InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Mapped Life ❯ A Mapped Life: Ch. 24: Masquarade - A Special Girl is Discovered. ( Chapter 24 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. Nor do I own Coco Chanel. But I do own my original characters.


A/N: It´s been quite a while since I sat down and brainstormed for this fic, I promise I will not leave it unfinished. I just want to say I had a lot of personal issues to resolve, now that they are taken care of I am back to writing. This chapter is one of the three I am brewing up celebrating my birthday.

Hugs to Captain Applesauce on ff.net! Thank you for encouraging and standing by me while I doubted the continuity of this monster I have created.


A couple of months had gone by, and Izayoi´s ribs had mended perfectly, Toga had cancelled all overseas meetings or rescheduled them over the phone. Ren and Emi were amazed at how well the miko and Toga got along when they spent time together, walking around the estate grounds, and visiting the different gardens. They spent long hours in the Study, where Izayoi had asked for an easel, pastel, ink, a complete set of brushes, and a stool to be placed.


He would go over his paperwork, and write letters, and she would work on a large painting that Toga had yet to see. It’s not that he didn’t try to peak, indeed he did, it’s just that Izayoi was being instructed by Ren in the basic steps of channeling spiritual energy. She now knew how to elevate objects and charge them with purifying energy; and she had managed to singe a decent sized hole in one of the shrubs that surrounded the mansion. The gardeners where still trying to make the youki-enhanced shrubbery grow back.


Izayoi had placed a concealment barrier around the easel, making the image pitch black, so nobody would be able to see it before she was ready to reveal it. Everyone in the house was fine with that, they let her have her privacy, even if Toga wanted to keep a watchful eye, she managed to have private long baths thanks to all the spiritual training she was receiving from Ren, they had explored all the grounds, the mountain region, the fields which Aori seemed to love for some obvious reasons, and the maze. That was a hectic day for Ren, Izayoi had not paid that much attention, since she was awe-struck by the beauty of the winding trails and flower arches inside.


The time came for Ren to examine Izayoi’s body for bruises or scars, and none were left, after declaring her healed she gave Izayoi and Emi permission to go into the next town to buy some essentials for the girl, since she had been dressing in the maids uniforms, dark blue slacks and white mandarin collar shirts for the whole two months of her recovery.


Emi and Izayoi jumped at the idea, they managed to convince the driver to take them in to town in a more discrete vehicle, since they didn’t want any major attention, just wanting to shop. Both girls wore jeans, knee high boots and a white shirt, carrying a fleece parka if they managed to get cold during their shopping expedition. Izayoi had to borrow from Emi, and surprisingly they were both the same size in clothes and shoes.


They ran into some interesting stores, boutiques and specialty shops, Izayoi managed to make a decent dent in one of Toga’s checking accounts, idea she was still not completely convinced with, Izayoi had managed to save up a sizable amount of money, but Toga had heard nothing of it when she said she would buy herself some small things she needed, she knew he was carrying a secret agenda regarding that, she just hand not had the time to find out why.


He had insisted on opening a side account for her, rooting out of one of his personal accounts which he had deposited a respectable amount of money into. Izayoi was practically walking around with gold bars in her purse, figuratively speaking, of course.


Emi and Izayoi hit the downtown shopping district with much euphoria, and caged energy. One of Izayoi’s favorite stores was right in the center of the corridor, UCB, mainly because they carried a large variety of colors and petite cut clothing. She wore petite mostly because of her minimal waistline, over the years her childish lanky body had developed and toned into a build a gymnast or ballet dancer would be envious of, thanks to the rigorous exercise program that was obligatory at the Institute; everything except her less than average cleavage, Nana had mentioned in one of her letters that her mother had a respectable brassier size also.


After practically cleaning out size six yellow, olive, purple, and indigo, along with a dozen different cuts of jeans and skirts, Izayoi wanted to call it a day, but Emi reminded her of the need for shoes, accessories and intimates; so they proceeded to the RL boutique, going for leather patent pumps, espadrilles, sandals, boots and an odd number of belts and purses. Izayoi was astonished at the carbon copy likes she shared with Emi, after a while they decided to only buy one of the piece of clothing they both liked, since they lived in the same house and were a couple of floors away they could just borrow it for each other.


The sales person at VS had a field day with them both, commission based wage never sounded so good for Kathy B. was what the girl´s nametag read, and so happened that she was the in charge of the store that day. She had to practically close up for the duration of Izayoi´s and Emi´s shopping spree. Kathy even let them try on the bras with out the plastic covers. They managed to ring up a four digit dollar amount in lingerie along with pajamas and a ensemble of robe that barely covered mid thigh and slippers in their favorite color, Emi couldn’t wipe the smirk of her face, she was millimeters away from sharing a grin with the Cheshire cat `who ever thought an innocent little school girl would have such exotic taste? Oh Toga you are in for such a surprise…´


After clothes, shoes and intimates were taken care of and loaded into the vast trunk space provided by the town car, Izayoi asked Emi to accompany her to an art shop for new pastel paints and other implements she was missing, but didn’t want to bother anybody with fetching for her. This part of the day turned out to be the most relaxing for her. The crisp winter air picked up around them and both donned their coats as they stepped out of the town car and hurried into the large coffee shop/art supply store on the corner of Hart and 45th street. Once inside Izayoi speed off toward the paint sectional going for the gold crested Colleen sticks and natural soft fiber brushes.


Emi ordered three double shot cappuccinos to ease the cold; even youkai could experience the harshness of the seasons when it was unbearable for humans. While she sipped on the complementary cinnamon tea the house gave customers she was partially paying attention to a commotion coming from the back of the store, she thought it had to do with employees that were on break, “never mind them…”


She heard Izayoi before she saw her, carrying more than her delicate arms could handle, she unceremoniously dropped her load on the counter for the cashier to ring her purchase up. She heaved herself into the high stool as if she were to mount Aori and smiled into the rim of the steaming cup of cinnamon tea. Emi pushed her playfully, “now tell me, do we owe the store owner for his warehouse, or did you leave some for the others?”


Izayoi playfully shoved back, “why, silly me, I should just buy the store shouldn’t I?”


Both girls held onto themselves as they shared a mocking-high society moment and laughed it out. Calling quite an amount of attention to them, even one of the runners for the photographers in the back studio came to see what all the commotion was. He never expected to run into his boss’s next discovery.


She had it all, beautiful eyes, long hair, clean complexion. He even squared her between his thumbs and forefingers. `Perfect for a snapshot!´ He used the auxiliary camera he should always have with him in case a moment like this presented itself and without notice he took a quarter of snapshots of her and her cherry blond haired friend. Her smile radiant, her body language said all the right things, this was it, he was next in line for assistant!


He ran back to his boss and interrupted him mid shot-switch, “…and now Eva do like this, and pert you lips, good, give me more attitude woman!”


“Boss…”


“ Turn left Eva! Yes great! More! again Eva!”


“Boss…”


“Tu rn around Eva! Look back!”


“Boss!”


“This better be worth my time you idiot you just ruined a perfectly mood here! Who do you think you are coming and here and getting between Eva the camera and Me, and…”


“This is my reason boss look…” The runner said showing him a Polaroid photo of Izayoi.


“Le magnifique! Where did you just find such delicate complexion? Such fair skin, she must be Welsh!”


“She looks a hell awful a lot more Asian boss and she´s right outside…”


“She couldn’t possibly be Asian she has clear eyes…”


“She is Asian boss, they be speaking their Cantonese outside.”


“Olalla! I must see this with my own eyes, take me to her!”


They ran to the front of the store where Emi and Izayoi where still laughing it off, and the photographer ran up to her and moved her face to different angles, shinning a bright square light into her eyes for the whole time.


“Excuse me Sr. I don’t really think we know each other, please get your hands off me this instant!” Izayoi demanded, shoving off him and loosing all semblances of happiness and relaxation she was just sharing a moment ago with Emi.


The thin but imposing man retracted back out of Izayoi´s personal space, and Emi didn’t waste a moment to put herself between this rude and charlatan-looking human and Iza.


“We are sorry Mr.?”


“Roberto Cuevas, at your service milady…” His brazilian accent spicing the broken english he spoke.


The man said as he proceeded to reach for Emi’s hand and kiss the back of it. She flexed her fingers showing off her deadly claws.


“I would think that twice before I tried another stunt like that, got it photo boy?”


“But she is lovely, la camara, is in love with her, she would be perfect for the ad I am trying to shoot right now…”


Emi decided he was getting too out of line, her eyes took on an evil glint when she reached over and grabbed the man by his shirt collar “look, maybe you didn’t quite understand me since you are not from around here, we´re not interested! So I suggest your runner hands over the camera with her pictures and you disappear, have I made myself clear?”


The tanned, curly black haired, brown eyed man, raised his chin in defiance, “what if I say no?”


Then the driver choose that specific moment to come inside the shop and take over for Emi, he raised the photographer off the ground by the front of his expensive looking shirt and shook him for every vowel he pronounced, “Then I take over and it gets ugly, how does that sound?”


Izayoi´s nice day out was rapidly turning sour; she closed her eyes and grabbed the middle of her brows, “Enough!”


All discussion stopped and everybody looked her way, “I´ll do it”


Emi frowned, were her ears failing due to the cold they were enduring? Did she just hear that Izayoi would willingly step up and let this photographer use her for a shoot? Emi´s jaw went slack.


“Tom-Tom I said put him down, I´ll do it…” The driver looked her way and nodded while he put the now shivering photographer down.


“I supposed I will be paid to model for you, am I right Mr. Cuevas?” He nodded while he took out a checkbook.


“I don’t trust you, tell me where you will use my pictures?” He frowned and stared at her, she repeated her question, “Where are you going to use my pictures?”


“Coco Chanel…the new perfume…” She grinned, “ah I see, then that means there is quite a lot of money in play…how do $50,000 sound Emi?”


Emi nodded as she catched on to what Izayoi was trying to pull off, “Why I believe that it sounds mediocre, you are a lot more beautiful than that, try $100,000!”


“You heard her, I want $100,000 in cash and I will happily pose for your Coco Chanel shoot…is it a deal Mr. Cuevas?”


Roberto, grabbed his head, ‘that is all the spending money we have with us, that only leaves us with the already paid return tickets, and we would have to check out today, that means we don’t use Eva for the shoot and I don’t have to pay her…´ he grinned, “It´s a deal Ms.?”


“Tokugawa, Izayoi”


Roberto chose that moment to fall back, his runner catching him, “boss is you O.K.?”


Roberto pointed toward Izayoi, “She is not Asian, she is Japanese, she, she, she is Han Tokugawa’s daughter, the one who had never been able to be photographed! No wonder! She is bellisima!”


“I agree, and I am sincerely humbled by your appreciation, then that means we can make it $150,000?” Izayoi said as she leaned back on the counter a beautiful smirk adorning her face.


Roberto nodded dumbly as they all proceeded to the back of the establishment towards the studio and watched while for the next two hours Izayoi was fawned upon by the makeup artist and asked to change into an extravagant black lace bustier and matching hosiery along with an embroidered little black dress that barely reached her mid thigh.


Her hair was combed up into twists and curls in the front and left straight in the back, the makeup applied only served to amplify her already exotic amethyst colored eyes, and pouty lips. The only buffer was that Izayoi asked to not reveal her identity.


Roberto didn’t want to comply at first stating that she was getting paid an exorbitant amount of money and he should at least be able to take a picture of her face uncovered. After a few minutes of bulling Tom-Tom convinced Mr. Cuevas it would not be a good idea, and so Izayoi managed to pull together a mask that only covered the area around her eyes, forehead and the bridge of her nose, resembling a masquerade from the Victorian era.


The couch in the front of the shop was brought back to where the cameras were placed and Izayoi turned out to be a natural in modeling. Roberto never had to shout out expressions he wanted to see; she only asked for the radio to be turned up and wandered around all the set pausing when he asked her to making all the photos look like a natural meeting between the youthful Coco Chanel model and the camera seem like a walk in the park. All in all, the pictures turn out great.


Emi decided she would use a few that had been taken as tests with the Polaroid camera to her advantage and rapidly snuck them into her purse, ‘Maybe I can play a game of cat and mouse at home with these also…’


After the shoot Emi and Tom-Tom received a leather bag with stacks of money the runner had gone to fetch while the shoot was in process. They did not let anybody leave until everything was counted and summed $150,000.00 real dollars.


Mr. Cuevas asked for a contact number in case he would need her again for a Chanel campaign Izayoi declined and headed out of the establishment with her purchased art goods and her purse in the other. The drive back to the mansion was a quiet one until the car pulled up into the drive way. “Nobody mentions this to Toga; I will look for a way to tell him, do you understand?” Emi asked sternly.


Both Izayoi and Tom-Tom nodded. Then the maids appeared and started unloading the bags from the trunk, while Izayoi and Emi went inside. Neither of them saw a black car that managed to follow them.