InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Hanshu ❯ Clerics, Tajiya, and Youkai! Oh my! ( Chapter 1 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Gin_Hayashi 
I dont own Inuyasha
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.04.2014 | Updated On: 07.04.2014 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 161 | Status: Work In Progress
I dont own Inuyasha
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.04.2014 | Updated On: 07.04.2014 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 161 | Status: Work In Progress
The string seemed to vibrate as it strained against the arrow, pulled taught and ready from the compound bow. I was long used to the tension after firing it so many times and the extra weight behind it made the difficult pull of its 50 pounds worth the trouble. It was uncomfortable to kneel here on the roof; my right knee in particular was protesting the grind of the cement. My prey was in my sights though so I wasn’t moving till I fired. It was a hideous thing, all lumps and limbs and I think it was a sick shade of green but it was hard to tell in the dark. It took conscious thought to allow a bit more power into the smooth arrow, the engravings on the broad head glowing brighter in my second sight.
The night breeze tickled my bangs into my eyes and I flinched. Definitely time to get them cut. The rest of my unruly hair was pulled tight into a topknot. I never knew what to do with it anyway, it was too thick to sit smoothly but too straight to just leave down because it sat all limp and in the way. The beast was getting closer, dragging some limp creature across the roof for its midnight snack, almost time. I shifted my stance, careful to keep silent as the things hearing can pick up small sounds, and the only thing I wanted it to hear was the snap of my bowstring.
The thing was a demon, or lower youkai. Personally I think all youkai are cut from the same cloth but the youkai elite were very nitpicky about the terminology. It seems a bit haughty to me seeing as they have only had real citizenship for about 30 years. Sometime back in World War 2 the youkai exposed their previously hidden existence to help end the fighting and reduce damage to everyone’s homes and lives. It was Tokyo in particular that hit the nail on the head. Some youkai took out a bomb that would have been the third to hit Japan from the US. They say it shot some beam of light with a sword way up into the air while it was falling and the explosion took place up higher in the atmosphere, leaving Tokyo in one piece. Of course, there was a huge freak-out by the world’s human population to discover these magical demons had existed among them and they never noticed, at least in modern times.
Not every non-youkai was oblivious, having existed to counter-balance the demons for as long as any could remember. The Tajiya, who were eerily stronger than most humans (but still seemed human in every other way) was a big help in the ‘Transition’ as they called it in the 50’s. The Tajiya train from early in life to fight the youkai with every weapon imaginable, and some beyond even that. They don’t seem to possess any magic, but they make weapons with demon parts that work pretty close. Watching a group of Tajiya take down huge lesser youkai is a sight everyone should see in their lifetime, swarming like ants over a carcass.
The other group of people who were in the loop the whole time was the Clerics; a select few humans born with magical ability that seems directly in contrast to that of youkai nature. There are varying religions that foster these few, particularly defined by region or country and they name them different things depending. I am a Cleric, a Japanese Miko to be precise though I seem to be strange even for that. I showed ability from a very young age with more power than most. My sensei Keade spent two years teaching me to control my power so I wouldn’t accidently singe the hair of innocent youkai within 20 feet of me.
I was told from early on that it was my destiny to use this power to protect humans from the ravages of the youkai world, though only now do they have separate rights and taxes. Not easy when most humans look at clerics like we are almost as bad as the demons themselves. After all, only demons can possess magic, right?
Law enforcement cut out every non-human as soon as they were ousted; doing everything they could to establish boundaries they could understand. It meant they were grossly out matched when coming against even the smallest lesser youkai. That is where the Tajiya and the Clerics come in. Tajiya are becoming government agency even now, working often with the local cops for anything from small disturbances involving youkai to mass killings. Clerics are on the fringes but no one seems sure if we are demonic or not.
So we are bounty hunters, taking on the crap people are too busy to deal with. Occasionally we get involved on the big stuff, when magic seems necessary, but only as a last resort. The Tajiya are resourceful buggers and usually cover the bases well enough but are often swamped. Hence why I am here, at 1 A.M. watching this booger with legs drag a… is that a goat? Where did it get a goat in downtown?
Finally it was close enough it couldn’t dodge my arrow in time. I let out my breath slow, feeling the creak of my leather jacket against my skin, and released. My second sight saw the surge of spiritual energy engulf the arrow like a beam. The creature jerked what must be its head toward the sound in time to watch the arrow pierce its neck. The energy sizzled as a few arms grasped at the wood, trying to pull it out before the creature’s strength left with its life, the energy I put into the arrow infecting it quickly. There was a thump as the body hit the roof and I stood, hooking the bow over my shoulder. Blessed bullets work too but they aren’t the easiest to make nor are bullets cheap to get. Arrows may be old fashioned but they are reusable.
The youkai dissolve after being purified with spiritual energy, but it’s a slow process. I yanked the arrow out with minimal resistance and wiped it down with a rag from my bag. Eugh… I tossed the rag aside, it was a lost cause, and tucked the arrow into the sling on my back next to my bow. Yup, that is definitely a goat. I never understood these things, why did it take the goat to the roof instead of eating it on the spot? Maybe it has a nest up here. I glanced around the roof, seeing only HVAC units and shrugged. I’ve been studying youkai for years and still they could confuse me.
I yanked my phone from my back pocket and quickly took a picture of the melting corpse. I needed proof to collect my pay after all. The agency I worked with was mostly run by Tajiya, and in a city like this they were always busy and contracted out jobs they didn’t want. Lucky me, I was one of only 5 clerics in the Tokyo area so business was good. I hear its slim pickings in some countries, dozens of clerics but few youkai to deal with. The problem with ultra-religious communities I guess, they scared off the entire demon population from over hunting.
With proof of my success I made my way to the ladder to climb down the 5 story building using the fire escape. Apartment buildings made good high ground as they all had ladders and such outside. It was the business end of town that sucked to hunt in. The leather of my pants creaked and scrunched and I bent my knees each step. It wasn’t for looks, if I had a slide on the ground the leather took it instead of my skin, and that happen more than not chasing demons around.
Hopping down the lasts steps I took in the grungy alley and sighed. This wasn’t a good neighborhood and this late, just being female and outside is dangerous. I unsnapped the holster under my arm for quick access to my Walther just in case and started the two blocks to my car. It must be my night because I made it the whole way only jumping once when a cat knocked over a trash can lid. Once in sight I did a check over my skyline before getting in. Never can be too paranoid. Seeing how late it was I decided to turn in the bounty tomorrow and head straight home. I lived over the river so I would be lucky if I got in bed before three. The road was quiet, I always enjoy night driving, and I made good time. I clambered up the four flights of stairs at my own apartment building (though much nicer than the previous one the elevator was busted) and unlocked my door.
My apartment wasn’t big, a one bedroom/ six hundred square foot, and my small two-seater couch was the first thing to greet me as I closed the door. The second was my cat, Buyo. Fat old thing bumped his head against my ankle in hello before heading for the food bowl in the tiny kitchen meowing the whole way. With a sigh I set my stuff down on the counter and filled the dish with food before picking up the bow and sling to place them in my closet. I will have to clean that arrow up and check the engravings but I was too tired now. Ill do it tomorrow after coffee.
One shower later I was in an oversized shirt that made me look five placing my Walther in its spot on the end table next to my bed. I liked to have it close, I always felt naked and skittish without a weapon somewhere in arms reach. The .40 cal was my favorite handgun, battle ready with no safety, just a special draw that halfcocked when first pulled. Since I didn’t have anyone but me in my house, it was safe enough for me. My grandfather made sure I was trained in traditional weapons but my mother, of all people, was determined I be just as good with modern ones. Her cousin had died on a bounty job because he was old fashioned and only had a gun for kicks. Mid fight he was down to just a handgun and had forgotten to put a round in the chamber; went to fire only to have nothing happen. Terrified for her baby girl my mother demanded more from me than most clerics ever usually learned.
I studied more youkai legends than even Tajiya do, which was easy as we lived at a shrine and had tons of books and scrolls on hand. I learned mixed martial arts when I hit puberty, and did various weapons training as soon as I had control over my spiritual power. Most clerics have to concentrate to call forth their power, but for me, it was always there: always on. I have to focus on keeping it muted so I don’t hurt things. Ive gotten so good its second nature and people think Im less powerful then I am. I am okay with that. It is always to your advantage to have your enemy underestimate you. It can make it hard to get good jobs though.
The clock said 2:55 as I turned off my light. Maybe Id be able to get up early and make a real breakfast before leaving in the morning. I curled up, facing the bay window overlooking the city, as Buyo jumped on the bed and found a spot by my hip to lie down. His purr was familiar and sleep pulled me under quickly.
I was wrenched from a dream about mochi balls by my phone ringing. My eyes felt glued and I blinked at my clock. 4:30? Id barely slept. I swiped at my phone a few times before the call picked up and I managed a groggy hello.
“Kagome?” A voice responded.
“Yeah?”
“Did I wake you?” Ah. Ayumi. She’s a friend left over from high school, not that Id had many, These three girls were determined though, and hung out with me even though I was that ‘creepy girl with the powers’ to most of the class.
A reasonable question since my work kept me up all hours sometimes.
“Don’t worry about it. What’s up?”
“It’s Yuka. Im not sure what’s going on but she said something about marrying a kitsune she met at a bar. I think she’s drunk and I don’t know how to handle demons so I thought Id ask you what to do.” Ayumi pleaded.
Oy. Yuka always was a wild child but marrying a demon? Interbreeding was still very faux pas regardless of the equal standing in the law. She also had no idea what she was getting into.
“Which bar is she at?” I rubbed at my eyes, feeling like they were filled with grit.
Ayumi sighed with relief “Horaijima over on Sogo. I didn’t know she was going to mixed bars.”
“She is a rebel ‘yumi. Always has been. I’ll get her.”
“Oh thanks so much Kags, I was worried. Call me and let me know what happens, kay?”
“Sure thing.” I grumbled a bit as I hung up. With a sigh I sat up and started to get dressed again. It was still dark and I was too tired to care about my overall look, so I just fixed my low ponytail and grabbed a tank top and jeans. With my jacket and my gun in holster, I was back in my car. Horaijima was a nice joint, I could get good info there with a well-placed bill when I was on a job. Mixed social places like bars were becoming more popular as people readjusted to youkai. It didn’t matter that they were the same neighbors as before, people are nervous and it was like we were back to racial segregation for a while.
The bar itself was cozy, with bright neon lights and dim windows. Wood trim graced the windows and the inside was all warm colors and big screen tvs. I spotted Yuka draped all over an uncomfortable looking man by the bar. Jeeze, she couldn’t even stand up she was so hammered. Demon or not the Kitsune seemed to be trying to separate himself from her. At least he wasn’t taking advantage of the situation. He was cute enough I guess, with a shock of auburn hair and vivid green eyes gracing a tall slim build. Not really my type, but then I wasn’t dating material.
I slipped up to the bar and ordered a coffee and took it toward the other end. I was not looking forward to this.
“Yuka?! Why are you hanging all over this guy?”
She turned glazed eyes my way and it took a second for recognition to light in them. Her short hair was disheveled but still managed to look good against her tan skin and tasteful makeup. That dress, some dark gold number, was way too short though. My ass would have fallen out after three steps, and the cleavage would be ridiculous! On her though, it looked amazing. She had a model’s build, though she was a bit short for it.
“Kags? Hi! Im tolly gun’ marry this guy. He is funny…. an’ hot.” Her words were slurring so bad I had to fight to keep up. I sent an apologetic glance to the kitsune, feeling uncomfortable trying to act normal around any youkai.
“Im so sorry about this… um…” I spoke to the man.
“Kin. Im Kin. I really don’t know what she is talking about. I only met her tonight. She seemed fine till about a half hour ago. Too much sake I guess.” I cringed when Yuka shouted ‘sake’ in response with much enthusiasm. Kin had a nice voice and seemed friendly. Maybe it was because I wasn’t meeting him as a cleric.
“Im Kagome. Can you help me get her to a booth? I have coffee for her.” I lifted the steaming cup for emphasis and got a nod. We made our way to a booth by the window; the real challenge wasn’t the mostly empty bar, but the swaying girl singing loudly with the jukebox. Yuka wouldn’t release her grip on Kin’s arm though so he graciously sat with her as I coaxed her into drinking the coffee to sober her up. She leaned her head on his shoulder sighing dramatically but started to sip her coffee so I let it go.
“Sorry about your shirt.” and gestured to the pinched blue silk under Yuka’s firm grip.
He shrugged with a half laugh. “No biggie. I go through five a week with all the girls jumping at me you know.” The sarcasm was obvious and I smiled. Who knew a kitsune could seem so normal? At Yuka’s slurred offense to his cheating ways he shushed her with fake reassurances till she went back to her coffee. “She seemed sad when I first saw her. I figured Id talk to her, cheer her up ya know? Said something about a breakup I think…. Anyway, after a few drinks and some chatting she starts saying how much she should have liked a nice guy like me and began texting her friend about me. I was getting worried about leaving her here alone. Luckily you saved the day.”
He bent at the waist with a dramatic half bow making the smile on my face grow. I gave a ‘but of course’ shrug and tried to explain. “She has been dramatic about things since grade school. Im not surprised her post breakup ritual was a trip to the bar. Hopefully you can go soon.” I watched as Yuka’s eyes drooped a little and was glad. The sooner I got her home, the sooner I could go back to sleep. “She must have interrupted your night.”
“Its no biggie, I was here for some…. Uh… business associates but I was done before I saw her.”
His hedge wasn’t lost on me, but it wasn’t my business so I let it slide. “Im glad she wasn’t more of a pest. I’ve never seen you in this area before. You live around here?” I asked, hoping to keep things neutral.
“Yeah. My son and I live about a mile from here.”
“You have a kid? Man your wife probably won’t be too happy about this.” I laughed, pointing to the half-asleep girl on his arm.
He smiled but with sadness I didn’t expect. “No wife, she passed a few years ago. She would have laughed at me for this though. Nori would have thought this was a riot!”
Internally I flinched. Stupid! I have all the social grace of a buffalo. “Im sorry to hear about that, must be hard to raise a kid on your own.”
He waved away my apology with a gesture that looked like it was familiar to him. “He is a great kid. Starts school soon, he is so excited he is already trying to study with those kindergarten work books!”
“He sounds enthusiastic.” I felt warm at this youkai’s paternal pride beaming from him like an aura. For a demon, I think I almost liked him. A thump on the table startled me. Yuka was face down on the table and murmuring softly. Her coffee sat inches away so I moved it over. “Progress. Now just to get her in the car.”
“I’ll help, just lead the way.” Kin said, sliding toward the edge of the booth, pulling the half asleep Yuka with him.
After some finagling and one of us under each arm, we made our way to my car. When we did lay Yuka in the backseat of my car she went without protest. Good. I wasn’t carting this strange man in my car even if she wanted to keep him like a pet. I turned toward his and gave a slight bow.
“Thanks. I hope you can get back to your night, or morning as it were, without further incident.”
“Think nothing of it.” He gave a small bow back then reached out his hand for a shake. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Kagome.”
Nerves flashed through me as I looked at the proffered hand. Slight claws graced his fingertips reminding me how stupid it was to think of this youkai like a human and not a killing machine with a conscience. I shoved the feeling down; concealing it as best I could as I hesitantly gave him my hand, my pulse racing. Id never touched a youkai I wasn’t trying to kill before.
Kin’s brow creased only a moment at my hesitation before smoothing and shaking my hand. It was a good handshake, not limp like he was afraid to touch me or too strong like he was trying to prove something, so few men know how to shake a woman’s hand. It felt…. Normal. Like any handshake Id ever had and not a trace of those claws on my skin. I smiled. Feeling it be genuine now I returned the squeeze and let go.
“You too, Kin.”
With that he turned and walked down the street. I didn’t get into my car till he turned a corner and I could see the swish of his three foxtails disappear. How did I not notice those before?
I made Ayumi come out of their shared apartment to get Yuka out of the car. Eri, the third of the trio, came with her and between the two of them got her inside without me. Exhausted I drove home, hardly doing more than taking off my shoes before falling into bed. I didn’t wake again till nearly noon.
The night breeze tickled my bangs into my eyes and I flinched. Definitely time to get them cut. The rest of my unruly hair was pulled tight into a topknot. I never knew what to do with it anyway, it was too thick to sit smoothly but too straight to just leave down because it sat all limp and in the way. The beast was getting closer, dragging some limp creature across the roof for its midnight snack, almost time. I shifted my stance, careful to keep silent as the things hearing can pick up small sounds, and the only thing I wanted it to hear was the snap of my bowstring.
The thing was a demon, or lower youkai. Personally I think all youkai are cut from the same cloth but the youkai elite were very nitpicky about the terminology. It seems a bit haughty to me seeing as they have only had real citizenship for about 30 years. Sometime back in World War 2 the youkai exposed their previously hidden existence to help end the fighting and reduce damage to everyone’s homes and lives. It was Tokyo in particular that hit the nail on the head. Some youkai took out a bomb that would have been the third to hit Japan from the US. They say it shot some beam of light with a sword way up into the air while it was falling and the explosion took place up higher in the atmosphere, leaving Tokyo in one piece. Of course, there was a huge freak-out by the world’s human population to discover these magical demons had existed among them and they never noticed, at least in modern times.
Not every non-youkai was oblivious, having existed to counter-balance the demons for as long as any could remember. The Tajiya, who were eerily stronger than most humans (but still seemed human in every other way) was a big help in the ‘Transition’ as they called it in the 50’s. The Tajiya train from early in life to fight the youkai with every weapon imaginable, and some beyond even that. They don’t seem to possess any magic, but they make weapons with demon parts that work pretty close. Watching a group of Tajiya take down huge lesser youkai is a sight everyone should see in their lifetime, swarming like ants over a carcass.
The other group of people who were in the loop the whole time was the Clerics; a select few humans born with magical ability that seems directly in contrast to that of youkai nature. There are varying religions that foster these few, particularly defined by region or country and they name them different things depending. I am a Cleric, a Japanese Miko to be precise though I seem to be strange even for that. I showed ability from a very young age with more power than most. My sensei Keade spent two years teaching me to control my power so I wouldn’t accidently singe the hair of innocent youkai within 20 feet of me.
I was told from early on that it was my destiny to use this power to protect humans from the ravages of the youkai world, though only now do they have separate rights and taxes. Not easy when most humans look at clerics like we are almost as bad as the demons themselves. After all, only demons can possess magic, right?
Law enforcement cut out every non-human as soon as they were ousted; doing everything they could to establish boundaries they could understand. It meant they were grossly out matched when coming against even the smallest lesser youkai. That is where the Tajiya and the Clerics come in. Tajiya are becoming government agency even now, working often with the local cops for anything from small disturbances involving youkai to mass killings. Clerics are on the fringes but no one seems sure if we are demonic or not.
So we are bounty hunters, taking on the crap people are too busy to deal with. Occasionally we get involved on the big stuff, when magic seems necessary, but only as a last resort. The Tajiya are resourceful buggers and usually cover the bases well enough but are often swamped. Hence why I am here, at 1 A.M. watching this booger with legs drag a… is that a goat? Where did it get a goat in downtown?
Finally it was close enough it couldn’t dodge my arrow in time. I let out my breath slow, feeling the creak of my leather jacket against my skin, and released. My second sight saw the surge of spiritual energy engulf the arrow like a beam. The creature jerked what must be its head toward the sound in time to watch the arrow pierce its neck. The energy sizzled as a few arms grasped at the wood, trying to pull it out before the creature’s strength left with its life, the energy I put into the arrow infecting it quickly. There was a thump as the body hit the roof and I stood, hooking the bow over my shoulder. Blessed bullets work too but they aren’t the easiest to make nor are bullets cheap to get. Arrows may be old fashioned but they are reusable.
The youkai dissolve after being purified with spiritual energy, but it’s a slow process. I yanked the arrow out with minimal resistance and wiped it down with a rag from my bag. Eugh… I tossed the rag aside, it was a lost cause, and tucked the arrow into the sling on my back next to my bow. Yup, that is definitely a goat. I never understood these things, why did it take the goat to the roof instead of eating it on the spot? Maybe it has a nest up here. I glanced around the roof, seeing only HVAC units and shrugged. I’ve been studying youkai for years and still they could confuse me.
I yanked my phone from my back pocket and quickly took a picture of the melting corpse. I needed proof to collect my pay after all. The agency I worked with was mostly run by Tajiya, and in a city like this they were always busy and contracted out jobs they didn’t want. Lucky me, I was one of only 5 clerics in the Tokyo area so business was good. I hear its slim pickings in some countries, dozens of clerics but few youkai to deal with. The problem with ultra-religious communities I guess, they scared off the entire demon population from over hunting.
With proof of my success I made my way to the ladder to climb down the 5 story building using the fire escape. Apartment buildings made good high ground as they all had ladders and such outside. It was the business end of town that sucked to hunt in. The leather of my pants creaked and scrunched and I bent my knees each step. It wasn’t for looks, if I had a slide on the ground the leather took it instead of my skin, and that happen more than not chasing demons around.
Hopping down the lasts steps I took in the grungy alley and sighed. This wasn’t a good neighborhood and this late, just being female and outside is dangerous. I unsnapped the holster under my arm for quick access to my Walther just in case and started the two blocks to my car. It must be my night because I made it the whole way only jumping once when a cat knocked over a trash can lid. Once in sight I did a check over my skyline before getting in. Never can be too paranoid. Seeing how late it was I decided to turn in the bounty tomorrow and head straight home. I lived over the river so I would be lucky if I got in bed before three. The road was quiet, I always enjoy night driving, and I made good time. I clambered up the four flights of stairs at my own apartment building (though much nicer than the previous one the elevator was busted) and unlocked my door.
My apartment wasn’t big, a one bedroom/ six hundred square foot, and my small two-seater couch was the first thing to greet me as I closed the door. The second was my cat, Buyo. Fat old thing bumped his head against my ankle in hello before heading for the food bowl in the tiny kitchen meowing the whole way. With a sigh I set my stuff down on the counter and filled the dish with food before picking up the bow and sling to place them in my closet. I will have to clean that arrow up and check the engravings but I was too tired now. Ill do it tomorrow after coffee.
One shower later I was in an oversized shirt that made me look five placing my Walther in its spot on the end table next to my bed. I liked to have it close, I always felt naked and skittish without a weapon somewhere in arms reach. The .40 cal was my favorite handgun, battle ready with no safety, just a special draw that halfcocked when first pulled. Since I didn’t have anyone but me in my house, it was safe enough for me. My grandfather made sure I was trained in traditional weapons but my mother, of all people, was determined I be just as good with modern ones. Her cousin had died on a bounty job because he was old fashioned and only had a gun for kicks. Mid fight he was down to just a handgun and had forgotten to put a round in the chamber; went to fire only to have nothing happen. Terrified for her baby girl my mother demanded more from me than most clerics ever usually learned.
I studied more youkai legends than even Tajiya do, which was easy as we lived at a shrine and had tons of books and scrolls on hand. I learned mixed martial arts when I hit puberty, and did various weapons training as soon as I had control over my spiritual power. Most clerics have to concentrate to call forth their power, but for me, it was always there: always on. I have to focus on keeping it muted so I don’t hurt things. Ive gotten so good its second nature and people think Im less powerful then I am. I am okay with that. It is always to your advantage to have your enemy underestimate you. It can make it hard to get good jobs though.
The clock said 2:55 as I turned off my light. Maybe Id be able to get up early and make a real breakfast before leaving in the morning. I curled up, facing the bay window overlooking the city, as Buyo jumped on the bed and found a spot by my hip to lie down. His purr was familiar and sleep pulled me under quickly.
I was wrenched from a dream about mochi balls by my phone ringing. My eyes felt glued and I blinked at my clock. 4:30? Id barely slept. I swiped at my phone a few times before the call picked up and I managed a groggy hello.
“Kagome?” A voice responded.
“Yeah?”
“Did I wake you?” Ah. Ayumi. She’s a friend left over from high school, not that Id had many, These three girls were determined though, and hung out with me even though I was that ‘creepy girl with the powers’ to most of the class.
A reasonable question since my work kept me up all hours sometimes.
“Don’t worry about it. What’s up?”
“It’s Yuka. Im not sure what’s going on but she said something about marrying a kitsune she met at a bar. I think she’s drunk and I don’t know how to handle demons so I thought Id ask you what to do.” Ayumi pleaded.
Oy. Yuka always was a wild child but marrying a demon? Interbreeding was still very faux pas regardless of the equal standing in the law. She also had no idea what she was getting into.
“Which bar is she at?” I rubbed at my eyes, feeling like they were filled with grit.
Ayumi sighed with relief “Horaijima over on Sogo. I didn’t know she was going to mixed bars.”
“She is a rebel ‘yumi. Always has been. I’ll get her.”
“Oh thanks so much Kags, I was worried. Call me and let me know what happens, kay?”
“Sure thing.” I grumbled a bit as I hung up. With a sigh I sat up and started to get dressed again. It was still dark and I was too tired to care about my overall look, so I just fixed my low ponytail and grabbed a tank top and jeans. With my jacket and my gun in holster, I was back in my car. Horaijima was a nice joint, I could get good info there with a well-placed bill when I was on a job. Mixed social places like bars were becoming more popular as people readjusted to youkai. It didn’t matter that they were the same neighbors as before, people are nervous and it was like we were back to racial segregation for a while.
The bar itself was cozy, with bright neon lights and dim windows. Wood trim graced the windows and the inside was all warm colors and big screen tvs. I spotted Yuka draped all over an uncomfortable looking man by the bar. Jeeze, she couldn’t even stand up she was so hammered. Demon or not the Kitsune seemed to be trying to separate himself from her. At least he wasn’t taking advantage of the situation. He was cute enough I guess, with a shock of auburn hair and vivid green eyes gracing a tall slim build. Not really my type, but then I wasn’t dating material.
I slipped up to the bar and ordered a coffee and took it toward the other end. I was not looking forward to this.
“Yuka?! Why are you hanging all over this guy?”
She turned glazed eyes my way and it took a second for recognition to light in them. Her short hair was disheveled but still managed to look good against her tan skin and tasteful makeup. That dress, some dark gold number, was way too short though. My ass would have fallen out after three steps, and the cleavage would be ridiculous! On her though, it looked amazing. She had a model’s build, though she was a bit short for it.
“Kags? Hi! Im tolly gun’ marry this guy. He is funny…. an’ hot.” Her words were slurring so bad I had to fight to keep up. I sent an apologetic glance to the kitsune, feeling uncomfortable trying to act normal around any youkai.
“Im so sorry about this… um…” I spoke to the man.
“Kin. Im Kin. I really don’t know what she is talking about. I only met her tonight. She seemed fine till about a half hour ago. Too much sake I guess.” I cringed when Yuka shouted ‘sake’ in response with much enthusiasm. Kin had a nice voice and seemed friendly. Maybe it was because I wasn’t meeting him as a cleric.
“Im Kagome. Can you help me get her to a booth? I have coffee for her.” I lifted the steaming cup for emphasis and got a nod. We made our way to a booth by the window; the real challenge wasn’t the mostly empty bar, but the swaying girl singing loudly with the jukebox. Yuka wouldn’t release her grip on Kin’s arm though so he graciously sat with her as I coaxed her into drinking the coffee to sober her up. She leaned her head on his shoulder sighing dramatically but started to sip her coffee so I let it go.
“Sorry about your shirt.” and gestured to the pinched blue silk under Yuka’s firm grip.
He shrugged with a half laugh. “No biggie. I go through five a week with all the girls jumping at me you know.” The sarcasm was obvious and I smiled. Who knew a kitsune could seem so normal? At Yuka’s slurred offense to his cheating ways he shushed her with fake reassurances till she went back to her coffee. “She seemed sad when I first saw her. I figured Id talk to her, cheer her up ya know? Said something about a breakup I think…. Anyway, after a few drinks and some chatting she starts saying how much she should have liked a nice guy like me and began texting her friend about me. I was getting worried about leaving her here alone. Luckily you saved the day.”
He bent at the waist with a dramatic half bow making the smile on my face grow. I gave a ‘but of course’ shrug and tried to explain. “She has been dramatic about things since grade school. Im not surprised her post breakup ritual was a trip to the bar. Hopefully you can go soon.” I watched as Yuka’s eyes drooped a little and was glad. The sooner I got her home, the sooner I could go back to sleep. “She must have interrupted your night.”
“Its no biggie, I was here for some…. Uh… business associates but I was done before I saw her.”
His hedge wasn’t lost on me, but it wasn’t my business so I let it slide. “Im glad she wasn’t more of a pest. I’ve never seen you in this area before. You live around here?” I asked, hoping to keep things neutral.
“Yeah. My son and I live about a mile from here.”
“You have a kid? Man your wife probably won’t be too happy about this.” I laughed, pointing to the half-asleep girl on his arm.
He smiled but with sadness I didn’t expect. “No wife, she passed a few years ago. She would have laughed at me for this though. Nori would have thought this was a riot!”
Internally I flinched. Stupid! I have all the social grace of a buffalo. “Im sorry to hear about that, must be hard to raise a kid on your own.”
He waved away my apology with a gesture that looked like it was familiar to him. “He is a great kid. Starts school soon, he is so excited he is already trying to study with those kindergarten work books!”
“He sounds enthusiastic.” I felt warm at this youkai’s paternal pride beaming from him like an aura. For a demon, I think I almost liked him. A thump on the table startled me. Yuka was face down on the table and murmuring softly. Her coffee sat inches away so I moved it over. “Progress. Now just to get her in the car.”
“I’ll help, just lead the way.” Kin said, sliding toward the edge of the booth, pulling the half asleep Yuka with him.
After some finagling and one of us under each arm, we made our way to my car. When we did lay Yuka in the backseat of my car she went without protest. Good. I wasn’t carting this strange man in my car even if she wanted to keep him like a pet. I turned toward his and gave a slight bow.
“Thanks. I hope you can get back to your night, or morning as it were, without further incident.”
“Think nothing of it.” He gave a small bow back then reached out his hand for a shake. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Kagome.”
Nerves flashed through me as I looked at the proffered hand. Slight claws graced his fingertips reminding me how stupid it was to think of this youkai like a human and not a killing machine with a conscience. I shoved the feeling down; concealing it as best I could as I hesitantly gave him my hand, my pulse racing. Id never touched a youkai I wasn’t trying to kill before.
Kin’s brow creased only a moment at my hesitation before smoothing and shaking my hand. It was a good handshake, not limp like he was afraid to touch me or too strong like he was trying to prove something, so few men know how to shake a woman’s hand. It felt…. Normal. Like any handshake Id ever had and not a trace of those claws on my skin. I smiled. Feeling it be genuine now I returned the squeeze and let go.
“You too, Kin.”
With that he turned and walked down the street. I didn’t get into my car till he turned a corner and I could see the swish of his three foxtails disappear. How did I not notice those before?
I made Ayumi come out of their shared apartment to get Yuka out of the car. Eri, the third of the trio, came with her and between the two of them got her inside without me. Exhausted I drove home, hardly doing more than taking off my shoes before falling into bed. I didn’t wake again till nearly noon.