'STOP!' I yelled in my head.
-silence-
'DROP! AND RUMBLE!' [Me]
You think you're cool! [I]
You think you're sexy! [Myself]
'Uh, I know I am. You are me, and I am you, so if you say I'm not cool, then you're saying that none of you are cool.' [Me]
Yeah, yeah, whatever. You should get some sleep. [I]
'Hell no! I haven't spoken to you guys all day!' [Me]
And? [Myself]
'I want to talk to you all!' [Me]
Bye! [Myself]
Gone with the Wind. [I]
It was rare that my counter parts chose to not converse with me. It made me worry if I was bored with myself. That's the last thing I need. Traveling would be slower and nowhere near as interesting. It would just be me walking in silence.
"I wonder if you are sane." Sesshomaru said, after turning his gaze back toward where he was walking.
"Is the ice prince starting a conversation with me?" I asked rhetorically, immediately grasping onto the prospect of conversation.
He's nowhere near as cold as he lets on. He may be able to fool Kagome, and InuYasha, and Miroku, and Sango, and Shippo, and Kirara, and the rest of the world, but Rin and I knew the truth. He was just on the quiet side, and was willing to take the quickest, cleanest, and easiest choice of action. His company wasn't horrible, a bit less hospitable at times, but never horrid.
I watched as we entered what I felt was familiar territory, though the stares I received told me otherwise. I stopped following at one point because the stares made the hairs on my neck stiffen. Many of those stares did not have good intentions behind them. I was forced to ignore them when Sesshomaru stopped and turned to face me. I hurried over to keep him from waiting.
"Have we been here before?" I asked him in the lowest voice I could muster.
"This is the city that outskirts the manor."
No wonder it seemed so familiar. I didn't pay much attention to it the first time, but I was aware of my passing through it. We were walking along a busy street, and Sesshomaru's presence made it even busier. I didn't exactly enjoy the stares, and there was no way of getting around them. Everything seemed to turn toward me. Vendors stopped selling, shoppers stopped shopping, workers stopped working; it was nerve wrecking. Maybe it was the lack of sleep getting to me, but whatever it was, it was making me miserable.
Sesshomaru must have noticed my introversion and slowing down because he was by my side and holding my hand before I knew it. He pulled me forward, separating the crowd further as he pulled me closer to him. I wasn't going to stop him, not in front of his people, not while it was getting me through the crowd faster.
The crowd didn't faze out until we got closer to the manor's walls. After calming down a bit, I pulled my hand away from Sesshomaru, and took a step back. I was going to thank him for his aid, but he pulled me back to his side, and held my hand even tighter while Rin and Jaken continued into the manor.
"I'm fine now." I told him as I reached to free my hand from his grip.
He said nothing, only stilling me with his gaze.
He continued forward, leading me as though I was his child. I looked away from the stares the aids and guards gave as I followed silently behind him. The short walk from the gate to the door of the main building suddenly became an expenditure to explore the alps. I hurried along, knowing that the situation would only seem worse if I made it take longer. Once in the building, I took my hand out of his loosened grip and stepped backward, staring at him as I questioned his motives.
"The sooner they see our intention, the faster the process will pass." He stated before continuing on his way.
I stood in my spot, deciphering his rather vague context before having my cheeks flush and chasing after him for an explanation.
"'Our intention?' I never agreed to anything of the sort!" I stated lividly, yet softly.
"I do not require your permission." He replied.
"Wha- of course you do!"
"Need I remind you of your willingness before?"
"I was barely conscious." I retorted.
He stopped and turned to face me, surprising me as he placed his lips next to my ear.
"Your instinct was to give yourself to me." He whispered. "I will have you."
He continued on his way as I stared at his back. I held the roses that bloomed on my face in an attempt to wake myself from the awe he'd inspired. He leaned in pretty close, close enough for his breath tickle my ear. I turned my back toward the direction he'd marched off into and walked away. I was much too young for all of this, and my immature mind simply could not handle it. The only action I could think of was to wander off in any direction, hoping that no one would test my brain's functioning as I rebooted it.
"Kazumi-san, would you like to go to the garden with me?" I heard Rin ask before actually seeing the girl.
"I would love to." I replied, trusting that Rin would never lead me into a trap, unlike a certain daiyokai.
She held my hand before leading onward, knowing the halls better than she knew the lines that ran through the palm of her hands. I was glad to have her as the leader. I'd gotten caught up in the simple, yet breath taking interior design of the manor. The orientation of the building was planned so that it had perfect lighting as the sun made its daily run, and could picture the perfect image of the hills it faced being illuminated by the soft oranges and reds that a sunset would reveal while tucking itself away under those hills. It would be drop dead gorgeous.
Rin and I branched off to the garden, exiting through a side door before walking away from the building. I was quite surprised to hear that we were headed toward the smaller garden. From what I could see, the definition of small was different from the American small. The threat of getting lost was still at large for me. The field of orchids and lilies and lotus and roses and daisies and violets and flowers I couldn't name, stared back at me, enticing me with its varying shades of various colors, and shapes. I approached it carefully, knowing that I was one to lose myself once indulging.
Unfortunately for me, Rin's hand slipped out of mine as she ran off to have a close and personal look at the flowers. I tried to stick close to her, but soon found myself lost in what seemed to be an eternal spring. The scents of each flower melded with one another, making it impossible for me to tell the difference between each. I reached out, touching one of each type that interested me. I especially couldn't resist the ones that grew outward, as though they were crying to be caressed and loved by the gentle touch of the wanderer. I didn't stop my roaming until I reached the far end of the garden. I turned where I stood, looking for Rin with no luck. Soon enough, I was calling for the girl as I returned to the garden.
"Rin, we need to go bathe and get ready to eat!" I called, worrying about what Sesshomaru would do to me if we were late to supper. The low grumble of my stomach also let me know that I was running low on fuel. That was odd enough. I usually ate enough to last me until I got back home, but I guess I'd misjudged my gut size.
"Okay!" I heard her respond, gaining an idea on her general location, to my left.
When I came across the girl, I let out a small sigh before holding her hand and giving a whine on how Sesshomaru was a stick in the mud. Rin chuckled before turning to face me. Her jaw dropped as her eyes widened before letting out an exclamation.
"You changed!" Rin yelled at me.
I had never heard her yell that loud, not. I rubbed my ears, careful of my fingernails and found that there was no need for caution. I had no claws, no elven ears. The hair wasn't exactly reversible, but that's not the point. I was speechless, but my surprise wasn't one to remain with in my mind. I let out a short shriek out of pure shock, unaware of the sound until my hands instinctively clasped over my lips.
"What the heck?" I whispered, over compensating on my desire to not belt my question out in a screaming tone.
"What did you do? What did you do?!" Rin asked, allowing her voice to take a gradual incline.
"I don't know!" I replied in a quick shout before covering my mouth again. "Okay, let's calm down." I instructed, using my hands to demonstrate, starting with my palms facing the ground around my chest area before lowering them to my waist.
We both took deep breaths, only to shriek again.
"It didn't work." Rin pointed out.
"Okay, well we tried." I stated, shaking the excitement from my body through my hands.
"What should we do?"
"There's nothing to do about it. We should just go for dinner and call it a night." I stated before placing my hand on Rin's back and attempting to hurry her steps toward the building.
I was much too late.
"Why do you shriek?" He asked nonchalantly while taking hold of my wrist and pulling me away from the child.
"Nothing really." I said was my voice cracked slightly, prompting me to subtly rub my throat with my free hand to avoid it being noted, but of course that failed.
His eyes followed my hand as I returned it to my side. He then examined the hand he'd trapped, before letting his gaze run up my arm and to my face.
"You have taken your human skin." He observed aloud.
"I am human." I restated. "I don't just look like one."
He started to pull me forward. That was not a part of the plan, but him appearing out of nowhere wasn't either. I quickly searched for Rin, trying to find my emergency exit, only to see that the young girl had disappeared. Did something elapse between my conversation with Sesshomaru and him pulling me that I did not catch? How did the girl know to flee? Using my distracted mind to his benefit, Sesshomaru had gotten me out of the garden and was opening the door the building that did not have the dining room in it. That was the only thing that stuck, that the Dining room was in the Wario building with the event hall because I know Wario likes to eat. I had a feeling I would be going to bed without supper tonight.
"You're changing is normal." He stated as he continued to lead me to the destination he had in his head.
"What do you mean by 'normal'?" I asked.
"It is what your kind does in defense."
"And what would I have had the need to defend against?" I asked with a fair amount of sass.
"Of course the case is different this time. Should I hold your hand mentally for you to capture the concept?" He asked, instantly picking up on my desire to be a smart aleck.
I knew my glare wouldn't faze him, but I shot it at him anyway. "I will have to pass on that offer." I stated blandly. "But if you could explain this anomaly, it would be greatly appreciated." I admitted.
"Now that your body has adjusted to its true form, you can switch between the two as you please." He explained.
"How so?" I asked.
"It is your body, and you will not allow me the right to explore it." He stated blatantly.
I was the one to take the lead with a bright face. I faced a wall, trying my hardest to ignore the gazes his statement procured. I was suddenly in the mood to go for a run. I led him away from the hub of people working where we had entered, not knowing where I was going, but willing to explore the building. When we were what I felt was a more secluded spot, I turned to face the daiyokai and attempted to pull my hand out of his iron clad grip.
"You're going to give me a heart attack." I stated rather furiously.
"Why do you refuse me?"
"I'm not that type of girl."
"Many desire to be the center of my attention."
"Unfortunately, I am quite pious and will not convert for you. Should you desire a body, you can have one of those many."
"I want you."
"I am not on the market."
"You were never for sale." He started before pulling me in closer. "You are my pearl, stubbornly kept away from me by a selfish clam."
"And how is that clam selfish? The pearl belongs to it. And have I suddenly transformed from an irritant to a precious resource?"
"Did you not mature but a few suns ago?" He replied. "I was the one to spot the clam before the pearl formed."
"Do you pry on prying this clam open to steal its pearl?" I asked with surprising calmness.
"If the pearl keeps taunting me, my hand may be swayed." He told me before stealing a kiss.
I pushed away before turning my cheek to him. "I don't know you like that." I forwardly.
"Then shall we find out?" He asked before leading me out of the obscure hall returning to his route.
'Y-yo beast! How do I change?'
Think about being a demon. [Beast]
'Ok?' [Me]
There you go [Beast]
'That easy?' [Me]
That easy. [Beast]
It was that easy. I guess knowing how to quick change between the two was something my kind needed to know. What do you do if someone's hunting you down? Change your body so they run right by you, pull the rug from right under their feet. With the new knowledge, I returned to my human body, preferring it over the new demon one. It would take some time for me to get used to being lethal, and I wanted a break from it to be frank. I was also tired of being dragged behind Sesshomaru, but that wasn't something I could fix. I could only wait until we arrived at his destination and then hope he would let go of me there. After a few minutes, we were disturbed by a guard who claimed that something needing Sesshomaru's attention had popped up. He seemed quite peeved, while I was exalting God for his divine providence.
The guard left to return to his post as Sesshomaru faced me. His hand moved from my wrist to my waist as he slung me over his moko moko and entered a nearby room. I didn't know what to think as I was somewhat tossed on a bed and as he climbed on top of me. My stare was an unaffected one, since my I couldn't come up with a thought on what was about to happen. For some strange reason, the presence of a bed and his climbing on top of me hadn't pressed my panic button. I can't say he stole a kiss because I didn't deny his advances, and it didn't come through surprise tactics. Perhaps that was what confused me, he different, wordless, approach.
Are you going to sit there and think about it or do something? [I]
'Am I getting desensitized to him kissing me? How am I able to think right now?' [Me]
I gently pushed him away, still wondering what was up with my change in behavior.
"Stop it." I said with a lack of religious fervor.
"And if I do not?"
"That is not an option." I stated, turning to my side.
"That is not for you to decide." He replied as he took hold of my shoulder and turned me back onto my back.
"Then it is up to you to decide on how I should use my body?" I spat out sarcastically. "I thought there was something that required your attention."
"Having you is my priority." He replied, flattering me.
"The faster you meet my demands, the more open I would be to that fact." I stated, not noticing that my shoulders slowly lowered out of their tensed position.
"And what are those demands?" He asked, lowering his lips to my neck.
"I am a person, not a possession," I started, "and I would like to be treated like one. And I would also like to know the man who seeks my hand through the passage of time."
"The pace of time is slower than my own." He replied.
"Pearls only grow more lustrous with time." I remarked before holding his cheeks to move his head away from my neck.
He said nothing, opting to simply leave the room. I promptly let out a sigh of relief. Things could have gone horribly, but I came out the victor. I left the room soon after Sesshomaru, believing that staying in the room would give those who stumbled across the scene of him and I going into the room fuel to keep their rumor fires lit.
He will take you eventually. [Beast]
'I'm not completely against it, it's just, he's supposed to be a fictional character.'[Me]
Perhaps you are overthinking it. [Beast]
'Regardless of whether I actually want to have a serious relationship with Sesshomaru or not, I'm not doing anything with him until he commits.' [I]
What if he were to mark you as his own, to place a seal on you saying that he plans to have you to himself? It serves the same purpose of a wedding ring. [Beast]
'That's not enough. I'm talking full-fledged mating, after the planning and actual event has passed." [Me]
That's good. [Beast]
'I wouldn't have it any other way.' [Me]
Hey! Quit jabbering and pay attention to where you're going! [I]
I snapped back to reality in time to catch myself from falling down a flight of stairs. Boy that would have hurt, and slap embarrassment on that as well. A sandwich I imagine that would be hard to swallow. I returned my foot to the ground I was on before starting my way down the stairs. I'd forgotten that I hurried up the steps after Sesshomaru's embarrassing confession. Once I was on the ground level, it occurred to me that I had no idea where I was going.
"Ah, excuse me." I said to a maid, gaining her attention. "Can you direct me to Rin's room?" I asked.
She stared at me at first, but then nodded. I guess she was wondering when I'd arrived. We left the building and entered the much more familiar Yoshi building. Once we got to her room, the maid knocked on the door and told Rin that she had a visitor. Rin opened the door hurriedly, and smiled once she saw me.
"Thank you Chika-san." Rin said with a toothy smile.
"Anything for my young lady." The maid said with a small smile.
I didn't need to be told that the woman was lying. She didn't even need to lie. It was obvious she didn't want to be with me and Rin. She should have spared her breath and just walked away. Once she'd gone away to do whatever she does, I walked into Rin's room, unafraid to share the thought on my mind.
"She's a bad liar." I noted before sitting in the center of her room.
"That was Chika-san. Chika-san doesn't like Rin much."
I wasn't surprised that Rin noticed. She's observant, not that she needed to be with the maid.
"A lot of people here act that way in front of Rin. They act nice, but they hate Rin. They call Rin filthy and worthless when Lord Sesshomaru is not around, but Rin doesn't mind. As long as I have Lord Sesshomaru, they can say whatever they want."
I stared at the girl, surprised by her fortitude. I wish I could be as resolute as her in somethings, but it's a task I find to be too hard for me. Rin always had a way to out shine me, and I'm glad for that. She's doing much better than I could have ever done at her age.
When she came over to me, I gave her a hug. "You're one heck of a kid." I stated before letting her go. "Don't take their words to heart. You're wonderful."
She laughed, dispelling the small trace of gloom the maid had brought with her. Together, we talked about our travels and what we thought would happen next. She was rather creative, having an unexpected plot twist in which Ah-Un saves the day. I'd brushed her hair all the while after realizing that it was a tangled mess. I predicted that a wild animal would charge into the manor and send everything awry until it was chased off or ended up as our dinner.
Seeing that the sun was setting, I stood and patted the girl on her head.
"Rin, you should sleep." I instructed her.
"But I don't want to." She pouted.
I chuckled at her protests "You have to, so you grow into a healthy, woman."
"Will you stay with me?" She asked as she latched her hand onto my kimono.
"Of course I will." I told her as I rubbed my nose against her own, earning a giggle from the sleepy girl.
I kept my word, and did not leave until she was asleep. It was easy to tell when she was because she stopped asking questions. I pattered her on her forehead, and left the room quietly once she was asleep. My room was just three doors down.
I was busy reflecting on today's events, pleased that I hadn't wasted the day. As I walked, I passed by Chika, and boy did she want to pick a fight.
"Just another filthy human." She stated as I walked by.
I completely ignored her. She was irrelevant, and I would make an effort to forget her name. Why is it easy for me to remember people I don't necessarily care about, yet can't remember my left from right sometimes? I opened my door, pondering that thought, and stepped in. I slid the door shut behind me, frustrated at my fickle mindedness.
