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Reminder and Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in Inuyasha.
Chapter 9: Izayoi
Izayoi was a beautiful woman who came from a wealthy family. Her father had been a politician while her mother worked in real estate. Despite her parents hoping she would follow a similar profession, or something similarly formal such as business or law, Izayoi found her passion in art with a specialty in painting. Although after meeting her husband and having a child who couldn't tolerate the smell, she ended up falling more into writing and poetry. She also found it less demanding of her time. Now, Izayoi's home was a beautiful two-story house a little way out of the city with multiple bedrooms and a private and well-ventilated art studio. She had moved there once her son started college in order to get away from the fast-paced lifestyle. Her husband too appreciated the decision; it wasn't too far that going home was a difficult journey, but even more special was that it was far enough away that he could truly forget the business when he had time away for his wife. Work more often than not kept him too busy to go further than the office penthouse, but it was good to get away on the rare free days. Unfortunately, Izayoi didn't like the business life, and really couldn't stand living in the building. But, in its own way, that was what her husband liked about her. So, the rest of the time, the two stayed in touch over phone. Izayoi didn't mind this, she knew her husband's work was important to him, and she also knew that he always came if she needed something, even if she was just feeling lonely.
"Mom, I'm home!" Her son coming for a visit was one of those things that always cheered her up immediately.
"Welcome home, my puppy," she greeted him.
"Mooooom," he replied while rolling his eyes. It had always been her favorite joke since her husband convinced her to name their son with the name 'Inu'. Not that he minded the joke, not really.
"But really son, it's good to have you visit. I'm sure your father's condition is bugging you more than you're willing to admit."
He huffed, "Really mom, I'm doing ok. We both know dad's too stubborn to not pull through and anyways, Sessh has been keeping me too busy to ponder it that much."
"Hmm I heard about that, don't supposed you've heard any updates about his condition?" Sesshomaru was the one overseeing his medical treatment. He was being treated at 'the best medical center money can buy' which had been somewhat a point of contention in the beginning since apparently the treatment methods prevented the patient from having any visitors. Although, now Inuyasha knew the truth: he was in youkai form and couldn't be seen by a human.
Though that question was also related to a reason he was here, "actually mom, Sessh took me to go see him last week."
That caught her attention, "he did? Ho-how's he doing? Is he getting better? Have all of his wounds at least healed? Do they have any updates or maybe tests on brain function, or-"
"Slow down mom!" They both took a breath, "ok so it looked like his wounds were healed, but he's stuck unconscious." Or more specifically, his aura is greatly disturbed because apparently the bomb was laced with a massive amount of spiritual energy leaving him practically sealed. The doctors really did think he'd eventually wake up. At the very least, his condition wasn't worsening and likely wouldn't. "Ugh, we're talking about this in the wrong order." His mother just looked at him in patient mother mode, a little confused, but hoping to hear more. "How about first, Kagome's mother made too many cookies, you want some?" Finally, he went to reach for his bag and grab out the tin of cookies. The two then finally moved to the dining room and sat down instead of standing in the hallway.
"I'll have to thank her for these, she makes the best sweets," she said smiling and holding a cookie.
Ok, I've got her calmed down and distracted with cookies, now how do I say this? "Mom, I'm an inu-hanyou." Brilliant.
There wasn't much in the way of response, just maybe something of a confused look then a smile, "of course you are, you're my puppy."
"N-no. I mean dad's actually an inuyoukai w-with fangs and claws and can transform into a giant ass dog. Sessh too!" She still just looked confused. "Ugh, I mean look!" Inuyasha got back up and went to grab his bag. Fortunately, his father had insisted on him doing kendo so sneaking his real sword all wrapped up in his bag wasn't too weird a sight. Not that he was actually doing kendo anymore, that was just an excuse for all his training sessions with Sesshomaru. He pulled out his sword and slowly, hesitantly ran his hand along the blade with enough pressure to pierce the skin.
"Son!"
"Just watch mother." The blade, now covered in some blood, began to glow, and soon so did Inuyasha until the one standing there had silver hair, claws, fangs, and puppy dog ears on his head, "mom". Her gaze locked with amber eyes and silence filled the room.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"So, you're an actual puppy?" MOM!
"That's the first thing you say!"
"What else should I say dear? Oh! I wonder if that's why the doctors wouldn't let me see you for a couple days after you were born."
"Err, probably? I guess it makes sense if I was born in hanyou form," he wondered, "the sword seals my youkai blood leaving me mostly human. Sessh just explained everything since dad's accident. I didn't know before. Oh, and before you ask, apparently dad can be executed if he revealed himself to a human, but I'm not under the same laws." She pondered that.
"So, does this mean anything special? You're half youkai and the rest of the family is all youkai, but seeing as how I've been ignorant of this for all the years since meeting your father, I'd assume it doesn't really change much." Well that's one way of looking at it calmly.
"There is one thing. You can marry dad in the youkai way. There are benefits to it, um, I'll let dad explain it when he wakes up. Sessh, well, Sessh kinda hinted that dad's wanted to do it for a while but cause of the laws, he couldn't. But, uh, maybe talk to Sessh about seeing dad… now that you know that he looks different you can, well, look."
She appeared surprised, "that's why I couldn't visit him?"
"Unfortunately. Turns out the 'accident' that got him was related to the youkai business, not the 'President Tashio' side. Oh and amongst youkai he's called by the fancy ass title: the Inu no Taisho."
"Well, at least I can see why he was so insistent for your name."
Inuyasha scoffed at that, "he couldn't go a little more normal? Though I guess it does at least beat 'killing perfection'."
Izayoi chucked, "no that doesn't quite seem like your father, maybe Sesshomaru's mother. Is she inuyoukai too?"
Inuyasha blinked, "I think so? Hasn't really come up but Sessh said he's all inuyoukai so I guess she'd have to be?"
"I wonder if I'll finally get to meet her when your father wakes up, he did always say she never held any animosity over the situation."
Inuyasha just shrugged at that, but another thought occurred, "So mom? Uh I suck at secrets so I have one other bombshell for you."
She once again entered patient and curious mother mode. "What is it? I don't think anything could really surprise me anymore."
"Heh. Ok, I'm the crimson vigilante," he said trying to look like he was telling her he was graduating with a perfect grade point average. At her worried look he continued, "it's just, with these powers I got, I felt like I should do something. It started when Sessh found proof that someone was selling weapons blueprints from the company to a competitor and Sessh was complaining to the authorities that he had all this information, but they weren't gonna get the guys before the next buy so I kinda… stepped in, also cause like dad, Sessh isn't allowed to reveal himself or use his powers around humans. A-and it just continued. Miroku gave me this idea to do more general and selfless things that's why I went to Shibuya and cleaned up some graffiti, and…" he ran out of things to say. I probably shouldn't have told her. Shit.
She clapped, "I think that's wonderful son!"
"You do?" She does?
"Of course, you're helping people. You're so much like your father," she explained.
"But aren't you worried I'll get hurt or that it's questionably legal?" he questioned.
"A bit, but you'll be careful, won't you? And you're a hanyou, so following human laws is a bit of a grey area, right? From the stories I've heard about youkai and now spiritualists, I'd say they seem to have their own laws?" Don't mention the guns. Don't mention the guns.
"I guess so. You really don't mind?" She answered by pulling him into a big hug. Relieved to have finally gotten some secrets off his chest, Inuyasha relaxed into the hug. So relaxed that he didn't quite notice a hand snaking up until something grabbed onto his ear and started gently rubbing.
"MOM!"
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"Promise me you'll be safe," she demanded.
"I promise mom," he quickly answered.
Just as they began parting ways a thought occurred to Izayoi, "Son? You mentioned Miroku giving you an idea, does he know?"
"No, I'm not really ready to tell them. And apparently Miroku doesn't believe youkai can be good."
"That's not good. Isn't Miroku from a family of monks and Kagome from a shrine family? Do you think they can tell?"
Inuyasha considered that, "No I don't think so. Least they haven't mentioned anything. The seal keeps things pretty quiet."
"Ok, just be careful around them. I don't want to see you hurt."
"I will mom, bye."
"Bye."
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Yash: Coffee after classes tomorrow?
Kags: Hosenki's shop?
Yash: Y
Kags: See you then!