InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Immortal Lessons ❯ Interviews ( Chapter 2 )

Kagome fixed her skirt nervously as she sat in the lightly padded seat of the wooden chair. She crossed her ankles and rested them to the right with her hands folded in her lap. Her left thumb pressed gently against the underside of her right wrist, and Kagome could feel her pulse rising. She had never been so anxious in her entire life. Her mouth was dry and she could not seem to keep her fingers still.

A few seats to Kagome's left sat another young woman. She looked to be a few years older than Kagome. Other than the age difference, the first thing Kagome noticed was the woman's shear beauty. She was stunning. Her wavy mahogany hair seemed to bounce every time she lifted her slender shoulders in a relaxed sigh.

How can she be so calm? Kagome asked herself. She tried not to stare at the stunning woman as she shifted her luscious tendrils of hair about her. The gently waving hair framed the woman's lean face, allowing her tan skin and bright green eyes to show brightly. The ends of her hair curled up, enclosing her exposed chest and plentiful cleavage in curtains of shining silk. Kagome bit her lip.

A third woman in the room was a twice Kagome's mere twenty-three years. She was a slender, frail looking woman with light blonde hair sat behind a rather sparsely covered desk. On the desk, sat two folders: Kagome's and the other woman's papers. Inside the folders were resumes and recommendations, and the other woman's folder looked to be much thicker than Kagome. Again, Kagome bit her lip.

Suddenly, the door opened and a man entered. He wore a dark blue suit with his white hair pulled back, exposing the bizarre purple markings on his face. Kagome watched the man as he walked quickly to the desk. He did not speak to anyone. He merely picked up the two folders and walked through a second door in the room.

Kagome looked after him, knowing that that was the man to whom she had to prove herself. Suddenly, the idea of getting this job seemed much harder. He definitely did not like the type who could be easily impressed. His face was so cold. His posture was so refined.

The middle-aged woman, presumably a secretary, looked up from the desk before her at the two women sitting against the wall. She looked as though she had just noticed their presence as she said, "One of you, go ahead." The secretary's voice was noncommittal and bored. From watching her, Kagome could understand why Mr. Sesshomaru was pursuing a new secretary. Perhaps this woman was only temporary.

Kagome began to rise to her feet, being the closer of the two candidates to the door. However, the other woman, swaying her curves as she moved, bolted toward the door before Kagome could even settle her weight between her heeled shoes. Heaving a sigh, Kagome sat back now. At least she knew who the competition was.

Sesshomaru flipped open the top folder. He saw, cradled in the manila folds, a packed resume, a ream of recommendations, and, lastly, a stunning picture of a woman. She smiled back at him, but she showed no teeth in her grin. No, it was not a grin. Her expression was a smirk…a rather smutty smirk at that.

The door opened quickly, and the woman whose folder Sesshomaru had been eyeing entered.

What a coincidence, Sesshomaru thought absently.

Immediately, Sesshomaru encountered a rather odd smell. Being that he was a demon, he was very perceptive of scents. Often the mere aroma of something could tell tomes about them. This was no different: she reeked of all sorts of human appearance-enhancers. Sesshomaru would have wrinkled his nose in disgust had he been any less polished. His office filled with the smell of new plastic, presumably fake nails, followed by the stench of designer perfume. Once she sat down, Sesshomaru could smell and see her colored hair, painted face, and unnaturally sculpted body.

Hmm… another product of human society, Sesshomaru thought.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Sesshomaru," she said. "I'm Chatterley Noir, but please, call me Chat." She smiled a sensuous smile, allowing a mere sliver of her whitened teeth to show. Sesshomaru was taken aback by her forwardness. She was clearly confident, if not overly so. She was bold, and Sesshomaru immediately thought poorly of her impudence. She entered without his welcome, sat without his word, not bothered to shake his hand, called him by his name instead of "sir", and dived directly into informality by requesting that he call her by a nickname.

"Chat Noir?" Sesshomaru asked with one eyebrow raised. I'm seeking an assistant, not a porn-star, he thought cynically.

"Yes, it means-"

"I can speak French, Miss Noir," Sesshomaru interrupted her. His intention when interviewing was not to be short with the candidates, but he knew that he was not particularly fond of this one. Even if she had not been so forward, he was still choking on the stink of manmade pheromones.

"Well, do you have any questions for me?" Chat asked, settling back in her chair. She slipped out of her flimsy coat, exposing a shirt that resembled a corset with less lace. Her shoulders were bare and her cleavage beamed like headlights at Sesshomaru, and her ministrations were not lost on him; however, he found nothing in this woman arousing at all.

"You have a very impressive resume, Miss Noir," Sesshomaru said absently, his low voice resonating very clearly in his large office.

"Thank you, Mr. Sesshomaru." She lowered her face slightly and began to chew lightly on the nail of her right index finger. Out of his peripheral vision, Sesshomaru could see her heavily lidded gaze and pouting lips.

"Doctors, lawyer, and CEO's… you have served them all, haven't you?" Sesshomaru looked up from the folder. Chat smiled, keeping her lips pursed in a smirk.

"And I served them well, if I do say so myself," she replied.

Sesshomaru felt a muscle in his gut spasm. He could not take much of this much longer. He looked back down at her resume, scanning the list of jobs she had had.

"Very impressive," he repeated. "There is only one thing missing from you tailored resume."

"Tailored?" Chat asked, sounding politely affronted.

"You've failed to list how many of your employers you had to sleep with to achieve

these positions." Sesshomaru's voice was nonchalant as he pretended to read her information.

"I beg your pardon?" Chat asked, sounding far more insulted than she had before.

"Whatever assistance you have to offer me, Miss Noir, is not accepted."

"That is quite an assumption, Mr. Sesshomaru."

"You have no male employers, your recommendations are comically flattering, and you are trying to eye fuck me right now as we speak. Put your clothing back on, Miss Noir and kindly leave my office." Had there been an audience, Sesshomaru's monotone voice would have sent them into waves of laughter. However, Miss Chat Noir found none of this funny.

Sputtering to find words in her indignant state, Chat rose to her feet, snatched up her coat and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Her expensive designer shoes could be heard pounding the floor up until she entered the elevator.

Sesshomaru heaved an irritated sigh before rising to his feet. He picked up Miss Noir's folder and carried with him as he left his office. Outside, in the waiting room, his secretary was looking at her watch.

"Two minutes, thirty eight seconds, sir," the secretary said, looking up from her watch.

"A new record," Sesshomaru remarked flatly as he tossed the folder on the woman's desk. "Call the authors of the five longest recommendations and tell them that they are obtuse cretins."

"Would you like me to quote you, sir?" the secretary asked.

"Please," replied Sesshomaru succinctly. "Then shred this file." With that, Sesshomaru turned to face his remained potential employee. He opened his mouth to speak but quickly shut it. He thought to speak again, but no words seemed to string themselves together in his mind. For the first time that century, Sesshomaru was speechless.

Standing before him, in a quaint ensemble of rosy pink, was Kagome Higurashi. She was a few years older than her other-time counterpart. The Higurashi that had terrorized Sesshomaru in his demonic adolescence had been fifteen years old. This Higurashi was a young adult. Suddenly, Sesshomaru recalled the conversation he had had with Inuyasha a few nights prior involving the question of the existence of Kagome Higurashi. Now, there was no doubt in Sesshomaru's mind of her being.

Sesshomaru struck by memories of his past, battling against and with this bizarre girl. He remembered being stunned by her power while also being disgusted with her race and loyalty to his brother. Yes, Sesshomaru remembered this girl's connection to his brother. Inuyasha had never had the courage to ask her to be his mate, though the hanyou had come very close on certain occasions.

Luckily, Sesshomaru's memories came without emotion. He had detached from those times centuries ago. He held no ill will toward this girl, but he could not deny his curiosity.

"Good afternoon, Miss Higurashi," Sesshomaru said upon noticing that he was staring directly at the girl from his past.

"Good afternoon, sir," Kagome said, rising to her feet and offering her right hand. Sesshomaru accepted the gesture, taking her hand in a firm but not crushing grip. She returned the pressure, immediately impressing Sesshomaru. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."

Sesshomaru nodded in reply before motioning for her to follow him into his office. She complied in silence, falling in step behind her possible employer. Kagome could feel her legs trembling slightly, but she kept her confidence about her as she moved closer and closer to the final judgment.

Once inside, Sesshomaru gestured for Kagome to take a seat. She obeyed and crossed her ankles as they had been before. She kept her posture straight and held eye contact with Sesshomaru. She could not, however, help but notice the rather stunning sword collection that hung on the office wall. Sesshomaru noticed her slight distraction, but he did not comment on her interest.

"Impress me," Sesshomaru said, tossing her resume aside and settling into his seat.

"Pardon?" Kagome asked politely, a nervous blush rising in her cheeks.

"Answer my questions without making me ask them," he said. Sesshomaru hoped that she understood. If she did not, then he might as well dismiss her right there.

"I'm twenty-three years old," Kagome began, obviously comprehending what he was asking of her. Sesshomaru relaxed slightly and listened to her speak. "I was born and lived in Japan until the age of six when I moved here with my mother and younger brother. I have my masters in English, and I also have a degree in massage therapy."

"You're a massage therapist?" he asked, a hint of incredulity in his deep, even voice.

"Yes, sir. I specialize in Shiatsu and Reiki." Kagome was happy to hear that Sesshomaru was interested. At least he was listening.

"I was an undergrad at Boston University before graduating from Carnegie Melon."

"Anything more current?"

"My last job was as a secretary to an attorney. Before that…"

Sesshomaru listened though only half-heartedly. His mind was rather distracted as he pondered the bizarre coincidence that Kagome Higurashi would apply for a job as his secretary. What puzzled him even more was how this young woman was the most promising employee he had seen of all the assistants he had been interviewing. What an odd twist of fate that his brother's almost-mate from another lifetime would wander into his office.

About fifteen potential assistants had come and gone, most of whom were brutally beaten down after their first interview. Those who were not smote were kindly asked to leave. Kagome had one of the shortest resumes of all those who applied, but she, by far, appealed the most to him.

By the time Kagome had finished her monologue, Sesshomaru had found great interest in her. He began to ask her questions, which she answered with an honesty that shocked him. At first, Sesshomaru took her to be innocent. Yes, there was small facet of her that conveyed naiveté, but she was not ignorant. She was wise and confident though she acted as if she did not know her own power.

She doesn't know, does she? Sesshomaru asked himself, putting one hand to his mouth as he always did when he was in thought. Absently, he ran his tongue over the smooth side of one of his fangs, feeling the groove and curve of the tooth.

Sesshomaru probed into her past, scrutinizing every part of her character from her clean criminal record to her senior superlative in high school. She had received the title "wittiest" though she admitted to not knowing why.

"I noticed your fascination with my swords," Sesshomaru said evenly.

Kagome had, at first, found something unnerving about his lack of intonation; however, she soon grew comfortable with his cadence. In fact, she found something calming in his tone. He was a foil to Kagome's bright, warm character.

"It is very impressive, sir," Kagome said, looking over to the three swords mounted on the wall, each parallel to the others.

"Are you familiar with swords?" Sesshomaru asked, rising from his seat and walking toward the display. He looked at the three swords and chose the smallest of the three to lift from its braces.

"Somewhat," Kagome replied. She watched him with poorly hidden fascination as he unsheathed one of the swords and gestured for her to rise. Kagome obeyed as Sesshomaru walked toward her, holding the blade.

He suddenly released his tight-fisted grip on the hilt and placed both his hands under the sword, lifting it toward Kagome. She looked from the blade to Sesshomaru then back to the blade again.

"May I?" she asked politely as she hesitantly touched the hilt.

"Douzo," Sesshomaru said, striking a familiar chord in Kagome. She could not help but smile at his usage of her native tongue.

Kagome curled her fingers around the hilt and lifted it from Sesshomaru's hands. She tested the weight slightly before taking a step back from Sesshomaru. Without preamble, she spread her stance and twirled the blade in a large circle with one hand. She then extended two fingers from her right hand and balanced the sword. At first, she tried to set the fulcrum at the hilt, but the sword wobbled. She inched her fingers out slowly until she was about five centimeters from the hand guard. In that position, the sword rested in perfect balance in the air.

"This is a beautiful sword, sir," she said, glancing up at Sesshomaru. Had Kagome been better able to read his expressions, she would have seen that her potential employer was very pleased.

"They are each five centuries old," said Sesshomaru as he accepted the sword back from Kagome. He sheathed it and replaced the blade in its brackets. "I would allow you to handle the others, but they are extremely heavy."

"Are they heirlooms, sir?" Kagome asked as she settled back into her seat, her fingers still tingling from the power of the blade.

"The sword you held," replied Sesshomaru as he returned to his seat as well, "is one that I sought independently. The other two were originally part of my father's collection."

Kagome nodded before covertly glancing at her watch. This motion did not pass unseen by Sesshomaru, and he chuckled darkly at her gesture. Upon hearing him laugh, Kagome looked up abruptly.

"We've been speaking for twenty seven minutes, Miss Higurashi," Sesshomaru said without consulting his watch.

"If I may be so bold, sir… is that a good sign?"

"It is."

Kagome sighed and smiled warmly. "I'm honored, sir."

Sesshomaru rose to his full height and extended his right hand. Kagome mimicked him and shook his hand in her firm grasp. This was clearly a signal that their interview was complete. Straightening her skirt, Kagome awaited Sesshomaru's verdict.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, sir."

"Consider it reciprocated," replied Sesshomaru. "Expect a phone call within the week." Kagome smiled and thanked him again. She gave his hand one last squeeze before releasing her grip. Again, Kagome found her fingers tingling.

"Miss Higurashi," Sesshomaru said, halting her progress out of his office. She turned and looked to him expectantly.

"Sir?"

"What fragrance are you wearing?" he asked, his voice as mellow as ever. Kagome furrowed her brow in confusion.

"I'm not wearing a fragrance, sir," she replied before beaming at him again. She turned, her hair swaying freely about her shoulders, and left Sesshomaru in his office, wondering what that pleasing fragrance was that came and went with his newly chosen assistant. He had subconsciously noted the aroma when she first sat, but it had not occurred to him to ask her about it until she rose to leave. Sesshomaru had been exposed to almost every stench of the cornucopia of designer fragrances, but Higurashi's perfume was different. There was something sweet, but not unnaturally so. The smell wafted gently; it did not stifle or smother. What was it? Melon, perhaps? Or maybe it was peach. Sesshomaru could not put his finger on the specific fragrance, but it was something very pleasant.

*

Kagome entered her darkened apartment with her coat over her arm and her keys gripped in her hand. She opened the door quickly, welcoming the relieving energy of her home. Placing her purse and keys on a long, narrow table in her meager foyer, she closed the door with her foot. All the while, she opened her closet door and hung up her coat.

"Cody?" she called into the darkened foyer. From deep inside the apartment, there was a scurry of claws on hard wood floor followed by a loud crash. Kagome smiled and laughed. "Hey, Cody," she said as her great Dane galloped toward her, his tongue hanging out of his mouth and his eyes alight. Kagome leaned forward only slightly to hug her over grown puppy. Cody yipped quietly and nuzzled into her.

"Hey, beautiful," said Kagome as she reached to turn on the lights. Immediately, her apartment burst into color as light touched her brightly decorated home. Kagome released a sigh.

What a wonderful ending to a perfect day, she thought as she walked into her main room with Cody sauntering along at her side. The sound of Cody's claws clicking on the floor filled Kagome with a sense of protection.

Once inside the main room, moonlight poured through her large windows looking down on the street. Her small garden of houseplants huddled near the darkened window. They flourished and burst with blooms, allowing their affable aroma to drift through the lively yet empty room. The walls were occupied by three large paintings Kagome had done in graduate school. Her artistic talent was well accepted and even praised, but Kagome felt that art was not her passion. She had her few "masterpieces" framed, and they now warmed her apartment with their vibrant glow. Her new hobby photography littered the wall directly to the right of her window. Photos of all shapes and sizes, some colored and some not, dotted the soft blue wall.

Kagome kicked her shoes off and set them to the side as she moved toward her telephone and answering machine. The small light that indicated waiting messages blinked, triggering a smile from Kagome. Toying with the contraption, Kagome persuaded it to play her messages as she sat down on her couch to listen.

The first message was from her mother, wishing her a happy Monday and pouring as many details into the brief communication as possible. Kagome chuckled at her mother and made a mental note to call her back.

The second message had Kagome on the edge of her seat as she listened to the calm voice of a woman, speaking slowly and evenly.

"Miss Higurashi," the woman said. "This is Mr. Sesshomaru's secretary. I'm calling to inform you that Mr. Sesshomaru was very impressed with you, and he would like to welcome you back as his personal assistant." The woman went on to give Kagome the number of Sesshomaru's office, though Kagome already knew it by heart. The string of numbers that followed was Sesshomaru's personal cell phone number. "Mr. Sesshomaru is awaiting your phone call as confirmation." There was a click as the secretary hung up the phone. The machine beeped as it always did, and then informed Kagome that her messages were completed.

Kagome sat with her hands clasped before her chest, unable to speak. She grinned broadly as her mind raced in circles. Completely frozen, Kagome tried to comprehend what she had just heard. Cody sat at her feet with his head cocked to the side, wondering what had stunned his master so.

"Did you hear that, Cody?" Kagome asked without looking at her dog. She kept her eyes glued on the answering machine as though she was expecting it to tell her that the message was a fake. The dog at Kagome's feet took a hesitant step forward and licked her bare shin, shaking Kagome from her shocked reverie.

"I got the job, Cody!" Kagome exclaimed, falling to her knees and hugging her dog tightly. "Did you hear that?! Mr. Sesshomaru wants me… me to be his personal assistant!" She separated from her dog but kept her hands on his shoulders. "Do you know what that means?" she asked. The dog merely stared at her in confusion. "This means that I have a job! No more Chinese take out and Kraft dinners! No more Oodles o' Noodles!" Kagome jumped up and ran a lap around her couch, cheering for herself. Cody, understanding his owner's excitement, fell instep behind her, barking loudly.

After Cody's second bark, Kagome turned around and hushed her dog gently through her laughter. Cody jumped up and down enthusiastically, though he had no idea why they were suddenly being so happy. He did not care. He just liked it when his master was happy!

Once Kagome had calmed down, she plopped onto the floor in front of her couch. Cody, not aware of his own size, attempted to sit in Kagome's lap. She burst into laughter and shifted her massive dog off her. Cody resigned to rest his head on her thigh instead.

"This is great, Cody," Kagome said as he reached up to the end table and took her phone in hand. She started to dial the cell phone number that she had immediately committed to memory. She hesitated when she remembered that this was Sesshomaru's personal number, and it was getting late. Perhaps she was not supposed to use this number. Was that too informal?

Kagome shrugged and punched in the last digit before holding the phone to her ear. She eyed the painting of a lonely, red hyacinth stalk that hung across the room from her. She could feel her heart pumping excitedly. Again, she could not keep her hands still.

The phone rang twice before being picked up. "Sesshomaru," the voice on the other end said clearly.

"Hello, it's Kagome Higurashi," she said, feeling butterflies in her stomach. There was a hesitation on the other end of the line. She could hear something that sounded very much like muffled conversation. She paused her speeding thoughts to wonder to whom Sesshomaru could be talking; however, she quickly scolded herself for being nosey. Then came the sound of footsteps before Sesshomaru returned.

"Good evening, Miss Higurashi," he said evenly. "I assume you received the message from my current secretary."

"Yes, sir. I just got in, and I called as soon as I checked my messages."

"Good," he replied succinctly. "I'll be expecting to see you tomorrow morning." Kagome gawked. "Tomorrow, sir? What about your current secretary."

"She is merely temporary, and you will not be my secretary," replied Sesshomaru.

"Sir?"

"You are my personal assistant. Allow me to make very clear what your responsibilities are: anything I ask of you, you do. Within reason, that it," Sesshomaru added to clarify that he was not interested in a "Chat Noir" assistant. "I have multiple secretaries to answer phones and dispel unwanted attention. They will answer to you, and you will answer to me. Understood?"

This Sesshomaru was more like the straight backed, sleek looking man she had seen in the waiting room, not the man to whom she had spoken.

"All right, sir," Kagome replied with well-hidden reluctance. "I suppose I will see you tomorrow morning."

"See you," replied Sesshomaru before hanging up.

Kagome sat in shock again. Her mouth gapped open as she stared at her phone. What the hell was that? she asked herself as she replayed the conversation in her mind. I didn't know I was his person slave. Jesus.

"I think I may have bitten off more than I can chew, Cody," Kagome said as she put her phone back on the hook. She dragged one trembling hand over Cody's neck as she tried to assess what "anything I ask of you" entailed. In the span of minutes, Kagome's butterflies had died and plummeted into the pit of her stomach, dissolving into a feeling of dread.

Sesshomaru slid his phone into his pocket before returning to his den where his younger brother sat, drawing a long drag off a rolled joint that glowed at one end. Sesshomaru himself had already helped himself and had offered the smoldering stick to Inuyasha.

"Who was that?" Inuyasha asked, his voice slurred slightly from the marijuana.

"My new assistant," Sesshomaru replied, waving his claw before his face to clear away the smoke Inuyasha blew when he spoke.

"What's wrong with him?" Inuyasha asked before taking another draw and holding it as long as he could. He then released the precious smoke with a whoosh.

"I never said there was anything wrong with her," spat Sesshomaru as he settled back into the couch to kindle what was left of his dying high.

"Well, you look a lot less stoned that you did a second ago, so either your assistant killed your monkey or something between the hallway and here did." Inuyasha closed his dry, red eyes and let his head drop back

Sesshomaru snatched the joint from his brother's hand before Inuyasha could drop it to smolder in the expensive carpet.

Leaning back and stretching his long legs out before him, Sesshomaru lifted the smoking joint to his lips and gratefully inhaled the heaven sent smoke. He filled his lungs up and held his breath, waiting… hoping for the promised euphoria.

Sesshomaru exhaled with much appreciation to mother earth that had provided to man and demon alike. Within seconds, sweet peace flowed into his mind, and he allowed his head to drop back as well.

"I never would have been able to do this a century ago," Sesshomaru said, his deep voice drifting and soft. Inuyasha chuckled as he shifted on his couch to lay down, his limbs strewn about him.

"You had Tokijin too far up your ass to do anything," Inuyasha replied, ensuing in a throaty laugh from Sesshomaru. He could not deny that he was a different demon than he had been. They both were.

Sesshomaru's mind drifted off to his new assistant. She was such an odd little creature, yet he had to admit that he enjoyed her. She offered intelligent conversation, and she was very easy on the eyes. Kagome was indeed his best option for a functional, practical assistant. Had Sesshomaru's nostrils not been clouded with pot smoke, he would have remembered her smell very clearly.

It suddenly occurred to Sesshomaru that he should tell Inuyasha of Kagome's sudden appearance in his life. Perhaps Inuyasha would want to see her. He would undoubtedly shut down into his immature, adolescent self as he often did when he was faced with a situation with which he was uncomfortable. Sesshomaru could picture Inuyasha wandering into his office, spouting profanity and promptly scaring the human woman away. Then, of course, an excruciatingly long spell of awkwardness would follow between them all. No, that would never do.

"Were you in love with that miko?" Sesshomaru asked. Had he not been extremely toasted, he never would have asked such a blunt, emotional question.

"What?" Inuyasha asked, lifting his head up from the back of the couch. His face was slack and his eyes were heavily lidded.

"The miko Higurashi," Sesshomaru prompted. "You remember, your woman."

"She wasn't my woman, damn it," Inuyasha growled as menacing as he could muster with his thoughts so sweetly clouded. "Did you ask me if I loved her?" Inuyasha repeated the question with incredulity.

"Yes," answered Sesshomaru, his bleary eyes focused on his younger brother.

Inuyasha hesitated for a moment, looking as though he was thinking. Then, shattering the hush, he burst into laughter. He guffawed until he clutched his gut and rolled off the couch. Once on the floor, Inuyasha wiped tears from his eyes as he tried to catch his breath.

"You, oh emotionally constipated one, are asking me about love?" Inuyasha asked. Sesshomaru narrowed his gaze and growled, though he knew very well that nothing he could do would intimidate his half brother.

"Curiosity plagues me," replied Sesshomaru, still glaring at Inuyasha. Once his laughter had settled down, Inuyasha sat up and leaned his back against the couch. He bent his knees up and rested his forearms on them.

"Yeah, I was," Inuyasha admitted, still smiling. Sesshomaru could not tell if his brother was beaming about his question or about the memory of Kagome. Together, the Inu brothers fell into silence. Inuyasha was reveling in his sweet memories while Sesshomaru pondered whether to announce Kagome's arrival.

"Did she know?" Sesshomaru sat forward and rubbed his red, dry eyes.

"I never told her, but…uh…yeah, I think she knew. She was a lot more perceptive than I was." Inuyasha paused to chuckle. "Jesus, she drove me insane."

"Women have a tendency to do that," replied Sesshomaru through a chuckle.

Inuyasha slowly rose to his feet. Once at his full height, he wavered momentarily. Upon attempting to take a step, Inuyasha wobbled and fell back onto the couch he had occupied. He heaved a heavy sigh, resigning himself to the couch until his head cleared a little more.

"I don't think I can walk," Inuyasha concluded in a drifting voice. He scratched his ear absently before rubbing his eyes.

Sesshomaru chuckled and stood without flaw. "Light weight," he muttered, teasing his brother. Inuyasha would have normally been ready to shoot an astringent reply, but he could think of nothing but laughter. And laugh he did. Inuyasha continued laughing until Sesshomaru was gone from the room and well on his way to bed.

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Marijuana can be something very pleasant when used correctly. A person can have a glass of wine with dinner and not be an alcoholic, so why can't a person have a hit occasionally to relax without being a druggie? Moderation is vital for ALL things, and marijuana is no different. If used appropriately, it can relax a person and work as a very affective anti-depressant. In this story, I have no intention of conveying the message that it is all right to go out and get stoned all the time. There is a great deal of living that can be missed if one dedicates their already pathetic life to getting stoned. I personally believe that marijuana is a much better choice than alcohol, and I would be pro-legalization if there weren't so many dumb fucks out there who would abuse it. Just as there are thousands upon thousands of "dumb fucks" who abuse alcohol and get themselves and others killed, there would undoubtedly be thousands of dumb fucks who would do the same to marijuana. For those out there who have SELF CONTROL and SELF RESPECT, marijuana can be very beneficial. If you happen to one of those "dumb fucks" who lack SELF CONTROL and SELF RESPECT, marijuana is not for you. In fact, if you are suffering from dumb-fuck-ism, I suggest you seek help immediately. You are going to get yourself or someone else killed with your dumb-fuck antics. Thank you, I am now getting off my soapbox.