InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Stream of Consciousness: A LiveJournal Collection ❯ The Playful Kitsune ( Chapter 40 )

Title: The Playful Kitsune

Community: First Tweak

Theme: Shop

Place Earned: 1st

Rating: PG-13

Universe: Canon

Word count: 1,692

Warnings: implied adult content

 

 

The Playful Kitsune

 

“Come on, Inuyasha, just one more store and then we can go home.”

 

The hanyou groaned, wondering just how many times he had heard that line today. When Mrs. Higurashi suggested they go shopping at the mall to buy everything they needed in the feudal era in one place, he had been all for the idea. But this place was a hellhole! It was overcrowded, and it smelled of far too many things. All of the kids and teens gabbing at once made his ears throb, and for once he was thankful for the baseball cap which covered them. Plus he had to wear sandals, and the unfamiliar footwear hurt his feet. On top of all that, he had somehow wound up carrying all the bags! At least there was a whole bagful of ramen somewhere on one of his arms. His stomach growled as he watched Kagome go into the “last store,” his load having grown too large for him to follow her in. This had better be the last store or I swear I'm gonna—

 

“Ok, Inuyasha, I think we have everything we need,” Kagome said as she emerged from the shop. “Just let me go to the bathroom and then we can leave.”

 

Inuyasha plopped himself down on a handy bench, closing his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, he gasped in shock. Now, he could read fairly well, but he didn't understand many of the modern symbols the people in Kagome's time used. So it surprised him to see a few symbols he did recognize in an elegant design above the entrance to a shop across the walkway. The Playful Kitsune? I wonder what they sell. Next to the lettering was the outline of a fox, with the only unusual feature being the thin, curved line showing its mischievous smile. The sight reminded him of Shippo, and his mood soured with guilt. He had been hard on the kit recently, hadn't he? It wasn't entirely his fault; lately it seemed the two of them were at each other's throats about everything. Maybe he should buy the runt something, like a toy. Most of their fights ended with him eating dirt, so a peace offering would serve his interests of self-preservation as well. Mrs. Higurashi had slipped him some money and told him to buy something for himself, but he hadn't spent it yet. So yes, it was a good idea, as long as no one knew he was doing it.

 

“Ready, Inuyasha?” Kagome said, startling him out of his musings. As they walked, he glanced over his shoulder at The Playful Kitsune. Ah, well, I can always come back later. It didn't take too long to get home, and after setting the bags down in the kitchen Inuyasha went outside and sat in Goshinboku. He deserved a break after a long day. No sooner had he settled himself against the trunk did Kagome's exclamation of “Oh, no!” have him dashing back into the kitchen.

 

“What is it?!” he yelled, instantly concerned. There better not be anything wrong with my ramen!

 

“I forgot Shippo's pocky. I'll have to go back to the mall.”

 

“N-no!” he said, thinking quickly. “I'll get the damn pocky. You go study for that stupid `test' thing of yours. We're leaving tomorrow afternoon no matter what!” Then, before she could protest, he marched out the door, inwardly pleased with his cleverness. Upon reaching the mall, he forgot all about the pocky and made his way to The Playful Kitsune.

 

The shop was strange, unlike any of the others he had been in today. The walls were lined with bizarre devices that he couldn't begin to figure out. Is this really a shop for kitsune? Oh, wait, there aren't any kitsune in this time. Dumbass. He was just about to leave when a familiar symbol once again caught his eye, this one on a box on one of the shelves. Butterfly? He didn't understand any of the other words on the package, but he knew that one. Shippo likes butterflies; he chases them around the field for fun. It seemed like the perfect gift until he looked through the clear part of the package at the contents within. The thing was unlike any butterfly he'd ever seen. It was obviously fake; it was many times larger than a real one and the proportions were all wrong. The body was too big and the wings were too small, and the whole thing was bright pink. Two circular straps extended from the wings, and nestled next to the butterfly was a small remote control, which he recognized as such because it resembled the one the Higurashis had for their TV box. So what was the purpose of this thing? Did it fly? That seemed the only reasonable purpose for an artificial butterfly, and he knew Shippo would enjoy flying the thing around the feudal era. With any luck, he could avoid kissing dirt for weeks!

 

Decision made, he grabbed the package and took it up to the counter. The girl behind it grinned at him, but her face fell when she saw what he was holding. Damn, already taken. What an exotic look, though! My cousin would love to get his hands on him.

 

“Hey,” she told him as she bagged his item, “if you're ever looking for a job, let me know. My cousin is in the, uh, directing business, and I know he'd give you an audition. A guy like you never needs to be unemployed, as long as you don't mind performing on camera.” Inuyasha didn't like her tone of voice or the disturbing twinkle in her eye, but he let them go because he had no idea what she was talking about. He probably didn't want to know. Having paid, he took his purchase and walked back to the shrine, heading straight back to the feudal era. He found Shippo practicing his kitsune-bi in a field not far from the well.

 

“Oi, runt!”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Here,” Inuyasha said shortly, tossing Shippo the package. The kitsune turned it over in his hands, studying it closely.

 

“A butterfly?”

 

“I guess,” the hanyou replied nonchalantly, sitting cross-legged on the grass.

 

“Did you get it for me?” Shippo asked in amazement.

 

“Don't read too much into it,” Inuyasha grouched, but Shippo couldn't help but be excited anyway.

 

“Come on, help me open it!” The hanyou hesitated for a moment, but then used his claws to carefully tear open the package. Soon the butterfly was sitting on the grass, and both boys were staring confusedly at it.

 

“Now what?” Shippo asked.

 

Inuyasha shrugged. “Dunno. Everything in Kagome's time is weird. You figure it out.”

 

“Maybe it flies!” That theory was quickly shot to pieces when a throw from the kitsune only resulted in the butterfly taking a nosedive a few feet away. Shippo paced around it, thinking hard. He enjoyed a good mystery, and no inanimate object would get the better of the Great Shippo! Maybe the straps served some function. Soon he was wearing the butterfly like a backpack, jumping around flapping his arms, trying to take flight. Watching the scene with amusement, Inuyasha suddenly remembered the remote control. Grabbing it, he flicked the only switch.

 

“Wa!” Shippo exclaimed, tripping over himself and falling onto his stomach.

 

“What, it is trying to fly?”

 

“N-n-n-no, it's just sh-sh-shaking r-r-r-r-really f-fast.” Inuyasha snickered at that. “Aw, c-c-come on, Inuyasha-a-a-a,” Shippo whined, “t-t-turn it of-f-f-f-f.”

 

“No way, runt!” Inuyasha cackled. “This shit's too funny!” Soon the kitsune was laughing too, still lying helplessly on his stomach with the butterfly humming above him. Finally Inuyasha took mercy on the kit, and flicked off the switch. Both boys spent the next few minutes chuckling and getting their breathing back under control.

 

“Inuyasha, there you are!” came Kagome's voice suddenly. “Souta said he saw you come ba—” She stopped, her jaw dropping as her face rapidly flamed to a very dark shade of red. “Where did you get that, Inuyasha?” she asked in a chilling monotone that made the hanyou want to run away and hide.

 

“A-at the mall. A shop called The Playful Kitsune,” he answered. That was apparently all Kagome needed to hear.

 

“OSUWARI!!!”

 

*Thud*

 

“What the hell was that for, wench?!” Inuyasha yelled as he pulled himself from the earth, to see that Kagome had already gathered up the butterfly, the remote, and all the packaging in her arms.

 

“This is not a toy, Inuyasha!” she snapped, glaring directly at him. “Neither of you will ever speak of this again, got it?!” Both boys nodded eagerly, and the miko harrumphed before storming back toward the well.

 

“Kagome's scary sometimes,” Shippo observed from his place on Inuyasha's shoulder.

 

“You ain't kidding,” the hanyou replied.

 

“Wanna play hide and seek?”

 

“I guess.”

 

“No using your nose.”

 

“No using kitsune-bi.”

 

“Deal.”

 

With that, the games began.

 

 

Kagome, however, was not in a playful mood, as she stared at the butterfly sitting ever-so-innocently on her bed. She felt a little guilty for saying the word when Inuyasha probably had no idea what the thing actually was. But that boy needed to learn not to buy something without knowing what it was! She sighed heavily. I'll have to return this. I hope Bakayasha still has the receipt. Though they should take it back without one since I don't think there are many sex shops in the area anyway. That thought had her looking closer at the butterfly, her gaze shifting to curiosity. I wonder what it's like… She knew herself, and now that it was in her head she wouldn't be able to study until she found out. She supposed one try couldn't hurt…

 

Ten minutes later, lying on her bed in a sweaty, exhausted, post-orgasmic mess, Kagome had officially changed her mind. She would be journeying to The Playful Kitsune at her earliest convenience, but not to return the butterfly. Oh, no, there would be no parting with this little devil. She intended to make another purchase. For even though she didn't know it yet, Sango would want one of these too.