Chapter 3

She was interesting, he'd give her that much.

Even though she was no longer in those scraps of fabric she insisted on calling clothes, now sporting an old kosode instead, she still stuck out like a sore thumb. Something about her reactions, or just complete lack of skill in everyday activities was, frankly, baffling.

How the hell did that girl survive to this age? He seriously doubted she even knew how to feed herself.

The weird thing was though, she looked well. All smooth-skinned, and plump-cheeked, with full dark hair. It's like she was some nobleman's daughter.

Mind you, he only noticed these things because he's a predator. He's born observant.

Inuyasha fidgeted, reaching up with his leg to scratch at the itch on the back of his left ear. Nuisance taken care of, he eased himself back against the trunk, once more under the cool shade of the tree's canopy. All the while, golden eyes kept their intent focus on the strange girl making her way down the path that skirted around the perimeter of the rice fields and up the hill away from the village.

Well, if nothing, his options to alleviate boredom has increased two fold. If given the choice, he would've preferred this new addition to be male—that way it wouldn't seem like he was some sketchy hanyou always creeping on human females.

He was bored. That's all.

Inuyasha hadn't expected to be in this stupid village for so long. The plan was to fly in, ransack the shrine, and flatten anything or anyone who got in his way.

About moon ago, he'd found out that his dead old man had a powerful sword and the rumour was that the shrine in this dinky-ass village was keeping it sealed away. Well, the rumour is the shrine sealed something powerful away and it very well could be the sword.

In any case, he couldn't go wrong getting his hands on something powerful, even if it didn't turn out to be the blade in question.

The complication he hadn't anticipated was the miko.

Kikyou.

She'd tried to shoot him the first time they met but then merely doled out warning shots thereafter. It was definitely an uncommon thing for a human, let alone a priestess to tolerate his presence.

Inuyasha was still trying to figure out her angle. She'd been so nonchalant about him tailing her and they've also gone as far as to exchange entire sentences.

He had to play the long game here. Maybe the longer they talked, Kikyou will let something slip about what it was she's guarding.

At least that's what he tells himself to justify spending whole afternoons hovering around her. Why he listens to her talk about mundane human things.

However novel it was, this weird thing they'd come to be, Kikyou's days were kinda boring. She did the same things all the time while she was at the village. Most of the day she was sequestered up at the shrine, sweeping or praying or whatever the shit it is that miko do.

"Kyaaaaaaa!" The high-pitched scream and simultaneous clatter of dropped items made his ears fold back in protest.

Yeah, another weird thing. This girl acts like she's never seen youkai in her life.

Normally, just the slightest flare of his youki would send the puny youkai running, but today, something possessed him to send out one perfect glowing blade of his energy. Said energy crashed into the ground just in front of the weasel demon, causing it to flee and the girl to screech again.

She scrambled back, nearly tripping over the discarded basket. Then, after staring for some time at the direction the weasel had disappeared ensuring it wasn't about to return, the girl turned back around.

"Inuyasha?" She was craning her neck, looking up at his tree. "Is that you?"

Also weird. He's not used to having humans actually use his name.

He leapt down in one fluid motion, visibly startling her yet again. "Keh. Who else?"

She bent to retrieve her fallen belongings, tucking something under her arm while her hands held the large basket. "I'm supposed to go gather kindling." Her bottom lip was caught between her teeth as her grey eyes darted to the trees beyond the dirt path. "Umm… you wanna come with?"

He scoffed, but proceeded to follow behind her after she'd gone a good number of steps uphill. It wasn't like he had anything else to do anyways.

"Why are you being so weird?" She spun around, cocking her head to one side while she studied him. Then she made a wagging motion with her hands to signal him closer. "I don't bite." She sniggered, seeming mighty pleased with her little joke, then her she frowned. "Wait… I don't smell, do I? Man, I really miss showers."

There goes her odd words again. The ones that sound like they should make sense but he has no idea what she means by them.

"Humans always stink." He took a few steps to close the gap between them, cautiously. They also tended to freak when he gets closer. Even Kikyou tenses up just a bit.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh right, forgot the whole humans-are-stupid-and-have-cooties thing you have going on."

"Wench…"

"It's Ka-go-me!" She huffed indignantly, grey eyes flashing up at him. "How many times do I have to tell you? Are you that dense?"

"S-shut up! Next time I'll let you get eaten."

She made one audible syllable, the beginnings of a passionate retort, before she abruptly quieted, digesting his last sentence.

"Oh…" She deflated. "right. Um… thanks for helping me back there, Inuyasha."

This was the weirdest BY FAR. Stupid human girl, now with her twinkling eyes and a wide smile like that, directed at him, a hanyou of all things. Did she hit her head the first time she landed in that well and forgot how the damn world worked?

"Keh. Forget it."

He grumbled and crossed his hands into his sleeves, pointedly looking away from her.

His right ear twitched at the sound of her muffled giggle.

Fuckin' weird.

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Kosode - a garment that has evolved throughout history, initially more of an inner garment in the Heian Period but evolved into outwear, adopting colours and patterns during the Muromachi Period. Sort of like a predecessor to the modern-day kimono.

A/N: Ugh, I'm so fricking biased already, gotta tone it down.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. However, this plot, the exact sequence of words and any original characters described therein, I reserve all rights to.