A/N; Oh, just so we're clear, This story takes place in the United States. Not Tokyo. I know. It's weird considering they all have Japanese names, but bare with me. Also, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha are not brothers.
Chapter 3: Everything Has A Price
Kagome looked at herself in the mirror as she smoothed out her above the knee black dress with a frown.
'Why am I really doing this?' Studying herself in the mirror, Kagome took in her appearance. The neckline on her dress stopped just short of her cleavage; the thick sleeveless straps making her shoulders look small, with her hair was pulled into a messy bun.
Giving a heavy sigh, the tired young woman looked at her clock to see she had another five minutes before her supposed ride would be there.
Picking up her small purse off her bed, Kagome quietly shut her bedroom door behind her as she made her way to Souta's room.
She knocked softly on the door before opening it to see her brother laying on his side playing his PSP. His half finished box of Chinese food sat on his nightstand, and Kagome fingered it a moment as she stood beside him and spoke.
"I met some old high school friends today while I was out job hunting, and they invited me out for dinner tonight." She said, watching her brother pause his game before looking at her.
"That's good. You deserve to go out. Better than sitting around here worrying all the time."
Kagome smiled. "Thanks. You gonna be okay here alone? I could always cancel."
Souta shrugged. "I'll be fine. I'll just play video games or something. Go, you deserve to go out and have some fun."
"I'd rather spend time with you, but thanks I'll try. Um," Kagome frowned as she heard a car horn outside. "that's my ride. Now I'm not going to be home till really late, so don't stay up to late, or wait up for me." She said as she smiled at him fondly.
Kagome walked over to his bedroom door ready to leave out, but stopped as she heard her brother speak. "I love you sis."
Kagome paused and looked at her brother, who had a wistful look on his face before looking down at his lap. She had seen that kind of look from somewhere before, but quickly brushed it off as she heard the car horn again.
"Yeah, love you too Souta. See you later."
Souta watched his bedroom door close behind his sister and whispered a quietly goodbye back as he leaned back against his pillows and closed his eyes.
XxxXxXxXxXx
Kagome felt as if she were drowning in the quiet as the small Bentley moved down the dark dirt roads outside of town. All she could see were trees and fields outside, but that was only guessed out by shapes.
It had been an hour since she left her home, and she was slowly falling asleep in the backseat, to the darkness and the soft hum from the car engine.
She saw flashes of her and Souta taking about her life, and how he believed she would be better off without him as she slept.
What seemed like only minutes of the uncomfortable memories passing by, Kagome was jolted from her hazy sleep by her car door opening revealing a large mansion to her sapphire colored eyes.
'How long was I asleep?' She thought as she walked up the steps to the large estate.
A butler met her at the door, and quietly led her down two hallways before stopping at a pair of dark oak, double doors. He opened them and motioned for her to go in before closing them behind her.
Kagome looked around the sitting room, and noticed several other people in the room with her. Her attention first turned to the elderly looking woman in the wheel chair talking to a fox demon, before going to the Gothic looking girl, or woman, on one of the couches.
The girl wore a tight black tank top with a black pencil skirt, heeled boots, and heavy black eye liner. She gave Kagome a sneer before looking away, going back to sipping her glass of wine.
"Hi." Turning her gaze to the man who was now in front of her, Kagome gave him a small smile as he lifted his hand. "Names Inuyasha. And yours?"
Kagome studied him for a moment. His silver hair and gold eyes intriguing her; but most of all his puppy dog ears his on his head. 'An Inu-hanyou.' She thought.
Her smile grew a little as she stuck out her hand and shook his. "Kagome."
He nodded before pulling her over to a small liquor cabinet by the wall, next to another man with shoulder length black hair pulled into a small ponytail at the nap of his neck, and lavender colored eyes.
"This is Miroku. Watch 'em. He's a lecher. He just groped that chick in the pink skirt and white shirt over there talking to the old hag."
Kagome looked over to the three by the window, and saw the woman who looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties. She had waist length light brown hair that was pulled up into a high bun, and as Inuyasha said, she wore a pink knee length skirt, with a ruffled white button down.
"Her name is Sango, and it's my hand. I believe it was cursed. It has a problem with wandering." Miroku said with a lop-sided grin.
"Who are the others?" She wondered what kind of help these other people needed.
"Well the old hag in the wheelchair is Kaede. She hasn't really said anything about why she's here. The pink chick-"
"Sango." Miroku said with a nod.
"Sango, is supposedly an old alcoholic who use to be from a family of money until her parents cut her off, and disowned her for gambling debts." Inuyasha said as he eyed the woman suspiciously.
Kagome looked toward the fox demon with the dark red hair. "Fox runt with the green eyes is Shippo." Inuyasha said taking a drink out of his glass.
"He was in the army." This time Miroku explained. "Didn't say much about it. Just that he went in at eighteen."
Kagome frowned. "He looks no older than me." she said softly.
"Keh, in humans years maybe. Brats probably a little older than that." Inuyasha mumbled.
Miroku turned from the liquor cabinet and handed Kagome a glass of some drink he made her. "The wolf demon sitting across from the, um, finely dressed girl on the couch is Kouga. Didn't say anything about himself either. The girl is Kikyou. She is a real, hm." He paused as he tried to find a word.
"Bitch?" The hanyou male offered with a smirk.
"That could suffice." Miroku said as he held up his glass. "Now lets give a toast."
"To the Takahashi Foundation." Inuyasha said, making the other two nod as they took sips of their drinks.
XxxXxXxXx
Kagura sat silently at her dinner room table in the dim lighting of her home. She couldn't get rid of the sicking feeling of shame in her gut.
'That girl doesn't deserve what Sesshomaru will put her through.' She thought as she stood up from her chair.
The wind sorceress walk over to a small chest and opened a drawer. She looked through it a moment before slowly lifting up a small gun. Grabbing her keys, she took the gun and stashed it in the waist band of her pants as she walked out her front door.
XxxXxXxXxXx
Sesshomaru swung one of the many doors on the second floor open, and walk in to see a young woman no older than seventeen on a couch with her legs tucked underneath her, picking at her nails.
"Rin, Jaken has informed me that the contestants are ready now. It is time to leave." He said as he fixed the silk gold tie around his neck. She wore a sleeveless plan white button up with a pair of black dress pants and silver sandals.
"I never understand why we do this. Do we really have to sit through an entire dinner? Can't we just pick a winner, and kill the rest?" The young girl pouted as she began to play with the hair hanging over her shoulder, sparing the Inuyoukai with a glance.
Sesshomaru stopped fixing his tie and turned narrowed eyes on her. "Rin, you know that is not the way it works. There is a delicate process involved." He said as he walked over to her.
"Of course." She said with a scuff, leaning back against the couch as she looked up at the demon.
"I trust you will be on your best behavior tonight." It wasn't a question. More like a command.
"I'm not even drinking father." Rin sneered.
Sesshomaru scuffed. "That is not my point. I'm serious. What happened last year will not happen again. We are observers Rin. The integrity of the game depends on little to no interference on our parts. We have no dealings with what happens. The players pick their own hands."
She growled. "I know okay! This is the fourth year I'm sitting through this game. I understand, I won't kill anybody again! Just say what you want to say and stop being so cryptic." The brown eyed girl huffed as she stood.
"Hn. It is time for dinner. We mustn't keep our guests waiting." Sesshomaru said ignoring her last comment, as he began to leave the room, Rin following quickly behind him.
xXxXxXxXxXx
"Lord Takahashi is ready for you now." The butler who had escorted her in the room said as he opened the doors.
"There is something we need to get out of the way though before we began. We ask that you leave all of your personal items here. Phones, keys, etcetera." The short butler said as he lifted up a large bowl on the coffee table.
"I don't like this." Sango said as she shook her head. "I have my theories about the Takahashi Foundation and I don't like this one bit."
"I assure you that all of your belongings will be safe." he said, earning a few mumbles from the group before they began handing him their things.
After they were finished the butler escorted them down a small hallway and into a dinner room where Sesshomaru and Rin were waiting.
"Welcome! Please have a seat where your name card is placed." Sesshomaru said as he watched them all enter the room from the head of the table; Rin sitting at the other end of the table with her back facing the door where they entered.
"This is my daughter, Rin. She will also be joining us tonight." He motioned to the girl, and she gave a small wave as she rested back against her chair with a bored expression.
"And the man who escorted you in is Jaken. The three other men are his staff." The guests looked around at the two standing by the food cart and the other male standing guard by the doors.
"Well, Jaken start us off with a wine." Sesshomaru told the butler after a moment of silence.
"Yes sir." He motioned for the two men at the cart to start serving. "Tonight we are having T-bone steak with a cheddar baked potato and asparagus. To help wash it down, we'll be using a century old Victorian red wine."
"I can't remember the last time I had a dinner like this." Kagome heard Miroku mutter.
"I can't remember a dinner like this ever." Inuyasha said cutting into his steak and taking a bite.
Kagome just stared down at her plate for a moment, than looked up at everyone else eating before slowly raising her hand.
Sesshomaru removed his wine glass from his lips with a raised silver brow. "Yes, Kagome?"
"Uh, I probably should of mentioned this before. Um, I'm a vegetarian."
He just looked at her as he slowly placed his wine glass down, and picked up his fork. "Well I'm sorry, but there is nothing else in the kitchen."
A small blush began to cross her cheeks as she stuttered. "That's- that's fine. I'm fine with just the potatoes and-"
"Everyone has a price Kagome." Sesshomaru said with a smile, taking a bite of his food, earning a confused look from the girl.
"How long have you been a vegetarian child?" Kaede asked her expectantly. Kagome turned her gaze to her.
"Oh, um. Most of my life. I just don't like the thought-"
"You know I think this would be a good opportunity to offer some money." Sesshomaru said as he took another bite of steak.
Rin began to smirk from her end of the table, already finished with her dinner and now just sipping at her wine.
"Kagome, I will give you five thousand dollars if you eat all the meat on your plate." He told her.
Her head snap to the Inu-youkai staring her down at the end of the table as her eyes went wide.
"Wha- no. No! I- I couldn't." She shook her head, refusing to do such a thing.
"Yes you could. You just don't want to. But everyone has a price. Ten-thousand!" Sesshomaru announced with a grin, while Rin tried not to laugh at her end of the table as Jaken sat two stacks of cash on the table.
Kagome opened her mouth to speak but was cut off. "Go ahead dear. Ten-thousand dollars is a lot of money." Kaede told her with a wide eye, and for some odd reason Kagome just realized the woman had an eye-patch over her left eye.
"Um." She looked down at her food before picking up her silverware and cutting into her steak, raising to her lips then eating it. Her face twisted in disgust as she slowly chewed the meat.
Sesshomaru's booming laughter rang in her ears and throughout the quiet room as she swallowed the steak meat.
"Years! Years of strict eating gone done the drain for a mere ten-thousand dollars! How sad." Sesshomaru said downing his glass of wine.
"Hey!"
His gaze turned to the girl dressed in black sitting on Rin's right, sparing the purple eyed man on her left a glance before connecting his gaze back with the other girls. "Yes?"
"How is this girl your daughter when you're a demon. She's human." Kikyou said giving the girl a dirty look making Rin hold her head up a little higher as she gave a look to Sesshomaru.
"He adopted me. My mother sat at this same table as all of you about five years ago. She had no one to watch me, and had to bring me along. I sat in a sitting room and waited the night for her, but she never came. Sesshomaru came into the room the next morning and woke me up to tell me she had an unfortunate accident. She had died of a heart attack." She quickly finished when she spotted the look Seshomaru was giving her.
"I'm sorry child." The old woman told her, but Rin only nodded as she sat down her drink; her mind elsewhere.
Sesshomaru decided to change the subject. Rin's lie wasn't something he wanted the topic to be on.
"Miss Sango, do you not like the wine?" He asked the woman a little too loudly making her choke on her glass of water.
"Waters fine tonight thank you." She answered with a nod.
"Ah, you're a recovering alcoholic aren't you?" He asked with a grin. "I think we found another chance to give away more money." He said motioning toward Jaken. "I will give you ten-thousand dollars to drink that glass of wine." Sesshomaru told her with a small chuckle.
Sango gapped at him. "I'm sorry but I will refuse. I've spent eight years being sober and I'm not wasting that accomplishment on some money."
He tilted is head. "Isn't that why you're here though? To take my money? Kagome just ate half an animal that she refused to eat for most of her life for only-"
"That's not the same!" She hollered, a little angry and upset at the demons audacity.
Sesshomaru paused. "Jaken, get the scotch." He waited til his butler sat the crystal bottle down. "I will give you fifty thousand dollars to drink that very expensive bottle of scotch."
Sango stared at him with tear filled eyes as the people at the table watched. "Why are you doing this?"
He raised a brow. "You are doing this to yourself. You refuse to go through, lets say, a momentary lapse, because you don't want too! I have no part in it. This is your fault."
Looks of disgust and pity crossed some faces, but some remained blank as they waited to see what she chooses.
Taking in a shaky breath, Sango let a small tear fall down her cheek before picking up the bottle and taking a large swallow of the alcohol.
Sesshomaru just watched, smirking at her. "Oh, how money makes the weak fall."
Kagome looked away and decided to just watch the males that served them pick up the dinner plates and clear the table.
"Well, now that dinners finished lets get down to business." Standing from his chair, Sesshomaru looked around at the people sitting at the table.
"Most of you will probably know the rules to this little game, and probably have played it as children. It's a slightly more adult version of, Would You Rather. The object of the game is to pick between to choices you will be given. For example,"
He went and stood behind Kagome. "Shippo. Would you rather, kiss Kagome or kiss Miroku."
He said with a smile as he looked at the young male.
"Um, Kagome of course." He said it like it would be obvious.
"You're going to make us kiss each other?" Kaede asked in amusement as she looked at the Inuyoukai who turned to look at her.
"No no, that was just something off the top of my head." He told her making the woman's face fall a little as he went back to his seat.
"But, wait. What if we choose neither." Kagome said as Sesshomaru cleared his throat.
"If you decided to choose neither it will be a sign that you are quitting, and you will be eliminated. Now, with that said, I will give you the chance to leave now with what you have. There are cars ready outside to take you home."
Everyone sat there a moment before Sango picked up her money off the table and stood up, everyone looking at her as she looked down at the five stacks of money in her hand before sitting back down again with a sigh. Giving a nod to Sesshomaru.
Sesshomaru grinned. "Well, seems everyone is ready to play. Jaken." The butler motioned to the door were the men who took their food up rolled in a cart with a machine on it with two leather head bands that had wires on them.
The group began to gasp as Sango gave a disbelieving laugh and shook her head. "I knew it!" She stood up once more. "This is all bullshit! I'm leaving."
"Sango you will sit down now. You gave up your chance to leave already." Sesshomaru told her with narrowed eyes.
"Like hell! You all can sit here and let this sick and twisted son a bitch torture you, but I'm not!" She said making er way to the door.
"Sit down!" Sesshomaru yelled as Kagome, Inuyasha, and Miroku began to stand up too, but stopped in their place as they saw Jaken draw a gun and shoot Sango in her head.
Kagome screamed as the womans body fell to the ground, and found herself being forced down into her seat again by one of Jakens guards. She looked over to see Inuyasha and Miroku being forced back down too, with guns pointed at their heads.
It was quiet in the room now as the group was told to be quiet and two men dragged Sango's lifeless body from the room. Kagome wiped at her tearing eyes, trying not to let the droplets fall.
"I would like to go home now." Kaede said, her voice quivering as she looked toward Sesshomaru. The Inuyoukai gave her a bored look.
"Well, you already gave up that chance like Sango now didn't you. The game is no longer voluntary." Sesshomaru told her, or everyone, with a smirk as he straightened himself in his chair.
"Jaken, begin with the first round."
A/N: Sorry about the wait. I know I said I wouldn't be updating until my other story was finished, but the final chapters aren't being typed as quickly as I hoped. (Because I'm lazy.) I also kinda forgot about this story a little. He-he... Anyway, so Sesshomaru's true intentions are revealed. I didn't mean to add Sango into this story either, but I guess it doesn't really matter now. ;P Wonder who Sesshomaru's next victim will be...