Hello Anyone and Everyone reading FEUDAL ERA!
Sorry about the late updates on both stories guys. Finals at University are scary and with the upcoming christmas holidays coming, I've barely had an time for writing.
I hope you guys really enjoy this chapter. It has struck really close to home for me. My sister moved out half a year ago and she still hasn't contacted me yet. I really miss her so yeah...
Anyway please enjoy:)
Disclaimer: I own dittly squat.
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Chapter 3: The Tayjia Family
A young woman sighed heavily as she looked at the board sign in front of her apartment.
'Coming soon: New Community Centre' it read for all to see. In less than a month, the building would be demolished to make room for a pool and dance room.
In a week, she would have to move her family to a new location and quit her job. Whoever said that life wasn't easy made an understatement. It was frigging downright hard as all seven hells! Everything had gone downhill since the tragic death of her parents and younger brother five years ago.
Thanks to that drunk driver, she had been practically stranded as a college student with her way under aged sister and adoptive brother. Thankfully, the money they inherited, coupled with her job income had provided them with a decent living.
Parking the car on the street, the twenty-seven year old got out, retrieving her groceries from the backseat. Armed with six plastic bags and a jean purse, she made her way to her apartment on the second floor. Setting down her burden on the emerald carpet to fish for her keys, she felt her phone vibrate and start ringing techno music. Grabbing her cell instead, she answered politely.
"Hello, Sango Tayjia speaking. Can I help you?"
"Hello Miss Tayjia. This is Hojo Markhama, from the real estate agency" greeted a boyish male voice. Recognizing the speaker, Sango's face brightened. It was about time they got back to her.
"Hi Mr. Markhama. Any good news?" she inquired, finally getting into her apartment.
"Yes actually, we may have struck gold with this. Have you ever heard of the town Kyoko?"
The name sounded familiar to Sango, but it took a little bit for it to fully register. Kyoko was an hour's drive away from Onchi and was a pretty small town. She had been there twice in her adolescent years, both reasons were due to field trips for religion class to the Higurashi Shrine.
"Of course, it was a little was from here, though" she replied, unloading the bags in the kitchen.
"Well, there's a house for sale that is at least a few thousand yen under your budget and even comes furnished if you wish it. Would you like to make an appointment to view the residence?" Hojo asked.
"What is the earliest we can make it?" she questioned, emptying the meat packages into the proper drawer.
"Ummm. Tomorrow at ten thirty AM. Does that work for you, Miss Tayjia?"
"Perfectly" she agreed. That would work out very well. She would be able to get back before her two siblings returned from school.
"The address is-" Sango scrambled for a pen and a blank sheet, finding the corner of the newspaper clear to write on, "209 Sakura St, Kyoko"
"Ok, thank you Mr. Markhama. I will be there tomorrow, goodbye" Sango said, hanging up the phone, a feeling of relief warming her abdomen. Now there was something else to check off on her list of things to worry about.
Finishing up with the groceries, Sango flopped down onto the couch and reached for the remote. Channels were quickly flicked through before it settled on a kendo match. Sango watched the competitors with a critical eye, having been an athlete since she was old enough to attend school. Being a defensive martial arts instructor on the weekends also made her analytical when it came to sports.
Leaning back, Sango groaned at the pain in her shoulders. Sitting hunched over a stack of papers for seven hours straight really took it out of you. Thank the gods that tomorrow was her day off. Her boss had been very insistent that she got rest, knowing about the various problems plaguing his best employee. His only regret was that Sango would leave by the end of the week. It was hard finding good secretaries for a law firm now days.
'Maybe I can get a job as something more worthwhile in Kyoko' Sango thought with great optimism. Looking up at the digital clock of the DVD player, Sango saw that it was almost quarter to four. Her two siblings would be home soon and would raid the unknown if she didn't put something out before they got home.
Pulling out a bag of ketchup chips, Sango poured half the bag into a giant bowl. Wasn't a lot, but at least they couldn't complain about starvation till supper. Having a weakness for snack food, Sango munched on a handful of chips from the bag before putting it away so she could go change clothes.
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Rin hummed to the music on her mp3 as she walked alongside his older brother, who was trying to snap his fingers and frowning down at his hand. Unable to ignore his scowl, Rin turned her electronical toy off and put the ear buds into her pocket.
"What's wrong Shippo? Did you get another detention?" she questioned with concern. Ever since he started high school two years ago he had been constantly getting into trouble. Rin knew it couldn't simply because of their parents and brother's death, seeing as how that happened a few years previous. No matter close she and Sango were to Shippo, he never explained why he got into so much trouble.
Shippo looked at the black-haired thirteen ear old girl, with a now sheepish grin, which was always so weird to see on his face.
"Just wanted to check something" the sixteen year old shrugged.
"I doubt you'll be able to use your demonic energy, Shippo. Demon's haven't been able to harness it for the last few decades, probably because there is no need for it anymore" Rin stated, remembering the notes she had taken in history last month.
Two years before Rin had been born Mr and Mrs. Tayjia had adopted the abandoned fox kit. Shippo was actually a full-fledged Kitsune, which made a confusing first impression when people saw Shippo pick up his baby sister at the grade school, believing them a couple. However, Rin didn't care what her classmates thought, she could care less about them.
"I know, but I think it's stupid. I mean it's not like it's illegal to use it, so why can't-"
"Because the knowledge on how to access a demon's power has been forgotten and lost over the centuries until it became unimportant to teach" continued Rin, "Besides you would only get into more trouble if you could do fox magic Shippo. So maybe that's a good thing for the sanity of everyone else"
"You gotta work on your pep talk, Rin" Shippo grunted taking bigger steps.
"You're just upset because I'm right' Rin sing-songed teasingly. Shippo punched her lightly on the arm and smirked when she pouted childishly. He was never able to stay mad at her for long.
"Wonder if Sango got my popsicles when she went shopping?" Rin pondered when they walked past their car to the building's entrance. The carpet muffled the sound of their sneakers on the floor, but Rin's music blared from her buds, her mp3 once again playing.
"Honey, I'm home!" Rin called out as the door swung open to the apartment.
"Hey guys!" answered Sango's voice from the living room, "Chips are on the counter if you're hungry!"
"Please be dill, please be dill" Shippo chanted as his pointed ears perked up at the mention of food. Rushing past Rin, who humphed at the red head's rudeness, to get to the counter first, Shippo peered inside the bowl.
Ketchup.
His bushy fox tail lowered a fraction in slight disappointment. Oh well, chips were chips even if they weren't dill pickle.
"Sango? Did you get me- I mean us, popsicles?" Rin questioned as she wrapped her arms around her sister's neck from behind the couch, her back to the kitchen. Sango's warm brown eyes met matching brown eyes as she tilted her head to see Rin.
"I might have"
"Orange?"
"Is there any other kind?"
Rin squealed and squeezed the older girl tighter, "Thank you!"
"They're for after supper" Sango said indifferently when she was released.
"But that's two hours away" Rin groaned, slumping on the couch's back.
"I said there was chips" Sango shrugged, watching the next kendo fight.
"Yeah, about that" Shippo began, plopping down on the chair, licking his clawed fingers, "They kinda disappeared"
Rin groaned louder and more dramatically than before.
"Now I really will starve!"
"Tell you what, hon. Do your homework and you can have two popsicles after we eat" Sango offered before scowling at Shippo, who snatched up the remote. A flurry of footsteps and a slammed door announced her quick absence.
"Don't you have any homework Shippo?" Sango addressed her young brother, hoping that if he and she could go back to her show.
"Nope. Sorry sis, but from now till five it's Family Guy time" Shippo smirked. Sango simply growled, sounding very much like a certain thirteen year old.
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The small family of siblings sat the kitchen table, eating burgers and home cooked fries. Rin chattered happily about the aced history quizzes she got back that day, Sango smiling proudly at the eighth grader's excitement. The only class Rin was passionate about was history and ancient civilizations.
"I was so nervous about the second last question on my first quiz though and when I saw it, I had full marks!" Rin finished, squirting ketchup on her salt fries.
"Awesome Rin, mum would have been proud. She always knew you would be an A student" congratulated Sango, before turning her attention to Shippo, who was on his second burger and eating with great gusto.
"What about you, Shippo? Doing anything in drama lately?"
Shippo swallowed and answered off handily before returning to shovel down his food.
"Not really. Since Mrs. Tibiki knows I'll be leaving soon, she could only give me written assignments"
"Makes sense. By the way I get a call today" Rin said Shippo's attention snapped to their legal guardian, "I may have found a house in Kyoko and I'm going to check it out tomorrow. So afterward we're going to start packing. By Friday we need to be ready to leave"
Both teens nodded in understanding and back to the meal, a little quieter than normal.
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Sango turned down Sakura Street, eyeing the time on her watch. She was late by about twenty minutes, but it wasn't like it was her fault. Not only had she travelled for an hour to reach the town, she also had trouble locating the correct street.
"205... 207... 209" she muttered under her breath, pulling up beside the curb, behind a small blue Pries. Gathering her jean purse, sunglasses and keys, Sango got out of the vehicle and walked up the pathway to the house. Looking around, Sango noted how well kept the front yard was with freshly mowed grass and neat flower beds. The outer appearance of the house was decent, although there was a touch of it being touched.
"Ah, Miss Tayjia. Good to see you. Hopefully, you found your way here easily" greeted a mousy-haired man from the white-washed door, stepping out to shake her hand.
"Somewhat" she answered curtly, briskly returning his handshake. She was eager to view the rest of the house. After all it would be nice to live somewhere other than an apartment where you could hear floating voices of an arguing couple in the early hours of the morning.
Hojo was indeed a good real estate agent, Sango concluded as she was escorted inside, and through all the rooms she could tell that someone had recently come to clean the house, trying to make it presentable, but it was oblivious that no one had spent a prolonged amount of time inside for years. The furniture had taste, the young woman had to admit for not being used in so long. The air of the various spaces in the house was stable, although all it needed was some airing out.
"The grade school is a few blocks down and the high school is on the other side of town, about a twenty to thirty minute walk from here" finished Hojo as they re-entered the front entrance.
"This house is just what I'm looking for, thank you Mr. Markhama. I can start paying for the rent right away" nodded Sango as they started to make the proper arrangements on the way to her car.
"Please, feel free to call and let us know how the house is working out. Good day, Miss Tayjia"
"I will, good-bye" she waved, starting up the vehicle.
Sango's brown eyes gazed into the rearview mirror, at the house that seemed no more different than the other buildings that lined the block. Lips twisted into a calculating and thoughtful line. Why was 209 Sakura such a cheap place to rent?
Oh well, perhaps it was just fate no one else had snatched it.
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Rin carefully placed her precious books at the bottom of the last box on her floor, stretching when she put them down. She had quite the collection and there were a few that weighed quite a bit. She nodded in satisfaction when she scanned her room for anything she might have missed.
"Clear" she announced to no one in particular, "Now what did I do with the tape? Oh yeah Sango was using it"
Said woman was in her own bedroom, curled up against the wall, a photo album cradled in her hands. She had come across the album under the bed and had opened it. Inside were pictures of a far off time when their family had all been alive and healthy. Sango smiled at the picture of her pregnant mother and gleefully beaming father, on the first page.
Flipping through it, images flashed in her mind.
Shippo's first birthday.
Her first day of kindergarten.
Kohaku giving baby Rin a badly wrapped Christmas present.
Rin napping peacefully.
Her dad standing beside her on the soccer field.
Shippo blowing bubbles with Kohaku on Easter.
Dozens of other occasions filled the pages.
Tears spilled down cheeks and onto the plastic covering of a family portrait. It was the last picture they had all taken together. She missed them so much and wished for nothing more than to have them back. She knew how proud her parents and brother would be of Shippo and Rin if they were here.
Sango was so distracted by her overwhelmed feelings that she didn't acknowledge the two other concerned people in the room. She was startled when a pair of arms enclosed over her own. Rin knelt next to Sango, shifting her arms, to accommodate the new position Shippo simply patted her shoulder and sat cross-legged on her other side.
None of them said anything. There was no need to, the closeness they all shared comforted them as they over looked the album again. Although after a few moments, the silence was broken into something more light hearted.
"Awwww. Shippo was so cute" Rin gushed at the miniature version of the fox demon, "What happened?"
"Having to put up with you" countered Shippo, mock snarling which made Sango laugh.
"Alright, stop it before I have to put you in a corner like toddlers" she chuckled, wiping her cheeks, "I need ice cream from Yoko's. How about you guys?"
"Agreed"
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"Wait. You actually got a renter for the old Takahashi house?" asked Tarmu, a co-worker of Hojo's.
"Yeah, to this woman named Sango Tayjia. One look at it and she was sold" Hojo replied, pouring himself another cup of coffee. Fellow employees surrounded the table, Hojo sat in, looking at him with admiration and respect.
The Takahashi house had been on the market for over eight years. Ever since the hype up of some mysterious disappearance. The towns people mostly steered clear which made the agency have to hire people to clean it up and deem it presentable. No one could understand why the house never sold and to be honest, it was mostly forgotten.
That is until Hojo accomplished the impossible.
"We'll just have to wait and see how long it lasts through"
Everyone turned to the old man who leaned against the counter, his arms crossed, calculating eyes resting on the group.
"What do you mean Hiku?" asked one of the women, confused.
"People believe the house is haunted"
Silence was broken by the laughter of everyone, Hojo's the loudest.
"Haunted? I doubt it, you're getting senile in your old age, Hiku" chuckled Hojo.
"You'll see, kid. Some houses just aren't meant to be lived in" Hiku said mysteriously, looking down into his swirling cup of brewed coffee.
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Please R&R:)
I will update A HANYOU'S STORY ASAP I just have to rewrite some parts of it.