September 29
I had Kagura in my bed within only a week of Shouyou's "accident". Strangely enough, I expected no less, but the lust with which she met my eyes from then on didn't bring me the immense satisfaction I did expect. Not even the act itself was as great as I wanted it to be, but this was no fault of Kagura's or my own.
It was the wench's.
My curiosity about her was becoming a near obsession, and every time I saw her, my consternation that Shippou's presumptions were true only intensified. I couldn't help my interest by this point: I wanted to know everything about her, and I wouldn't rest until I did.
Much to my dissatisfaction, Shippou offered absolutely no help on the matter.
"Inuyasha, I told you, it's not my place to tell you about Kagome's father." Shippou sighed, annoyed as Inuyasha demanded for the fourteenth time that the kitsune tell him everything he knew about Kagome. "What's with this sudden interest anyway? I thought you hated Kagome."
"...I do." Inuyasha sniffed, tearing a chunk out of a piece of steak, garnished nicely with garlic.
I don't know where humans got that silly notion about vampires and garlic from. I like that stuff.
"But you know what they say: keep your friends close and your enemies closer."
"So you consider her an enemy." Shippou concluded dryly.
"Well...not so much an enemy, but more of a rival. So help me out, you little weasel, before I stuff a clove of garlic down your throat!" He grimaced in disgust. Garlic didn't kill him, but Shippou just hated the smell and taste of it. It sickened him.
"Sorry, Inuyasha." He shook his head, taking a swig from a glass of wine. "You'll have to ask Kagome herself."
"Don't you think I've been trying?!" Inuyasha snapped.
"Maybe the fact that she knows you hate her is attributing to her reticence." Inuyasha thought a moment, then came up with an idea.
"Thanks, Shippou!" He grinned, finishing off his steak and grabbing his backpack before dashing out of the apartment. He knocked on his neighbor's door, hoping Miroku and Kagome hadn't already left for school yet, and waited. A muscular man, dressed in a simple white suit and hat, answered the door, his face expressionless. Inuyasha blinked.
This must be her father...
"Hello, sir...ah, you must be Kagome's father. It's nice to meet you." He smiled calmly, holding out a hand for the man to shake. He nodded and accepted the handshake.
"I don't think I've heard about you before."
"My name's Inuyasha. I go to school with Miroku and Kagome."
"I see...well, Miroku's gone already, but Kagome should be right out. I would stay and chat a little, but I've got to go to work. It was nice meeting you, Inuyasha." He mirrored Inuyasha's smile, and the younger man respectfully moved out of his way.
I think I like that guy.
Inuyasha went into the apartment, looking around appreciatively. It was just as nice as, if not nicer than, his own. He took a deep breath, readying himself.
I'm going to have to sacrifice my pride for this one...I'm going to hate it, but it'll all be worth it once I get her to tell me everything.
Kagome walked slowly out of one of the back rooms, her long hair curtaining her face. "What are you doing here?" She sighed, sounding wearier than normal.
"I'm here to accompany you to school." He mustered up his most believable smile, and Kagome looked at him.
"Why?"
"Hey, why so suspicious?" Inuyasha shrugged. "I just figured you'd want to be accompanied to school."
"Well, I don't. So fuck off." She said curtly, moving past him and out of the door. Inuyasha's eyebrows raised in an expression of cool surprise.
Today should be interesting.
He followed behind her, saying, "Whoa, what's with the hostility?"
"I don't feel like your bullshit today, Inuyasha, okay? Can you please just leave me alone?" His face scrunched up in confusion, until the discreet scent of pheromones, one he'd recognized since puberty, his seishunki phase.
Uh-oh.
He bit his lip and ran up to her side. "Listen, I'd just like to...apologize." Inuyasha actually had to choke out the word. "For my, uh, unjustified dislike of you. Initially, of course, but now, I see that you're not as bad as I first supposed."
"Really, now." Kagome scoffed, shaking her head. "You call that dislike? Be honest, now."
"...Okay, hate." Inuyasha grudgingly admitted.
"That's better."
"But I'm trying to apologize now."
"How do you apologize for hate? You obviously don't think I remember how you nearly let me die a while back just because you couldn't stand me." Inuyasha winced at how harsh she sounded.
"Yeah, but...you're alive, now, right?" He tried to smile. Kagome glared at him, brushing her hair out of her face, and Inuyasha saw that she looked sallow and ill, the same as she did when he'd first met her.
"Barely." She spat.
"Are you okay? You look...well...sick." Inuyasha pointed out.
"Gee, really?" Kagome geared up to sneeze, and he pinched her nose shut to deter it. He let go and she sniffed. "Thanks." A second later, she sneezed anyway.
"Uh...bless you." He mumbled.
"You can stop sucking up now. I don't care how nice you pretend to be to me—I'm not telling you anything about me."
"Why not?!"
"Why the sudden interest? God knows you sure weren't this interested in me a couple months ago! When you—oh, yeah, what was that little incident? Oh, right—nearly let me die!"
"Hey, I apologized for that, damn it!" Kagome stared incredulously at him.
"You...you don't get it, do you? You just don't. To say you're so intelligent, you're such a fucking idiot." Inuyasha stopped in his tracks, but Kagome continued on her way to school.
"...Keh." He scoffed, shaking his head. "At least she acknowledged that I'm smarter than her." But even as he kept moving, his thoughts were on a different track.
But why am I an idiot? That doesn't make sense. And furthermore, what's with how sick she looks now?
"Hey!" He looked behind him and saw Gingitsune running up to him with a smile. Momentarily distracted by her breasts, he had to shake himself out of the trance to speak to her.
"What's up? I thought you had already left for school."
"Yeah...no." She grinned. "I got up super late this morning. Was that Kagome I just saw?"
"Yes." Inuyasha mumbled.
"Would I be mistaken in assuming that you two were actually conversing? Like normal people?"
"If you could call that normal, but generally, no."
"Well, that's good." She smiled, and Inuyasha smirked at her.
"I don't suppose you might be jealous, now, are you?"
"Of what?" Gingitsune snorted with laughter.
"I don't know...you tell me."
"Well, first off, I doubt there's anything to be jealous of. And second, if you're beginning to like Kagome, that's your business and not mine."
"...So in other words, you're jealous."
"Wh—?!"
"HA! I so knew it!" Inuyasha cackled, and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her flush against his body. "Hey, you don't have to worry about me liking her. That'll never happen. So don't be so jealous, okay?" He murmured softly against her neck, tracing his tongue along her jawline. Her face pink with embarrassment, Gingitsune shoved him off of her, wiping her face with a deathly glare at him.
"Do that again, and I'll snap your fingers off."
"Fingers, huh? Actually, that reminds me...remember a few days ago, when we were in study hall? I seem to recall a certain cat woman biting my fingers." Gingitsune thought for a moment, then laughed nervously when she remembered.
"Uh...that was just reflex...you know?"
"Oh, I do know." Inuyasha nodded idly, holding his fingers out in front of him for both of them to survey the small bite marks still adorning them. "But you see, I also know that you, um...drew blood."
"...I did?"
"Yes. You did. So don't you think it would only be just for me to...return the favor?" He grinned languidly at her, revealing several of his sharp teeth. The sight sent a shiver down Gingitsune's spine, but she was unsure whether it was fear or lust, or even some bizarre combination of both.
"Um...no..."
"And why not? I'm supposed to just let you get away with biting my fingers like you did?"
"...Yeah..."
"I don't think so." Inuyasha chuckled darkly. "Come on, now, Gingitsune. You act as if I'm going to hurt you. Don't you trust me?"
"...Minimally."
"I won't hurt you as badly as all that. I swear." He held up both hands to show that he was being honest, and not even he would break such an oath. Gingitsune bit her lip fearfully, then squeezed her eyes shut, holding out her hand to him. Inuyasha cracked a smile at how badly she shook, before plugging his incisors into her flesh, just deeply enough to draw a small amount of blood. He licked up the speck from her fingers and left her hand alone. After a few moments, Gingitsune finally opened her eyes, albeit reluctantly, and looked at her fingers, blowing a relieved sigh upon seeing that the tiny wound was already clotting itself.
"See?" Inuyasha laughed, shaking his head. "You're just a little paranoid schizophrenic, aren't you?"
"I guess so." She laughed a little at herself as well.
"You should've trusted me." Inuyasha's bottom lip poked out a little. "That hurt my feelings that you thought I'd actually hurt you. I mean...I wouldn't let anything happen to you, Tsune-chan. "
"Obviously, or Hakuseki wouldn't be in the infirmary right now." Gingitsune grinned, referring to the jock that had grabbed her.
"I never did like that guy." Inuyasha mumbled.
"Now who's jealous?" Gingitsune elbowed him playfully in the side, and the two laughed together.
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"Today we're going to play a spot of volleyball." Aikawa-san announced, a mischievous air about her that made Inuyasha a mite suspicious. "But it's not going to be picking teams today."
Should've known. Inuyasha thought dourly, knowing somehow that he and Gingitsune wouldn't be on the same team today. In this class, he was always picked team captain, and Kagome on the opposing side, and he always picked Gingitsune first. The two looked grimly at each other.
"This week, we're going to do a Battle of the Sexes theme. Girls on one team, boys on the other. Let's go!" She blew her whistle and walked away, while Inuyasha groaned.
"This sucks!" He grumbled.
"What, pissed you won't be able to grab my butt in this game?"
"...Yes, actually." Gingitsune rolled her eyes, and looked over at the bleachers, where Kagome laid, looking sick. Inuyasha looked at her as well. "Was Kagome feeling bad like that when you talked to her earlier?"
"Yes, she was. I don't know what's wrong with her, but I think she's menstruating."
"Oh, that is so damn typical!" Gingitsune huffed in annoyance. "Typical man! As soon as a girl's not feeling well, he wants to jump straight to the period!"
"What? No, Gingitsune, I mean, I think that makes her sick or something."
"...Oh. How do you mean?" She blinked.
"When I first met her, this was the way she acted. Is that normal for a girl?"
"Honestly, not really. How sick was she last time?"
"I had to take her to the hospital."
"No, that's definitely not normal."
"I'm not sure, but it might be to do with the fact that she's a you-know-what."
"Gingitsune!" One of the girls called and Gingitsune looked at her, then back at Inuyasha.
"Go ahead. We can talk later." Inuyasha allowed, and she dashed off. One of the boys, a wolf demon named Kouga, nudged Inuyasha with a grin.
"You and Gingitsune, huh?" Inuyasha smirked.
"Not yet, but I'm getting there." He bragged. The other boys laughed, and Aikawa-san blew her whistle again, signaling for everyone to get into position. The ball was thrown to Inuyasha and just before he could spike the ball over the net, the double doors opened and a lanky boy walked in. Everyone looked at him as he passed the bleachers, went around the volleyball court boundaries, and approached Aikawa-san.
"Is this Physical Education II?" He asked, his voice low and serious.
"Yes, it is. Are you new?" The boy nodded.
"My name is Nakayama Houjou."
"Well, I'll be your teacher, Aikawa-san, and I'm very pleased to have you in my class." She smiled, but Houjou did not. "If you want to, you could join the game, or you could just sit on the bleachers."
"I'll join the game."
"Okay. It's boys against girls, so that means you're on Inuyasha's team." His sapphire eyes met Inuyasha's, and the young vampire found that he immediately mistrusted this Houjou. Nevertheless, he waved hello and gestured for him to move to the back. With a nod, Houjou obeyed, and took up a spot at the back.
"Alright, let's start this game!" Inuyasha tossed the ball into the air, then knocked it over the fence with his fists. One of the girls parried the spike, sending it all the way to the back.
"Houjou, that's you!" Inuyasha called, but there had been no need; the solemn boy had seen it coming from a mile away and struck the volleyball so hard, it flew off of the school grounds and into the street several blocks away. The other students slowly turned to stare at Houjou, whose expression was unchanging, even as he formally apologized.
"I guess I don't know my own strength." He murmured. Kouga groaned under his breath.
"Great. As is the norm, the new guy's gotta fuck it up for everybody." He grumbled, and Inuyasha nodded in agreement.
"No worries, children, there are more volleyballs." Aikawa-san called, rolling her eyes.
"Allow me to get it. It's only right I do so after having wasted the first ball." Houjou suggested.
"Of course, Houjou. Inuyasha, could you show him where they are?"
"...Sure." Inuyasha cleared his throat, and led Houjou to the supply room all the way in the back.
"New, huh?" He said casually, in an attempt to make conversation. Houjou nodded shortly. "Like it here?"
"It's okay."
"Used to school?"
"Not exactly. I used to live in the mountains, so I'm not used to Muroran at all."
"Yeah, I wasn't either when I first came here. I used to live in Akaigawa-mura." Inuyasha dug through the many deflated and otherwise defective sports equipment in search of a volleyball, so he didn't notice the look Houjou gave him.
"Did you, now? I'm vaguely familiar with that village, but I'm fairly certain such a close-minded society wouldn't've allowed someone like you living around them." Inuyasha paused in his search to glance in offense up at Houjou. "I meant no offense."
"You...make it sound as though you know what I am. Do you?" Houjou took a few moments to reply.
"Did you actually live in the village, or merely on the outskirts? I was just wondering, because you look like the type to be easily banished from civilization for...oh, I don't know. A lack of control, perhaps." Inuyasha stood up straight and faced Houjou with a scowl.
"I don't think I like you much, you presumptuous wart."
"I didn't mean to presume anything." Houjou held up his hands, smiling slightly. Inuyasha mistrusted that smile as well. "Forgive me." Inuyasha stared at him for a moment, analyzing his blank eyes, then grunted.
"What are you, anyway?" He continued his search for a volleyball, but remained on his guard, not trusting Houjou enough to turn his back to him for too long. "A demon? Some kind of other creature, perhaps?"
"I'm simply who I am, Inuyasha." His face hidden by the shadows of the closet, Inuyasha let himself grimace. Houjou said his name as though they'd known each other long before now, and he was "fairly certain" he'd never known this asshole, even before he was reborn.
"Simply who you are, huh? I guess that's all any of us can ever claim to be." Inuyasha philosophized, and pulled a white volleyball from the clutter. "Here. Take that." As they left the storage room, Houjou took it upon himself to apologize once more.
"I'm sorry if I upset you, Inuyasha. Sometimes I tend to get ahead of myself. It's why I've been banned from my home and sent here."
"...Well...it's okay, I suppose." Inuyasha mumbled, scratching his head awkwardly. "Just try not to do it too much. I have somewhat of a short temper."
"What a coincidence." Houjou's lips spread into a wide smile, one bigger than Inuyasha would've liked. "So do I."
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Black Ice: And once more do we incorporate a badass Houjou into a story! Didja love it?!
Blood Rain: I sure did.
Black Ice: (glares) You wrote it.
Blood Rain: Oh...that explains it.
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Today's Rant: Well...This One Doesn't Really Make Much Sense, But It's About Those Old Barbie Doll Commercials Where, Back In The Days That American Idol Was New, They Used To Say "Dolls Don't Move On Their Own"
Blood Rain: Told you it wouldn't make sense. I don't know if anybody really remembers, but back in the earlier part of the decade, when American Idol was new and the toy industries were having a field day with the concept, there was a Barbie Commercial where they had the toys walking down the runway by themselves. I mean, there obviously had to have been a hand moving it or something, but it was rubbed out of the commercial.
Anyway, they were saying "Dolls don't move on their own," and I got a nice chuckle out of that, because they'd been saying that since the turn of the millennium. Well, I didn't know it would be the last time I'd ever laugh at such stupidity, because that was the last commercial they ever aired where they said that. From then on, they were always showing the little girls playing with them, so they didn't need to say the dolls didn't move on their own. I guess they just thought people would think they were falsely advertising. (Sighs) People are so stupid.
Okay, I'm done. (Mutters) Like anybody even really reads this crap...