** Author's Note:
This update took a lot longer than expected, but it's a really long one to make up for it :). Also I took some liberties with the Japanese food and dining mentioned in this chapter, I only have a basic knowledge of Japanese cuisine and dining etiquette (especially back in the feudal era!) so my apologies if it isn't completely accurate.
I do not own InuYasha.
Chapter Nine – A Vision of Loveliness
Rin was spellbound by the Miko's private quarters. Well, not with the room itself (which was modest in comparison to the ornate exterior), but with all the trinkets and niceties contained within it. The open space was teeming with impressive, expensive-looking things: a nine-foot tall boudoir made of fine wood, an elegant area rug, a shoji screen decorated with calligraphy flowers, large wall scrolls, embroidered floor cushions, a full-length mirrored, even boxes of paddy rice. What surprised Rin the most, however, was not the things themselves, but with the manner in which they were presented; they were all haphazardly strewn about the room as if they were junk. If not for the fact that everything was so expensive-looking, one might mistake the priestess for a pack rat. Mitchitsuna smiled wryly at Rin's gaping eyes and began addressing items in the room as if they weren't really a big deal.
"Ah, those wall scrolls, they were given to me by a group of monks after extracting poison from one of them," she said. "And rice is pretty commonly given to me for minor exorcisms and things of that sort. I could probably feed ten villages with it." Mitchitsuna slowly worked her way over to the boudoir as she spoke, moving aside random books and discarded bobbles with her feet as she made a path for Rin, who followed behind her wide-eyed and unaware of all the obstacles in front of her. "Oh and there are always jewels, I keep those locked away for safe keeping. They're given to me more so by admirers than for specific deeds," the priestess boasted. "But I think what you'll find in here will be more of interest to you."
Mitchitsuna now stood in front of the boudoir, which towered over her like a sort of magnificent edifice. Rin's attention was now also on the boudoir. Coming from a background of poor villagers, she had never seen one before. She could only guess what lay inside...ancient magic of some sort? Religious tools?
The Miko threw open the doors with a quick "swish!" of her hands, and Rin was surprised to see not magic or tools, but neatly folded fabrics of vibrant color piled in stacks on the many shelves inside.
Mitchitsuna withdrew one of the folded up bundles of fabric and allowed it to unroll from her hands to reveal a beautiful silk kimono.
"Oh!" Rin exclaimed as her hands were immediately drawn to the cool surface of the fabric. She traced the floral patterns with her forefinger and smiled to herself as she enjoyed the sensation of silk on her skin for the first time. "There were women in the village wearing kimonos just like this!" she said as she watched the light dance across the folds.
"Yes," Mitchitsuna said. "It seems there are a lot of noblewomen in this region that get targeted by demons. They give me their finest kimonos in exchange for my services. Exorcisms, mostly." Mitchitsuna allowed Rin to play with the fabric awhile longer before prompting her with a question. "Would you like to wear one to dinner tonight?"
Rin's hands froze and her mouth dropped. "Really? I could wear one of these?"
The Miko smiled enthusiastically. "Of course. As I said, you are my guest! And to be frank with you, dear, the one you're wearing now doesn't do you any justice. Oh, it's all right," she said in response to the embarrassed frown Rin wore now. "I don't know where you got that frock, but I'm sure it wasn't your first choice. No worries. We'll find you something that will make that pretty face even prettier. Now then, let's see..." Mitchitsuna began rummaging through the different piles, searching for the right color. She began tossing out bundles of fabric that didn't strike her as being "the one", as if they were common peasants' clothes. Rin stared in disbelief as the pile of discarded kimonos seemed to grow exponentially behind the Miko as she muttered to herself.
"Hmmm, no, not green, wouldn't look right with her skin tone...purple? Maybe...red would be too distracting..."
Rin was performing her own visual search at the same time. Deep blue? Pale yellow? Her eyes scanned the many shelves as more and more kimonos seemed to disappear by Mitchitsuna's hand. When suddenly, she saw the perfect one.
"Stop!" Rin shouted and waved her hands. Mitchitsuna did indeed stop, and followed Rin with her eyes as she approached the shelves and stood on her tip-toes to reach the kimono that captured her interest. She withdrew the kimono, and allowed it to unfold in her hands to reveal the rest of its secrets.
It was breathtaking. The base color was an alluring sunset-orange, though it was practically exploding with white, pink and red flowers of different varieties (Rin recognized lilies and orchids), and it also had accents of deep crimson interwoven throughout. The obi was a delicate pink much like some of the flowers in the pattern, with a top border that was also the same shade of crimson. The interworkings of all the colors gave it appeal in all aspects. It was light, delicate and feminine, but also vibrant, bold and a bit sassy. Mitchitsuna looked at it, stunned.
"Oh, my. Rin, it's perfect. It is really perfect." Mitchitsuna took the kimono from Rin's hands and held it up to her body, observing the colors next to Rin's face. It brought out the blackness of her already thick lashes, and made her pale skin look like white gold next to it.
"My, you do have good taste," Mitchitsuna said with a smile. "Now then, would you like to put it on?"
Rin couldn't stifle a huge ear-to-ear grin as she nodded. "Oh, yes please," she managed to say through her teeth.
Mitchitsuna laid the kimono in Rin's arms and motioned to the shoji screen in the corner of the room. "You can get changed behind there. Call me if you need help getting it on."
Rin gave a unintentional giggle as she practically tripped over piles of stuff to get to the shoji screen. In the mean time, Mitchitsuna meandered over to a small makeup box and opened up one of the drawers. She cast her eyes over its contents and thought to herself. 'Hmm...now we need the perfect shade of color for her lips...'
Meanwhile, in the main hall where dinner was to commence, Sesshomaru was having a far less enthralling time with his present company. Ryoma stood with his arms folded like a somber statue in the corner of the room as a dozen servants buzzed about like worker bees, setting pillows around a long dining table and placing table settings around where people would be sitting. Candles and freshly cut orchids were also set for ambiance. Curious faces glanced at Sesshomaru whenever they passed him. Sesshomaru, naturally, ignored them.
Ryoma cleared his throat before finally speaking to Sesshomaru since they had arrived. "I'm sure my lady would be disappointed if I didn't ask. What sort of items would you like for dinner? You know, so I can have our chef prepare it to your liking."
Sesshomaru wrinkled his nose in disgust. "I do not eat human food."
Ryoma rolled his eyes. "Of course not." He stared absentmindedly at the table while it was being set for a few moments, before curiosity got the better of him. "What do you eat, then?"
Sesshomaru didn't seem very open to the question. "It's none of your business."
Ryoma gave a mock-laugh, and shot Sesshomaru a sort of "are-you-KIDDING-me?" look before facing forward again. "Really? None of my business, hmm? What, do you have special concoctions of magic and dragon dust that won't upset your superior demon stomach or some-"
"When I am in my natural form, I eat annoying pests like you." Sesshomaru answered.
Ryoma stopped himself from commenting any further.
Sesshomaru, having successfully thwarted any more attempts by Ryoma to make conversation, returned back to his own thoughts. 'This is not going at all as I had planned,' he thought, frustrated. 'This was supposed to be a quick, simple fix. Yet here I am, in a room surrounded by idiot mortals, who are preparing a feast I have no intentions of eating, and all for-' he stopped mid-thought though he already knew what the final word would be '-her.'
Yes, her. The silly mortal girl that had been in tow with him ever since he rescued her from the wolves.
Before he had found her, he never would have imagined being in a setting like this. He had never before been in a place like this, unless his sword was drawn and the smell of blood was thick in the air from his recently slain victims. And yet here he was, somehow tolerating the presence of a monk he couldn't stand, surrounded by a town full of filthy vermin, and even withstanding verbal jabs from a woman who didn't seem entirely honest. Had he become soft?
Soft. He suddenly remembered how soft Rin's cheek was. Soft like her small, milky white hands. Soft like the sweet-smelling strands of her hair-
'It will be such a relief to stop thinking about such nonsense,' he decided as the servants made their final touches to dining table.
"Sir, the table is ready," a servant woman whispered to Ryoma before disappearing from the room.
"Fantastic!" the monk said with an exaggerated air about him as he clapped his hands together in mock enthusiasm, causing a loud echo to reverberate off the walls. Despite being a clean and well-lit room, there weren't very many furnishings here to absorb the sound. It broke Sesshomaru's concentration. "Well then," Ryoma regarded Sesshomaru hesitantly, "would you be seated at the head of the table? Or are you too "good" to sit with mortals?"
Sesshomaru didn't bother to answer, but took his place at the head of the table and sat on the pillow that had been placed on the floor.
The monk, still holding his hands together, seemed glad enough that there wasn't a fuss. "Good. I'll go check on the food. I'm sure my lady and your "partner" will be here shortly." He exited the room in a hurry. Sesshomaru thought perhaps he wouldn't bother to return at all.
The troubled demon looked at the place settings on the table. For this meal being "nothing fancy", the servants certainly spared no efforts in making it look regal. Each setting included an intricately designed dinner plate with floral etchings on them, two matching bowls of white rice and miso soup, two smaller bowls for dipping, a set of expensive-looking ceramic chopsticks, a soup spoon and a finely-woven bamboo mat. A larger tray sat in the middle of the table, probably for tea. The candles and flowers added a touch of elegance as well. He found it odd how mortals tried to disguise the undignified act of eating with decorated instruments and meaningless ritual.
Just then, a line of servants burst through the door to the front of the room with large, steaming plates of food. Ryoma brought up the rear of the line, and made his presence known with another loud, resounding clap.
"Well then, dinner is served!" he said, then added under his breath, "Not that you care."
The servants took turns setting serving plates and bowls onto the table, and had some trouble working around the vases and lit candles. A woman brought a pot of hot tea and four cups and set them on the big tray at the center of the table. Ryoma took his seat at the opposite end of the table while the servants finished their tasks.
When the last of the servants had retreated from the room, an eery silence took their place. With nothing going on, Sesshomaru watched boredly as tendrils of steam rose from the many plates of food, partially obscuring a clear view of the person at the opposite end of the table. Since that person was currently Ryoma, he didn't mind in the least.
Ryoma eyed the many food items hungrily; tonight's menu showcased grilled salmon, sliced beef, steamed mushrooms, pickled vegetables, chilled noodles and seaweed wrapped riceballs. It was above and beyond what was necessary, but the monk surmised that his Miko consort enjoyed showing off, especially in front of a demon. He almost couldn't wait to eat. The noodles were calling to him the most, but he didn't dare touch a thing until Lady Mitchitsuna was present. 'Where IS Lady Mitchitsuna?' he wondered. 'I grow weary of this demon's company...and what exactly is she hoping to accomplish with all of this, anyway?'
As if reading his thoughts, Lady Mitchitsuna entered the room on cue from the hallway. The sound of softly plodding footsteps in the distance suggested that Rin was not far behind."Well well, it looks like we've arrived at just the right time," the Miko said in her usual over-exuberant manner, and wasted no time taking a seat between her two dinner guests at the far side of the table. "My, what a feast! Even better than what I was expecting- oh, Rin dear. You can come in, don't be shy."
Rin emerged from the hallway, albeit timidly, and stepped into the light from the oil lanterns hanging overhead. Upon seeing Sesshomaru sitting at the table, she folded her hands in front of her and gave a coy smile before bowing. "Good evening," she said with lowered eyes.
For a brief moment, Sesshomaru's eyes widened like dinner plates inside of his skull and his lips parted as if he would sigh-but he quickly regained his composure by clearing his throat and he returned the girl's greeting with his own. "Good evening," he responded. His own voice sounded foreign to him as he uttered the phrase.
''I never would have expected this,' Sesshomaru thought as he stared at her. 'I can't even begin to think of the words to describe...how beautiful she appears...' And how beautiful she was! The plainness of the kimono she wore before had merely stifled her looks until now. Never did Sesshomaru think she could appear any more alluring to him than she already did, but the way the this fine silk kimono made her skin radiate, she had almost a glow about her. And her hair, which he had only ever witnessed laying flat against her shoulders (save for one childish ponytail), was now combed back into a loose yet elegant bun that showed off her slender neck. The left side of her hair was adorned with a decorative comb of red and orange flowers. Her lips had been stained a vivid crimson, making her already porcelain skin seem even more pale. Her deep black lashes appeared even longer and more rich against her cheeks, which had the faintest hue of pink added to them. She was truly breathtaking, a vision of loveliness that some men may only imagine in their wildest dreams. And yet here she stood, just a heartbeat away. Perfect, doll-like, and wholly unobtainable.
Mitchitsuna smiled to herself before offering the seat across from her to Rin. It had only been an instant, a flash even, but she was positive she saw her demon guest's hard demeanor slip.
Rin walked to the table slowly and took the last remaining seat, which was positioned across from Mitchitsuna and in between Ryoma and Sesshomaru. Upon seeing the heaping mounds of food, her eyes lit up with ravenous joy and she looked as though she may start screaming – a cold look from Mitchitsuna told her this would not be appropriate behavior, however, and Rin nodded to express that she understood. She merely placed her hands in her lap and cast her gaze downwards; Mitchitsuna had explained that this posture would prompt Sesshomaru to admire her new kimono.
He admired it, to be sure. Though his eyes seemed fixed on the plate of steamed mushrooms in front of him, his peripheral vision granted him the pleasure of seeing her new ensemble close up. The silk material ebbed over her thin frame like a waterfall of rich color, and the way the light played on the folds made it shimmer like a magnificent jewel. The kimono gave way into the pale flesh of her neck, which he had almost completely ignored until tonight, and beckoned his eyes more than once as he tried to maintain his forward gaze. And god, her scent...it seemed magnified somehow. It overpowered all other scents in the room, even despite the buffet of food mere inches from his breathed her scent in deeply, but slowly, so no one else would notice. He was beginning to feel almost drunk from it. His eyes involuntarily fluttered shut.
Rin, who had remained motionless for several minutes, peeked over at her demon caretaker. His eyes were closed, and he seemed completely oblivious to her. Puzzled, she addressed him, despite Lady Mitchitsuna telling her before dinner to not speak to him directly. "Just be quiet and let him look at you," she had said. "It's important not to distract him from all of our hard work."
"Mi lord...do you like my new kimono?" Rin asked. Immediately, his eyes bolted open, and he turned his head to look at her directly. Her brown eyes regarded him eagerly as she waited for his approval. Her deep black eyelashes gave her eyes an exotic appeal. A combination of her eyes and that intoxicating scent made Sesshomaru quickly look away; he didn't bother to answer her question.
Mitchitsuna looked frazzled as she tried to interpret Sesshomaru's body language. Was he trying that hard to avoid the girl? "Are you feeling quite well?" she asked.
"This human food...the smell is nauseating," he said as he stared at the floor. It was a lie of course, but a good one.
Mitchitsuna seemed to experience both a wave of panic and a dawning of realization at the same time as she clapped her hands to summon her servants. "My apologies. I did not realize you were unable to dine with us. Here, I will have the servants clear the food away." The servants emerged a few moments later, exchanging confused glances as they saw that only Ryoma's plate had food on it while the others remained spotless.
Rin's posture sank as the servants began to move towards the delicious mounds of food they had placed on the dining table only moments before. Ryoma mirrored Rin's apparent disappointment tenfold; his jaw seemed to drop all the way to the table as pair of servant's hands grabbed the plate of noodles he had just started eating. Rin bit her lip and stared down at the table, defeated.
Sesshomaru's gaze shifted from Rin's look of disappointment to the priestess. He made a motion with his hand, which came across much more eager than he'd intended. "Don't be absurd," his words stung the air. "The only reason we're here is so that she may eat and be in good condition for your ritual. I will...tolerate it for now."
The servants looked to one another and then at Lady Mitchitsuna, awaiting her instructions. The priestess seemed hesitant to meet his request, and made a wry face as she motioned to the servants to set the food back down and leave the room. They scurried off like frightened mice, as if they had done something wrong. The Priestess, however, smiled at that moment, seeming to forget her annoyance as she regarded Sesshomaru warmly. "As you wish." Her attention then shifted to a despondent Rin, who seemed to perk up only slightly as the Priestess gestured to the food. "Please, help yourself."
Rin returned her gesture with a meager smile. Though she was ravenous, her disappointment was attributed mostly to the fact that Sesshomaru didn't seem to notice her kimono, or the pretty makeup that Mithcitsuna had spend a great deal of time putting on her. Oh, well. It wouldn't matter for long, anyway. In a few hours time, she would be back to her normal self. For reasons she still didn't fully understand, she found herself dreading that moment the closer it got.
She sighed to herself and picked up the ceramic chopsticks next to her plate. She served herself a generous helping of the vegetables and a few slices of salmon, since they were the closest to her. She was going to take some noodles, but it looked like Ryoma was already swallowing the last ones whole. The threat of the noodles being taken away must have motivated him to eat them as fast as possible. The Priestess narrowed her eyes at him as he did so, and he gave a nervous chuckle after the lump disappeared down his throat. "My apologies,the noodles are my favorite."
Rin smiled at him politely and eyed the remaining plates of food spread across the table. She spotted the rice balls on a plate on the far side of the table, closest to Sesshomaru. She was about to speak, but Lady Mitchitsuna seemed to be shaking her head "no". Rin couldn't help feeling that the priestess was watching every move she made. Rin decided to ignore her for now, though her scrutiny was starting to make her nervous.
Rin straightened her posture and cleared her throat to get her demon caretaker's attention. "My lord, could I have some rice balls please?"
Sesshomaru shot his eyes at her for a brief moment and then hastily returned them to whatever it was he'd been staring at for the duration of the meal. His empty teacup, perhaps? He barely noticed. His concentration was fixed solely on ignoring whatever scent her skin seemed to be exuding. It wasn't a perfume, he'd decided. That would have smelled too disgusting to him. It was her natural scent, only amplified times ten. And it wasn't just her scent, it was her scent as a woman. How was it that it seemed so stifling now when it was radically more tolerable before dinner? He looked to Lady Mitchitsuna, who seemed to be staring at Rin with tightly drawn lips and a cautious look in her eye. He started to wonder...
"I'll get it myself then," Rin said casually as she leaned over the table and stretched her arm to grab a rice ball with her chopsticks.
Sesshomaru saw her delicate form move from the corner of his eye and he was immediately drawn to it, despite his better judgment. He watched as she placed her left hand delicately on the table and her body slowly leaned across, her back arching as she did so. The fabric of her kimono stretched with her body and hugged the curves of her butt as she bent over in a far-reaching pose. His heart beat hard against his chest as he was suddenly reminded of a similar pose, when she had been naked in the forest a few feet in front of him. The intoxicating scent was only a few inches from him as her right arm strained in front of him to reach the plate of rice balls.
It was certainly not the most dignified act one could perform at the dinner table. It was something a child might do, if not taught proper manners. But right now, it didn't matter. For the first time in centuries, Sesshomaru felt an overpowering desire begin to stir inside of him as her delicate female scent hovered inches in front of him. He curled his hand into a tight fist beneath the table as he struggled with the urge to pull her to him. Rin remained completely oblivious to this as she lingered a moment longer, carefully pinning two rice balls between her chopsticks, before slowly moving back to her previous sitting position. The tension in Sesshomaru's fist released in an instant. He let out an inaudible sigh (had he been holding his breath this entire time?) and spied her out of the corner of his eye, smiling brightly before one of the newly acquired rice balls disappeared into her mouth.
Lady Mitchitsuna broke the silence with a nervous laugh, the sort of laugh someone makes when they want to draw attention away from something inappropriate or embarrassing. "Rin, I would have gotten those for you, really—" another loud giggle seemed to interject her sentence unintentionally – "Sesshomaru, do you drink tea?" she tripped over the new, prodding question.
Sesshomaru merely nodded, not really paying attention. His concentration was solely focused on wrestling with Rin's scent and the effect it was having on him, while also considering the growing possibility that there were ulterior motives behind this meal.
Lady Mitchitsuna turned to Rin and made wide, sweeping motions with her hands towards the teapot at the center of the table. Rin didn't understand immediately, but the Miko was urging her – quite frantically, in fact- to pour Sesshomaru some tea. Rin nodded to show she understood, but the Lady's erratic behavior was putting her on edge. Lady Mitchitsuna raised her eyebrows and motioned with her hands a final time as Rin hesitated. Rin nodded again and leaned forward to pick up the teapot.
Rin had never served anyone tea before. The village she had come from was in a constant state of economic hardship, and tea drinking was reserved only for those with wealth. Always eager to impress, however, she leaned forward again – this time, Sesshomaru did not look – and she gripped the teapot handle with one hand. The glossy ceramic felt delicate and slippery against her fingers, which were shaking slightly from sheer nerves. She shot a look at Lady Mitchitsuna for approval. The Lady was biting her lip, but the raised corners of her mouth relayed a sort of smile. Rin smiled back and carefully lifted the teapot, which was a little heavier than expected given its small size. Holding her breath, she carefully, slowly, eased the teapot towards Sesshomaru's empty teacup in a manner as graceful as she could manage. Then, an odd thing happened.