POISON | Love Her

Chapter 3

Bruises

'Thoughts/Rin's writing'

Flashbacks

Original Publish Date: 3/28/2014

Rin rolled out of bed, groaning in pain when her feet didn't quite make it to the floor first and she ended up falling completely. Her face was flat on the floor, her sigh of defeat muffled by the beige carpet. She was sore everywhere. She had bruises everywhere. No amount of sleep seemed to be enough for her exhausted body.

She knew the job at Shikon would probably result in more work, but not like this! 'No wonder most of the dancers are demons!' She raised herself off the floor just enough to throw her arms over the top of her bed and rest her head on the edge. Her lids were heavy, the covers were soft and inviting—but she couldn't go back to sleep!

Rin had to spend about an hour with a bottle of foundation and concealer, and then she had to take the bus to Shikon which took about another 1-2 hours depending. If her father hadn't taken away her car, she would have been able to sleep more...

It had been a month since he nearly strangled her to death, and it wasn't the last time. Something in her father changed that day, and now the man that lived in the other room was a complete stranger. She no longer saw a single trace of the gentle, caring man he once was in his gaze, only the cold, dead eyes of an angry, broken man… And every time she began to feel pity for him, another bruise was made to remind her of her foolishness.

She got up on her feet, stretching her worn body. Rin placed her hands on the furniture chest in front of her, looking into the wide mirror. 'Mom, what do I do?' She wiped the tears that began to roll down her cheeks, 'I wish you were here, things would be better…' She shook her head, shaking the thoughts away.

Rin entered the bathroom, determined to take a long, hot shower to relax her muscles. The warm water felt wonderful against her skin, one of the few comforts her body knew. She shampooed her hair, working the unscented product into her scalp. Aside from being a bit overworked, her time at Shikon was better than her experience at Blue Moon, and far surpassed anything before that.

Kuromaru was very protective over his dancers, nothing like her previous bosses. 'I suppose with many of the clients being hanyou and demons, it only makes sense…' Anyone inhuman can do serious damage to their exposed bodies, and a scratched girl is a dancer that won't be bringing money to the club…

… Unless Ryukotsusei is around. The dragon had a tasteless fetish for 'damaged girls'. She had learned that quickly, in fact on her first official day. He paid for her to come up on the second floor and dance for him and some of his accomplices…

"A human? Are you feeling well, Lord Ryukotsusei?" A younger dragon who sat next to the daiyoukai commented when she stepped up on the mini-stage, dressed in a Lolita outfit by request.

The older dragon chuckled, "I admit, it is out of my norm…"

"It is completely out of it, not that I mind…" A hyena youkai commented as he was licking her lips at her. It made her shiver in disgust.

"… But she has such a sweet face, and appears so young with those sad little eyes… The bruises coloring her skin only add to her appeal." Rin froze at the last comment, glancing down at her exposed thighs and mid-section. Her makeup was still covering her bruises well and the lighting was dim in their section, 'How can he tell?' "You know, Rin…" The dragon leaned forward, resting his forearms on top of his knees with his hands entwined in front. His eyes were on her and she didn't look away, she won't let him scare her.

"I never considered you would like being beaten around. It's very tantalizing…" That smirk came up again, "Perhaps you would enjoy being my whore for the night."

Rin blinked at her fist that had made its way to the bathroom wall and succeeding in cracking one of the small tiles. 'Oops…' She retracted her fist, putting in under the stream of water. 'If only I can knock him out.' She never wanted to hurt someone so much in her life. She didn't keep the dragon's money, no matter how much he or friends threw at her. The dirty money went either to pay her stipend to the club or to her father. Rin turned off the water after she finished cleaning herself, stepping out of the shower and toweling off.

Every time she had contact with the dragon or his men, Kuromaru required her to give him a report about it. It made her highly suspicious; it was too similar to what she did for her father back at Blue Moon.

'But Shikon is on the northside of 12th street.' Which meant it was nowhere near Ryukotsusei's territory, but in Naraku's region if she remembered correctly. She wondered if the man paid protection money to Naraku, or if they had any affiliation. There had to be something there if the man was so interested in the dragon's dealings in his club.

Rin began the concealing ritual for any discolorations on her body, starting with her thighs. Once finished, she moved on to her midsection, and used a spray foundation for her back. She blended out the concealed areas with foundation until she was satisfied, before spraying a light mist of setting spray on the makeup.

She sighed in annoyance, looking down on her body. It was getting to be too much to conceal and if she wasn't careful to set the makeup ever so often, it would rub off on her costumes and the poles. She put away the makeup bottles, then exited the bathroom to go into her room. She used the cold-shot of her blow-dryer to quickly dry the setting spray on her body before she moved on to her hair. Rin glanced up at the clock, she was making good time.

'If tonight isn't too hectic, I should stop by The Whole Scoop. It's been way too long.' The ice cream should help make everything a little better.

-:-

"Rin, I would like to speak with you." She had just finished a dance for a small group of young, loud, and surprisingly respectful half-demons when Kuromaru approached her. Rin nodded at him, a bit reluctant due to his serious expression. 'Did I do something wrong?' She thought nervously as she followed the man into his office, tucked away in the back of club. He opened the door for her and she stepped inside as her arms hugged her upper body. 'It's so cold in here.' Her heart jumped when she heard him lock the door.

"Calm down, you are not in any trouble." The tall man stated, coming around to face her. "At least not with me. I thought your bruises were simply because of the dancing and you were not accustomed to use the pole so much…" He leaned against his cherry wood desk, "But it's been a month, and I see that you come in every day exhausted and darker than before. Are one of my customers giving you a … hard time, Rin? Be honest."

She shook her head. She was terrified of where the conversation was going. She didn't want to lose this job!

"Then what is it?" He crossed his arms over his chest, giving her that intense glare. She bit her bottom lip, unsure of what to do, of where to start, what to say—the truth she couldn't reveal. It was shameful. Abruptly, the man straightened up, and went around, pulling a small tube from a drawer in his desk. He offered it to her, and accepted. It looked like a cross between oregano and parsley. 'Is he giving drugs? Why in the world would he—'

"What you hold in your hand… is lethal." She looked up at him in shock as he continued to speak. "I don't know what happens outside these walls when you leave, but it concerns me when it affects your performance. Our customers, they love you. I don't want to let you go." He crossed his arms again, "Frankly, I won't. So whoever thinks they have the right to continue to harm you as my dancer... Sprinkle it on their food, it's the easiest way. It's not detectable. It won't trace back to you or me, and they will die quietly, peacefully if you care."

Rin froze in place at the word 'die'. Her eyes dropped down to the vial, she realized her hand was shaking. She couldn't do this. No way could she—

"Or you can try reconciling with whoever beats you like I'm sure you have been trying for months, maybe years. Working here, I've heard and seen it all, Rin. I've offered this choice to many women before you that were in your position. Some do it and move on, some don't, and those who don't…? Well, the abuser usually busts in here at some point, demanding his woman back. I'm sure you know… that is a poor, poor decision."

She knew exactly what he was speaking about. It happened only last week with one of the back-up dancers. The woman had been sent to Kuromaru's office and the man was dragged to the back alley of the club by two youkai she never seen before. She didn't know what the feud was about, but now he cleared it up. She hadn't seen either of them since.

Rin clutched the vial in her hand. Her father had threatened to come to Shikon himself and drag her off back to where he wanted her, more than once.

"You can keep that. Though its potency wears off over time, in about 2 months it would be useless. I suggest you make your decision sooner rather than later." He turned and sat at his desk, slipping on reading glasses. He began to rummage through paperwork, as if he was not just discussing murder. She couldn't peel her eyes away from the vial. 'Is this… real? Is this really happening?' "Finish up your night. Go out, enjoy yourself." Rin nodded slowly, and left his office.

She needed a distraction. 'Ice cream…' She'll just have some ice cream and think… a lot.

-:-

Takahashi turned off his car, leaning back into the genuine leather seat as he checked his phone once again. Kagura hadn't contacted him in the past three days which was highly unusual for the wind sorceress. He had no desire to go to Shikon and to figure out her whereabouts. Off-handedly, he also realized he hadn't seen the human girl in the parlor for quite some time. Kagura had kept him up-to-date with any transgression between the two, and aside from perverted abnormalities, the dragon did not reveal anything worthwhile yet.

The man left his automobile, walked into the ice cream parlor and ordered his usual dessert. As he waited, he scanned the room and was surprised to see the petite woman was actually here, sitting in her usual booth by the front windows.

She seemed to be distracted. She was picking at her ice cream, her eyes were downcast and frequently glanced to her purse. He watched her hand slide its way up her throat; she swallowed thickly and shook her head, returning her hand back to her lap. "Here you go, sir." The man handed a black credit card to the young employee, paid for his treat, and walked to her booth.

The human didn't realize his presence until he sat across from her, causing her to jump with surprise. Spoon in her closed mouth, she gave him a small smile and wave… but he couldn't take his eyes off the darkness around her neck, his sharp vision could see the imprints of the fingers that had wrapped around her throat.

She pulled out her purple pen and paper pad, 'Hi! It's been awhile.' He nodded in agreement.

"Have you seen Kagura recently?"

Rin shook her head before writing, 'No, I haven't seen her in the last couple of days.' They sat in silence for a few moments. He enjoyed quiet, but this time it was unnerving. He looked out the window, but people-watching was not something he enjoyed. She was about to take a bite of her ice cream when he was compelled to finally ask,

"Where did you get those bruises?" She stopped mid-way, her spoon gradually descended back into her cold dessert. He could see the shock on her face from the corner of his vision. When she made no move to respond, he reiterated, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." This time he did look at her.

And she smiled at him, but it was nothing like before when it was out of courtesy. It was an honest, wide, toothy grin that brightened her entire face, crinkled the corners of her gleaming eyes, and revealed a set of dimples in her rosy cheeks. He didn't understand why she smiled at him like that, or why his heart skipped a beat at the sight. Takahashi began to feel defensive, unsure what to do with such uninhibited joy directed at him. "What are you smiling about? I simply asked a question. I don't care, I'm just curious."

He didn't find her soft giggle mocking, but it caused a ridiculous fluttering sensation in his body. His eyes narrowed, he did not enjoy whatever she was doing to him. She ignored his glare though, opting instead to write on the paper pad, ripping out the sheet after she was done.

'Thank you.' He read, but what was she thanking him for? The woman grabbed her things, waved goodbye at him and hurried out of the parlor. His eyes fell back on the sheet of paper; he gingerly lifted it from the table. She wrote in cursive instead of print, her writing was flawless and easy to read, very unlike the chicken scratch most humans tried to pass off as handwriting. He glanced back at the empty seat in front of him before wordlessly folding the paper and slipping it into his blazer.

-:-

"How many times would you like to do this, Kagura?"

The wind sorceress couldn't speak, but she hoped her eyes said the 'fuck you' that she wanted to yell. She was in the basement at Shikon, cuffed to a pole with chains that were unbreakable to her. She was gagged, half-naked with streaks of her own blood decorating her body, slashes caused by Naraku's whip. She had no sense of time; she guessed it had at least been a few of days since he trapped her down here.

'I'll kill you… I'll kill you…' She chanted in her mind, renewing her struggle against her restraints.

A faint red glow in the darkness was her only warning before an indescribable pain racked her injured body. "Now tell me, who are you reporting to…?" The hanyou approached her, coming into the spotlight that lit her position. With his free hand, he pulled down the gag.

"No one." She responded, "No one but you, Naraku." It was lie, but she be damned if was going to give just yet. Through Sesshomaru, her freedom had a glimmer of possibility that she wasn't willing to forfeit. The spider hanyou narrowed his eyes, his hand clenching her beating heart just a bit. She tried to hold back her sounds of pain, but it was futile. It was too much.

"I don't appreciate liars in my club, Kagura…" He commented, releasing his grip on the organ. "Perhaps you need a couple of more days to think about it." She said nothing to him as he ascended the steps to his office. His form shifted to his soft, deceiving human appearance before he shut the door behind him.

-:-

Rin settled under her covers, wincing at the pain in her abdomen where she was just recently kicked. She left out a soft sigh, her gaze found its way to the drawer where she kept the vial Kuromaru gave her. She had made dinner tonight though she didn't put any of the deadly plant in her father's food… but she also could not bring herself to throw it out either.

Was she capable of doing such a thing? Rin hadn't stopped thinking about it since Kuromaru's words. One side of the mental argument pleaded to not do anything to the man who was still her father, to remember the good times they used to share… but those thoughts were what stopped her from ever getting true help, and fear that he would just return, angrier than before, if arrested or if she was taken away.

The other side of the argument knew this. It reasoned that the man was no longer her father, only by blood. That he never moved on from mother's death, that he was too far into his self-destruction—to the point that he longer cared for her safety and happiness—and this was a chance to relieve him from his pain and her fear.

"…and they will die quietly, peacefully..." Her boss' words echoed in her head. She turned around, facing the opposite side of her room. 'I don't want to think about it anymore.' She groaned, trying to think of anything else.

"Where did you get those bruises?" His blue eyes didn't seem so cold at that moment, his brows were tight as were his lips. He almost looked worried but she didn't dare to think that he was. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Then he looked at her. The rest of his face smoothed out to his usual stone expression but the eyes that held her gaze were not hard, but warm, even comforting. She noted flecks of gold around his pupils that she swore were not there before.

Rin shoved her face into her pillow, hiding her blushing face from… no one, but it was still embarrassing! She was being silly, that much she knew, but no one else ever asked about her bruises, not honestly like he did. He didn't look her with pity, which would make her feel ashamed, but regarded at her with something more similar to concern, which was rare for her to find. It also another thing, coupled with his habitual ice cream, that didn't fit his cold, uncaring stereotype. She successfully rolled herself into a burrito of blankets, letting out a sigh of satisfaction.

'There is more to you, Mr. Takahashi…' Rin let herself drift off into a mostly peaceful slumber, dreaming of blue eyes and cookie dough.

End of Chapter 3

Author's Note: First chapter to end in a somewhat good note! ... sorta, kind of... :P

I want to emphasis that Naraku and Sesshomaru both are wearing human disguises over their humanoid forms. Ryukotsusei doesn't, cause Ryukotsusei don't give a shit. Lol. No, but there are reasons... That will be explained later!

And yes, the two just totally reenacted their meeting in the manga/anime, except Sesshy isn't bleeding everywhere. Its too cute to not do! :D

Thank you jj, Carmen, Mirja, icegirljenni, anonymous, and unlockyourdestiny for your continued support and reviews!