InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ No Such Thing As Fate ❯ When Luck is Just Enough ( Chapter 2 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: kagsessdaughter Silver
Because I already have three chapters up on Fanfiction.net and Dokuga.com i'm putting up the three chapters here slowly.
Chapter summary: Kagome finds herself a strange new teacher and his name is...

Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 08.07.2009 | Updated On: 08.12.2009 | Pages: 4 | Words: 9.5K | Visits: 763 | Status: Work In Progress

Hiya Hiya
This is the next chapter. I love people who review because...I LOVE INPUT. Not the really mean kind of course but I love the help. Fanfiction. net has changed alot since my last time putting up a story so i'm not too worried about harassment and really mean comments. For all those people wondering what i was talking about, when i put up my first stories i was in middle school so naturally it sucked. I realize that it sucked but I got one of the most hateful reviews and i've just now gotten the courage to put up a new story.
but thats in the past, and we're here now so Yay!!
A vote for the couples will be decided after all possible candidates are introduced, or I decide otherwise... -hides in corner- don't get mad I promise you will like the candidates
Disclaimer: If I owned Inuyasha I would cry in my happiness
Chapter 2: Getting to know Jiji: When luck is just enough
XXXXX
Following her gaze, he too found himself frozen. Standing in the archway leading into the cave was a man. No, Kagome squinted a bit taking in his form; this was a youkai. He looked completely human from her viewpoint. Mid-back length black hair pulled into a low horsetail at the nape of his neck, tanned skin...she couldn't see the color of his eyes because his eyes remained closed. The only youkai features she could make out were his abnormally long claws and his slightly pointed ears.
“What do you want here little Miko?”
XXXXX
Kagome bit her lip nervously. “Sorry me and Shippou here were just passing through to find a lake or something”.
He frowned “Then why did you bother to examine my aura, are you looking to start a fight with me Miko.”
She stood dumfounded a moment, “I was curious, your aura doesn't feel like the normal youkai aura's I run into, yours is a lot more calm and nice…” she trailed off lowering her gaze nervously. “I didn't know that bothering the aura is asking for a fight or anything, I'm so sorry”
His eyes weren't open but he seemed to examine them from behind his eyelids. “You are a Miko aren't you, how can you not know something so simple?”
Kagome's mouth snapped shut and she bowed her head shamefully, Shippou pet her leg in an attempt to comfort the older girl. “I haven't had formal Miko training,” she grumbled. Despite her soft reply, she had no doubt that he had heard her response.
“You lie”, her gaze snapped up and she scowled a bit. “your power is blinding, you had to have had some training to have such massive stores of power.” Kagome blinked owlishly and glanced at Shippou who looked as confused as she was.
“I swear I haven't had any training, I think you might be seeing the…” her hand inched toward the shikon jewel that hung around her neck tucked safely away inside her shirt.
She gulped praying the youkai before her didn't see the jewel. While she had no real training, Kaede had taught her how to hide the jewels presence so she wasn't attacked 24/7 by youkai who wanted it.
“The Shikon jewel?” she tensed as the youkai completed her sentence for her.
“No, I am not seeing your little toy” her eyebrows shot up. This was the first time someone had called the jewel a `little toy' and she actually found this revelation quite fascinating. “The jewel has its own aura, I see your aura overpowering the jewel” He said a bit lazily.
There was silence a long moment “ I take back my earlier comment, while you have a lot of power for someone your age who has never been trained, you power isn't concentrated like a trained Miko's, its actually very wild…” he trailed off a bit.
“ S-so you don't want the jewel” Shippou squeaked from his hiding space behind her legs.
The demons seemed to focus in on Shippou's position, “A fox kit? Why are you not with your parent's child?”
Kagome could literally feel Shippou's mood drop, “He's an orphan, I've been with him since his father died” she explained in the kit's stead. The demon seemed to consider Kagome's words a moment, “You don't want the jewel, why, I mean so many demons want it?” she asked quietly. The demon sighed and walked toward the fire. He pulled the fish from their positions and set them on the stones around the fire. “I am very old, and I am content to live out my life here. What use is a jewel like that to someone who would not use it?” He sighed walking leisurely over to one of the buckets by the campfire.
He dumped the bit of water in the bucket and begin to walk off toward the forest. Kagome and Shippou watched him anxiously. He didn't bother to pause as he spoke, “Come little ones I will show you to the river.” Kagome and Shippou glanced at one another then quickly raced after him. She watched the demon before her walk with that feline grace all youkai with humanoid forms possessed.
So he was old and simply uninterested. That was a simple reason not to want the jewel but Kagome didn't know if she should believe him. Either she had read his aura correctly and he was just a very peaceful and calm person or he was good at lying.
`Yeah…let's hope he's just really peaceful, if he's not I am so screwed' she thought.
Kagome wrinkled her nose in thought “Hey can I ask your name?”
His graceful stride was interrupted when he stumbled in surprise. Kagome couldn't help herself, she let out a giggle. He turned his head slightly and Kagome was sure if she could see his eyes he would be staring at her in disbelief.
“Little Miko I am being hospitable, I understand you made a mistake when you stumbled upon my home, but why would you wish to know my name”.
Kagome tilted her head to the side honestly confused, “Why wouldn't I want to know your name?” she paused to watch the demon leap over a giant root that was in his path. Obviously unable to do the same thing she crawled into the space that had been left when the root left the ground. Shippou scrambled over the root using his claws to keep a grip on the thick bark. Poking her head through to the other side she blinked seeing a clawed hand outstretched to her. She took it after a moment's hesitation and he pulled her out and to her feet.
She smiled a bit as she brushed the soil from her knees and fell in step with the old demon, Shippou scrambled to catch up with them. Now walking at his side, she could make out light yellow designs on his face, almost the color of his skin. The markings looked like thin drooping branches stretching from the left side of his face to the right and ending just after crossing his nose.“I keep forgetting you haven't had the formal training. We are mortal enemies little Miko.”
Kagome glanced at him, “I don't really care what other Miko's do but we aren't enemies, your helping me,” She reasoned.
“I don't have a problem with youkai as long as they don't attack me and they aren't killing just because they can.”
She glanced at the demon who gave a short chuckle “I like you little Miko, my name is Hakui but people prefer to call me Jiji.”
Kagome grinned “Nice to meet you Jiji-san, I'm Kagome and this is Shippou,” she glanced back at the kit.
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, even if it is a bit strange.“ He shook his head as if in disbelief over the fact he was walking and associating with a young Miko with a fox kit.
“Now that we know names, would you mind explaining how the Shikon Miko ended up so far from her `pack' with a fox kit.” Kagome smiled warily but they stepped out of the forest onto the riverbank. “Well were at the river, how about I tell you after I have a bath.”
Jiji shrugged “Why not I have nothing else to do today” he walked to the river and knelt down dropping his bucket into the gently flowing water. The bucket quickly sank as it was filled with water and he lifted it from the river with ease.
“Thanks for taking us to the river Jiji-san” Shippou called.
The old demon gave a nod and a small smile; “You two know where to find me” he called as he walked leisurely back into the forest.
Kagome and Shippou watched him vanish before they turned to the river. They both stared at the water warily. “Kagome-chan it's going to be really cold,” Shippou murmured. Autumn was just settling in so the weather was slowly becoming cold, which also meant the water was colder than normal.
“Yeah but I need a bath and you need a bath too” She sighed.
“You take your clothes off and go bathe. I'll wash your things, then I'll carry you back in the blanket. I have a change of clothes while you don't.”
With a shrug he stripped and left his clothes to her as he hopped in. Kagome cringed as Shippou cried out and quickly swam back to the edge of the water “it's cold!” he wailed. Kagome only chuckled as she pulled the soap from her bag and dipped Shippou's dirty clothes into the water to wash. She made short work of his clothes before laying them out in the grass.
Removing her clothes and slid into the frigid water. It wasn't strange to take a bath with Shippou so she thought nothing of it when he swam closer to cling to her arm for warmth. She scrubbed her school uniform clean then sat it up on shore.
Satisfied she moved on to scrubbing Shippou clean since he seemed to be shivering too much to wash himself. When he was clean to her liking, she sat him up on the shore and he shook wildly flinging water everywhere. “So cold, so cold” he chanted and whimpered.
He raced over to her mini pack and tugged out the blanket. Without haste, he wrapped himself in it tightly then lay down on the grass as he waited for his body to warm up so he could feel his feet again. Kagome sneezed but stubbornly cleaned her body thoroughly before hopping out. Scrambling over to her bag, she pulled out a towel silently thanking god she had decided to bring her towels after all.
Drying herself off, she quickly pulled on her new yukata, it was a little big, but she wasn't complaining. She smiled at Shippou who was curled in his little cocoon of blanket. “You look warm” she mused running her fingers through his damp orange hair. He gave a weak smile as he shivered and his teeth chattered.
Kagome shook her head and pulled out the mini first-aid kit in her bag. She took the scissor from the kit and Shippou stared at her uncertainly seeing all her attention was focused on the scissors. With a deep sigh, she gathered her hair into a ponytail and much to Shippou's horror she cut it off. He sat up startled and looked at her.
Kagome stared sourly at her cut hair “K-Kagome-Chan” Shippou said a bit fearfully.
“Your hair, why did you-“, Kagome looked at Shippou with the same sad eyes she had the night before when he had begged to follow her.
She smiled but it was void of its usual happiness and energy, “A new beginning, right Shippou” he only stared at her wide-eyed. Kagome stood and walked to the river. She tossed her hair into the water and watched it float away. Silently she gathered the clothing and supplies then picked Shippou up in her arms.
“Kagome-Chan are you okay,” he asked eyeing the messy haircut she had given herself.
“Yup I'm getting there Shippou-kun” she flashed a grin as she started back toward Jiji's cave.
When they arrived back at the cave, Kagome glanced around looking for Jiji but he wasn't outside. She spread the wet clothes she had out by the fire. Shifting Shippou in her arms, she walked toward the cave entrance. Peeking into the cave cautiously she saw tall shelves with jars on them. The jars were full of all kinds of plants, she recognized some as medicinal herbs, but the others were beyond her knowledge. The shelves created an isle that led her toward a wooden counter. She looked past the counter to see weapons. Weapons of all kinds, the common sword, to crescent bladed swords, glaives, boa staffs, bows..oh yes bows and really nice ones too. The different types of weapons she laid eyes on left her stunned.
Kagome heard the squeak of a metal door and saw the red of lames reflecting against the wooden shelves and the cave wall. She looked toward the source of the light and was a bit miffed when a wall curved around the area where the light was coming from. “Jiji?” she called warily. She didn't want to go around the counter, this is where he lived after all.
“Give me a moment” he called. Kagome shrugged and sat Shippou down on the counter and he crawled to his feet readjusting the blanket as needed. Kagome eyed the weapons in fascination. She noticed another cave off in a corner `probably where the sleeping area is', she thought absently.
“Now…” Kagome and Shippou glanced up as Jiji walked over to them. “You have something you need to tell me?” Kagome raised an eyebrow at the 5'11 youkai standing over her and opened her mouth to speak but instead she and Shippou's stomachs growled. Jiji's mouth hung open a bit in disbelief.
He shook his head and waved them off, “Go eat the fish, I ate this afternoon, I'm fine.” Both Shippou and Kagome blushed holding their angry stomachs. “I think we should just listen” Shippou grumbled hopping down from the counter and walking back outside toward the fire. With a sigh, she followed after Shippou.
After their meal of fish and rice, jiji brought from inside, she began her story. “Well the shikon jewel was ripped from my side and then I broke the jewel and I've been traveling with Inuyasha and my other friends Sango, Miroku, and Shippou here to collect the shattered jewel. Shippou kinda found Inuyasha and me. We helped him get his father's pelt back and defeat the thunder brothers who killed his father, he's been with me since.” She smiled running her fingers through Shippou's hair.
“Anyway, I've been traveling with the group since I was 15. A while ago a witch revived Kikyou the previous guardian of the Shikon jewel and gave her a body of dirt and bones. A piece of my soul was taken to animate Kikyou's body.”
Jiji nodded thoughtfully “That's interesting but I wonder how you can still function with a piece of your soul missing” Kagome shrugged lazily.
“I'm happy I'm still alive after what happened” she admitted. “Inuyasha and Kikyou were in love before she was killed, she's convinced that its Inuyasha's fault she died. She wants to drag him to hell and take my soul with her.”
Jiji raised an eyebrow, “Yeah as you can imagine Kikyou and I do not get along and…and I fell in love with Inuyasha.” She stared thoughtfully into the fire then to Jiji who was sitting quietly waiting for her to continue. “I finally realized I can't compete with Kikyou for Inuyasha's love.” She said with a heavy sigh.
“You should not have to compete against the undead for anything. How peculiar that a hanyou, who I assume must have had a hard time in life like the rest of his kind, would turn away love from a healthy young woman and choose a woman made of soil and bones instead,” He shook his head thoroughly confused.
“I got tired of him sneaking around me to go see Kikyou, I just wish he would have told me he didn't like me so I wouldn't have tried to get in between him and Kikyou, I-I feel so stupid!” she buried her face in her hands. She felt Shippou rubbing her arm trying to comfort her. Kagome smiled reassuringly at Shippou and took a deep breath. “I ran away and I ended up here.”
Only the sound of the fire burning echoed in the clearing as everyone became lost in his or her own thoughts.
“What do you plan to do from here child?”
Kagome gave a bitter laugh, “I don't have a plan,” she admitted. She glanced at him, “Pretty stupid for me to get all emotional and go running off with a kit on my own right before winter, gods what am I gonna do” she moaned.
“I will be honest with you it was stupid, but I understand your need to get away from the thing causing you pain.” She sniffled a bit eyeing the old youkai sitting across from her. There was silence again and Kagome looked to the reds and yellows stretch across the sky as the sun set.
“Can I ask a question?” Shippou asked in a tiny and wary voice. All eyes turned to him and he squirmed uncomfortably as he tightened the blanket around his body. “How can you see when you never open your eyes” the serious atmosphere shattered at the kits question.
“I'm blind kit but I can see aura and even on occasion power when a lot of it surrounds a creature.”
Shippou looked at him fascinated, “So you can't see normal stuff but how do you walk around and not run into stuff” Shippou huffed.
“Yeah and you can make weapons and you collect those plants and stuff, how do you know where everything goes and how to find it again” Kagome wondered aloud.
Jiji squirmed where he sat as he found himself bombarded with questions. “Almost everything has a bit of energy running through it even the trees and rocks. While I can't always make out a complete shape I get the basic idea from the light given off from that item. When I can't rely on my strange site I resort to sound, touch, and smell. The plants each give off a unique smell so I can always find them if I need to. Poisonous plants are a bit more dangerous to sniff out but I've discovered ways to find them.”
“That doesn't explain how you can make weapons and stuff,” Kagome immediately pointed out.
“Yeah its really dangerous to use fire like that when you can't see” Shippou fired right after her.
Jiji gave a deep suffering sigh and opened his eyes to stare at them. Kagome and Shippou stared in fascination at his faded pink eyes. “When I am very close to fire I can see like you do, not very well and not very far but just enough. I can see you two now… if you were closer I could see you better”
Kagome quickly made her way around the campfire and sat by him. She leaned in his line of site and he blinked a few times at her as if his eyes hurt. “Can you see me Jiji?” she asked curiously.
He smiled closing his eyes “Hai you are a lovely little human” Kagome turned a bright red and sat properly. Jiji chuckled “I would like to know why you cut your hair in such a way you would look beautiful with longer hair” he commented.
Shippou shuffled around the camp fire, “she cut it off when we went to bathe earlier” he told the older youkai.
“Hey can you see me?” Shippou asked waving a hand. Jiji opened his eyes a bit and nodded to Shippou
“Where are your clothes kit?”
It was Shippou's turn to blush and Kagome snickered at his embarrassment. “My clothes are still wet,” he grumbled with a pout.
“Jiji?” he tilted his head slightly to let her know he was listening “ Can you teach me about the plants you collect and stuff” Kagome asked timidly.
“I am a tough teacher” he said immediately.
“I can handle it.” Kagome assured with a bright grin.
Jiji was silent a moment then he nodded “fine, then it is settled, you will stay here with me as a student I expect the kit to do something with himself also.”
Kagome nodded quickly “I've been teaching him to read and write I'll continue his lessons” she assured.
Jiji nodded, “Then tomorrow you will begin to learn all the plants and herbs I wish you to learn and their uses” Kagome nodded eagerly.
“You two need to rest, the day begins early” He stood slowly. “Come, I'll give you a room to use.” He said walking back toward the cave.
Kagome quickly scooped Shippou up into her arms and followed after Jiji. “I'm confused though, you said earlier were supposed to be enemies…” Jiji nodded confirming her statement, “So why are you so quick to help us?”
Jiji turned his head a bit and smiled, “While I am very old and quite happy with where I am, I get very bored.” Kagome blinked and chuckled as she followed him into the back caverns of the cave.
XXXXXX
Something prodded into her side roughly and her head shot up from the warm furs and sheets that made her bed. She opened her mouth to yell but the words died in her throat when she spotted the tall dark figure standing over her. Blinking the few times to clear her sleep fogged gaze, she was able was able to make out Jiji's features in the dark cavern. She glanced to the hole in the wall that acted as a window. It was still pitch black outside and she could smell the cool wet moisture from the outside air. It led to outside which she found strange because they lived in the side of a cliff. She and Shippou had stayed up late debating how it was possible to have a window to the outside in a cave.
“Get up!” he demanded in a grumpy voice.
Jiji was obviously not a morning person. She deduced this from barely being awake a few minutes in the same room as him. She nodded dumbly and as if he had seen her confirmation, he turned and walked from the room. She looked around her sleeping area groggily. A whimper made her look to Shippou who was lying beside her curled into a tiny ball sleeping soundly.
Flopping onto her side, she kicked her sheets off, and crawled to her feet. Straitening her yukata she stumbled out into the hall sleepily. The natural tunnels of JiJis cave home were even darker than her room if possible, so she kept to the wall to guide her. After a moment of using the wall as a guide she became a little braver and walked a bit quicker. She immediately regretted the act when her shin collided with something rather solid and produced a dull thud that echoed in the hall.
She hissed in pain bending over a bit to nurse her injured leg. Angrily, she kicked at the item that had caused her pain…with no shoes on. With a cry of pain hopped about awkwardly trying to hold her abused toes and stay upright. She bit her lip to muffle her angry and pained screams. Sensing something appear in front of her she looked up and she saw one wide glowing eye swivel into her line of site. Her heart jumped into her throat at the site that reminded her of a scary movie she had seen a few years ago. The eye did not blink or focus on her but the voice in the direction of the voice put her at ease, “You clumsy child, can't you see?”
She bristled a bit at the comment “No, I can't. If you didn't know, humans don't have scary glowing eyes that help us see in the dark” she snapped.
“You confuse me for I am blind,” JiJi responded after a moment of silence. Kagome took a moment to digest his words, the throbbing of her bruises ignored for the time being. She gave a frustrated growl and smacked her forehead.
“Then how do you-“
“…get around?”
“Yeah…”
“Don't know, I just have this instinct that helps me avoid things that would hurt me.”
Kagome frowned “That doesn't explain anything” she huffed.
She could hear the frown in his voice when he responded, “Yes it does”
The wide open eye closed and Kagome felt her heart hammer in her chest as fear of the dark set in, especially after seeing such a thing as a glowing eye.
“You're afraid of me?”
Kagome jumped when Jiji's voice emerged from behind her “Not of you in particular but rather the dark,” she admitted as she pet her chest to calm her racing heart. “I was attacked in the dark when I was a child, people were robbing my house, and I stumbled upon them.” She wrinkled her nose as she heard the shifting of fabric so close to her ear as Jiji moved. “It doesn't help your eyes glow and your moving around to scare the shit out of me?”
There was a bit of humor in his reply, “I am”, he admitted.
After a moment he continued, “Like I told you before, I'm bored and you're interesting.” Kagome groped for the wall blindly and when she felt the rough cool rock under her hands she turned to lean her back against it. He had been hiding his aura a few minutes ago but now she could feel it quite clearly. She reached out and grabbed his kimono sleeve, “Jiji can you help me get to the front cavern, I don't want to keep running into things.”
Silence fell over them and she squirmed somehow knowing he would deny her.
She wasn't disappointed, “No, you'll learn to do it yourself.”
She frowned in the direction of the old youkai, “You will be working here to earn your keep and wages. I will feed you and your kit and provide shelter but that's all. You will be working with youkai and many of the customers I commission swords for are youkai who love to show up in the dead of night. You need to learn to move about in the dark.”
She licked her lips nervously she could understand that. On the other hand, she didn't like that he was implying, she would be seeing to youkai's needs in the near future when he wouldn't or couldn't do it.
“Okay do you have any pointers?” she asked a bit fearfully.
“Hmm I don't know if your lack of training is a gift or a curse,” he grumbled.
“What, why?” she asked a bit desperately.
“Because you have not been formally trained you don't have the usual human and miko views of youkai and your very open minded to different ways of using your power” he murmured. “On the other hand most mikos with decent training can see a bit further and make out things in the dark by use of their power.”
Kagome nodded in understanding, “Youkai see by a completely different method and it's completely without thought, like second nature. I can tell you what I know but I doubt you will be able to do the same.” Kagome brought her hand up to her face in an attempt to make out something in the consuming darkness. She gave a heavy sigh when she realized she couldn't see her hand despite the fact she was poking herself right between the eyes.
“I'll at least try, it can't hurt can it?” she replied weakly.
Jiji was silent a moment as if gathering his thoughts, “Power gives off a light that, while you may not always register it as light your eyes do. In theory, a youkais power is pushed to sit behind the eyes and this light circles the eye…somehow. I'm not quite sure but that was how it was explained to me.” Jiji shifted in the dark “but then some of my sources are idiots who live by eating the hearts of other creatures.” He trailed off mumbling.
Kagome was already analyzing this description in her head, it wasn't extremely informative but she was a smart girl and prided herself in such. Okay so youkai had eyes like cat's...kinda, in her mind this description didn't sit well but she let it be until she could think up a better excuse. youkai made their own light source and projected it from the eyes. The theory left a lot of questions and she still wondered how light behind the eyes gave the user the ability to see things ahead of them in the dark like youkai did. She shook her head, youkai were creatures that weren't of her understanding and it would be a long time before she fully would, if ever.
She closed her eyes and willed her power to gather in her stomach where it usually came from. It had taken a month of meditation to realize she could gather her power in her and feel it. She tried pushing her power through the very under used pathways leading to her head, then just forced power into her eyes. It hurt like all hell but when she opened her eyes, thank the gods, she could make out a bit of her surroundings.
“Kagome I don't really expect you to do what I'm thinking, it was just the teasing of an old man, I'll lead you up front but-“ she hushed him so she could concentrate and he shut up a bit startled by her forcefulness.
She closed her eyes and cut her power, it was nice but the pain was not receding but slowly giving her a bad headache. So now she was going to try Jiji's way. Gathering her power again, she willed two balls to split off from the main source in her stomach. She gathered the power behind her eyes, only a tiny bit though so she didn't open her eyes to find herself blind if she had messed up. She didn't try to make the power behind her eyes do anything she just brought it as close to her eyes as she was comfortable with and let it sit. She opened her eyes and hissed finding this pain just as bad as her last try.
“Have you done it?” he asked a bit eagerly.
Kagome only grunted but the pain began to fade and after a moment it was only a dull throbbing. Opening her eyes again slowly she blinked a few times taking in the clarity with which she saw the dark tunnels. For a moment she thought the sun had begun to rise and was providing the light for her.
“Did the sun come up while I was concentrating” she turned on Jiji to see him tilt his head to the side then grin.
“I don't believe so but you can see right,” Kagome grunted in acknowledgement memorizing the area where they stood.
“My visions blurry but I can see” she admitted.
He nodded eagerly and she giggled at the odd site of the man's head bobbing up and down so quickly.
“Good good, you will practice keeping this new ability of yours in use without your conscious thought. It'll be to your benefit later on I assure you.” He began to walk and she followed him stepping around the metal chess that was in the middle of the walkway that she had run into. Now that she thought about it, Jiji did have many random things in walkways and such. It didn't bother him because it was how he knew where everything was and now that she could see in the dark it wouldn't bother her to much either.
“I never imagined a human could do such a thing, youkai are simply built to have such abilities,” he whispered quickly, more to himself than to her. The severity of her accomplished feat, stemming from a lonely but gossip oriented old youkai and her own curiosity and determination, wouldn't hit her full force until way later.
After almost an hour of dabbling in the halls of the cave they finally made it to the front cavern where Jiji sold his weapons, medicines and poisons from. Now that she paid attention there were a lot of random items on the floor. Soiled rags used to shine weapons, canisters, pots, buckets; weapons that had gone astray from the other items that leaned against the walls and hung on hooks.
Jiji was still going on about her sight his fascination obvious, “The blurriness should fade, at least it does for youkai children when they are learning to see properly and pay attention to far away details” he prattled on.
“I guess that's good to know, I can't see any further than usual though I can just see better in the dark” she trailed off eyeing the ceiling in fascination “…a lot better actually”
Jiji came over and grasped her shoulders. He lead her to a stool that sat behind the counter and sat her down “I wonder if other miko's can do it too?” she wrinkled her nose as jiji slid a whole bunch of pots that had been gathered at the end of the counter to sit before her.
”I wouldn't advise you asking unless you know the miko in question” she advised.
He nodded quickly, “Yes I'll ponder this later, maybe even ask around among my customers but right now you have lessons.”
She eyed the pots before her noticing the pots had words written on them. “These are 20 different plants that you will be working to learn by the end of this week.” He dropped a pair of gloves that strangely resembled gardener's gloves in front of her. “At the end of this week I want you to know all these plants names, their uses, what they look like and where you can find them.” He shoved a rather large scroll into her arms even as she stared at him wide eyed. “You can read right, that'll be rather unpleasant to teach you seeing as I can't see” he frowned thought fully at her.
Kagome stood up instantly dropping the scroll, “I'll have you know I can read, write, do math, philosophy, history, and much more, don't insult me!” she snapped. He pet her head looking extremely pleased by her revelation and her anger seemed to fade instantly.
“That's excellent I've met few educated humans and even fewer educated women. I can't read of course so I shouldn't have insulted you that way.”
He bent down and picked up the forgotten scroll she had dropped and pushed it into her arms again as he made her sit on the stool. “Good then study hard,” he said happily.
Kagome glance warily at the pots then back to Jiji “What if I don't memorize everything you want within the week?” Jiji smiled viciously and she saw two shark like rows of teeth, she found this startling because she could have sworn he had very human looking teeth accept the fangs a little earlier. Kagome would later dub this smile her jijis `shit-eating smile' and would copy it to the best of her human abilities as a method to scare the shit out of people.
“If you are like the rest of you human brethren..” Kagome bristled at the insult but jiji either didn't notice her ire or care at that moment.
“…and you don't complete your studies to the point where you can recite everything off hand then you will run from here to the outskirts of that human village about a mile from here, run around the village twenty times then come back here.”
Kagome's jaw dropped in horror “Then you will work at your studies again and try till you get it right.” She could only nod dumbly as the reality of her situation set in.
“Now that you are here you will learn to take over the handling of the medicine and poisons I sell when your knowledge of such things is sufficient. Eventually I will teach you about the makings of weapons when I see fit.” Unrolling the scroll she eyed the list of things she needed to learn then looked back to her newly dubbed sensei. “Every day you will go and fetch water at sunrise if you wish for you and your kit to eat. You will clean when I am unable to and you will have other duties once you get into the habit of your studying. Your lessons will not be all day. A bit after midday you and the kit will bathe and eat then work on any studies you have prepared for him.”
He smiled that calm and disarming smile that had caught her off guard upon first meeting him. He turned and walked around the wall that hid the blacksmithing hearth from view and she looked to the scroll and to the pots and cursed vehemently. She heard Jiji chuckle and glared at the wall that hid him from view.
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That's it for chapter 2.
Honestly Jiji is one of my favorite characters because he reminds me such of my own dad. Sarcastic and sometimes an ass but he has a good heart and does what he thinks is for the best. He really does try to think ahead but sometimes it gets him in trouble (You'll understand why a lot later)
Thanks for reading and please review. I love input.