InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Seductive Embrace ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

 

 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~Makai~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

A lone demoness sat in her chair, boredly observing the streaks of lightning that flashed through the unnatural red sky. To the ignorant observer, she would have appeared to be a gorgeous being, her dark purple eyes and long, blue-black hair perfectly accenting her flawless face. Her body was supple, enough to make even the most famous supermodel green with envy. Her skin shimmered even in the dark, and appeared to be as soft as the finest silk. But if you were to look beyond that outside beauty, looking into the very soul of this demoness, even the most vile of creatures would be repulsed by what they saw. This was Tarasu, seductress of Makai.

 

She continued to gaze out her bedroom window, slowly fingering the string to her tightly bound bodice with her clawed hand, before turning her attention to her latest victim. The demon had been foolish enough to cross her path, and she had taken the advantage that he had presented her. The demon laid in her bed, his wrinkled skin flaking off with his last futile attempts to escape his captor. Tarasu chuckled lightly at his contorted face, remembering the once handsome demon he had once been. That was what she did, she sucked the very life out of her lovers, and enjoyed every minute of it. She was what one might call a psychic vampire, for she sustained her youth and flawless looks by absorbing the life energy that her victims possessed.

 

The once young demon tried in vain to moan, but all that came with the attempt was a harsh rasping sound. Tarasu rose from her chair, walking to the bed to look her former lover in the eyes as he lived his last moments. Out of all the things she enjoyed the most, it was witnessing the last spark of life leaving its owners body. The demon looked at her in fear, causing Tarasu to chuckle again.

 

“Tsk, tsk darling. I fear that it is a bit too late for such looks. I will admit that you were delicious. Too bad I couldn't keep you.”

 

Her smirk grew into an all out smile as she sensed the last of his energy flow from his body, willing it into her own. She loved knowing that she had complete control over how her victims died, for if she willed it, they could be dead in a matter of minutes once she had control of them. That was her art. She had not met a male that she could not seduce. But that wasn't enough. Occasionally she would challenge herself, finding a female that met her approval. The young ones were the most delectable, sustaining her appearance for months at a time. But almost all females were immune to her seduction, which added to the challenge.

 

Tarasu looked up from her bed as her companion entered the room, a line of servants following behind her.

 

“Done already, I see. My, that had to have been the fourth one this week.”

 

“I hate to admit it Nari, but it has been extremely difficult to find victims that have enough energy to sustain me. Every male that I have taken this week have been nothing but weaklings, only satisfying me for a day or so” she replied, her face scrunching up in a pout.

 

The younger demoness nodded her head in agreement, her honeyed hued curls bouncing with the movement. “I agree. If we don't find you someone with a suitable amount of energy soon, who knows how many we'll have to capture, and I'm sure the servants are tiring of cleaning up the messes.”

 

Tarasu glanced back to her bed, the servants quickly disposing of the crusted up body, removing the linens to be replaced with new ones.

 

 

Tarasu sighed. “I suppose you're right. What I wouldn't do to have a nice, powerful female at the moment. It has been ages since I've had a taste.”

 

Nari nodded once more, turning her attention to the servants who were now exiting the bedchamber, leaving her alone with her mistress. It had been almost two hundred years since she had first come across her mistress. Originally, she had been intended as one of Tarasu's many victims, but when Tarasu had seen how sadistic she was under her innocent exterior, she couldn't find the heart to do away with her, so kept her as a companion. And there wasn't anything that she wouldn't do for her mistress, so if it was a female that she wanted, then a female she would get.

 

Nari turned her blue eyes toward her mistress. “Tell you what. When I go into town today, I'll ask around and see if there isn't any leads to a suitable female in the area, and if so, I will personally hunt them down for you.”

 

Tarasu's eyes lit up with her words, gliding over to her companion, embracing her in a lover's hug from behind. “If you do well, I promise that you will be generously rewarded”, she purred into the blonde's ear, her hot breath sending shivers throughout the girl's body. Tarasu used her tongue to caress her ear, before pulling away. Nari outwardly moaned from the loss of her mistresses embrace, but knew that if she did well, she wouldn't have much longer to wait to enjoy the promised favors.

 

“Hai. I'll do my best. In fact, I think I'll leave right away.” With that said, Nari quickly exited the bedchamber, hurrying towards her own to prepare for her outing.

 

 

 

 

 

Kagome stepped out of the shower, grabbing the towel that was draped across the sink. Bringing it up to her hair, she began with the tedious motions of drying her long locks. She had been relieved that Keiko hadn't returned from her trip to the mall, enjoying the solitude for all it had to offer. This was one of the very things that her mother had been concerned about; Kagome's reclusiveness. She had made no effort to spend time with her friends back home, preferring her room or the shrine duties to that of her friend's company. But who was she kidding. She knew that she wasn't the most cheerful person to be around, and didn't like the constant poking and prodding of her friends, even if they meant well.

 

After she had finished drying the rest of her body, she grabbed the outfit that she planned on wearing out that night. It wasn't anything flashy. Just a pair of jeans and a blue top embroidered with sakura petals. She could no longer wear tank tops or belly shirts, not liking to explain the gruesome scars that adorned her body. Even when swimming, she refused to go out in public unless she had a one piece and a shirt to wear.

 

After she had slipped into her clothes, she pulled her still drying hair into a half ponytail, securing it in place with a hair band. As she started applying a meager amount of makeup, she heard the arrival of her cousin as she made her way up the stairs.

 

“Kagome? You there?”

 

Kagome placed the lip-gloss back into her overnight bag before stepping out into the hallway.

 

“Yeah. I'm here. Did you have fun at the mall?”

 

“Oh yeah. We had a great time, though I wish you had come too.”

 

“Well, I had an interesting time in the park, so don't worry about me”, Kagome replied, following Keiko into her room.

 

Kagome once again sat on the bed, gazing out the window as Keiko quickly got dressed. When she was finished, she turned back towards Kagome.

 

“So, you ready to meet the guys. I'll warn you, they can be rowdy at times, but they are nothing to worry about.”

 

Kagome nodded, following her cousin out of the room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kagome stepped out of her cousin's car, taking in her new surroundings. They had just arrived at the place where they were to meet Keiko's boyfriend, along with his friends as well. She just hoped that the night would hold no more surprises. The chosen place appeared to be nothing more than a simple burger place.

 

“So, does he take you out to all the finest restaurants in town”, Kagome teased, jutting her elbow softly into Keiko's side.

 

“I know, I know”, she sighed. “It's just…well, you'll understand when you meet him, ok?”

 

Kagome nodded her head, a soft giggle escaping from her smirking lips. `Maybe I will have fun tonight', she thought to herself.

 

The two girls went through the doors, coming to a stop right inside. Kagome remained by Keiko while she looked through the crowd of people, trying to locate her boyfriend.

“He better have not stood me up again”, she growled to herself.

 

Kagome chuckled at her cousin, hoping that he didn't either, since she would be the one to have to calm the girl. She looked around the dining area, noticing that it was quite busy, even for a weekend. Several teenagers jumped up from their table, making a beeline for the small room that housed an arcade. That was when a loud voice made it's self-known over the crowd, causing several people to look in that direction, then in ours.

 

“Hey Keiko, over here!”

 

Kagome turned her head towards the owner of the voice, her eyes inspecting the boy. He looked to be the same age as her and her cousin, with black hair that was slicked back in a punkish sort of fashion, but she had to admit that he was cute in that bad boy sense. His clothes added more to the tough guy appearance, his black leather jacket accentuating his hairstyle.

 

Keiko's face lit up when she saw the boy, instantly tipping Kagome off that this was the boyfriend. Keiko grabbed Kagome's hand, quickly leading her through the crowd to the booth that the boy occupied. They took their seats, Keiko sliding in next to the boy while Kagome sat across from the couple. She watched as Keiko lit up in a rosy blush as the boy pulled her into a romantic kiss, slipping his arms behind her body. Kagome looked away, wanting to give the couple as much privacy as she could. After about a minute, the boy released her, both gasping to catch their breath.

 

Keiko playfully swat at his chest, her blush still as brilliant as ever. “Well hello to you too!”

 

After the two had given a few more seconds to coddling, the pair turned toward Kagome, who was still trying to gaze in a different direction than the happy couple. The sound of a clearing throat caught her attention, turning her head towards them. Yusuke threw his hand out in front of him, intent on making the first introduction.

 

“Yusuke Urameshi. Pleased to meet you” he stated, his lips forming into a cocky smirk.

 

Kagome giggled before taking his hand, surprising him by giving him a firm shake.

 

“Kagome Higurashi. Pleased to meet you Yusuke.”

 

“Yusuke, what happened to inviting the guys?” questioned Kaiko.

 

“Well, Kurabara got stuck with babysitting for one of Shizuru's friends, but Kur… I mean Shuichi, should be on his way right now.”

 

“Ah, good. I was hoping Shuichi could make it” replied Keiko before leaning in a bit closer to Yusuke. “Because Kagome here is single, and I think her and Shuichi would make a cute couple” she whispered, but loud enough for Kagome to catch what she was saying.

 

Kagome instantly paled for a moment in embarrassment when Yusuke busted up laughing. “You know Keiko, I would have thought that you would value your family's well being a bit more than that. You know as well as I that if any of Shuichi's `fan club' were to catch their darling with another girl, it would be curtains for her” he explained, using his finger to slice his neck as an example.

 

Now it was Kagome's turn to laugh. “Fan club? Wow, he must be popular then.”

 

“Speaking of which, here he comes now.” Both girls turned their heads towards the direction that Yusuke was. Kagome gasped slightly when she realized that it was the same strange man from the park. She mentally groaned, cursing her bad luck. Sure, she had been curious about him, but she surely didn't want to meet him under these circumstances. She watched as he faltered a moment in his step when he finally noticed her, but as quickly as he had wavered, he continued walking gracefully towards their table. As he approached, she had to blink her eyes a few times, swearing that she had seen his eyes flash gold. But as quick as she had seen it, it was gone, only the brilliant green remaining.

 

Keiko covered her mouth as a giggle escaped, caused by Kagome's sharp intake of breath. She had thought that Kagome would find their friend attractive, and was most pleased at her reaction. Unknown to her, Kagome's gasp was not due to his appearance.

 

 

 

Kurama entered the restaurant, shaking his head in dismay at the `fine dining' that his friend had chosen for their outing. He searched the crowd, looking for his loud-mouthed partner, finally noticing him, along with Keiko and apparently her cousin. He began to squeeze through the crowd, but as he began to get a closer look at the girl sitting across from his friends, he almost tripped due to the surprise that overtook him. He stopped for a brief moment before resuming his intended course, immediately feeling the familiar stirring of his youkai counterpart.

 

`My my my, what do we have here? It looks like we didn't have to chase her after all. It seems that the girl has practically fallen into our laps' commented Youko with an amused tone.

 

`It is a strange coincidence. I wonder how she will react to us this time?'

 

`Coincidence? Nonsense. This is destiny. She was meant to be ours', he purred.

 

Shuichi mentally rolled his eyes. ` I do admit that she is attractive, but we know nothing about her, and until then, we need to be careful.'

 

`I'm not suggesting that we pour our hearts and souls out to her. I just want to convince her that she needs to come and be with us tonight' he explained, winking his eye.

 

`But Youko, aren't you afraid that Hiei might get jealous?' asked Shuichi in a mocking voice.

 

Youko was silent for a moment. `Bastard.'

 

`I learned from the best.'

 

As the two were finishing up their mental conversation, Kurama had made his way to the booth. He first turned towards Yusuke and Keiko, extending a greeting towards he couple first before sliding into the seat next to the somewhat familiar girl. Kagome had finally managed to regain her composure, forcing her gaze off of the man beside her to look upon her fidgeting hands.

 

“Shuichi Minamino, meet my cousin, Kagome Higurashi. She'll be staying with me this summer” chirped Keiko, smiling goofily at the two. Kagome merely nodded at Kurama, still trying to hide her surprise, but not doing a good job at it.

 

“Well, it seems that I and Miss Higurashi have met before. In fact, we literally ran into each other this afternoon at the park”, replied Kurama, giving Kagome one of his most charming smiles.

 

“Really. That is so neat. Did you two talk or anything”, asked Keiko.

 

“No. I'm afraid that Miss Higurashi was in a hurry, so we didn't get that chance… though I hope to make up for that” answered Kurama, with Youko influencing the last part.

 

Kagome blushed at the implications of that statement, but quickly decided that no matter how odd this Shuichi was, she couldn't be rude to him. And maybe if she got to know him better, she could find out what he was hiding.

 

“Well, we'll have to see about that. And by the way, it's just Kagome.”

 

“Well, Kagome, I do hope that we can become good friends”, he replied. Shuichi tried in vain to hold off Youko, but was caught off guard when he took control, just long enough to grasp a hold of Kagome's small hand, placing a sensual kiss on her palm.

 

Kagome looked shocked for moment, her blush darkening a few shades, but quickly regained her bearings. Sure, she was slightly embarrassed by his outward affections, but she was used to it, having to put up with Kouga's constant flirting in the past. When he had yet to release her hand, she pulled it away from him, glaring at the amused Keiko for all she was worth.

 

`Just don't sit there. Say something to her.'

 

`It's your fault. You can't move that fast with human girls.'

 

`Well, excuse me. It's not everyday that we meet a girl that doesn't throw themselves upon us. Besides, I just wanted to taste her, and she is divine.'

 

 

Shuichi ignored Youko, quickly trying to come up with something that would appease the flustered girl.

 

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so forward. It's just that it's not everyday that I meet one such as yourself that holds such beauty”, he replied, the words rolling off of his tongue smoothly. He caught her gaze with his, wanting to gauge the girl's reaction.

 

Kagome was baffled, to say the least. One minute, he's kissing her hand, and the next he's apologizing? She was seriously wondering if he had split personalities. But she accepted the apology and complement.

 

“Ah…I don't know what to say.” Kagome replied shyly. She had to catch herself from sighing in relief when Yusuke interrupted.

 

“Damn, Shuichi. This is the first time I've ever seen you openly flirt with a girl. Hell, for a while I thought that you and Hiei…” Yusuke chose to not finish that sentence when Kurama gave him a glare that promised death.

 

Yusuke chuckled, running his hand through his slicked back hair. “But man, you and Keiko must have something against the girl, because if any of your `fan club' were to see you two together…” Yusuke visibly shivered at that thought. He knew all too well the wrath of females.

Kagome chuckled at the thought of her getting attacked by a bunch of girls. She would be the first to admit that she wasn't the most skilled fighter, but if she could handle hoards of demons coming after her, she was pretty sure she could handle a few jealous girls. She shifted her eyes to where she could get a better look at Shuichi, trying not to make it obvious that she was checking him out. Yeah, he was very handsome, but considering the demons that she had been around in the Sengoku Jidai, she wasn't all that impressed. He seemed to have an aloof personality, which intrigued her greatly, and had a calm, collected personality. Maybe she would take the time to get to know him a bit better, although she had no intentions of being in serious relationship with anyone. She had decided a while back that she didn't feel it would be right to commit to someone, but not allow them to know who she really was at heart. Although her mother assumed that she would eventually forget everything that happened during her time traveling, Kagome knew that that part of her life would always be with her, if not the most important period of her life. The quest for the jewel shards and everything that had happened along the way had molded her into the person she was today.

 

Kagome was brought out of her musings when she felt a firm hand rest upon her shoulders. She gazed at the hand, then to the owner, which was Shuichi.

 

“Are you ok, Kagome?” Kurama asked, concern evident in his voice.

 

“Oh yeah, I was just thinking, that's all”, she replied, giving Kurama her most believable smile.

 

“Well, we were deciding whether we should go to a movie, and wanted to know what you thought”, he asked, never taking his gaze off of her.

 

`Say yes. It's dark in movie theaters', exclaimed Youko excitedly.

 

`We can't just take her to a movie and molest the poor girl. If you don't stop, we'll frighten her.'

 

`I have no intentions of molesting her. I just want to play', whined Youko.

 

The pair was brought out of their conversation when Kagome replied, agreeing that a movie would be great after they had eaten. After the girls had told them what they wanted, Kurama and Yusuke left the booth to order their food.

 

As soon as they were out of earshot, Keiko immediately bombarded Kagome with a slew of questions.

 

“So, what do you think. He really likes you. I've never seen him take this much interest in a girl before.”

 

“He's nice, but I'm really not looking for a boyfriend at the moment” replied Kagome truthfully.

Keiko reached across the table, placing her hand on her cousin's. “Well, at least give him a chance. He's a really nice guy, and at least you two can be friends.”

 

“Yeah, we'll see. But let me ask. How long have you known him, and how did you guys meet?” asked Kagome.

 

“Well, we've known him for about four years, I think. I met him through Yusuke, though I'm not too sure how they met. Why do you ask?”

 

“Oh, its nothing. I was just curious” replied Kagome. She was satisfied enough that if he was dangerous, that he would have proved that by now. So she quickly decided that she would try to ignore the youkai energy that she could sense from him. Besides, for all she knew, he could be completely clueless to that fact, and she surely didn't want to be the one to explain that to him.

 

By the time the girls had finished their conversation, Yusuke and Kurama had returned with their food. They began eating, not saying much to one another until Yusuke and Keiko erupted in an argument when Yusuke had apparently tried to steal some of her food. The rest of the group hadn't even eaten half of their food, yet Yusuke had already consumed his two burgers and fries, and was still complaining that he was hungry.

 

“But Keiko, I'm a growing boy, and I need my nutrients” he whined, trying to convince her to fork over some of her fries.

 

“Yusuke, that stopped working years ago. If you want more food, go get some more” Keiko replied calmly, trying not to get annoyed.

 

“I don't want to stand in line again, and besides, I thought you were trying to watch your figure”, Yusuke spluttered.

 

Kagome looked up quickly, appalled that he would say something to her like that. Every person that was seated in their general area turned to look at them when a loud slap was heard, echoing throughout the dining area. While Yusuke was still in shock over being slapped so hard, Keiko pushed him out of the seat, causing him to land in an undignified heap on the floor.

 

“Yusuke, I can't believe you. Kagome, Shuichi, I'll be waiting in the car” Keiko informed them angrily. She scooped up her meal, stepping over him to march out the door.

 

Kagome turned to look at Kurama, who during the entire episode, had not once looked up.

 

“Do they do that all the time?” asked Kagome, still stunned by the scene.

 

“Well, Yusuke does have a way with words”, he replied thoughtfully.

Kagome laughed, especially when she realized that this was probably what her and Inuyasha looked like to their friends back in the past. It always started with Inuyasha saying something rude, and he always ended up on the ground.

 

The two continued eating, and when they were finished, Kurama poked and prodded Yusuke until he stood up, going out ahead of them to apologize before the movie. When they were sure the coast was clear, Kurama opened the door for Kagome.

 

“After you”, Kurama said, bowing and extending his hand towards the door.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A/N

 

I would like to thank HeavensAngel, Destiny's_darkangel82, ookami san the animelover, hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliaphobia, TheAlmightyAya-sama, for their reviews…they keep motivated. Thanks to Kuramas gurl the spelling correction. I knew that it looked funny : ) tbiris, I just wanted to say that I love your story, and also to Ryukotsusei, your story Whispers in the Night is awesome.