InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Persistence ❯ Chapter 12 ( Chapter 12 )

NOTE: I've had some comments that Sesshomaru is slightly OOC. True but let's think about it for a moment. How much have YOU changed over the span of 5 or 10 years? Sometimes our personalities, sense of humor, ways of thinking and our reaction to things/situations changes over time. Now, think about the span of 550 years (55 to 110 TIMES longer). And imagine those 550 years were spent waiting for someone you love to show up again and all you have to depend on are people you previously could not stand (or that you pretended you hated). You would probably change, too. I'm just saying to give our dear Sesshomaru a chance. He's been through a lot - and we're about to put him through a lot more. Hahahah!

Oh, and I don't feel like putting a lot of detail into his, uh, other dates because I'm saving my wit and descriptive skills for Kagome Besides, who wants to hear about the other women? Frankly, I don't.

--000--

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, pushed away from his desk, and slowly walked toward Kagome. Her eyes widened as the tall demon Lord practically stalked toward her. She scrambled to back up but found herself to be pressed back into the chair she had been previously sitting in. As he neared, he leaned down and murmured quietly, “why yes, I do. But she's not a demoness.”

Shippo stood near the wall, a satisfied smirk on his face. Oh, this was going to be quite fun.

Chapter 12

 

Sesshomaru straightened up, laughing softly at the gasp that he elicited out of Kagome with his last statement. He attempted to make it seem as if he was just kidding… but he wasn't. She stared at him with wide eyes. My ears must be playing tricks on me. Did he just laugh? she thought to herself. His laugh had been deep and silky on her ears, caressing around the shell and gently sneaking in. She watched as he walked over to his desk and sat down in his chair. Leaning back, he let out a long, deep breath. “I guess I need to make some calls,” he said.

 

Shippo pushed away from the wall, “yeah, you do. C'mon Kagome, let's go enjoy your first Vernal Equinox Celebration.”

 

Kagome smiled over at Shippo and shuffled out of the room in front of him. Sesshomaru heard her laughter and then the clicking of her geta sandals on the hallway floor once again. Pulling out a pair of reading glasses (which were only for looks), Sesshomaru suddenly wished Jaken was still around so he didn't have to do the arranging. He never thought he would be put in this type of situation. If someone had told him 500 years ago that when he finally found Kagome again that he would be challenged for his title and would have to find a mate and conceive an heir within four months… well, he would have disemboweled them and then melted them to nonexistence with his poison. He had planned to slowly bring Kagome back into his life and, after a while, to confess to her how he felt. What he hadn't counted on was, of course, the Writ of Taishou and Kagome only knowing him for the cold jerk he used to be. There is no good way to rush a relationship.

 

Sighing, he flipped open his contact book and began to scan pages to find eligible female demons. Things were so much different now than in the feudal era. Much of the practices the Writ of Taishou encouraged were archaic and uncivilized. Had they been in the feudal era currently, Sesshomaru would have no qualms about propositioning Kagome for such a situation. However, the dating scene in the 21st century was something much different. Sesshomaru knew that in order for Kagome to not necessarily suspect that he is singling her out, he should date three other women at the same time as Kagome. After much deliberation and grumbling, Sesshomaru stared at three names that stood out from the rest of his contacts.

 

Ariko Watanabe

Fuyumi Mie

Saiko Hamada

 

These three women Sesshomaru knew from his association with the courts, the other Lords, and through his tattooing business. He knew them quite well and knew that, by tomorrow afternoon, each of them would have heard in some way or another about his predicament. The tricky part would be leading them on without them knowing it… oh, and leaving the best dates for Kagome.

 

 

Ariko Watanabe was the grand niece of a demon in the Western court. She was actively involved in the workings of politics in the area regarding demon laws and also of present laws of Japanese society. She had a Ph. D in Women's Studies and didn't let you forget it. Hmmm. Ariko and I have known each other for a few centuries. She is single but, Sesshomaru contemplated with a slight cringe, she might be a bit much. After a pause he shrugged. It's just a few dates and I won't be mating her anyway. It might be fun to play a game of `Lord Sesshomaru is better than you'.

 

Fuyumi Mie, a quiet demoness descendent of a Noble in the Northern lands, was his second pick. She was very intelligent and quite an artist when it came to painting. Sesshomaru had commissioned several portraits over the centuries from her and she always did an unbelievable job. He recalled how, when he started complimenting her on her work, she would blush and accept the compliment quietly. Her humble behaviour reminded him of Kagome. Perhaps she would help me understand some of Kagome's more sensitive emotions.

 

And then there was Saiko Hamada. Saiko was the first woman Sesshomaru ever tattooed. Hell, she was the person he tattooed the most. He was more familiar with her body than he liked to admit but only in terms of where her tattoos were located and how much un-inked skin she had left. Saiko had a friendly, outgoing personality which helped her at her job as a receptionist for a large company but she also had a side of her that was quick witted and sharp. By day she was business casual but at night she was an unrecognizable woman with her arms and legs uncovered, showing her myriad of tattoos. Sesshomaru received many new customers thanks to Saiko's exploits at bars and clubs around the city. When she was at the shop or the two were just hanging out she always found a way to help him relax and tap into his creative mind.

 

Sesshomaru scooted his chair back and rested his forehead on the edge of the desk. So, it looks like these are my other three women. This is going to be harder than I first imagined. The next few months were going to be incredibly busy for him.

 

 

Over the next 2 weeks…

 

 

In order to make sure none of the women knew about the other, Sesshomaru planned dates in different areas of the city, at different times and on different dates. All four women were different enough that it would not be the same date over and over. He figured that first he would take out Ariko and then Fuyumi. Arranging those dates was easy.

 

 

Sesshomaru took Ariko to a public discussion at a liberal arts college where porn legend Ron Jeremy squared off with anti-porn activist Craig Gross, debating the pros and cons of adult entertainment. Sesshomaru was amazed that such a debate would be happening in Japan but, figuring it was coming from one of the more liberal organizations, he thought it would be fun. What else would ruffle Ariko's figurative feathers than talking about something that obviously objectified women? Sesshomaru had never been one to view pornography, feeling it was distasteful and disrespectful. This, however, did not stop him from taking the opposite side of Ariko in order to badger her and make her defend her views. By the end of the night Sesshomaru had been out-debated by Ariko and decided to NEVER AGAIN take a woman to something where a man with a supposed 9