Chapter 5: Obsession
Rin was out of the hospital sooner than she expected. Then again, she happened to be a regular in the emergency room, so processing her was quick. A few stitches, a lecture from the doctor, mother's distraction, and she was out of there. She ran back to the center, but the moment she was inside, she froze. At the entrance of one of the galleries stood the subject of her sculpture, poised and apathetic as she remembered him, gazing at people beyond her sight as if he were waiting and from the look in his eyes, he was becoming impatient.
He was practically the same, except his hair was tied back in a low ponytail, the fur was gone, and instead, he wore a full black Armani suit with a white shirt inside. In a casual manner, the front of the suit was left wide open. For a brief moment, Rin chuckled slightly, wondering if that was his idea of casual. She continued to gaze at him, mesmerized by the appearance time couldn't touch. "Well, duh," she chastised herself, "He's a demon. Of course, he wouldn't age."
"Rin!" Instinctively, she pivoted, finding Sango and another woman walking towards her, the other coordinator. The second woman also had black hair and brown eyes. Sango had the fuller figure, but the other woman had a more proportionate figure. Recognizing her, Rin waved and greeted, "Hello Kagome." All of a sudden, Rin was wrapped in Kagome's arms, hearing the woman say, "Oh, I'm so glad to see you!"
"I am too," Rin stated, "The last time I saw you was Tuesday."
Kagome pulled away, smiling at her and then at Sango. The three laughed about the obscenity of it. Teasing, Sango questioned, "Well, think you're still good with a bow and arrow, Coordinator Higurashi."
"How dare you," Kagome teased.
"Quiet," Rin waved her hands, "this is the first floor, remember?"
"Sorry," the two older women smiled. Rin pouted. Out of the corner of her eye, Rin instantaneously caught sight of the other coordinator, aside from Kagome, and hastily pleaded with her two best friends, "Please hide me! It's Coordinator Harrison."
However, it was futile as Rin and her friends saw the director appear, following the coordinator. Kagome and Sango whispered their apologies, giving her sweet little advice before walking away. It was sweet, deliciously sweet advice and Rin thought that trying it wouldn't be too bad. Then Rin questioned why Kagome was sneaking away too. The older woman answered, "Um, I'm in a little trouble for skipping yesterday. If the director finds out I was taking care of Kouga, she'll flip."
"Rin," called the director, "We will be introducing you to the owner of this center. Come along. Harrison, you are excused."
The coordinator walked by Rin, whispering to her, "You'll be okay." He gave her a quick pat on the shoulder and then gently pushed her to follow the woman they called director. Rin caught up to the director's side, lowering her head.
The director looked much like Kagome, but older with longer hair and a leaner frame. Many people mistook them for twins. In truth, they were older and younger sisters. Rin couldn't mistake them. Kikyo was colder, more detached and calm. Kagome was warm, accepting and open about her feelings. Surprisingly, despite the image of distance between them, they were close friends with each other. Only in public, they kept their personal life a secret. The only fact people needed to know could already be guessed, so there was no point indicating anymore.
Feeling uneasy and somewhat terrified, Rin inched closer towards Kikyo and asked, "What are they like?" Kikyo's dark eyes glanced towards her before softening. "Worry not," she said, "Be yourself and you will be fine."
Rin nodded, not quite sure but willing to place her faith in the director. At the moment, they waited by the entrance of one of the galleries. Most of Rin's works were featured in this gallery as she was assigned. Lots of people walked around, openly admiring and commenting on her work, and Rin listened, eager to hear some feedback. She didn't mind criticism. Truthfully, she felt criticism was better than compliments, which were better than insults. Criticism helped her improve, she believed.
Gazing around, Rin tried to determine who the Taisho trio were, but the gallery was immense and people were scattered everywhere. She didn't have a clue what they looked like. Perhaps I should've taken a quick glance earlier, she mused disappointed. Figuring there was no point dwelling on it, Rin straightened and waited patiently for the important visitors.
"Rin," the director addressed her. Glancing at the older woman, Rin nodded. "Have you finished your newest piece," the director asked. Smiling at the thought, Rin nodded her head eagerly. "Yes," she confirmed vocally. The director smiled gently at Rin's simple joy. Everyone said she had a soft spot for Rin. They couldn't be any more right.
"Go up," the director stated, "I will escort them to your studio. Be prepared." Relieved to get away, Rin bowed slightly, turned heel and sprinted to the elevator. The thought of taking Kagome and Sango's advice passed through her head, but when faced with the director, Rin couldn't help complying. She respected the director and willingly complied with the director's commands as did practically everyone else who worked at the center. If anyone was less inclined to comply with the director's calm and gentle demeanor, it would have to be Kagome, perhaps the only staff member immune to the woman's charming way of direction.
In her studio, Rin cleaned up her clutter in the first compartment. Careful, even though the caution wasn't exactly needed, she rolled her newest sculpture to the first compartment. The director always entered from the door of the first compartment. Having a feeling stir in her gut, Rin prepared to stand by the doorway to the second compartment, therefore if the need arose, she could escape without a chance of being stopped…then she remembered, "The Taisho family are demons."
Rin cursed and cursed at herself, barely paying attention to the knock at the door. Absentmindedly, she cried "enter!" Yet she continued to curse herself, only giving a slight glance at the visitors, until she realized exactly who entered her studio. Meeting three pairs of golden stares, Rin felt the blood rush to her head. If anything, it was time to pass out. And she did.
- - - - - - - -
Rin came to, feeling that she was lying on top of something brown and hard, covered in splotches of color. Glancing down, she rolled her eyes. She was on the table. A throbbing started in her head as she lifted it. Prolonged, a groan escaped her lips as she gently rubbed the spot.
"It seems she has awakened."
Rin screamed. She turned around. She backed away. She fell off, landing on her rear and then her back. Lying still, she groaned in pain. For a few moments, she discerned whispers around her. At last, she pulled herself up, none too gracefully. A hand was offered to her. Only a glance and she took their hand, but as they pulled her up, her fingers brushed against something sharp. Alarmed, she gazed down, discovering her lithe hand held in the grasp of a broader, distinctly male hand with claws. Her gaze shot up. She was too shocked to scream. The screams were caught in her throat, trapped with any words she could have said in that moment. Slowly, the reality sank in. Her eyes searched for her sculpture, which was where she had left it.
The sculpture, the man, the sculpture, the man, their hands, she couldn't figure what to freak out about. Her inspiration was here. He was holding her hand. It's obvious he's seen that the sculpture is modeled after him. He's still holding her hand. The man is a demon, so he could probably smell her blood and she needed an excuse for that. He hasn't let go of her hand. For her momentary obsession, she discovers he is a Taisho and his father owns this center. He wasn't letting go of her hand. Sculpture, man, sculpture, man, it all really came back to their hands, which still had yet to be separated.
She shook her head. As she did, she finally became aware that someone was talking to her. Caught off guard, she gazed around disoriented. She needed to scream. She was going to scream. Snatching her hand from the man's grasp, she rushed past him, running to the third compartment, where she flung herself at a pile of cushions. She took one in her hands and let out the most piercing scream she could muster again and again and again.
After the tenth time, she believed she was okay. However, as she stood, she collapsed. She fisted a pillow. She screamed again and again and again. Her thoughts were going a mile a minute and focusing on the act of screaming stopped it. Problem was if she stopped screaming, the torrent of thoughts would surge once again and she'd be caught in the dilemma. Finally, it did end and she slumped into the cushions, exhausted. "I have to go," she mumbled wearily, "They're probably waiting for me."
"We are," an unfamiliar voice stated. Slowly lifting her head, Rin watched with a lazy stare as the Taisho trio and Kikyo entered the third compartment of her studio, making themselves comfortable. With the haze from exhaustion, Rin could scarcely comprehend why they were there, let alone who they were. The director approached Rin carefully, extremely cautious towards Rin in her dazed state. Giving a little distance, the director also sat amidst the cushions, gazing down at the disheveled Rin.
"Rin," the woman addressed her. All Rin could manage was a "Huh."
"Your newest sculpture has to be one of your best yet." Those words sparked inside Rin. As if brought to life, Rin shot up, smiling brightly as she took hold of Kikyo's hands, forgetting anyone else was there.
"Isn't it," she said blissfully, "I just knew it." Rin failed to notice the quirked brows of two of the Taisho trio.
"The build, the perfection, the expression, the strength, I captured it." Rin missed the teasing stares and directed glances.
"I definitely captured it!" She clasped her hands together, reveling in the glory of her vision, unaware of smiles and stares. Suddenly, she leaned towards Kikyo, excited like an innocent child. "He seems alive, doesn't he? It was incredible, every contour of his muscles, the tension in his stance, the intensity of his eyes, the flow of his hair, his-."
Her eyes widened in realization, gazing at a distant vision. Horror splayed across her face as she bolted through her compartments, paying no heed to the four figures that followed behind her. The stranger, the sculpture, her masterpiece was the only thing on her mind.
Right in front of the sculpture, she fell to her knees. There, he was incomplete. She thought she had completed him, but no, she hadn't.
"Rin," someone called, "What's-?"
She cried out, cradling her head. "He's incomplete! He's incomplete! He's incomplete," she screamed. Falling forward, hiding her face, she sobbed in her childish tantrum. Sparingly, she could hear the whispers from behind her.
"Is she always like this?"
"No," the director answered, the shock clear in her voice, "She has never acted like this before. Not once."
"What has her worked up this much?"
"It seems," the director paused, "the subject is incomplete."
In that moment, Rin snapped. "Incomplete," she cried, "Oh god, he can't be incomplete!" Rin hurriedly stood and dove towards the second compartment of her studio. There, she threw open a closet, pulling out a slab of clay and prepared for her work. For some reason, the director was trying to stop her. She fought back, pulling out of her grasp and moving frantically around. As Kikyo took a tight grip on her, she tightened her right hand into a whitening fist out of instinct. Kikyo pestered her. The voice was measured, but the words tumbled frantically. Enraged, Rin released the fist, slapping Kikyo across the cheek. The slap resounded in the room. Rin froze, not because of the return of her sanity, but because of the blood smeared across Kikyo's bruising cheek. If it wasn't enough that her stitches had been reopened, she had also slapped Kikyo, the director, a friend, her best friend's older sister, and to make it worse, "he" had seen her insanity, a madness that she had never once felt before.
Feeling all of it seep away, Rin felt so ashamed and guilty, she fell to her knees, tears streaking down her face. Kikyo kneeled down, taking her into a loving embrace. "I'm so sorry," Rin muttered, holding Kikyo, crying into her shoulder, "I don't know what came over me. I'm so sorry."
"You are forgiven," Kikyo whispered, "Just forgive yourself first."
"Please…"