Experiment #2: Alpha of the Pack
Territorial pheromones: Laid down in the environment, these pheromones mark the boundaries of an organism's territory. In dogs, these hormones are present in the urine, which they deposit on landmarks serving to mark the perimeter of the claimed territory. Wolves, like other canines, use scent marking to lay claim to anything from territory to fresh kills. Alpha wolves scent mark the most often, with males doing so more than females. The most widely used scent marker is urine. Above all, though, scent marking is used to notify other wolves and packs that a given territory is occupied, and that they should therefore tread cautiously. Wolves can pick up any scent, including marks, from great distances, and can distinguish among them just as well or better than humans can distinguish other humans visually.
Wolves have scent glands all over their bodies, including at the base of the tail, between toes, and in the eyes, genitalia, and skin. Pheromones secreted by these glands identify each individual wolf. A dominant wolf will "rub" his or her body against subordinate wolves to mark such individuals as being members of a particular pack.
The hierarchy of a wolf pack – led by the alpha male and female – affects all activity in the pack to some extent. Though the alpha male usually assumes the "top" alpha position, alpha females have been known to take control over entire packs in some cases. The male and female hierarchies are interdependent, and are maintained constantly by aggressive and elaborate displays of dominance and submission.
Purpose: To further my understanding of the effect of pheromones on those of youkai heritage, I have taken into consideration one particular example known to interact on a regular basis with their animal counterparts. Kouga, the leader of his own wolf demon tribe, is often seen with several wolves not appearing in the humanoid form. This fact suggests that the pack would be highly sensitive to stimuli of a non-demon wolf persuasion. So in keeping with the original purpose of these experiments, I will doccument the reaction of the youkai in response to territorial pheromnes collected from an alpha female of a wolf pack in my time.
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"Damn wolves" Inuyasha huffed as he led out little company through the tangle of trees. "I can smell their nasty stench all over this place. Kagome, are you sure there's a jewel shard in this direction?"
"Huh?" I jumped at the sound of my name. If I hadn't been quick about it, Inuyasha might have seen the little spray bottle I was uing to douse the leaves and trees along our path before I tucked it away in my pocket for safe keeping. "Yup," I replied with unnerving chipperness. "Jewel shard this way."
Inuyasha just huffed and continued ahead muttering curses and obsenitites about wolves and their stench. I sighed. That was too close.
Ok, I wasn't being completely honest with him. The jewel shard was in this general direction, but we could have just as easily gotten to it withoout travelling through wolf territory. I know this, and though I'm not too keen on the idea of misleading Inuyasha, or the rest of my group for that matter, it is all in the interest of science. At least that's what I keep telling myself.
What sort of scientist would I be if the sole purpose of my experiment was to show that stubborn, thick-headed, wolf youkai who's boss. Not a very good one. But then again, if such a result were to come as a side effect of my experiment, then that would be ok, right? After all, many of sciences most useful discoveries have been made while looking for something completely different. Pennicillin for example, where would the world be today (or in my time at least) if that petri dish of E. coli was never contaminated with the microbes that produced the antibiotic?
So, as far as I'm concrened, my reasoning for this particular experiment is sound. As for the method, well that took a little more effort.
I was forced, yet again to resort to nearly blacmail-like tactics to procure the pheromone for this stage of the experiment. My instructor had been even less keen on relinquishing the scent markings of a strong female alpha of a wolf pack. He was concerned about something along the lines of viscous animals and my welfare. My welfare, isn't that a joke. If you only knew Mr. Collins, that in my spare time I wander around in feudal japan battling monsters, demons, and beasts of all forms. You know I bet he would have a heart attack if he even once caught sight of a real youkai.
Admittedly I probably wasn't much help in alleviating his concerns, being that I tried to explain that I was trying to conjure up the spirit of a wayward youkai at my home shrine and that was the reason I needed the pheromones. It wasn't that far from the truth I supposed. I mean it is most likely that Kouga wouldn't live to see my time, and in all technicalities I wasn't going anywhere outside of my home (If of course you leave out the part that there happens to be a portal located within the shrine that has the capability to send me 500 years into the past).
Anyways, once I finnally got my hands on the precious chemical (I prefer to think of it this way because the thought of carring around a spray bottle full of wolf urine, or any urine, is just plain gross!), I made a point to suddenly sense the presence of a jewel shard. Yet another not completely true statement written off as for the betterment of science. I had, in fact, sensed the jewel shard coming from the direction of Kouga's tribe almost a week ago, but instead of jumping up and going after it, I forced myself to ignore the pulling feeling in my guts and started making plans.
After the first successful experiment with Kirara, I was more determined than ever to test the truth of my theories. I began wondering what else the fantastic chemicals were capable of. Obviously, Kirara was not able to control her instincts against the pull of the catnip, but she has never given herself humanoid form. Perhaps she doesn't possess the sufficent power level to produce the form. If this is the case, would there be a difference in the reaction of a youkai capable of taking said form. This was something that I intended to find out, but who could be my next unsuspecting victom…ahem…subject?
The answer to my question was given to me in a whirlwind of dust and youki. Seemingly out of nowhere, Koga had made his way into our camp, and as usual, the first person he came to was…yup, you guessed it, lucky me.
Somwhere between him clasping my hands between his own large and calloused ones, the ensuing frey between him and Inuyasha, and the determining of who's woman I in fact was; inspiration struck. I decided then and there that I was no one's woman, and though I had had the thought before, now I was willing and able to prove it.
That brings me to the present situation. With Kouga as my new subject, and the pheromonal chemicals of a strong alpha female in my hands, I set about covering the trees, shrubs, and anything else that looked like a good place to spray with the scent. Thankfully Inuyasha was too busy griping about wolves in general to notice the slight shift in the scents, so I was spared any explanations about my current course of action.
I had just finished 'admiring' another lovely collection of tree trunks, when I felt a pair of jewl shards closing in on our location. So the wolf had taken the bait; perfect.
"Inuyasha," I called out using the sweet 'I want something from you and if you say no it'll be dirt for dinner tonight buddy' voice that made him cringe.
"What?" he snapped back at me as he tried, unsuccessfully, to hide the slight look of anxiety that crossed his face.
"It's getting late. Don't you think we should stop for the night?"
"Keh," he huffed. "Just because you're a weak little human, doesn't mean I have to stop because you're getting tired. We have jewel shards to find!"
"Iuyasha," I ground out. Just because I was making him stop because I have an alterior motive does not give him the right to insult me. "SIT!"
Obidiantly, or unwillingly, however you choose to see it, he made a wonderfully executed face-plant into the ground. I released a little huff of indignance as I stepped over his prone for and made my way into the nearby clearing. I had things to do after all. No time to spare for rude hanyous.
I dropped my heavy pack on the ground in the middle of the clearing. I took a moment to look around and decided that this place would be perfect for what I had planned.
"I'm going to get some firewood," I called out to my companions. "Be right back."
Sango and Miroku just continued about their business of setting up the camp, completely ignoring the cursing hanyou behind them that was pulling himself out of a body-shaped crater. I couldn't help but look back at them and admire my handywork. The couple were actually getting closer in the past week or so, and I can't help but think that it has something to do with the fact that Miroku hasn't even attempted to grab ahold of Sango's backside since the…incident with Kirara. In fact he's been almost…civil. Dare I say that I cured the monk of his letcherous ways?
A loud slap echoing against the surrounding trees told me that I was going a bit too far in my presumptions. Some people just never learn.
Back to business. I made my way around the camp in a large circle, feigning every once in a while to pull at branches and twigs in my supposed 'firewood gathering', but actually dousing the area heavily in the female wolf's scent. I finished just in time, because not far away, I could feel Kouga's shards closing in. Let the experiment commence.
I returned to my group an instant before the wildly twisting hurricane of Kouga's creashed through the trees. When the winds died down, I gasped. Kouga, the normally so carfree and happy youkai was absolutely furious. His handsome face was twited in a malicious scowl, his hands balled into fists of rage, and his eyes gleamed a wicked red.
"Where is she!" his voice was nothing but a viscious snarl, and his resonating growls filled the entire clearing.
For an instant, I almost regretted taking on the particular experiment, but I quicly dismissed that thought. All in the name of science I reminded myself as I stepped bravely towards the enraged wolf.
"Kouga, it's so good to see you. To what do we owe this visit?"
After seeing me, Kouga's anger seemed to disipate slightly. Thank Kami! I wasn't sure if I could have the same calming effect on the wolf that I did on Inuyasha. Apparently I did, and for once I was thanking every god that would listen for blessing my blood with a scent that seemed to attract all manner of beasts.
"Ka…gome?" He seemed confused, almost as though he didn't know where he was. An effect of his baser instincts taking over? Regardless, it was definitely worth of taknig note of.
"Yes Kouga," I soothed, "It's me."
I walked towards him then, waving off Inuyasha's protest. I found the spray bottle in my pocket and managed to spritz a bit of it on my hand. It's just a chemical, a mixtrue of animal pheromones; I did NOT just spray my hand with wolf pee. Ewww so gross. I will so be washing my hands after this expierience. I walked right up to Kouga and gently took his hand in mine rubbing it soothingly to distract him from the fact that I was smearing the pheromonal mixture on his skin.
The distraction worked for a moment, long enough to complete its purpose, but after a moment of confusion Kouga jerked away and started to growl visciously. He bared his fangs at me an raised his hackles. He was displaying signals of dominance, telling me in wolf body language to back down, to submit. But I would not submit, not this time.
After throughly researching wolf behavoiurs before this experiment, I came to the realization that my meek and accepting posture around the wolf had identified me as a lesser in his eyes. Well I refuse to be a subvertant any longer, and I stood my ground proudly and defiantly.
His growls continued to escalate, becoming nearly deafining in their intensity, but still I refused to back down. It didn't take long for his youki to rise up about him, and in challenge I allowed some of my miko powers to leak out and surround me. Before the confrontation could turn to blows I took my chance to speak.
"Kouga. I am not weak, nor am I lesser in station than you. I command my own life, my own pack if you will. I will not be subvertant to any other. You will either recognize my position as alpha in my pack, or you will fight me."
Please, please, please don't let him choose to fight me. He won't right? I mean I wasn't being too hostile was I?
Thankfully, after a very tense few moments, Kouga straightened from his aggressive position.
"Very well," his tone carried an air of deplomacy, "but you will remove yourself at once from my lands."
I was very quick to agree. This experiment was pushing on the borders of insanity. Kouga left immediately after that, leaving me behind to face the torrents of questions being shot at me from all sides. Oh the things I do in the name of science.
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Please forgive me, but my spell-checker has decided to take an unexpected vacation. I hope that I haven't made too many errors.
Wow, two chapters in one day, that's gotta be like a record or something for me. I hope it is well appreciated.
Anyways, that's all for now; until next time
ShadowsWeaver1
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters I am about to weave into my web of chaos. Any and all definitions have been taken directly from Wikipedia the online encyclopedia because I am far too lazy to do any further research to support my Inuyasha obsession.
