InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Compliments of a Falling Bomb ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Compliments of a Falling Bomb

By Juju-san

 

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha. Yay. And I still don't own a clever disclaimer line.

But…

I do have one review! Yayayayay! XD

 

 

 

Chapter Three

 

 

Once in the car, silence overtook the both of them. Raiha spent most of her time staring out the window, while Sesshoumaru kept a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel, as if he expected it to try and bite him, then run away.

 

It took less than twenty minutes for the pair to arrive at the Taishou estate, but to the young woman in the front seat, it felt like ages. His silence wounded her deeply, although she wasn't sure why; she felt tears begin to well up in her eyes and looked up, trying to block the tear ducts, something that had always worked quite well. The last thing she wanted to do was cry in front of a complete stranger, a handsome one at that, and make herself look even more stupid and vulnerable. She was no expert at reading people's auras, but she could tell that his radiated tension and arrogance, along with the faintest touch of hostility, most of which was directed at her.

 

When he finally stopped the car, she got out and sucked in a deep breath of fresh, clean air, marveling at not the beauty but the sheer size of his home. She'd never seen anything to large, and guessed that it had to have at least sixty rooms, although she certainly was not an architect. The only buildings in her hometown were tiny huts that leaned slightly to the side so severely that it made one wonder why they hadn't tumbled into the ocean decades before. The thing she remembered that held the closest resemblance to what she was now viewing was the building several miles away in a neighboring village where she had gone to school, although that was nothing special.

 

After a few moments of gawking, her eyes the size of saucers, she turned back to Sesshoumaru, only to find him watching her, one perfectly groomed eyebrow raised as if he found her ignorance amusing. He spoke only one word to her:

 

“Come.”

 

She did.

 

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Once inside, she found that the interior of the house was every bit as elegant as the outside. In the first room to the left of the massive front door, where he led her, a petite woman with long black hair was seated on an ivory chaise lounge, the pristine color setting off the blue of her dress. She motioned for them to sit, and Sesshoumaru did, taking his place in a plush armchair directly across from the woman. Raiha, however, remained standing, making a small, somewhat sheepish bow to her before sitting as well.

 

When the woman spoke, she was mesmerized; her voice was full of money and undeniable sweetness, two things that didn't quite seem to go together. She managed to catch a few words, but for the most part she was too busy taking in her surroundings. She heard something like this:

 

“My husband will be here soon.”

 

As if on cue, a tall, imposing man who bore a striking resemblance to Sesshoumaru- or perhaps it was the other way around- appeared in the entrance of the room. His posture was rigid and proud, much like his son's, but his eyes seemed just a bit warmer and more human, if it was possible for the eyes of a demon to contain such a thing. However, the warmth quickly vanished as he looked upon Raiha, who was staring at him from her chair in awe.

 

He lifted his chin slightly, gesturing with it.

 

“What's this?”

 

The woman with the long hair was the first to speak.

 

“Oh, this is the one I told you we were taking in…”

 

“Silence! This is clearly a woman. The only reason I agreed to take another human into my home is because you clearly stated that you would be taking in a male. My sons do not need another distraction; the whores at their school are bad enough. How are they to learn my trade successfully if they're more concerned with the female form than they are with money? You've disobeyed me, Izayoi.”

 

The woman lowered her head in shame as the man left, and Raiha felt an overwhelming urge to go to her and comfort her. Glancing at Sesshoumaru, she noted that his face held the same impassive expression as it had before his father had arrived. Wordlessly, he stood and moved to the door, looking over his shoulder at her, indicating that she was to follow him.

 

She sighed softly and did so, leaving Izayoi alone in the large, empty room, her head in her hands.

 

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As Sesshoumaru led her through the seemingly endless labyrinth of corridors and doorways, Raiha remained completely silent. Finally, she grew tired of acting like his ignorant little pet and spoke.

 

“That woman…is she your mother?”

 

Apparently this was the wrong thing to say, as her only response was a snort and a long silence. At last, he stopped outside a door, opening it, then turned to her.

 

“She is my half brother's mother, my father's human bitch. As you can tell, Father is easily displeased. It would do you well to stay out of his way and avoid provoking his temper.”

 

With that, he left, leaving her alone in the darkened hallway. She stepped into the room and flopped onto the large bed, completely exhausted.

 

 

TBC.

 

 

Author's notes: You don't think I made his father too harsh, do you? =/ I wasn't exactly sure how to portray that character. Hmm…please read and review! ^.^