'At night, you have never seen so many stars; they're like little holes in the floor of heaven' ~ Bucket List

"Talking"

Thoughts

Ethereal Voices/Beasts/ Spirits

Apocalyptica:

Chapter 1:

Grand Entrance

"Sesshoumaru Tashio,

Business tycoon,

Entrepreneur,

Head of his own company,

Heir to the Tashio fortune,

Bachelor of the year..."

"Playboy"

"Eri!" the small brunette batted her friend with the latest copy of Girl Talk magazine she had in her hands.

"What? Its true, he is, you and I both know it..."

Both girls leaned in to swoon over the suggestive photo on the left side of the glossy page next to the article of the latest escapade the media had on the first Tashio son, each reviling in their own fantasies of the algid bachelor.

Yuki was the first to break the silence,

"You think he will be at the Masquerade to night?"

"Possibly, it is her 21st and the entire upper half of the eastern border of Tokyo is going to be there, if her mother has anything to do with it."

"Yeah... and the Higurashi's have been friends with the Tashio's for ages...I bet Inuyasha is going to be there too..."

"Duh, he is her best friend..."

"Girls, the limo is here!" Eris mothers voice filtered up the stairs, alerting the girls.

"Crap, be down in a sec Mom!"

At the sound of the mother's voice, both girls sprang into action, checking over their dresses, applying one last layer of lip gloss over their already moist lips and headed for the door, masks in hand and clutches secure under their glittering arms.

Climbing into the limo, they were greeted with the rest of the entourage.

"Hi girls... you ready for this shindig?" The wolf daemon greeted them with a lob sided grin as he undressed each girl with is hungry gaze.

"Hello yourself Kouga" Eri shyly answered with a blush dusting her cheeks at the forwardness of the promiscuous wolf.

"sheesh and I thought Sesshoumaru was a playboy... Down boy"

Yuki made a swatting motion with her rhinestone clutch at the eager male as the door to the limo closed.

"Hey where's Hojou?" Eri questioned, eager to ease the sexual tension already building in the car.

"We're going to go pick him up now, Sango and Miroku are at meeting us there" Bankotsu, a demi-god answered from the back seat.

"Hi Bank" they greeted in unison.

"Sweeeeet deal, lets get this show on the road then!" came the flippant reply from his partner Jakotsu next to him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The night was off to a glamorous start, the Masquerade Affair was held at the Tashio's estate a couple of hours outside of Tokyo, its elaborate decor and old Spanish feel to the architecture made it the perfect setting for the Venetian style party. The long drive to the Mansion was lined with fairy lights that flickered to look like tiny candles that lit the driveway. The gravel crunched under the heavy weight of the limo as it pulled to a stop outside the house. A footman dressed in traditional clothes of the Venetian times opened the door to the black vehicle with practised ease and bowed ever so slightly to the guests as they emerged dressed to the nines with elaborate costumes, big puffy dresses and intricately designed masks that concealed their identities. One by one, they filtered down the red carpet, lined with rose petals and in small intervals Tiki torches were lit giving off a kerosene smell that lit the pathway, and added to the ambiance of the evening. The path lead around the side of the house and emerged next to a maze that was cordoned off with a bar, as each guest was presented with their fist glass of Champaign, with a lotus flower floating at the bottom of the glass, a myth that was supposedly used to add to the flavour of the beverage, giving it a sweeter edge. The path opened up onto a decorated patio area, with small round tables seating about 5 at each, around the outer edges of a dance floor that was paved with an elaborate mosaic of teal tiles. Small candles and rose petals floated across the surface of the huge swimming pool that was to the right of the dance floor, the glow of the red lanterns that hung above the stage and in the centre of each table basked the whole scene in a sublet pink and gold, creating an intimate atmosphere that belonged in a story or film. A gentle beat came from the stage as the band played a soothing rhythm that added to the feel and transported the guests to another time and place.

Hana Higurashi sighed for what must have been the hundredth time that night.

"What is keeping them Kei?" She questioned her husband under her breath as she shook one of the last guests hand in welcome.

"Relax dear, everything is perfect...they will be here." He placed a comforting hand on his wife's' shoulder, and steered her towards the bar.

Placing a flute glass into her hands he let his fingers linger in the touching of his wife's hand, a gesture of the bond they shared, intimate and true in its nature.

"You look beautiful tonight..." His voice caressed her soul just like the day she had fallen in love with the Higurashi business man. A small blush tinted the rosy cheeks of the older women as a small intimate smile ghosted across her lips, a smile meant only for him, and he knew it.

"Kei, you think he will ask her tonight?"

"I don't know my love, if he does-"

"Aah there here, come lets go greet them" Hana cut her husband off as one of the honoured guests made his way towards the couple, his platinum silver hair giving away his identity, despite the mask that adorned his chiselled face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Come now dearest you look simply decadent." The Lord of the western lands coaxed his wife as he extended a white silken gloved hand out to her to help her out the limo.

Carefully, Izayoi placed her feet onto the carpeted path, mindful of the many layers to her silken ensemble. Her ink back hair swept up in an elaborated design of knots and twists, as it spilled over her shoulder, leaving the other one bear, exposing the mating mark of the Dog General. A shrill of pleasure tickled down the Dog General's spine, seeing the mark at the juncture of her collarbone and neck. Pulling her closer to his large masculine frame, his clawed fingers gently padded over the mark, and ran up the column of her neck, coming to rest on the side of her face. Adjusting her mask, he whispered in her ear.

"I could ravish you now my beautiful wife"

The husky tone of his voice set a spark of anticipation through her tiny frame, and the slightest sent of her arousal reached their son's nose.

"Awe, for fuck sakes Dad, keep it in your pants... come on you two, please save it for later... were already late as it is..."

Inuyasha made a face as he bypassed his parents in getting out the limo and made a bee line for the glittered carpeted path.

A glimmer of amusement played in the older demons eyes as he led his wife down the glittering path, after their son.

"Yes, much later..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Kei, my friend, I love what you have done with the place, it looks magnificent." Toga Tashio greeted the Higurashi businessman with a firm handshake.

"Aaah Toga, many thanks for allowing us to use your estate, but all the credit belongs to my wife" he gestured towards the small women next to him.

"Hana, looking lovely as always, you have done a magnificent job", Toga stated as he brought her hand up in a gentlemanly gesture of greeting and kissed her knuckles.

"Indeed it is beautiful Hana, something out of a fairytale, you have brought to life every girls dream" Izayoi greeted Hana in a simple hug as she complimented her on her decorating abilities.

"Thank you both, where are the boys tonight? I hope they are both coming..."

"Yes, Inuyasha made a dash for the bar as soon as we got out the limo." Izayoi answered her question, gesturing towards the bar with her Venetian fan.

"Sesshoumaru should be arriving shortly; he had a business deal he had to finish at work, so he took his own transportation here." The Dog General answered.

"Aaah I see, glad they could both come." Kei stated, with a gesture towards the stage in invitation.

"How is she, ready for her grand appearance?"

"Yes, Sango and Ayame are helping her with the final touches to her outfit as we speak. It's almost time for her entrance, as most of the guests are here, let's go joint the boys then..."

A nervous glance was shared between both mothers as they made their way over to the stage where Inuyasha and his group of friends were waiting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Both girls made their way through the crowd that had gathered in the patio area now towards the group of friends.

"Sango, can I have my arm back before you yank it out of the socket?" Ayame questioned as she tried to catch up to the eager brunette in her tight cat suit styled costume, her stiletto boots making the process all the more difficult.

"Sorry Aya, I just wanna get a good view as she comes down the stairs... she looked great hey?"

"Yeup, we did a good job."

Both girls filtered their way towards the boys.

"Aaaah there you are my beloved Sango, you look simply ravishing in your red corset, where you going for the dominatrix vampire look?" Miroku, Sango's on- off again boyfriend greeted the girls as they joined the group.

Balling her hands into a fist, a deadly gleam was seen under her mask as she glared at her now off again man. "Watch it Monk or you'll be flying solo tonight and for the rest of your life when I'm through with you..."

The familiar banter took over the group as they became engrossed with the latest gossip, updating each other on their lives.

As if initiated by the group of closely knit friends, the entire patio area was lulled into the gentle banter of conversation as people mingled. The sounds of light laughter was heard, the clinking of glasses as merriment filled the night as the guests settled into the evening, embraced by the elaborated decor of the party, and the heavy beat coming from the band on the stage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~A~~~~~~~~~~~

Eri, Yuki and the rest made their way over to the group.

"Hey guys, sorry we were late! The limo guy had to drive around for like an hour to find Hojou's house, and when we got there he was just climbing out the shower, I swear that man faffs more than a celebrity getting ready for the Oscars." Yuki greeted the group with her rushed explanation.

Laughter erupted all around as Hojou joined the group with a flushed face, trying to pry a newly hooked Jakotstu off his arm.

"Haha, seems old sissy pants here has found himself a new toy boy hey Hojou?" Inuyasha questioned between sips of his drink.

"Don't worry Inubaby, your still number 2 in my book, Bank is obviously number 1." The outrageous queen jakotsu, winked at Inuyasha from his perch on Hojous's arm, before looking longingly at his partner Bankotsu.

"Hehe Dogturd, still attracting the wierdos then." Kouga greeted Inuaysha with a hefty slap on the back, sending the drink he had clutched in his hand spilling nicely down the front of his Armani tux.

"Awe Wolf piss, Now look what you've done, you stupid mangy-"

"Calm down man, daddy will buy you a new one, sheesh." A menacing gleam entered the Hanyou's eye as he proceeded to dump the rest of his drink over Kouga's head.

"Aye what the fuck was that for asswipe?" he asked, wiping the Champaign out his eyes.

"Because you spilt the drink on me first numbnuts" Inuyasha answered with a satisfied grin.

"Now you're gonna get it, puppy boy, I'm gonna whip you ass so good, your dad will have to pay for reconstructive surgery" Kouga threatened, balling his fits and stepping closer to the Hanyou.

"Bring it, flea farm, I'll take you on any-"

"Announcing Ms Kagome Tomiko Higurashi..."

There was a sudden silence that washed over the guests, as they all turned in anticipation towards the opening set of large oak doors that lead to the inside of the manor.

Inuyasha paused mid threat and turned like the rest of the guests towards the door, eager to see his best friend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She took a moment to still her thrumming heart. Breathing in and out like she had been told so many times over by two of her very best girlfriends, all their pep talking and swooning over her didn't do much in the way of calming her already frazzled nerves. The expectation her parents had created with all this riff raff about being properly announced into adulthood was absolute bull in her mind. Seriously? How the hell was she suppose to be cool about this, she was about to make the biggest entrance of her social life in her adulthood debut? A moment that shall define her in the public eye for the rest of her life, but no, she was cool calm and completely over all the crap that had gone into this. Not being allowed to know anything about the decor, the guest list, all of it, it was all hidden from her under the guise of being a 'surprise' well whoop de doo, the shock has yet to hit her system.

'I don't feel any different, I don't look any different? So why all the fuss? It's not like-poof- my fairy godmother is going to magically appear and bibbity bobbity boo- yay im an adult!'

She took a moment to gaze over all the faffing and fussing her two friends spent the better half of the afternoon glamouring her up on.

Ringing her hands nervously, she looked herself over in the full length mirror in the guest room she was using to get dressed in. By now her fiends should have gone down and gotten read for her big entrance.

Her eyes scanned the prone form that reflected back at her. Her inky blue-black hair done up in a series of twists and plats, leaving the bottom half to spill over her shoulder in a series of perfectly set ringlet curls. Her face, a grimace of anxiety well hidden under the flawless blush and eye shadow, creating a dusky maiden look, with just the right amount of blush dusting her defined cheek bones to give her that elusive 'glow'. Her dress, a series of overlapping silks and velvet, a mixture of a circus trapeze get up combined with the medieval Venetian style dress, the blood red corset outlining her hips in a mapped out form of a women's body. Her pert breasts pushed up to the point where it was provocative, without being to scandalous, both dusted with a shimmering powder to make the valley between them all the more alluring. Below the tightly strung corset, her skirt flared around her hips, with deep red ruffles set perfectly symmetrical along the curve of her backside, enhancing the derrière and flaring around the knees, to finish off the hour glass figure, with a suggestive slit running up the left side of her thy, pinned in place with an elaborate broach, she wasn't too sure was real diamonds or rhinestones herself. The train of the dress flowing behind her like a river of molten lava, shimmering in the dim light of the room. She had to agree, she looked amazing, for someone who's idea of looking good was putting on a decent pair of jeans, dressing it up with a simple blouse and a good set of pumps, she looked like a goddess that has just stepped out of some elaborate fairly tale.

'Damn Sango, you were right about the shoes girl, the black leather pumps fit perfectly with the circus style corset... hmmm'

"Miss Kagome, it's almost time..."

One of the maids interrupted her perusal of herself, turning, she answered.

"Thank you, I'll be down in a minuet"

Schooling her distraught features into a practised calm and serenity, she secured the sequined, glitter mask at the back of her head, making sure most of her angelic face as hidden beneath the black and gold porcelain mask.

'Well Kagome Higusrashi, let's get this circus over and done with'

With one last glance at herself in the mirror, she made her way to the stairs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He sighed inwardly at the catatonic state of his retainer that occupied the opposite leather seat in the limo they were now both in. The laptop that had been previously in the kappas tiny green webbed hands was now sprawled across the leather seat next to the imp. His bulbous eyes closed, head resting on the leather headrest giving the Taiyoukai a unfitting view of the nasal hairs, as drool dangled from his snoring beak-like mouth. The Taiyoukai pondered on why he still kept the little kappa around, apart from his unwavering loyalty and efficiency in executing a task, something that he has had to perfect over the centuries, the little kappa was a definite nuisance, and nothing if not damn ugly, yet highly entertaining as he was once again about to prove to the Lord.

With a slight nod to the driver over the divider in the limo, he focused his amber gaze on the small kappa, steeling his poker face into masked anger.

The limo glided to a halt over the gravel at the entrance to the Tashio estate, a slight jolt was felt by the two passengers as they passed the dip in the driveway leading up to the Mansion. The slight jolt was enough to wake the slumbering retainer. In a display of dramatic momentary amnesia, the little kappa jerked upright, snorting as he did so, his bulbous yellow eyes blinking several times before coming to focus on the now very amused and highly pissed off Lord glaring at him from the opposite seat. As if on instantaneous reaction, all the little kappas memories came flooding back to him. The fact that he was accompanying his Lord and Master to the party, in order to do some last minute polishing details on closing a very big business deal with the Lord in the car on the way over, and the lack of laptop in his webbed hands and the glare of death that was being given by his master made this obvious turn of events nothing pleasant in the little kappas mind. He fell asleep.

"Aaah forgive this lowly servant my Lord, it was not my intention to soil your presence with my sleeping form, please My Lord have mercy on the inability this lowly servant has in not completing the task-"

"Jaken"

Talking a moment to register that his Master had addressed him in the cool, icy tone that promised death, he gazed up at the Taiyoukai, anticipating his impending death.

"Yes Milord?"

"Remove yourself. "

It took a few seconds for the toad to realise that he was now on his hands and knees between seats on the carpeted floor of the limo, hugging the well tailored leg of his employer, grovelling once again at his feet, a habit he has not been able to get out of since he began his servitude to the Lord Sesshoumaru.

Suddenly in a flurry of action, the door to the limo was opened, and the little toad was sent careering into the distant fountain occupying the middle of the driveway, knocking over a few Tiki torches during his flight. He had not managed to remove himself from his Master's leg as commanded in time and thus suffered the consequences.

Not even sparing the little toad a glance, Sesshoumaru buttoned his Armani tux as he glided his way down the red glittering carpet, taking in the transformation of his summer home as he did so.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~A~~~~~~~~~~~

He made it past the bar, intact, flute glass in hand, and no unsuspecting fan girls or mothers seeking to pawn their offspring onto him in sight. He made his way towards the edge of the crowd, noticing that nobody apart from the butler and the shy girl that served him his drink blushing while doing it, noticed his entrance. How peculiar, normally he was one to make quite the entrance, and he was 'fashionably late' as his secretary deemed to call he's tardiness in the attendance of such a frivolous affair. The guests where all focused now on the double oak doors that lead to the patio area, all glittering in the shimmering glow of the fairy lights that wound around the marble stairs. The Oak doors creaked open and revealed to all the reason for the part as she descended the stairs.

For once, glad of his towering from, he make out Kagome's petite frame as she glided down the stairs in a show of unnatural grace and poise, two words the Western Heir would not normally associate with her in the same sentence. Her masked features downcast as she placed one step in front of the other delicately as if performing a practised dance. He watched, mesmerised, like all the other guests, fascinated by the creature that descended before him, her blood red dress glimmered in the twinkle of the fairy lights, and it cast a ethereal glow on her skin, making it shimmer and allowing the intricate illusion of a goddess stepping down from heaven to sweep over the crowd.

She paused for a second on the second last step and stole a glance at the crowd; her eyes swept the area of people, and for a few seconds lingered on his form. He was sure he heard a gasp escape her lips in the impregnated silence that surrounded the guests. The beginnings of a smirk twitched the corners of his mouth as his eyes took on a deeper sheen of gold in reaction to her recognition of him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~A~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The heavy oak doors groaned with the pressure of them opening, she heard her name being called as she passed the half way point in the stair case. Each fluid motion of her step echoing in her mind as she counted down the each step she took to her impending doom as she now called it.

'25, 24, 23- a few more to go girl more to go, you can do this girl...'

A hush had fallen over the hordes of people that now faced her, even the music had stopped, and it was as if the immediate world had come to a standstill in those few seconds it took her to reach the bottom. She focused on the placing of her stiletto feet, rather than looking up at the crowd that awaited her decent. It seemed as if the cowed all held its breath as her last foot fall echoed in the huge patio area, all eyes on her, waiting in expectation and anticipation, of what? She didn't know.

Silent gasps and awes of wonder filtered to her ears as the drumming of her heart beat against her rib cage and the adrenaline pumped in her veins. She let out the breath she didn't even know she was holding, escape her lungs. She stole a glimpse at the crowd- bad, very bad move on her part, as her focus was taken off of her footing. Her eyes scanned the masked faces for a platinum silver hair of her vey best friend. A glimmer of silver caught her eye on the out skirts of the crowd, quickly narrowing in on the glimmer; her eyes met the liquid amber of the older Tashio. The intensity of his gaze was enough as the recognition that this was not her best friend set in. A small smirk played on the corners of his mouth, something she was able to pick up across the wide gap between them, promptly regaining her composure, she continued her decent onto the last step.

'Pompous ass, didn't even wear a mask, figures with that ridged mask he always has in place should be enough to- shit'

With her focus on the Taiyoukai and not on her footing, her last step was placed on the lip of her red train and catching the red fabric in her rather high shoes, she found herself falling towards the tiled floor of the patio, a groan leaving her lips at her inevitable clumsiness.

Having her fall cushioned by one of the rather large diplomats that she didn't recognised, she promptly righted herself, dusting off her dress and regaining the small amount of dignity she could in her current predicament, with scarlet tinted cheeks, she thanked the balding man as murmurs and whispers were taken up by the crowd.

'Well so much for grace and dignity... told you thee shoes were bad news Sango...'

In a practised second nature, she resumed her grand entrance and gave a small curtsy to all the masked faces that greeted her. It felt like a lifetime before she was reached out of the moment, and found herself secured in the grasp of her father's arm, her mother on the other side of her.

"You ok my butterfly?"

"Hmm yeah, thanks dad."

"Well, let the magic begin..."

"Bibbity bobbity boo..."

With a small role of her eyes, glad it was hidden under her glittering mask, she followed her father's lead as they lead her towards the stage for the official announcements. Amusement glittering in amber eyes of the late Taiyoukai at her inevitable clumsiness, watching her as she moved.

'This is proving to be a rather entertaining evening.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~A~~~~~~~~~~~

End,

AN/ Here's chapter 2. I'm still ironing out the kinks and I must apologise if my characters are OCC I think the term is? Im trying to stay true to form and bring a little of my own magic into the portrayals. Reviews and feedback are always welcome.

Enjoy,

Magic