Corona
By: The Hatter theory
Chapter 8: Iron Eden
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha and co. I also don't own the rights to anything by Gate.
Kagome was busy helping her mother with the preparations for lunch when a heavy knock resounded at the door. Excusing herself, she tried to calm her pounding heart. The plan had seemed easy when she suggested it, but now that it was about to start she wasn't sure how she felt. Anxiety tied her stomach in knots as she moved for the front door. The banging started again and she knew it had to be Inu Yasha, none of the others would be so impatient.
"Hey guys," She greeted through a forced smile as she opened it. They all nodded, giving their own greeting as she stepped to the side to let them in.
"Hello everyone," Nodoka greeted, and Kagome cursed herself for not realizing her mother had snuck into the foyer. "It's good to finally meet you all."
"It's a pleasure to meet you too ma'am," Miroku replied politely, the lecher gone and replaced with someone Kagome didn't quite recognize. "Kagome has told us many wonderful things about you."
She tried not to make a disbelieving noise at that lie.
"Thank you for letting us study here," Sango butted in. "We'd do it at my home, but my brother needed the living room for his study group. We'll try not to impose too much."
Was she in the twilight zone?
"It's very nice to meet you ma'am," Inu Yasha finally said. "My brother says you're an amazing cook."
Inu Yasha was thinking about his stomach. Nope, no problem there. It was still the real world and not a dream. Once that was confirmed, Kagome led them to the living room where she had spread out her own textbook and notes.
"Hey Kagome, have you found those notes yet?" Inu Yasha asked.
"Oh yeah, sorry I spaced. They're on my desk," She replied, glad for an excuse to leave and catch her breath. Rushing out of the room and up the stairs, she slammed the door behind her and counted as she inhaled, then exhaled, trying to calm her breathing.
It was surreal to say the least. Sango and Miroku were being ultra polite, and while they weren't necessarily rude to begin with, even the pitch of their voices had changed. Inu Yasha was being well behaved, and hadn't cursed once in five minutes.
Sesshoumaru was the only one behaving normally, and she thanked the gods for that. Moving to her desk and grabbing the thick sheaf of papers and walked back downstairs feeling marginally better when she saw the group in a loose cluster, each becoming embroiled in their own book.
"What's this?" Inu Yasha demanded, looking down at her notebook. Kagome rushed forward, grabbing the book and hugging it protectively to her chest.
"Nothing, just some chemistry homework," She muttered, flushing hotly.
"Don't tell me I have to learn that, it looked like something Fukui would write," He groaned.
"No, it's just some extra credit," She mumbled, sitting and handing him the stack of notes.
"You are a terrible liar," Sesshoumaru reminded her, and she stuck her tongue out at him childishly.
"It's just something I'm working on. Anyway, I've having problems with my calculus, care to help me out?" She demanded almost petulantly. He nodded once and she pulled her textbook over the table to them and opened it, showing him a formula she was having trouble understanding.
By the time noon rolled around, Nodoka was telling them all to take a break and eat in the dining room. Left with little choice, everyone followed Kagome to the table and allowed themselves to be served.
"This smells amazing!" Inu Yasha practically cooed as he stared down at the plate. Everyone uttered small thanks yous before digging in, although the nervous tension in the room spiked when Nodoka sat down next to Kagome.
"So how are the studies coming?" She asked.
"Fine, ma'am. It's so nice to be able to study somewhere quiet. My apartment is always so noisy," Miroku commented. "I live next to a musician," He admitted.
"Well you're welcome here anytime. It's good Kagome has gotten serious about school again, and I'm happy she has such nice study partners. The group she was with before didn't suit her goals very well."
"We're lucky to have her," Sango replied calmly, although Kagome could see a flicker of irritation in the woman's brown eyes.
"This is amazing!" Inu Yasha whooped, mouth half full to break the sudden tension. Kagome's shoulders relaxed and she sent a thank you to the heavens for the rude male.
"Thank you, it's always nice to have people to cook for," Nodoka replied, getting up and leaving. The minute she was out of the room Sango's chipper smile turned into a frown.
"I understand now," The woman said quietly before taking a bite of her rice. Kagome shrugged helplessly, worried her mother would hear her if she said anything.
"After this perhaps we should go to the library," Miroku suggested delicately. Everyone nodded in agreement except for the half brothers, one of which was too busy scarfing down everything on his plate. Sesshoumaru merely looked bored as he rearranged the food on his plate, never touching a thing. Kagome touched nothing either, shuffling her own food around until it looked like she had eaten.
"I can't believe she bought it," Kagome sighed as she walked with her friends.
"Your mom is creepy," Sango muttered. "Your goals? Does she have any idea what she's talking about?" The woman demanded angrily. Kagome shrugged again and Sesshoumaru was beginning to wonder at the wisdom of this latest plan.
"Mom just doesn't want me stranded," Kagome explained, although her voice lacked conviction. He watched her shoulders slump and felt a flicker or annoyance. The only bright side was that she hadn't started panicking about their show later that night, although he expected hysterics any second.
"It's your life," Sango bit out. "You should be allowed to do what you want with it. What happened to the last group?"
"It was part of the pack. Kouga, Kujaku and her brother, sometimes Hakkaku. She told them they weren't allowed over anymore after I got a C, she still thinks it was because of the pack."
"And what if you get another?" Sango countered.
"I won't," Kagome promised.
"What if you do though?"
"Enough," He finally broke in, voice calm and cold. "If it occurs, a solution will be found."
The rest of the walk to their cars was blessedly silent. He ignored the overhanging, oppressive cloud of anger and was grateful when they reached their cars and separated.
"Where to first?" Kagome sighed as she hopped into the front seat, much to Inu Yasha's chagrin.
"Why do you get the front seat?" He whined. "I look like a fucking kid riding in the back."
"Because I'm cuter," She retorted hotly.
"Koharu's apartment," Sesshoumaru rumbled. "She refuses to do our makeup until we try her new hair treatment."
That condition had almost broken their partnership with the cosmotology student. Anyone trying to corner him was generally ignored and cut off completely, but his half brother had pointed out that no one else knew the first thing about stage makeup, and none of them were as good as the diminutive female. After an hour of reasoning, he had given in to her demands with the condition that she never make such again.
Her obsession with their hair bordered on uncomfortable, and it was yet another thing he wouldn't miss when the last six months of his punishment were over.
"Oi, we got the pictures last night," Inu Yasha cut in, his small laptop already out. "Shippou did a really good job."
Kagome visibly brightened as he handed her the computer, a picture of her already on the screen. Silently she flipped through the photos, finger clicking every few seconds. He eyed her face from the corner of his eye, pleased to see that her depression had lifted completely. Lips were parted and she was entranced by the images.
"Is this really me?" She finally asked, eyes still fastened to the screen.
"Surreal, ain't it?" Inu Yasha asked, peering over her shoulder. "I felt like that at first too."
"I never thought, I mean, I've seen video of myself, but these photos are amazing. I didn' realize you could capture such movement in a still."
"Shippou's got loads of talent and he loves us as subjects. He's had some time to perfect his technique. The first couple of times it was nothing but a mess of fire everywhere, you could barely see us."
"These are, I mean. Is there any way I could get a copy?" She breathed.
"Sure, I can burn them to a disk. Do you want the video too?"
"Video?"
"Here," He said, reaching over the seat and scrolling around. Sesshoumaru suddenly heard the sounds of fire whipping around mixing with Kagome's delighted gasp. Her hand was covering her lips, almost obscuring her open mouth. Little gasps and sounds of pleasure mixed with the noise from the video and he continued watching from the corner of his eye.
When the video had finished, he noticed her looking first at him and then at the screen, then back at him again.
"We really looked like that?"
"Hn."
"Told you," Inu Yasha gloated as he took the computer back and leaned back in his seat. "You work better together, even better than when I work with him."
Whatever that comment had meant to her, it made her quiet and contemplative for the rest of the drive.
Kagome watched Inu Yasha and Sesshoumaru submitting to the young woman's ministrations. Whatever the girl's feelings for Miroku were, she was not above cooing about the long hair of the half brothers as she rubbed some concoction in it, weighting it down.
"See, told you that you have nice hair," Kagome snorted, taking a measure of glee in their obvious discomfort. Inu Yasha settled for muttering a small 'keh' while Sesshoumaru said nothing at all, although his glare implied consequences.
"It smells funny," Inu Yasha muttered darkly as she began massaging the mixture into his hair.
"It's just some herbs I added in for relaxation purposes. I tried this mixture out on my friend Yura and her hair feels like silk now," Koharu boasted. "I could do yours," She offered. Shaking her head vehemently, Kagome uttered a quick 'no'.
"I'm fine," She assured.
"But it would relax those waves. I haven't seen unruly hair like yours before," Koharu commented as she wrapped plastic wrap around Sesshoumaru's hair. "I'd like to see how much it will straighten it out."
"I'm fine," Kagome quipped, trying not to panic at the idea of losing the waves. "My father's hair was very curly and my mom's is straight. I fell in the middle."
"Still-" Koharu began, but stopped when Sesshoumaru made a disapproving sound. Eyes wide, she stepped back and began working on wrapping Inu Yasha's long hair up.
"How long we have to keep this crap in?" Inu Yasha muttered.
"An hour, no less," Koharu rebuked sternly when he was about to complain. "I've got some movies we can watch. But it takes an hour to get it's full effect. I want to see how well it does on long hair."
Instead of the movie, Inu Yasha and Sesshoumaru both began discussing the pictures that would go onto the site. Shippou had taken over a hundred and fifty, and they were trying to pick out the best shots. Kagome could hardly tell what qualified a shot, but she watched with avid interest.
"How did he get pictures of us while taking video?" Kagome asked, wrinkling her nose as she peered over Sesshoumaru's shoulder. The mixture really did smell awful.
"He took still from the video and did whatever it is he does to them," Inu Yasha explained, then pointed to another photo. "I think that one should go up."
The picture was of Kagome and Sesshoumaru closer together, her fans in the air and him sweeping a blur of fire around her body with the fire sword, his painted face cast in shadow. It was one of her favorites of the entire set, and she had trouble looking away.
"Hnn," Sesshoumaru said, typing up the picture's number before scrolling past it. They continued this way, Koharu joining them, movie forgotten as they scrolled through the plethora of photos. Proud of her work, she paid more attention to the makeup than the fire, Sesshoumaru seemed more concerned with the shot itself, and Kagome focused on the beauty, usually agreeing with Inu Yasha when a particularly good shot came up. Sometimes Sesshoumaru shook his head, disagreeing.
If it had not been for the face paint and the costume, she would have been extremely self conscious about the whole thing. But looking at the figure in the photos was like looking in a dark mirror. The woman playing with fire looked nothing like her. Even before Koharu had braided her hair, she looked so utterly foreign to herself that she wondered if Shippou had put the pictures through photoshop.
"That's it. It was a good shoot," Inu Yasha commented as they finished scrolling through the pictures, a decently sized list typed up of which ones would go onto the site.
"It's about time to remove the cream too," Koharu sighed. "Who wants to go first?"
"Me," Inu Yasha snapped. "This stuff reeks," He added as he walked back towards Koharu's bathroom.
"It's still hard to believe this is happening," Kagome admitted in a quiet voice as Sesshoumaru closed the laptop.
"Life changes often happen swiftly," He commented dryly.
Just then a scream rent the air, followed by the high pitched, hysterical shouting of Inu Yasha.
"What have you done?" He demanded. Something crashed and broke against the wall. Kagome bolted for the bathroom, fear and panic choking he when something else broke.
"It's the wrong mixture, I'm so sorry!" Koharu wailed, tears running down her flushed cheeks. "I grabbed the wrong bottle!"
"How the fuck do you confuse dye with a goddamn hair cream?" Inu Yasha snapped, shoving his head back under the detachable shower head and running it through over his obviously bleached locks.
"They look the same, both are white. Working with the dye and chemicals all the time has killed my sense of smell, I just assumed-" She whimpered, watching as more and more of Inu Yasha's hair was revealed.
"Well you fucking assumed wrong!" He shouted over the sound of the water.
"Oh gods, Sesshoumaru," Kagome breathed, eyes widening. She was about to make for the stoic elder brother when she turned and saw him, pale hazel eyes narrowed with displeasure.
"What did you use?" He ground out calmly, amazing Kagome. Inu Yasha was still cursing loudly as he washed his hair out, threatening a thousand tortures and a slow death.
"It was my bleach mixture," The teenager squeaked, eyes wide and face flushed.
"You confused bleach with hair cream?" He asked, eyes growing cold and mouth pulling into a frown.
"They look the same," Koharu burst out, tears starting anew. "They even have the same texture. Look, I can fix it," She began, stopping when Inu Yasha made an indignant noise.
"Fix it?" He raged, pulling away from the water. Kagome couldn't help but stare at the shock of white hair hanging in wet tendrils around his face. "Fix it? I'm never letting you near my fucking hair again!" He snarled.
"Guys, calm down," Kagome began as Koharu trembled beneath the angry gazes of the two brothers. "Koharu, what are the options?" Kagome asked.
"I mistook the bleach for my cream, which means I threw the cream away yesterday. I can mix up some dye," She began, stopping when Inu Yasha growled deep in his throat, ready to launch into another volley of insults. "Or I can deep condition it now, and talk to my teacher and see what to do."
"Guys?" Kagome asked, looking from Inu Yasha to Sesshoumaru.
"I'm not letting her near me with dye again," Inu Yasha snapped. Sesshoumaru nodded, eyes cold and face neutral, although Kagome could tell from the set of his shoulders that he was beyond angry.
"Koharu, I can wash out Sesshoumaru's hair while you condition Inu Yasha's, that sound good?"
The quiet girl nodded several times as she swiftly exited the bathroom, carefully avoiding contact with the elder brother despite the tight fit. Inu Yasha followed, muttering angrily.
"Okay, time to do this," Kagome sighed. "For what it's worth, it could be worse."
"How is that?" He remarked, voice curiously detached as she began unwrapping the plastic wrap.
"It could have all fallen out. Oh, wow," She whispered.
"What?" Was that a note of panic? She felt bad for him, but couldn't help but be amazed.
"Bend over the tub," She instructed. Still looking slightly shaken, he did as she asked and she turned the water back on, taking the shower head in hand and running it over his hair.
It took several minutes to clean the thick, long mane. Carefully she scrubbed his scalp and then down, washing away all traces of the bleach and exposing bright white hair. By the time she was finished, Koharu had come to check on them, eyes widening when she saw the man's wet hair. Kagome gestured for her to go away. Koharu threw her a towel and she caught it deftly.
Rubbing the mass down gently, she made a noise and stepped back, waiting for him to stand. When he had straightened, a lock of bright white fell over his face and he examined it carefully, as if he were looking at a specimen of some other person's hair.
"It doesn't look bad," Kagome offered, face flushing when she realized how her attempt to assure could be misconstrued. He walked past her, silent and unblinking, and looked into the mirror. The white clung to his fair skin, and while he wasn't looking at her, she allowed herself to admire the image.
He had been handsome before, now he was nothing short of striking. His skin now darker than the white, he reminded her of a snow predator, one of the sleek white cats that hunted men in blizzards.
"I look like I am wearing a kabuki actor's wig. Disgusting," He muttered darkly.
"No!" Kagome gasped. "You're beautiful!"
He turned an incredulous stare on her and she shut her mouth, blushing furiously.
"Like a spirit," She added, unable to meet his gaze. Not deigning to reply, he walked past her, damp hair still clinging to his white shirt. Following closely behind, she walked out to see Inu Yasha sitting in front of the laptop typing furiously, his hair once again in plastic wrap.
"She went to go get some lunch," He muttered angrily, fingers still punching the keys, clattering loudly. "Least she could fucking do. Kagome, she said use those two bottles, all of them, on Sesshoumaru's hair and plastic wrap it."
Nodding once, Kagome grabbed the bottles and had the man in question sit in a chair in front of her. His hair seemed to soak up the first bottle, and she massaged it in gently, wondering if his scalp hurt at all from the bleach. The next bottle sat on top of his hair, the conditioner covering it so completely for a moment she fooled herself into thinking his hair was still black beneath all of it.
Plastic wrapping the heavy, wet mass proved to be more awkward than she thought, and it was with many murmured apologies that she finally accomplished it. Throughout the whole ordeal he remained silent, and when she finished he went and sat next to Inu Yasha.
'For once they're not arguing at least,' She thought dourly, going back to her backpack and pulling out her notebook and chemistry book. While the two males wordlessly worked on something, she assumed the website, she opened the chemistry text and began pouring over it.
Her idea could very well be a bust, but Inu Yasha's comment about being a mad scientist had triggered something in her mind, and every spare moment she had was being devoted to it. After having made several false starts, she had spoken to a teacher and gotten a better idea of what she was doing.
Now she was just pouring through various elements and chemicals, writing them down and going through the different formulas to find flaws. It was boring and tedious, but her hope and enthusiasm kept her at it. The best part was that her mother didn't recognize any of it, and would never catch on to what she was doing, instead mistaking it for schoolwork.
"Sesshoumaru," She mumbled absentmindedly.
"What is it?" He asked, just as absorbed in his own work.
"I need to know the mixture of the fuel you use."
"Sixty percent white gas and forty percent paraffin oil," He answered, not even looking up. She made a note to the side and continued working on her formulas. When Koharu came back, she was carrying three brown paper bags with her cell phone tucked in her ear. She barely paid the group any attention as she sat the bags on the table, her attention focused solely on her conversation.
Eavesdropping as she pulled the cartons out of the bag and began setting them out. Kagome strained to hear any news. Koharu kept talking as she went to the kitchen and got plates from the kitchen. From what she could gather, the girl was talking to someone, hopefully her professor, about fixing the mess she'd made of the men's hair.
Plates clattered onto the table followed by chopsticks. Kagome moved her notebook to the side and began opening cartons of food. Koharu sat down and continued talking, oblivious to the stares she was receiving.
"Are you sure?" She asked, eyes widening. After several nods she bid farewell to the teacher and sat the phone down, looking sheepish.
"Well?" Inu Yasha demanded.
"My teacher says that because the blech probably fried it, there's only one thing she would recommend dye wise, and that's a mix of henna and indigo."
"Henna and indigo?" Kagome asked, confused. Koharu nodded.
"But it'll be expensive, and take at least three or four weeks to get here, since it has to be ordered online."
"Three or four WEEKS?" Inu Yasha demanded.
"And it's heinously expensive," Koharu muttered.
"And you'll be paying for it," Inu Yasha bit out. "This is your fucking fault!"
"I can't pay that much!" Koharu gasped, eyes tearing under the verbal assault.
"Everyone, let's calm down and eat our lunch while we figure this out," Kagome murmured, trying to keep her cool. Watching Sesshoumaru's face had proven instructive, he looked ready to do some great violence on someone, probably the young woman sitting next to her.
"How much will it cost?" He finally asked.
"Around four thousand yen," She mumbled.
"Four thousand?" Kagome stuttered.
"Each. Unless we cut off their hair."
The silence that followed that utterance was thick enough to choke on.
"No one's cutting my goddamn hair! Four fucking thousand?" Inu Yasha demanded, incredulous. "You've gotta be out of your mind. Why can't we just use regular dye?"
"Because the bleach has already damaged your hair enough," Koharu explained, studiously avoiding looking at anyone. "If we use regular dye, it could cause a lot of breaks. We'd be better off just shaving your head."
Silence filled the room at the girl's declaration, and for a moment Kagome was worried Inu Yasha was going to do something foolish. He looked ready to jump over the table and hurt the girl.
"There is nothing to be done then," Sesshoumaru finally said. "It will just have to wait."
"I'll do deep conditioning every week," She started.
"No, just provide us with the conditioner, we will do it on our own," He rebutted coldly.
"But-" The girl started, gaze moving to rest on his stump.
"I'll help him if Inu Yasha won't," Kagome interrupted, seeing the hardening of Sesshoumaru's eyes.
"That is agreeable," He rumbled, eyes still filled with undisguised animosity.
"Let's just eat," Kagome sighed. "We've got a big night."
"Someone passing out because they're hungry would just be a fucking bow on an already swell day," Inu Yasha spat venomously, but he began serving himself.
"I suppose you don't want me doing your makeup and hair anymore," Koharu sighed.
"Incorrect. You will pay for the dyes by working for us for free so long as we perform. On our schedule. Consider yourself on call," Sesshoumaru replied, focused on serving himself. Kagome looked to the girl, who as readying herself for a protest. Raising a hand, she stopped the teenager and smiled gently, mouthing 'I'll talk to him'.
It was enough for the girl and they ate in relative silence, Inu Yasha opening the laptop and talking quietly to himself. Kagome finished her food and offered to help Koharu with the dishes. The makeup artist still looked ready to cry at any second and feeling bad for her, Kagome gave her shoulder a pat.
"I really screwed up," The girl sighed.
"It happens, everyone makes mistakes. Besides, I kind of like their new look. It'll definitely look cool while they perform," She tried, lowering her voice so as not to be overheard.
"It is pretty awesome, isn't it?" Koharu asked through a tremulous smile. "I know people that would kill to get their hair white like that."
"If they don't come around to it, then there's the dye. It's an easy fix."
"But an expensive one," Koharu sighed. "I can't imagine being on call until they get out of college though," She added wearily.
"It's better than breaking the bank now. Besides, it might not be that bad. Who knows, the troupe might become famous, and you'll be our makeup artist," Kagome joked. Koharu's expression told her plainly that the idea was so far fetched as to be insane and Kagome shrugged in response.
"It's about time to take the conditioner off. I'll get Inu Yasha's. Can you do Sesshoumaru's again, he likes you a lot more than me," Koharu begged.
"He'll get over this mistake soon enough," Kagome tried to assure.
"No, he likes you more than me period, even before this. Trust me," Koharu muttered, slipping from the kitchen. Kagome could hear her speaking to Inu Yasha and heard him sniping as she led him away. When she walked back out to the dining room, eying the man sitting at the table.
"She is still young," Sesshoumaru commented, not looking up from the computer screen.
"We all are," She replied, sighing as she took a seat next to him. Ignoring his stiffness, she peered down at the laptop screen, smiling as she looked at the new layout they had apparently been working on. Not much had changed, but there were more thumbnails on it, all of them including her somehow.
"Thank you," She murmured, leaning against him. Ignoring his flinch, she waited until he relaxed and sighed.
"I do not understand why you are thanking me," He admitted at last.
"For letting me be a part of this. I know the pack likes having me around, but it's once a week. Even though Kujaku and Kouga go to the same school as us, it's hard to find time with them. With you and the others, it's different. I feel more connected to all of you."
Not entirely sure how to respond to such a declaration, he stayed silent, not daring to look at her without his hair to hide his gaze. He could feel her blue eyes looking up at him, waiting expectantly, but he stayed silent.
"Always the strong silent type, huh? I can deal with that," She giggled, moving away from him when the noises in the bathroom stopped. He felt strange about the lack of contact but wisely stayed quiet. Minutes later Inu Yasha walked in, rubbing his long white hair down with a towel.
"You're up next," He growled, eyes on his hair the whole time. Kagome stood and walked towards the bathroom, leaving him little room but to follow. Koharu rushed past him, eyes still on the floor. By some small miracle he kept from saying something derogatory. The mess had been made, and he would have to deal with it.
It was made easier by Kagome's presence, though he'd never tell her. Saying nothing, she washed the conditioner out of his hair, massaging his scalp gently as she did so. Her fingers moved through the massacre of his once glorious hair and he tried not think about what he looked like. Before he had stood out because of his arm. Now he would look like some delinquent punk rocker, or worse yet, an old man.
The woman's earlier words came back to him, and a mirthless smirk danced on his lips. A spirit. Perhaps that was true. He was nothing like the man he had been before his father had disowned him. Now he was a pale shade of the strong man he had been, merely a survivor of circumstance. Maybe it was just as well that his physical appearance had altered so drastically.
The water shut off, ending his ruminations. Still strangely quiet, he let her begin drying his hair. She was nothing if not gentle, her ministrations bordering on hesitant, as if afraid she would break him. Allowing her to continue, he was surprised when she moved behind him, her legs straddling either side of his body. If he moved his head, it would be snuggled comfortably in the apex of her thighs.
That thought completely derailed anything remotely depressing, the urge to turn and nuzzle her there sending jagged bolts of lust shooting him. Unable to stop that image from evolving into something much more intimate he stiffened and was unable to keep from groaning.
"Did that hurt?" Kagome asked quietly.
'Yes.' "No."
"Is your scalp tender?" She murmured, continuing.
'Lower.' "Yes."
"I'll try to be more gentle," She offered, the already light pressure decreasing until he wondered if she was drying his hair at all. Afraid of standing and giving himself away, he stayed kneeling, head over the tub. With an iron will he began thinking of that night and the routines. Of the website and the coding he would have to finish before the page was up to his standards. Even thinking about his hair and it's current state was preferable.
"That's good for the moment. If you sit on the toilet I can get the top," She told him.
He moved so quickly he surprised even himself,bending forward slightly to hide his state.
"It's actually very pretty," She commented as she began toweling off the top part of his head. He made no effort to disguise the disbelieving noise that escaped. His eyes peered from behind wet tendrils of hair at the line of her stomach exposed as she moved. The bottom hem of her shirt shifted, raising and then lowering, the milky line of flesh widening and then narrowing almost hypnotically. Biting the inside of his cheek, he resisted leaning forward to taste it.
"There's a blow dryer on the counter. Do you want me to use it?"
"I do not blow dry my hair," He bit out, voice rougher than he intended and strange to his ears. She crouched down to look at him, eye to eye. Soft hands cupped his face and he couldn't help but feel badly for the worry he saw reflected in her blue eyes.
"It's not bad, okay? If you don't like it, you can dye it. You can use my share of the performance money."
She had the generosity of someone that had never known hunger or bills, one that had known little hardship. An innocent generosity he could not avail himself of, if for nothing else the sake of his pride.
"I am fine. It can wait," He replied, shocked at the smile blooming on her face.
"You look like Sephiroth," She told him. "Lots of chicks find him hot."
"Instead of one wing I have one arm," He retorted, standing, not thinking of her position as she did so. Suddenly she was eye level with his crotch, and even he couldn't keep from blushing. She shot up so quickly he was surprised she didn't fall over. Her face bright red, she avoided looking him in the eye as she smiled and mumbled something noncommittal before rushing from the bathroom.
Moving to look in the mirror, he stared thoughtfully at the man watching him. White hair framed his face, the overall effect somehow making him look paler. Even his eyes looked lighter by comparison, and he wondered if it was the light reflecting off of the white mass hanging down in a heavy curtain.
It was eerie, looking at this stranger in the mirror, and he had to look away, suddenly uncomfortable with his reflection. It was too much a stranger, too foreign. The difference mocked him, yet another reminder of how his life was not his, and that very little was in his control despite all appearances. Six months, and less and less he looked like the son his mother had birthed and his father had raised. More and more the reflection in the mirror stepped away from the image he had cultivated for himself and became a spirit.
'A circus freak,' He thought derisively.
'I will have her braid it and keep it out of my sight,' He told himself, leaving the bathroom, desperate to get away from the stranger.
"Is it always like this?" Kagome asked, peering from the small pavilion like tent that had been erected for their use. Dropping the tent flap back in place, she turned to Sango, who was still slipping into a pair of tight black leather pants.
The smell of fuel and leather permeated the small tent, making Kagome slightly dizzy.
"Not always. This is some bigwig's party. There are others that aren't so stiff," The woman replied, trying to slip into an equally tight black leather top with long sleeves. "They'll pretend not to be amazed so they don't look bad. Happens every time. Although be careful afterward. All of us always get invited inside." The warning was muffled as she shimmied and tugged on the supple hide. When her head finally popped out, she was flushed and rolling her eyes.
Kagome nodded, knowing anything she did would reflect on the troupe and could either aid or hurt their chances at future gigs. No one wanted rude performers near them, not when they could easily find other forms of entertainment.
After tugging on a leather shirt similar to Sango's, albeit sleeveless, she bent and stretched, getting used to the tension of the hide. Immediately she felt stifled and hated it.
"I'm here!" Koharu singsonged, stepping into the tent with a nervous smile. "Miroku and Koharu are being so paranoid about me putting up their hair," She grumbled, looking slightly put out. Her makeup case thumped onto the ground, the contents clattering around inside.
"If you hadn't bleached inu Yasha and Sesshoumaru's it wouldn't be a problem," Sango retorted before bracing herself, face relaxed as Koharu began sponging a base on.
"It was an accident," Koharu whined, although Kagome could tell she wasn't earning any points with the older woman. Shrugging helplessly, she peeked out of the tent again, squeaking when her eyes met a bare chest striped with paint.
"Hey, we need to get in here while they come outside. Looks funny if we're just standing around waiting," Inu Yasha said. "It is safe, right?"
"Y-yeah," Kagome muttered, pulling back into the tent.
Battery operated lamps cast shadows everywhere, and Kagome was surprised by Koharu's latest designs. The males not only had their faces painted, but dark curved lines sloped over their skin mimicking tribal tattoos. Even Kohaku, who was slight of build compared to the rest, looked savage and frighteningly male.
She chanced a look at Sesshoumaru and quickly turned away, feeling like she had gotten caught staring at a porn magazine. His long white hair was pulled into a braid and the flesh of his chest was only traced with two stripes on each side. His face, likewise, only had two stripes over the white paint.
"Did you warn her?" Miroku asked quietly as Koharu worked on Sango's makeup.
"Yeah," Sango confirmed.
"Don't move your lips!" Koharu groaned, stomping her foot.
Within minutes Koharu was done and moved back to allow Sango up. The woman's face had been painted white, the only interruption being bright, crimson lips to stand out. She looked rather plain compared to the men.
"Your turn," Koharu mumbled, having deflated slightly since the men had walked in. Kagome sat and allowed herself to be made up, her face covered in white. When her lips were finished, she was about to get up when Koharu shook her head.
"Just a little more," The girl mumbled, grabbing what looked like a thick eyeshadow pencil and quickly moving it over Kagome's skin. With a critical eye she looked at her work, comparing the two halves of Kagome's face. When she was done, she nodded.
"Now you can get up," She allowed, stepping back.
"They're starting to gather on the terrace. Everyone know the schedule?" Inu Yasha asked. Everyone nodded. Suddenly the tent was a flurry of movement while everyone went for their supplies. Kohaku and Inu Yasha moved out of the tent, moving the flaps back. There was an excited titter that Kagome could barely hear over the roar of blood in her ears as Sango held out her sword for Sesshoumaru to light. Miroku touched his staff to the flames and they were off, bouncing out of the tent as if they'd been launched from a springboard.
"I don't think I can do this," Kagome murmured, heart slamming it's way into her throat.
"You will do fine," Sesshoumaru rumbled, eyes on the pair fighting it out. Feeling more and more unsteady by the moment, halfway through the routine she grabbed her fans and flicked the excess fuel off of the kevlar. As the routine was wrapping up, Sesshoumaru lit the fans and nodded.
Feeling strange and eerily calm, she ran out of the tent, circling the two performers, one fan held high and the other away from her side. The first part ended, and she began. Feeling alone and awkward, she focused on the eyes peering from inside the tent, remembered she couldn't let them down.
Moving through the forms Sesshoumaru had been teaching her, she surprised herself by making them slightly wilder, her kicks going a little higher, her thrusts more forceful. Sesshoumaru came out, a yell echoing through the still night as he bore down on her, the flaming sword in his hands suddenly terrible and frightening.
Feeling as if she were trapped in a battle for her life, they came together and flew apart, the metal from their props dinging and clattering angrily, and war cries echoed through the night. The crowd watching became a dim realization, fading into the darkness outside the glow of their fire. The world shrank to that light, and when her fan slipped from her fingers, the physical memory of her routine breaking through the strange haze she'd been surrounded by, she was panting heavily. When she fell to the ground, it was an act, although it didn't have to be forced. Five minutes of that intensity had hit like the effects of a drug, and the stars in the sky seemed incredibly bright.
"Are you alright?" He asked as Kohaku and Miroku began circling around them, starting the third part of the act.
"I think I'm going to die," She admitted, moving to stand and grab her fan. Slamming it shut and killing the last of the flames, they ran back to the tent and the second she was surrounded by the smell of fuel she relaxed, feeling as if she were settling back into her skin.
"You're a natural performer," Inu Yasha commented as he grabbed two more sword props and slung the fuel off of them. "That was awesome."
"Thanks," She replied breathlessly.
"The party came closer to the field while you two were performing," He told her, a huge grin plastered on his face. "Which means we'll probably get invited to mingle. Which means free food."
"Do you always think of your stomach?" She demanded, noticing Sesshoumaru was being oddly silent as he accepted one of the swords from Inu Yasha.
"Nah. Sometimes I think about a good woman making me food," He laughed. "Don't forget to light Sango in a minute," He added as Sesshoumaru lit their swords. With that comment hanging in the air, the pair were off, darting from the tent and into the flurry of fire.
Kagome grabbed one of the lighters from the tools bag and Sango's buugeng, props she still hadn't seen in action. The strange, s shaped props felt awkward in her hands as she flicked off the excess fluid before walking from the tent.
"Here you go," Kagome told her. Sango looked flustered as she took them.
"I hate wearing leather. I can't wait for it to get warmer and Sesshoumaru puts these in storage," She muttered as fire raced along the soaked kevlar wicks.
"We could always do it topless like they do," Kagome sniggered, Sango aiming a playful glare in her direction before taking off.
The fire surrounding the group made it difficult to see individual bodies, although Kagome had no problems seeing the crowd that had gathered around the controlled inferno. There was still a huge group on the terrace, but Kagome was pleased to see the awe and curiosity on the more curious onlooker's faces.
Towards the end of the routine, props began to dim and flicker, then go out one by one, the night growing darker and darker as each performer separated from the group and made for the tent. In the end, only Inu Yasha and Sesshoumaru were left, both looking like demons raised from the netherworld as they continued until Inu Yasha's sword went out and Sesshoumaru's bare foot was pressed to his throat.
They made for the tent, ignoring the clapping behind them. When they stepped in, sweat glinted in the dim light and Inu Yasha made to rub his chest.
"No!" Koharu shouted. "You'll ruin it!"
"So?"
"Excuse me," A voice broke in. Everyone turned to the tent entrance to see a tall, rather stiff individual had entered behind them. "Mr. Mamoto would like to invite you inside for refreshments."
"See?" Koharu snapped.
"Free food!" Inu Yasha crowed.
"If you would like to change-"
"No," Sesshoumaru rumbled. "We stay in costume."
"As you will it," The man sniffed disdainfully, making no attempt to hide his contempt of the rebuttal. The tent flap closed behind him, signaling them to follow.
"Well?" Inu Yasha demanded, halfway out of the tent before anyone could blink. "Come on! I'm hungry!"
Already feeling jittery and strange from her performance, Kagome cast a quick look in Sesshoumaru's direction. His eyes were hard and the facepaint made it impossible to tell his feelings as he followed his half brother from the tent, leading everyone else out. When they exited, the crowd had already dispersed, moving back towards the terrace and inside the house.
Unsure of what to do besides follow, as she had no clue as to protocols for the group, she moved closer and closer to Sango, seeking companionable comfort from the other woman. Grateful when Sango picked up on her hesitance and moved closer, she nodded once happily.
Climbing up the steps proved to be harder than she thought. Polite clapping began, turning into applause, and for a moment she had the irrational urge to run and hide, to leave the people on the terrace behind and make for the tent. Taking comfort in her friends, imagining them as pillars of strength surrounding her, she nodded and bowed respectfully, glad the makeup hid most of her expression.
People came to compliment them and offer their appreciation of the show, some even asked about the props. Most of them got too close for Kagome's comfort, a strange, heated curiosity in their gazes that made her feel uncomfortable. Even when servants or caterers, she wasn't sure which, came by offering glasses of champagne or food she wasn't able to accept, her appetite gone. Even after most of the crowd dispersed the feeling didn't go away. Several men had spoken to her and Sango both, and she felt like a small animal as they eyed her strangely. Unused to being subject to such gazes, she looked around, terror spiking when she realized Sango had drifted off.
"Excuse me gentlemen, I'm sure the lady would like to avail herself of the amenities," A smooth, light voice cut in. The owner of the voice, a delicate looking woman, was smiling and gesturing towards her. Remembering Sango's words of caution, she nodded politely and excused herself, anxiety calming as she was guided away from the men.
"You are new to the group?" The woman asked. When Kagome looked surprised the woman smiled genially. "I have seen their performances before, I have not seen you."
"I am," She supplied. "This is my first performance. The attention is a little overwhelming. Thank you, Mrs.-" She tried respectfully, unsure of how to behave around the woman.
"Kinjo," The woman replied with a smile as they walked into the palatial mansion. Trying not to stare, she kept her eyes directed forward, flinching when she noticed the people that were in turn staring at her. Behind small smiles were sneers she could see reflected in their eyes, making her draw even closer to the woman. Behind her she could hear tittering sounds, and she wondered if they were laughing at her.
'Let them,' She thought, almost belligerent. She was doing something she loved and making money at it. If they saw nothing but a circus girl in facepaint then that was their problem. She knew she was a promising college student with a bright future. Straightening her spine and squaring her shoulders, she met the stares with proud defiance. They might have money, but that gave them no right to judge her. When her blue eyes met glittering dark ones, she was surprised and even a little pleased when some moved their gazes away, or widened in shock. It was the amusement that only sevred to further her anger.
When they moved off to a side hallway, Mrs. Kinjo let out an unladylike snort that could have been a giggle.
"Just like your troupe leaders," The woman said, giggling. The sound was that of a younger woman, and Kagome paused, wondering if she had done something wrong.
"I'm sorry-" She began, but the other woman waved her hand.
"Oh, for me it's half the entertainment," The older woman rebutted. "I was the one to persuade the owner to let you all come in. I never get tired of you all reminding the upper echelon that you can meet their gaze without shame. It's refreshing, for me at least."
Feeling slightly used and unsure if she had just been complimented or insulted, Kagome chose silence, although Mrs. Kinjo said enough for both of them.
"I love seeing your troupe. I wish I could get my husband to see them, he would love it too," She sighed, suddenly morose. "Tell me, how did you come to join them?"
"Pure luck," Kagome answered, relaxing enough to smile as they navigated the hallways. "Inu Yasha and Sesshoumaru saw me with my fans and Sesshoumaru offered to show me how to use them correctly. When he offered to hire me, it was sort of a dream come true."
"You like performing then?"
"Well, I like the fire," She admitted. "But the crowd, I'm lucky the fire makes me forget they're there."
"Are you a student?"
"Yes ma'am, at Tokyo University. I'm in my second year."
"Does this help pay your tuition?"
"Yes ma'am," Kagome answered slowly, opting for the lie, beginning to feel suspicious. The woman's questions were growing increasingly personal, but she didn't want to seem rude by not answering. Anything she did could reflect badly on the troupe, and while her tuition didn't depend on the money, the rest of the troupe did need it for school.
As if sensing her disquiet, Mrs. Kinjo remained silent for the rest of the walk to the bathrooms. Kagome excused herself and went in. More than anything she wanted to splash water on her face, but it would ruin the makeup. Looking in the mirror, she was struck dumb by the stranger staring back at her.
Blue eyes were hidden in the mask of white, blinking rapidly. Two long magenta stripes started high on her cheekbones and sloped downward gently on her face, ending in tapered points. Koharu had matched her makeup and Sesshoumaru's.
'I will kill her,' She mentally growled, although the similarity pleased a small part of herself while mortifying her at the same time. Had Sesshoumaru noticed? Would he think she asked to match him? Was he pleased by the similarity?
Shaking her head to clear the thoughts, she pulled her hair rout of it's tight bun and shook it out, running her hands through it. Immediately she felt better and turned the faucet on and dipped her fingers below the faucet, then ran her fingers through the unruly mass of waves, feeling slightly cooler.
'Leather. I hate leather,' She lamented as she shut off the faucet and dried her hands on a towel. Lifting the fabric and letting cool air hit her stomach, she thanked the kami that at least hers didn't have sleeves as Sango's did. Savoring the feeling as long as she could, she pulled the leather back down. When she exited, Mrs. Kinjo was waiting.
"It would not be good if you were found wandering alone," The woman explained as she began leading Kagome back towards the party. The trip was noticeably shorter, and more silent. Wondering why the woman had taken the long way to the bathrooms, she shrugged once, grateful that she had been give a chance to loose her hair and get some water.
When they arrived back, Sango immediately swooped down, eyes dark and hand firm at her elbow as she explained that they had been looking for the girl.
"Where were you?" Sango whispered furiously, dragging her through the crowd.
"A guest was showing me to the bathroom," Kagome began, but stopped when they broke through to the other side of the gathering and stepped onto the terrace. Sesshoumaru was standing there, looking tall and foreboding and angry despite his utter lack of expression.
"We are leaving," He stated imperiously, eyes cold as they swept over her. "The others have already gathered our things."
With that he turned on his heel and began walking away, down the steps. Sango had since dropped her arm and followed, moving so quickly Kagome wondered if she had somehow caught the plague. Bewildered, she followed, having to jog to keep up with the angry strides of the other two performers. When they reached the cars and the others studiously ignored her, she lost her cool.
"What is going on?" She demanded angrily, still too unsettled to modulate her tones.
"You aren't supposed to go off alone with guests," Inu Yasha bit out, still not looking at her.
"That woman led me to a bathroom!" Kagome rebutted, confused.
"For fifteen minutes? And your hair is a mess," Sango snapped incredulously.
It took a minute for the accusation and what it insinuated to set in. When it did, it combined with the adrenaline still pumping through her and the anxiety from the crowd.
"Mrs. Kinjo was asking me about school and stuff. I don't know why, okay? And I took my hair down and ran some water through it to cool off since the leather is suffocating me!" She shouted, unaware that her voice echoed shrilly around them.
"Mrs. Kinjo?" Inu Yasha demanded, interest perking. He rushed forward and grabbed Kagome's shoulders and shaking her slightly. "What did she look like?" She tore herself from his grip and lgared at him angrily.
"I don't know, normal japanese," She snapped, further unbalanced by his sudden change of topic.
"Did she have a scar here?" He demanded, gesturing to the side of his nose, tracing the outside of his nostril.
"I don't know!" Kagome shouted, turning angrily and throwing open the backdoor of the car.
"Did she ask about me?" He demanded, following her and standing outside of the car, hands on the roof and lowering his head to speak to her.
"No! Leave me alone!" She whimpered, tears starting to burn her eyes. Humiliation and hurt were beginning to overtake her indignation and she reached past Inu Yasha for the door handle, intent on closing it regardless of where he was, sure he'd move out of the way.
"She might have been my mom," He interrupted, stopping her. "Kinjo was her maiden name."
"She had the scar, inu Yasha," Sango said, moving closer to the car. "I saw it when I grabbed Kagome."
At the news Inu Yasha sat down, uncaring of the gravel beneath him as he stared forward.
"Mom saw us," He murmured. "Do you think she knows it was us?"
The question was directed at a still silent, expressionless Sesshoumaru.
"Doubtless, if she was speaking to Kagome."
"Kagome, I'm sorry-" Sango began, crouching outside of the car.
"You're sorry? How could you think I'd do something like that?" Kagome exploded, tears running freely down her face, smearing the makeup Koharu had applied. "I've never even had a boyfriend and you think I would, would-"
"We're sorry, we just-" Inu Yasha began, but was cut off.
"I just want to go home," Kagome sniffed angrily. "Just take me home." This time it was firmer, although the anger hadn't dissipated.
The group was quiet as they finished packing their things. Inu Yasha handed her her clothing and everyone turned away from the car as she changed. Koharu supplied her with some wipes and makeup remover. No one said anything, and the only sound were small sniffing noises from Kagome.
By the time she was finished, the only sign of her ordeal were her puffy lids and red nose. Nothing was said as everyone got in their cars and pulled out, away from the mansion.
"Kagome, I'm sorry," Inu Yasha tried again.
"Please don't talk to me," Kagome interrupted quietly from the back seat, bringing her knees to her chest, not caring how rude it was to put her feet on the seat.
After that, no one said anything, not even goodbye when she got out of the car and walked up the shrine steps. The car drove off and she stopped, looking at the steps looming, leading up into the darkness.
"We really screwed up," Inu Yasha sighed, leaning the seat back and staring at the ceiling. "Big time."
It was an understatement to say the least. That his stepmother had been watching them and chosen to speak to Kagome was news in and of itself, but it was taking a back burner to the memory of the girl sniffling in the backseat. He had made an assumption, which had filtered down to the others, and in turn hurt a woman who had, so far, been nothi8ng but honest with him.
Her naivete had more to do with it than he cared to admit. For most of his life he had watched the people of his father's world, his world, use others to their heart's content. That they presented respectable public faces meant little. Gossip ran rampant, most of it true, about inclinations and habits that had ceased to surprise him years ago.
The higher class had no problem taking advantage of the lower class. Though he had never partaken of such before, from the moment he had first been invited to 'mingle' with high society at a party, he had been subjected to attempts. Even after losing his arm women -and no few men- seemed more than willing to bed him, as if he were some exotic animal that could claw his own notch on their bedpost.
It would be damnably easy for an unscrupulous character to take advantage of her innocence, and he had assumed the worst when she'd been out of his sight for more than five minutes. After ten the whole troupe had known his opinion, and by the time she had arrived, her disheveled hair and bright eyes had done nothing to help her case.
"I will speak to her," He finally said. Inu Yasha nodded once, seeming to take comfort in his declaration.
"She left her stuff in the car," Inu Yasha observed, giving him his excuse to see her. "And there's no school tomorrow."
"I will give her time to calm down," He replied, not wanting to see her quite yet. It would be an all too solid reminder of his error in judgment. That he had reacted so emotionally bothered him, and he needed to distance himself from her before seeing her again.
Most of the car ride passed in silence, both brothers lost in their own worlds as they drove through the city, the buildings around them becoming progressively shabbier and bright lights threw everything into chaotic shadows.
"Do you think dad knows?" He finally asked.
Sesshoumaru was quiet for several minutes, wondering the same.
"If Izayoi knows, he knows."
The silence following was damning.
Notes: I love Gate, and Iron Eden is an amazing song. Also, I'll probably be posting a new chapter for all of my stories on the 22nd, as it's my birthday. Whoo! Today we're going to catch The Rum Diary and hit the national BBQ cup (I'm so horrible at being a jew lol). And then it's home for the family celebration. I might be hitting the gmddnight thing on Dokuga for those that are eighteen+ and are interested, since none of my explicit stuff is going on ffnet, dunno yet. Gotta see, because my birthday list to my family was different beers I haven't tried. And apparently drinking and keyboards aren't my best combo.
CreARTive (gahd I love your name lol) There will be developments in their relationship very soon. I do love having them burn together, and part of the frequency is for a reason, promise. And you're right, keeping that passion can be difficult, especially in the face of learning routines and doing it for money, both of which make you focus more on what other people want instead of what you want. (Which is why I don't spin for money lol) And you'll probably guess what Kagome's project is, so no telling. ;p
Random Tigerz of Lily-I don't think she's going to move out. I've been considering it, but I'm honestly not sure. I'll see where the story takes me.
IraInvidiaInvictus- Your review (and defense of my fic) was ultra awesome, and I want to say thank you. I don't write for reviews, although I do love them very much, and I appreciate the people that leave them. I save the emails I get when someone favorites or adds one of my stories to their alerts list (I look at that folder when I want to break my computer in half), and those are always of a much more substantial number than reviews. Either way, I know people are enjoying the work. That being said, your review seriously made me want to hug you. Danke.