InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Wake Me Up Inside ❯ Chapter 9 ( Chapter 9 )
Wake Me Up Inside
Chapter 9
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Fourteen bottles of beer on the wall.
Fourteen bottles of beer!
Take one down.
Pass it around.
Thirteen bottles of beer on the wall!
Inside the dark prison that held captive his soul, Inuyasha sighed in extreme and utter boredom. Many an hour was spent like this. Willing the time away only to find it crawling by like honey in the middle of winter. It was a wonder the hanyou hadn't completely lost his mind by this point. But, the prospect of hearing, smelling, feeling, seeing Kagome again kept him going. Sometimes he would just lounge here letting movies of his life replay in his mind. Yet, there was only so much repeating of those movies that a hanyou could take. So, he busied himself with silly, stupid, mundane, insane forms of self-amusement.
Thirteen bottles of beer on the wall.
Thirteen bottles of beer!
Take one down.
Pass it--
Inuyasha's spirit froze as an all too familiar scent flooded his world.
`Well I'll be damned. Thirteen is a lucky number after all!' he chuckled to himself before shutting up to listen to Kagome's footsteps lead her into the room. Once again, he felt her gaze upon him as she crossed the room to sit once more at his right side. For now, she made him one happy hanyou.
"I've returned," came her sweet voice echoing through the nothingness. "Miss me?"
`Like you wouldn't believe,' Inuyasha thought back. He felt his right hand get plucked up into the grasp of both of hers. He felt her idly toy with his fingers and her gaze intensely study them. Had his body obeyed any commands his mind gave it, he would have been red as a beat at the moment.
"Beth and I talked more at the restaurant," Kagome started again as she gently caressed his hand with hers. "I didn't tell her very much more. I only told her about who Inuyasha was, how I met him, and what the rosary had to do with it all. No worries."
`I still wanted to hear you tell it,' the hanyou pouted.
"I'll be telling it all over again tomorrow. I think, somehow, I'm ready to talk about it now," Kagome said almost as if she'd heard him, yet he knew she hadn't. She couldn't. "I might be wrong but I seriously think Beth might be Sango. I told her that this evening. I told her who Sango was. Then I told her about a guy I know whom I'm thinking might be Miroku and who Miroku was. It's strange how suddenly all these people seem to be coming together. Everyone else seem to already be here, as if you were all waiting for me. Don't you think that strange?"
`Not really. We were all somehow obviously meant to be friends. It's only natural that we would come together now around you. You are, after all, the hub that kept our wheel together,' Inuyasha thought.
"Anyway, I plan on telling the whole story from start to finish tomorrow when Sherry comes over. I told her that I would come pick her up and walk with her to make sure she gets here safely. We may not have near as many demons around anymore, but the world is still a dangerous place."
`Yes, I figured that one out long ago,' Inuyasha thought wryly. He felt the bed move as she shifted to lay down next to him again, like she'd done earlier. She let his hand lay across his stomach to, then, pick up the teddy bear she'd bought earlier. The quite stillness that ensued made Inuyasha want to scream. Yet then, he felt the bear's soft fur brush against his cheek and his spirit froze. He felt her make the bear hug him, and he felt like he was suddenly made of honey. Here again, this crazy woman he loved so dearly was torturing him to insanity then turning around a minute later to do something to take his breath away and turn his insides to mush. Inuyasha's attention returned to her antics as he heard her make a soft laughing sound.
"I know what you should name your bear. You should call it Yume. Because it's all about the dreams that you and I share," she said in a voice that spoke of the smile upon her face.
`I like that,' came the reply. The silence returned, and he felt she had returned to thoughts within her own mind. `Kagome,' his spirit whined. His ears perceived the barely audible whimper from the woman next to him and his heart sank. Then, he felt her roll to lean her head against his shoulder and press her body to his side. Her left arm slipped under his neck and around. Her right arm snaked around his torso. His spirit was thrust into a euphoric high as he felt those arms squeeze around him in a gentle hug, then tug him tighter to his beloved.
"I wish I knew what more I could do to help you, Inuyasha. I really do," the miko whined.
`Kagome, I wish I could tell you.. just being here, being held like this by you, it's enough to make be feel so very happy. Please don't cry. Please.. just lay here with me. Hold me for as long as you can.. and be happy with me,' his spirit implored. Though her mind hadn't heard him, he was tempted to think that perhaps some part of her spirit had. For after the passing of a minute or two, she calmed. Her left arm shifted beneath her while her head moved to lay upon his chest.
If the hanyou hadn't been happy before, he certainly was now. He could feel her pulse calm within her veins as she listened to the beat of his heart beneath her ear. He felt her shift to pick up the teddy bear with her free arm. She set it on his stomach for a long moment, as if studying it further. Then she placed it on his rib cage and returned her arm to where it had been. He could almost sense her frown.
"I know I need to go soon. But.. it wouldn't hurt to stay just like this for a little longer.. would it?" the miko asked, as if he could tell her.
`I'm not complaining,' Inuyasha answered quickly and perhaps a bit too innocently. `For once.'
He basked in the blissful sensations given to him. He was surrounded by her sweet intoxicating scent. He could feel the warmth of her body against him and the warm breeze of her breath across him. He could feel her hair spilling around him and mingling with his. He could feel the weight her head as she used him for a pillow.
As he drank in the sustenance of her radiance about him, Inuyasha also took note her weariness. As it had the last time she laid with him, the need for rest was taking center stage. Her pulse slowed and her breathing deepened. He felt her snuggle against him while also shifting her arm so that she cuddled the black bear between the both of them. When she the went lax, he knew that sleep had claimed her. She had fallen quickly, he noted. But, with all she had been through lately, he guessed it was to be expected. Sleep was something she needed desperately right now. He was glad that he was able to help her even just this little bit.
A short while later, Inuyasha detected another scent enter the room. He recognized it as one of the guys who locked up for the night. Silently, he prayed to whichever gods might be listening for Kagome to be left as she was. She was in no condition to be disturbed right now. And he, himself, desperately needed this time with her.
`Please, just one night. It's all I ask. I'll wait patiently as long as you just give me this one night,' Inuyasha pleaded.
The gods saw fit to be merciful. After a minute, Inuyasha heard a light switch click. The room fell dark, and the door quietly clicked shut. Then, as quick as he had came, the intruder left.
`Thank you, whichever god listened to be up there. Tonight, I sing your praise. And I cherish this precious gift of time with Kagome that I've been given,' Inuyasha thought quietly. He focused again on the feeling of Kagome laying beside him with her head upon his chest, and his spirit softly smiled. `Good night, Kagome. Sleep well. Tonight, I will be the one to fight away your nightmares. And I know you'll do the same for me.'
Kagome softly sighed in her sleep and nuzzled against her warm living pillow. Mind hazy with sands from the land of sleep, one word was uttered to the faint voice she thought was a dream, "Inu..yasha…"
Inuyasha beamed, for, this time, he knew she'd heard him. In a time when her spirit was allowed closest to his, she had finally heard him. He knew that as drunk with sleep as she was, she wouldn't entirely understand. But, that didn't matter. What mattered was that she was near enough to hear him. It was his greatest accomplishment yet.
Through the bars of darkness that was his cage, the soul of Inuyasha reached out to that shining pink light that was the soul of Kagome, sleeping at the door to his cell. He kept reaching till he could feel the warmth of her power. Through the binds of his seal, he reached out and drew her close to him. Though a barrier still irritably existed between them, the spirit of the hanyou held on to the spirit of the miko as tightly as he possibly could. He could sense the happiness that filled the miko as she slept. It was contagious. So, content, for now, with what he had, Inuyasha allowed his spirit to drift into sleep with her. If only for tonight, he would stay heart to heart, soul to soul with the woman he loved. For that, he was happy.
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Beth whistled cheerfully as she stepped into the building where she worked. The sun shone brightly in a rainbow of sky and clouds to the east. Somehow, she knew it would be a good day. She was determined to mirror it. Cheerfully, she greeted her colleagues as she made her way to the employee locker room. After putting her purse away and dawning her scrubs, she grabbed her supplies from her cubby and headed out to start her rounds.
The first place she always went was to check on one hansom Asian she and everyone else here affectionately called Romeo. Today, she took with her a greater understanding for exactly who it was she was caring for. Yet, as she reached his room and saw the door shut, understanding turned to confusion.
"How come.." she started to ask as she reached forward and carefully opened the door. What she saw made her shut her mouth. A sound asleep Kagome was serving as a living blanket for Romeo, and Romeo's chest, a living pillow for Kagome. The head of the black teddy bear peaked out from under Kagome's shoulder. Beth blushed and silently shut the door. "Well, at least she got some sleep."
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Kagome slowly awoke to the feeling of a profoundly soothing warmth. She felt as though a strange energy was enveloping her. Coming to, she realized she was still cuddled up to Inuyasha. She then took note, it was also morning. But this feeling… what was it?
The miko looked down at the man she had spent the night holding in a peaceful slumber. He was the same as he had been before. Yet, as she lay there, she continued to sense a strange tingling feeling about her.
`Is this what Sherry feels?' Kagome pondered as she gazed down at the ebony haired man beneath her. She dropped her head, forehead to pillow, beside his. With her ear pressed to his, she hugged him around his neck, tightly as she softly spoke his name, "Inuyasha." For one still moment, Kagome almost thought she could hear his voice faintly calling her name. But in after thought, she figured it was probably just a wisp of an old memory.
With a sigh, Kagome turned to sit up, rubbing at her eyes. She spared a glance at the bedside clock and nearly freaked out of her skin. It was 9:47 am.
"Holy shit, I'm gonna be late for class!" she shrieked as she flew up off the bed. Quickly she gathered her things. She paused briefly to kiss Inuyasha's cheek, "I'll be back in a little while. Be good!"
With that, she raced out the door and down the hall. Catching Beth on her way she stopped only for a moment, "So sorry. If I don't run, I'll be late for class. I'll be back around one for the rest of the day."
Beth blinked as the Japanese girl then swiftly exited the building. "Well, okay then."
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Deep within Yue Taisho's mind, the world flashed brightly for the soul that was both Yue and the former Inuyasha. Irritably, the soul of the hanyou thrashed with a growl within his magical confines as Beth flashed a small intensely bright light into each of Romeo's eyes. Yet, as usual, no matter how much, the hanyou protested, none of his reactions would reach the nervous system feeding his physical body.
`Dammit! I'm sure this is great for regular coma patients, but, Beth, if ya haven't already noticed, I'm not yer regular coma patient, dammit!' Inuyasha screamed out in fury. He liked Beth. He really did, but sometimes she was just too much for his shallow batch of patience to handle.
Everyday, they would go through this ritual on almost an hourly basis. The doctors had tried every coma procedure they could think of on Yue. These days, the tricks Beth used were on the strong end of the spectrum in hopes of agitating the young oriental boy into responding. She would flash bright lights in his eyes. She would play sounds of varying pitch and volume in his ears. She would poke his fingers, toes, and other sensitive points with needles. Of course, none of the tactics were ever things that would truly harm her patient. They were merely done to stimulate his senses, both to keep them functioning as well as to try and revive him.
Romeo's soul was unnaturally bound by a barrier that allowed sensory input but no output other than basic functions essential to life. Due to this situation, the only thing Beth's hard work ever achieved was pissing off one trapped hanyou. Ignoring the fact that she couldn't hear him, Inuyasha never failed to give her his best as far as verbal assaults go. Today was no different.
"Romeo, you are so damn stubborn," Beth said with a sigh as she dropped back to the nearby chair after completing this hour's set of tasks.
`It takes one to know one, bitch,' the cranky dog demon halfling answered glaring through the blessed darkness that engulfed him now that Beth was finished playing peek-a-boo with her flashlight.
"I don't understand. This divine girlfriend of yours shows up out of the blue, completely surprising the hell out of us all. Yet, even when she's here helping me, nothing ever works! Why is that? There has got to be a way to get through to you," the nurse pondered aloud.
`Oh, you've gotten through to me plenty, bitch. You and your stupid torture toys,' Inuyasha mentally fussed back.
"If only… if only we knew what that answer is," Beth brooded with growing desperation.
`I've been trying to figure that one out for two years. If you ever think of something, please do let me know. I've had enough of this bullshit,' replied the captive soul.
"Maybe Kagome's story later today will help us come up with an answer. I mean, if you're so strongly involved in all of this magic stuff that I get a headache trying to understand, then maybe the answer lies somewhere in your past and who you supposedly were before Yue," Beth puzzled.
`Can we say.. "duh!" ?'
A minute later, a knock came to the door. Turning, Beth regarded the summoner who turned out to be one of the temp nurses. Beth smiled and stood.
"Tracy, hi. What can I do for you?"
"Hello," the bouncy young intern greeted in return. "You have a phone call on line three. The person said her name was Kagome. I think she's an international," Tracy told her.
"Oh! Okay, thank you. I'll be right there," Beth grinned cheerfully. She turned to give one last glance at her patient. "Romeo, oh Romeo… There shalt be no dancing on the bed behind my back whilst I be gone. Else, to the dog house with Marmaduke, ye shall go," she teased with a wicked grin before leaving the room.
`Cute. You're a laugh and a half, Beth,' came the typically snotty retort. `Damn bitch,' he muttered before resigning himself to dozing while he had the chance.
Beth whistled the melody of a song who's name she'd presently forgotten as she strode through the hallways of the hospice. She nodded to a few co-workers then swung into the break room. Gravitating to the phone in the back, she picked up the receiver then punched the button for line three.
"Yo, Kag. What's up?" Beth greeted with a smirk.
"Hi. Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering when you plan on having lunch," the girl on the other end replied.
"Oh, no problem. I was just hanging with our favorite troublemaker," the nurse giggled, earning a similar spout of laughter from her friend. "Actually, I was about to break for some chow as it is. How about you?"
"Same. Does meeting up at the Grill work for you?"
"It sure does. I haven't been there since they remodeled. I'm kind of interested to see what all they did."
"Great! I'll see you soon, then," Kagome bubbled with an audible grin.
"Sure thing. Tootles," Beth said, earning another giggle as she hung up the phone. Heaving a deep wonderful breath of contentment, the nurse smiled and retrieved her purse from her locker. Then, she bopped around to the front desk to put in a word before departing.
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"Wow, they really did a number on this place," Beth commented as she looked around upon meeting up with Kagome in the grill fifteen minutes later.
"Hai," Kagome nodded. "Any idea what you want?"
"Hmm, I dunno. You?"
"I think I'll go the safe route and pick the sub shop over there. That way, I'll have plenty of room to indulge in junk food over the weekend," the miko plotted with a sly smirk.
"You have a point. I'll do the same," Beth concluded, mirroring her new friend's expression. So it was that the two ordered subs, then found a booth by the windows to sit down and eat at.
"So what did `Romeo' have to say?" Kagome said as she unwrapped her sandwich.
"The usual. Though I made sure to tell him before I left that there would be no dancing on the bed while I'm gone. Told him he'd be visiting Marmaduke if he did," Beth snickered as she did likewise then took a greedy bite. Across from her, Kagome burst into giggles with a hand over her mouth.
"I can just imagine what he would say to that!" the oriental girl laughed. Beth lifted a brow in curiosity. Kagome looked at her squarely and continued, "It'd probably be something along the lines of `I'm not a dog, dammit!' Which is quite funny when you add to the equation the fact that the hanyou I knew tended to sit, scratch, and growl like a common dog. The scratching part, don't ask me how he did it because I haven't the slightest clue. Inuyasha certainly had his fair assortment of strange habits."
"Oh my!" the older girl responded as it became her turn to let loose a fit of laughter. "That would be something to see."
"Yes, it was. Except when he did it while being in places he shouldn't like outside the windows of my classroom. I got in so much trouble in times like that when I had to make use of his rosary so people wouldn't see him," Kagome frowned with a sweatdrop.
"Wow. Troublesome pup," Beth said with a blink.
"You have no idea."
"Ahhh, Kagome. So lovely to see you again. And who is this fine friend you brought with you?" came a familiar masculine voice. The two girls looked up to find the suave janitor Kagome recognized as Mark.
"Eh-heh-heh… Hello Mark. This is my friend Beth. She's the nurse in charge of taking care of the guy I told you about the other day," Kagome responded politely. "Sango, this is Mark," the miko introduced whilst a matchmaking plot based on her old friends from the Fuedal Era formed in her mind.
"Sango?" Beth blinked, knowing she'd heard the name.
"Sango? I thought you said her name is Beth," Mark said with a look of confusion. Kagome blushed a deep rose as she realized what she'd done. Quickly she waved a hand.
"Oops. My bad. Beth, I mean. Sorry," the miko apologized, hoping it would save her neck from the embarrassing flub.
"Oh! I remember now. You had told me Sango was one of your friends back in Japan right? The one you said I remind you of?"
"Oh, yes. Yes, that's her. Sorry about that," Kagome nodded while laughing nervously.
"You know what they say, college ruins the best of people," Mark joked.
"Damn straight," Beth agreed as Kagome nodded along with her. "Nice to meet you Mark," the nurse smiled as she held out her hand to shake.
"Please, the pleasure is all mine," Mark cooed, flashing a charming smile as he took her hand and proceeded to kiss the back of it. Beth blushed and Kagome twitched knowingly as Mark's lips lingered just a tad bit too long. Beth forcefully drew back her hand, leaving Mark looking as though he wanted to pout.
"A thousand pardons. Beauty such as yours is mesmerizing," the young man replied in a seductive voice.
"I'm sure," Beth said flatly. Kagome watched them exchange expressions that killed any remaining doubt as to who they had been in their last life. She couldn't help the slight smile that escaped. Surely, playing matchmaker with these two would provide a delicious escape from the stresses that sickeningly surrounded her.
"Well, if you're going to stay and chat, pull up a chair. Don't just stand there, else you'll turn to stone. And then who will they get to clean their floors. Certainly none is so talented at whooing customers as you, dear Mark," Kagome teased.
"Quite right. I see your point, young Asian blossom," Mark agreed as he drug a chair up to the table and turned it around backwards before sitting down. Beth eyed him warily. Mark smiled at her and surprised her by popping a rather intelligent statement out of the blue, "I'm glad that Ms. Kagome has found a friend in you.
"I could see over the past few months that I've watched her come and go here that she seems to not have very many friends here. Having come from Japan to go to University here, I can totally understand how one can get lost in such an overwhelming sea of unfamiliarity. But, everyone needs at least a few people they can truly count on and call real friends. Especially Kagome, given the situation she's currently in. Well, judging from as far as she was kind enough to elaborate for me, of course," the dark-haired man explained in complete sincerity. Kagome blushed while Beth contemplated how such words of wisdom could come out of the mouth of a womanizing geezer like Mark.
"No problem, and I whole-heartedly agree," Beth nodded before downing a good portion of her sandwich to try and stop her head from spinning so fast.
"Speaking of Rip-van-winkle junior, how goes the effort to light his fire?" the janitor wittily inquired. Neither of the girls could hold back a chuckle a the guy's choice of words.
"Same as always. Though, you're welcome to visit young Romeo over at Helping Hands Hospice sometime. I'll warn you though, I'm not above enslaving visitors to help with my frequent routine tasks," Beth told him slyly. Her attempt to intimidate backfired.
"I shall do that at some point when I find the time," Mark nodded. "And I wouldn't mind helping a bit. Tis my civic duty to assist Fair Lady in such honorable and heroic endeavors."
Beth blushed yet again. She then made a look of shock as she found Kagome shamelessly laughing at her predicament.
"Who said chivalry is dead?" Kagome mischievously grinned.
"So wise is our young Kagome. I'm sure, with your presence, it shall only be a matter of time before the problem with your slumbering Romeo is resolved. Any man would be a fool who ought be neutered should he ignore such a fine lady," Mark praised. Then he blinked seeing as Kagome was some how managing to blanche and blush at the same time. "Okay, I said something wrong. Apologies," he recoiled with a worried look.
"No," Kagome denied, shaking her head. "No, there was nothing wrong with your words. You just reminded me of another close friend I once knew who would have said that very same thing."
"Oh. Well, then believe me when I say I am truly flattered to have reminded you of such a person," Mark replied sweetly.
"Are you always this dramatic? Or is it just because of all the testosterone you seem to be endowed with?" Beth ask with a raised brow.
"Well, no. Not all the time. I can, on occasion, do better, Buttercup," came his answer as he stole one of her hands to gently massage with the both of his. His deep blue eyes sparkled as he did so. Beth blushed and swiftly drew her hand back to the music of Kagome's chuckles.
"Charming.. Playboy," Beth shot back.
"Anything for Fair Lady. Besides, it seems to be a doing a world of wonder for Ms. Kagome's mood," Mark slyly countered. What a lovely pickle it was that Beth found herself irreversibly ensnared in.
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Penguine: Finally, I finished it! I trucked along through the first half of this chapter before unceremoniously slamming into a brick wall that I found in the scene shift department. T_T* How irritating.
This chapter didn't quite turn out the way I expected it to, but that's okay. It still turned out well despite the issues experienced during its making. One of those being the fact that my mother had a gall bladder attack and was forced to undergo surgery to have it removed. Since my dad is a ditz when it comes to crisis situations, I became captain of the household brigade. T_T* Fun. Loads of fun. -sarcasm- Anyway, she's back to her usual self now and working again. Thank gods. I finally have some time to think deep enough to write. @_@ Now if only I could land a job, I'd be a happy camper. Life's fun, ain't it?
Oh, umm.. I've been thinking about Yue's last name. I keep… wondering if I should change it. It's an awful big coincidence for an ordinary human to have the name of a demon that lived centuries ago. Plus there's the fact that Inu no Taisho is actually the father's title (meaning "Leader of Dogs") rather than his name. But if I change it, what should I change it to? I'm beside myself on that one.
Okay.. fellow fic authors, as a hungry fan of a particularly rare form of Inuyasha fan fiction, I feel it is my duty as a fan as well as an author to inspire some ideas in yall. I'm not sure how well it will work but, it can't hurt to try. I'm throw'n out a challenge. The challenge is.. to write a romance story featuring demon form Inuyasha and one or more of the following things: chocolate, cheese (think the power of cheese commercials), one abandoned cabin or bear den, and a storm (can be snow or thunder).
Sorry, I just love youkai Yash stories and there isn't anywhere near enough of them. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. Hrmm.. Someone should start a Youkai Inuyasha C2. Ne?
Okay, okay. I'll quit babbling now and get to the review replies since there's a mountain of them this time.
Fanfiction.net Review Replies
WackyWisher18: I love it too. There's so much left to tell yet. It just keeps growing and growing each time I sit down to work on it. -lol- Oh gods, yes! I absolutely LOVE writing the parts where Inuyasha gets to add his two cents. His attitude cracks me up. XD // I will do my best to update soon. But with life going haywire here these days, I can't promise anything other than my refusal to abandon this story. It's got too much spark and far too many fans. So, I may not always update as often as people like, but I won't desert it. :)
Suki1: Ehh.. yeah. Updating has gotten hard. But I will keep doing what I can to bring new chapters to you as often as possible.
Jojodacrow: -lol- Yeah, I miss O'Charleys too. They don't have any where I live in Wisconsin. I also miss Shoney's. -pout- // There are a lot of people perplexed on the question of who Sherry is. A few people have guessed it though. I'm starting to feel anxious to tell, so you might be getting an answering somewhere in the next few chapters. Depends on how the story plays out.
KittySand Katie: I wish I could be there too. I wanna play in the sandbox with Sherry. XD
Blackrosebunny451: -whimper- Me trying
Dxpassions: Wow. I'm flattered. Thank you. :)
Yoyo person: Sadly, not for a while yet. Something special has to happen for him to be able to. But not to worry. He'll have plenty of input between now and then. And it'll only make that moment all the sweeter. :)
SailorChibi: Yes, Sessy will be in this. Though not till later. // I plan on leaving the second half of the story in the same story entry. That way I won't lose readers. Learnt that lesson the hard way. :P
WovenBambooPattern: Hoeeeeeee!! Taskete kure!! -runs and hides-
Natsuko J. T: -lol- Thank you. :) I'm glad you like it.
Eleature: I thank you for your gracious comments. :) I really do try to write stuff in a way that can let the reader keep up with my vivid imagination. I'm not always sure I do it well enough, but I do try. Plus, I want to try and set an example for newer writers as to how a story should go. I'm saddened to see so many authors out there ignoring grammar rules to the point of disgrace. They don't seem to care about how they present their stories in writing, and it really truly bugs me. Then there are so many that fly through the story without describing things, or doing a poor job at describing things, so you're left grappling for mental imagery of your own to make up for what the author left out or messed up on. It's frustrating. // As for the flow and description of my own story, the scenes evolve on their own for the most part. Most of them are fleshed out as I type with only a few being pre-planned in any kind of detail. I have a plot and a few points of interest I want to make sure and touch on along the way. The rest of the story tells itself. However, for the purpose of accuracy, I have been researching the treatment of coma patients throughout the writing of the story. It's helped me ground things a bit more and make it more realistic. Call me Spock, but I just feel that stories have to have some degree of logical feasibility for me to enjoy them at all.
PisxiePam: Ehh… yer envoking Murphy's Law by do'n that. Murphy loves picking on me, too. As you could see in my author's note. T_T
DrewsAngel: I got a large chunk of story to tell before he wakes yet. But, I've got plenty of good stuff coming in the meantime. Especially with the reincarnations of Sango and Miroku having met each other. -wicked laugh-
Articuno: Ehh.. yeah the part with Sherry and Kagome's demonstration is coming in chapter 10. I wound up finding too much other stuff to fill this chapter with as you could see. -lol- But, that means that the writing of chapter 10 should go easy since I know where all I want it to go and stuff. AND chapters 10 and 11 have parts that I've been dying to tell since about a week after I first started posting this story. So, much fun and excitement to come. :)
Vanillapop: I'm glad you're enjoying the story. As for Sherry, I guess I can give you one more clue. Her grandfather was a majorly cruel taiyoukai. The answer will be given out sometime within the next three chapters, by my reckoning.
Karulu: That name sounds Hawaiian. -scratches me head- Anywho, I will update as often as I can. Yes, things have kept me INSANELY busy the past couple of months. Between Mom's medical issues, issues with my asshole big brother, the endless quest to find a job, a new comic project I'm slowly spawning, and discovery of Card Captor Sakura which I totally adore… eh.. yeah. I've been feel'n a bit like a chicken on Squirt with its head cut off. -lol-
Gittelbug: I must confess, inspiration for this story came from a movie I had seen years ago on Lifetime about a wife taking care of her husband who had fallen into a coma after an accident while either hiking or biking in the mountains. I can't remember which. I usually don't watch movies on that channel cause they're usually creepy with domestic abuse crap and such. But that one, I found really good. I had to research more about coma patient therapy in order to write this and found myself learning a lot in the process. :) It's amazing the things they're doing with those people. What I found even more amazing was where I read about them putting a guy with symptoms similar to Yue through a CT scan. They found that, just like Yue, the dude's brain was processing sounds and other stimulations just as any normal brain would. So, apparently the problem laid in the guy's brain having trouble sending information back to the body. // Err.. I dunno how my version of the story came out any different. The words I use just seem to flow on their own once I get the ball rolling. // No, Sherry isn't Shippo. Sorry. But, yeah she does look like him, doesn't she? You'll be finding out who she is soon.
Pyro6: -lol- I'll do my best. :)
Mukyuu Tenshi: Inuyasha won't be physically waking for quite a few chapters yet. I've got a lot of events planned to happen before then. Plenty of fun in store. :)
Rezol: -lol- I'm glad I struck your fancy. :) I'll do my best to update as often as possible.
Sakura8907: -lol- Here's your update! I'll try to crank out another one in the next week or so. // :) Yep, this chapter confirmed who Beth is. -wicked giggles while looking back at Mark- I shall be having some good fun with those two. -cackles- // Yes, Sherry is a reincarnation as well. You'll be finding out who sometime in the next few chapters.
Obsessivekawaiigurl: Yes, I'll let Kagome try sitting him a little bit later. :) With Kagome, that's kind of a given. -lol- // Yes, Yash-kun is an absolute riot. I agree. -lmao- // O.o wow, yeah that is a random question. Nope, the gift shop clerk is just an extra.
Raining Fire: Okay, okay. -lol- Here's your update. And I'll try to get another one out in the next week or so. :)
Kibo: -blinks then cracks up laughing- You deserve a cookie! XD -passes an oreo-
Crystaldragon22: Ah-ha! I knew I'd get at least one complaint about her hair. But, I'm gonna leave it since it stands for Kagome's will to grow and become something more than just a modern shadow of Kikyou. It expresses her desire to be her own person, not just to Inuyasha, but to herself as well. It's a philosophical thing.
DarkMoon1: E-gads, yeah, those hurricanes were scary. I have a friend that lives in Orlando so they had me a bit worried. I hope everything went okay for you. // Yeah, I can't help but let him weasel into the story along with the other characters at this point. He adds the bit of flavor that scenes involving him need with all the melancholy about his predicament. His moody attitude provides some much needed comic relief as well as keeping this author happy to write such scenes. -lol- // Yes, new people. And there are more to come in the future. Some of them will be familiar, and some of them will be completely new.
Strawberrie Bunny: Yeah, I loved the teddy bear idea. For such a spur of the moment inclusion it was great for the story. :) Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. -is a major fluff fan-
Miroku-has-darkness: You're most welcome to keep bugging me. Sometimes, I admit to needing a good kick in the ass to get things done. -lol- I'll try to update again within the next week or so.
Rai-en-chan: Geez, I'm glad you're okay. That was certainly a nightmare scenario. Especially with that one hitting you guys twice. @_@ // Whoa… O.o I'm honored that you think so highly of me. I really am. :) Yes, I love Sherry too. Then again, maybe it's because her personality is so close to mine. Aside from the tragedy of losing her parents, I find myself able to relate to her quite easily. Plus, she's just so cute. Ya just can't help but love her. -grin- Oh, and yes.. I wanna tweak Yash-kun's ears too. -giggles- Though, if I did, I wouldn't be able to stop. I have a passion for tweaking the ears of my own two doggies. -lol-
Anoray0019: Yes, I changed the first chapter but I had already done so by the time you read it so don't worry about it. And the story will get less confusing the further into you get. Kagome's just as confused as you are. Everything will be answered in due time. :)
Jade: Heehee. Smart cookie. -wink-
MichiruAOZ: I got your meaning. :) I'm do'n my best. I'll try to get another chapter out within the next week or so.
Sarah the original: You're quite welcome to email me if you wish. :) Like I said to someone else, sometimes I do need a good kick in the rear to get things done. -lol- However, as expressed in my end author's note, I've had reasons for being silent for so long. Apologies on that. Sometimes life can just be so damn cruel. -groan- // As for Inuyasha's physical waking, like I said it'll be a while before that happens. I want some other things to happen first. Plus, things like what Inuyasha is going through tend to take time. If I rushed his waking then it would feel a little too unrealistic. One of my goals in this story is to keep it as real as possible without sacrificing the magic of Inuyasha's story. That's why it's taking so long. And too, the story isn't just about Inuyasha. It's also about the re-converging of the friends he'd surrounded himself with in the past. That's the part that I'm letting take center stage for most of the first half of the story. Great things often come at a price.
StarshineWeirdo: Read the reply above this one for my answer to why I'm delaying Inuyasha's waking. :) // School, unfortunately is not a factor this semester. Financial issues have kept me out for a semester as my family experienced the possibility of moving due to Dad losing his well paying job. We're trying our best to stay put though and work things out here. That's one of the reasons why my activity as a writer is currently unpredictable. I will try my best to keep updating as often as I can, though. I'm hoping to get another installment out within the next week or so.
Mediaminer Review Replies
Caliko: This one proved to be just as difficult in the change from Yash's room to the Grill. :S But, it seems to have likewise turned out all right anyway. The next chapter should flow easier for me. Hopefully.
Kim: I love reading stories too. Especially long romances with lots of fluff included somewhere.-giggles- // Wow, you've read far more Saddle Club than I have. I think I only got up into the twenties before I moved on to something else. I think it was Dean Koontz that I got interested in after that. I read a lot of his books in junior high and high school. His newer stuff tends to freak me out.
Angela: Thanks. I try hard to choose words that let the story flow gracefully. Otherwise, it bothers me to no end. -lol- // As I've said to many others, it will be a while yet before Yash-kun gets to physically wake. If you scroll up to my reply to Sarah, I gave a long explanation on why. I'll probably post it in a preamble author's note soon due to my getting that question so frequently. :S // As for updates, I will try to churn out another chapter in the next week or so.
Miss: I'm glad you're enjoying it. I will do my best to update again within the next week or so.
GreenEyedFloozy: Hoeeeeeee!! O.o!! -Pen hides under desk then points a stick at the reply above this one.-
OMG! I finished them all, finally. Of course it took me 5 hours to answer them all. Oh well. I love hear'n from you guys. :) Till next time, ja matta ne!