," Inuyasha hissed as he shrugged his shoulders to make the insanely heavy yellow backpack sit more comfortably, "What the hell do you have in this thing? Bricks?"
"Well I brought some books home that I thought might be useful," Kagome explained with a faint blush, "You know, strategy and…"
Inuyasha could almost feel the guards staring at him before Kagome trailed off and casually changed the subject to lunch plans. Here it came. The 'random' selection of the people the government found suspicious.
"Kagome Higuarashi and Inuyasha Kichida?"
Fuck. They were both getting pulled?! Oh come on! Really? Really?
"That's us. Is something wrong?" Kagome asked sweetly and despite being able to hold back a full on cringe, Inuyasha's eye twitched.
"Why are you two in line?" the slightly smaller guard asked curiously – his black riot gear reflecting the unnatural lighting in a way that gave Inuyasha unpleasant flash backs.
"I don't understand the question," Kagome replied with genuine confusion as she looked towards the exit at the far side of the terminal, "We're going home."
"Well, our records here indicate you both elected to be pre-screened on the train," the first guard accused in a deep gravely voice, "Unless, of course…"
"Oh! I didn't realize that meant we could skip the line," Kagome interrupted with a strained smile – her hand moving to take Inuyasha's wrist before stopping herself just shy of his coat, "So, um, where do we need to go then?"
Breathing heavily, Inuyasha tried to stomp down his rising panic at the two very obvious lies. First off, they didn't register on the train. As far as he knew that wasn't even an option. These guards were trying to get them to comply without causing a scene. This was…
Realizing that he was fast losing control of his emotions, Inuyasha winced before deciding he might as well take advantage of the tools at his disposal. Taking a soft steadying breath, he moved to intertwine his fingers with Kagome's awkwardly outstretched hand and gave it a pointed squeeze. It wouldn't help anyone if he lost his temper, and he certainly didn't want to give the guards a reason to start ripping up their possessions in search of god knows what. He needed to stay calm and if this woman had the ability to force calm on him, more power to her.
Thankfully, she seemed to catch the hint and a wave of unnatural calm began surging through his veins while Kagome began leading him behind the guards.
"So, in the future, if we're pre-screened, where should we go?" Kagome asked a little too casually and the smaller guard glanced over his shoulder.
"Just keep an eye out for the signs. The little green check mark," he replied before lifting the protective plastic mask over his face and giving Inuyasha a hard look, "Hey, you wouldn't be related to Toga, huh?"
The guard paused and gestured at Inuyasha's silver hair.
"I mean, not often you see that hair color," the guy continued, "Or eye color, ya know? Was he like...your grandpa or something?"
Strangely this comment didn't make Inuyasha feel one way or the other. Probably because Kagome was negating his normally visceral reaction to such an identification. Whatever she was doing, though, was starting to make his head swim and it was becoming increasingly hard to walk in a straight line.
"O-or something," the poor frazzled boy replied weakly - struggling to keep his head upright as he tightened his hold on Kagome's hand.
"No shit? He was my mom's favorite," the guard laughed as he hit Inuyasha's shoulder goodnaturedly, "What's he up to these days?"
A moment passed and then another until it was almost, almost too awkward for Inuyasha to reply at all.
But reply he did.
"Being dead," Inuyasha slurred as whatever Kagome was doing continued making him feel more drunk than calm. Probably because it was ricocheting around like a bouncy ball but who knew.
"Sorry to hear that," the small guard offered with genuine sympathy, "Didn't mean to bring up bad memories. This is the best time of year! Can't be sad around the holidays."
"Yup. Holidays," Inuyasha mumbled as his chest began to heave and his footsteps fumbled, "Holly days."
Cringing, Kagome cleared her throat and began trying to work her hand out of the vice grip the quickly deteriorating boy had on her. It was also quickly becoming apparent that Inuyasha was a walking mass of chaotic manic energy because while he was feeling a little too relaxed, Kagome was feeling like a massive boost of adrenaline had just been shot into her veins like heroin.
They needed to work on this.
"Yeah, so just follow this hallway," the smaller guard offered as he held up his keycard and a previously invisible door suddenly appeared then slid open, "And it'll dump you out on Keywest and Main. If you have any baggage, then you'll need to go around to the Broadmoor gate."
"Thanks," Kagome managed through gritted teeth – her heart beating out of her chest as she forcibly pulled Inuyasha with her so hard he stumbled, "Big help."
Mercifully, neither guard seemed concerned that the dog boy was seemingly intoxicated or that the girl looked a hair away from strangling someone as she plowed forward trying to get them out of the building as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, back in the line, Sango was sucking on her bottom lip and trying to act like it was perfectly fine that she'd wound up standing alone while her companions had just been drug in two different directions.
This was fine.
Not ideal but fine.
"Thank you, kind gentlemen, for protecting the safety of the Capital," came Miroku's playful yet tired sounding voice, "We are forever in your debt."
Sighing, Sango glanced over before raising her hand in silent greeting to her friend who, despite his playful words, understandably looked a little shaken by the whole encounter.
"What was it this time?" Sango asked as Miroku came to stand beside her.
"Drug test," Miroku sighed before subtly glancing down at his jeans like he was checking something, "And the usual what is your purpose here."
"What did you say?"
"To engage in frivolity and merriment," Miroku hummed – looking a little too pleased with himself, "I thought I was rather funny."
Sango snickered lightly as the line began to move forward.
"Did they agree?"
"No. No they did not."
How Kagome managed to get Inuyasha through the deceptively long hallway, out the door and across the street she would never know. All she knew was that Inuyasha had found a poor unsuspecting alley a few seconds after she finally pried his hand off of her and was now vomiting stomach acid all over the damp cement. Meanwhile, Kagome herself had taken to trying to meditate away the unholy chaotic energy flying through her system and slow her heartrate so it didn't feel like her body was about to vibrate down the street.
Water. They both needed water.
"I-Inuyasha, you okay over there?" Kagome called out shakily to the poor thing on all fours making absolutely disgusting retching sounds. A single thumbs up appeared in her peripheral vision as the gags continued.
"Y-you hungry?" she managed to pant miserably as she pressed her back up against the cool smooth surface of the government building, "Or t-thirsty?"
"W-was," came the shaky hoarse reply, "Not anymore."
"M-Miroku and Sango should b-be about done. We should g-go find them," Kagome muttered breathlessly, "T-think Sango saw us leave."
"Imma just put out a blanket 'I do not consent to be touched' for future reference," Inuyasha mumbled as he finally sat back on his ankles and swayed, "No touching."
"No touching," Kagome affirmed before lolling her head in his direction, "I am sorry. For…for doing that. You just seemed…so worried."
"Yeah well…let me be worried then," Inuyasha panted as he tried to catch his breath, "Because you're stupid as shit apparently. Whatever you did was overkill."
"Me? What about you? W-what is t-this? I f-feel like I just took…a lifetime supply…of energy shots," Kagome clipped back defensively, "Do you need all that…that anxiety to stay upright?"
"Dunno," Inuyasha chuckled darkly as he run his dark grey sleeve beneath his mouth, "Where are the other two?"
"Miroku got pulled so he might take a while," Kagome replied before glancing around the street, "Sango was still in…"
"Did you pre-screen?" Inuyasha interrupted – unsteadily getting to his feet and slowly making his way over, "I didn't."
"Miroku said a medic came after, well, we had our little adventure," Kagome explained before she tugged at her pink scarf and began unbuttoning her navy coat. The phrase seemed to amuse Inuyasha and his hostile expression subtly grew warmer.
"So, you think the medic waived us through?" he asked curiously as he leaned up against the wall next to her, "Why would they do that?"
"Don't know. Don't care," Kagome laughed grimly, "I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth."
"Dunno about gift," Inuyasha chuckled darkly as ran his claws through his long silver hair, "You wouldn't happen to have an extra ponytail holder, would ya?"
As Kagome weakly nodded and began patting down her pocket, Inuyasha wrinkled his nose at the flecks of vomit littering his general person. This whole 'little adventure' had been a disaster from the beginning. If he wasn't so desperate to not be alone, he would've just gone back inside but for god knows what reason these people wanted him to stick around. Well, two of them did. That one girl certainly seemed against the idea.
"Here," Kagome offered up a thin ponytail that would very likely snap, "I think I might also have a bright pink scrunchie in my backpack, but I doubt you'd want that."
"This is fine."
It was not. The most he could do with the damn thing was a very loose lower ponytail which defeated the purpose. He wanted his hair off his neck but apparently, he'd just have to deal.
"Sango usually carries the big guns," Kagome laughed softly at her new friend's annoyed expression, "I'd ask her when she gets out."
Inuyasha nodded once in understanding.
"We could probably get a muffin or something while we wait for them," Kagome suddenly offered as she pulled at the collar of her heavy winter clothing, "I imagine it might take a while."
"We need to head over to the main entrance," Inuyasha sighed evasively, "Otherwise we might miss them."
"That's what I meant. There's a couple shops inside…"
"I'm not going back in that building and I'm not hungry. You can go but I'll just stay out here," Inuyasha clipped – a statement littered with half-truths. Truth was he'd kill someone right now for a saltine cracker but he wasn't willing to do the murders or beg. After all, a pack cost next to nothing and it was still more than he could afford until he got his next survivor's check. But he wasn't about to tell this random ass girl that he was existing on fumes. He still has his pride.
A very bad thought crossed his mind that had him wishing instantly for death.
If her family expected him to pay for things like food while he was here...
Well, he might as well hop back on the train. At least in his dorm room he had Doritos and by being alone, he'd get to avoid being subjected to pity.
"I probably need to go inside to wait for them," Kagome sighed as she gave him an understanding smile – a little too understanding for his liking to be quite honest, "Just stay within sight of the doors, okay?"
Nodding once, Inuyasha resigned himself to following her down the street. So far the impulsive decision to go home with complete strangers had resulted in one long string of mistakes. His secret had been exposed. He'd very nearly died and since then, he'd thrown up far too many times. Let an empath get inside his head. What else could go wrong?
"My turn," Sango sighed bemusedly as Miroku stepped into the main terminal while a few guards gestured for the girl he'd been crushing on since he'd known her. Not that she would ever be interested in someone like him and honestly, he had already decided it'd be better for her if he never let her know. After all, he was supposed to die sooner rather than later. Unless things changed in which case…
Speaking of things that would turn the tide in his favor, where did Inuyasha go?
Glancing around the golden gilded terminal, Miroku tried to remain calm as he looked for a hideous yellow back pack or, more hopefully, a head of silver hair. Even in a time where abilities were everywhere, hair colors had more or less stayed the same. Occasionally, you'd get a silver haired youth but for the most part…
"Hey! Hey! Miroku! Over here!" Kagome's voice rang out and Miroku sighed in relief at the sight of her small person quickly scampering down the marble steps. A sigh of relief that turned into a groan when no silver haired man appeared after her. Their candidate's absence could only mean one thing.
Inuyasha must have left.
An understandable decision for which Miroku harbored no ill will. After all, why would you stay with a group of individuals who nearly killed you just for the pie?
"Where's Sango?" Kagome asked before cringing when Miroku nodded to a table a fair distance away, "Oh. So, we're waiting then?"
It wasn't uncommon for Sango to be subjected to, at least, a few questions whenever their little trio went through a checkpoint. Not a full security screening, naturally, but they did usually want to talk to her. Such things tended to occur when your parents were victims of a hit for, you know, being active members of the mob. A mob that still provided the orphaned daughter and her brother with questionable financial support that they could not refuse. It was provided under the guise of their parent's retirement fund but there were always questions. That and you couldn't have the last name Slayer and get through any form of security checkpoint without someone thinking it sounded suspicious. Sango, of course, wasn't planning on becoming an active member of the mob upon graduation but she was still part of the Family and therefore, she couldn't viably escape the clutches of the mob entirely. They always knew where she was and what she was doing. Who she was connected with. It also caused her to be extremely suspicious and cynical.
Thus, her issue with Inuyasha having 'murderer' on his register. There were far too many people she knew who had done such a thing at a freakishly young age and didn't get caught. She'd seemed to be coming around though once she realized what had happened most likely wasn't intentional by any means. Seemed being the operative word. There was no telling what was going through her…
"They got Sango at the end," Miroku confirmed wearily as he began walking across the busy common area before adding with no lack of hope, "Are we, um, waiting for Inuyasha as well?"
"Oh, he's outside. We got waived through somehow," Kagome reassured the boy who suddenly looked like he'd gotten his holiday gift early.
"That's fantastic news," Miroku chimed as he visibly lit up, "So he's staying then?"
"Shockingly yes," Kagome groaned as they made it to one of the café tables and sat down. A moment went by wherein Miroku sat down and began glancing around the various food vendors with nothing but borderline manic happiness. A happiness that was short lived.
"So…" Kagome began with a nervous giggle – her fingers anxiously tapping on the laminated table surface, "I might've made him throw up again."
Miroku's excited grin faded and his expression morphed into confusion. What had occurred had been explained to her in some detail. Inuyasha hadn't really contributed other than a few 'sounds about right' but it had been explained. Surely, surely the ever understanding woman sitting in front of him would not have acted so...so...
"I do apologize. I must have misheard. You did what now?"
"Well, um, he was nervous and so, well, I touched him and then later he touched me and then we ran and, um, he threw up," Kagome explained very poorly before clearing her throat, "Point being. I wanted to buy him some Gatorade and some crackers as part of the apology. You know, to settle his stomach?"
Slowly, deliberately removing his scarf and navy peacoat, Miroku set both down on the table.
"You touched him," Miroku repeated as he ran his hand under his jaw, "Knowing what you know. Did he ask you to…"
"Well…okay not the first time but…"
"Kagome, we need him! This isn't some game," Miroku interrupted miserably before gripping the hair on his scalp and visibly wilting in defeat, "Why would you do such a thing?"
"He was trying to get me to hold his bag. In line," Kagome sighed heavily, "All while acting like the world's most suspicious person! It made sense to calm him down before he ruined what he wanted."
For the longest minute that ever did minute, Miroku gaped at his friend - his good, normally very conscientious and kind friend - and tried to wrap his mind around what was she saying. In the few years he'd known her, Kagome had never tried to influence someone without their consent. Never. And, of all the people in the world, she went and manipulated the one guy on this planet who might actually die from it. That horrifying fact aside, it was almost like she didn't understand why it was so crucial to make sure Inuyasha liked them. What in the literal hell was she thinking?!
"Kagome, I want you to listen to me very, very carefully," Miroku sighed heavily as he rearranged the uncomfortable metal chair so he was facing her head on, "Without winning, this," he gestured towards his general person, "Will most likely implode like a black hole in less than fifteen years. I would very much like to not implode."
"I already apolo…"
"So, in the future," Miroku continued with poorly veiled anger, "Do not try to manipulate my best chance at survival without asking him first. Does that sound like a plan?"
"Yes. Yes. Lesson learned," Kagome huffed defensively as she glanced at the gate and prayed that Sango would appear to rescue her from Miroku's attack, "But…but it's not like I can just not touch him ever. We're going to be on the same unit."
"If he agrees to be on the unit," Miroku pointed out before sighing heavily and collecting his things, "Which is very much still up in the air. Where is he now?"
"He said he'd be waiting across the street," Kagome groaned with a faint blush – still fighting against the general feeling of being hyped up on steroids, "You're being stupid."
"And you're not acting like yourself. I need that sweet, charming girl. Find her. Quickly," Miroku sighed heavily as he began shouldering on his jacket, "You said he might need crackers?"
Kagome set her jaw and nodded once.
"Stay there. Let me do the damage control."
"Have fun," Kagome sing songed in the most condescending voice she had ever used in her life. Miroku glared but didn't comment. As the desperate boy rushed off, Kagome shifted her weight and folded her arms across her chest. Truth be told, ever since the little incident on the train she felt like someone else entirely. Miroku was right. Grabbing someone and influencing them without their consent wasn't like her at all. Neither was this attitude she felt oozing out of every pore. Everything was rubbing her the wrong way and she was making all sorts of weird out of character choices…
She blinked.
"Of course. He's a flipping moderator," Kagome groaned as she buried her face into her hands, "Well that's one thing Miroku has on his side. I bet Inuyasha is feeling very sweet and charming right now."