The Slings and Arrows of Outrageous Fortune
folder
InuYasha › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
18
Views:
1,286
Reviews:
1
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
InuYasha › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
18
Views:
1,286
Reviews:
1
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.
chapter 14
The once-roadside shrine appeared completely forsaken. Even the road appeared to be melting back into the fallow land. Grass grew high in the berm and the newest cart track looked at least a few season’s old. No one passed by here anymore and so no one maintained the shrine. Kaede bristled in momentary professional irritation; what shrine keeper could live with the shame of allowing this place to fall back into dust? Sliding off MoMo in an awkward, ass-baring move that any other time would have earned any watcher the wrath of the Miko no Edo, Kaede cinched the kimono’s tie tighter around her body and made her way towards the dilapidated shrine.
Sending MoMo off to do his perpetual grazing, Totosai wondered if the girl could read the very ancient script around the threshold of the shrine’s main door – well, truthfully, its only door. The place was small, offering only a space to rest, a hearth at which to cook one’s meal and the patron Kami’s devotional space. No one came here since the newest daimyo had moved the road’s course many ri to the west to better suit his strategies. That was fine with Totosai – the way the place was now suited his strategies perfectly.
Chimata-no-kami had once walked this same road before recorded time and his energy remained a part of the very land. Kaede didn’t know this – she had let her mind wander during her studies when the ancient and primordial Kami were discussed. Who worshipped them any more? What power was there to be had in the empty crossroads of the world? Keh – she just wanted to know more about herbs and practical wisdom. Leave the mysticism to the Buddhists! Sliding the dusty shoji back on its worn track, the young miko glanced within. This temple had been empty for longer than she had been alive! The floors, the walls, even the deity appeared washed-out and dusty.
But it did have one thing going for it – it was very private. That made it perfect.
Warm late afternoon sun filtered through the small windows, illuminating the dust that swirled in her wake. Tiny motes filled her vision as the events of the day caught up with the girl very quickly. No amount of fire can do what the late-afternoon sun can in a closed room – and so, languid with lingering afterglow and the closed-in warmth of the ancient shrine. Kaede lay down, put her head on her arm, closed her eye and fell asleep before Totosai even wandered in after her.
Totosai smiled at the sleeping miko and bent down to kiss her sweet, sleep-slack face. Which promptly got him slapped in unconscious irritation by the dreaming girl. Rubbing his sore chin, the demon metal smith looked around the spare room. The girl really must be worn out; he couldn’t believe she missed the multitude of phalluses scattered throughout the ancient carvings. Oh well – he’d be sure to point them out to her later; they were impressive. Totosai was always, at his heart, a lover of swords – even those of the flesh. Speaking of which…
He glanced back at the softly snoring girl on the bare wood floor and grinned. Let her sleep; she was going to need it. Looking through the various nooks and crannies, Totosai hunted for anything useful.
~*~
Kaede blinked her eye and yawned as she slowly swam back up to consciousness. How long had she slept? Was it dark in here or was it just her? Why was Totosai upside-down? Yawning again the miko let her mind catch up.
“Are we awake?” Totosai grinned down at his sleepy miko.
“That depends. Is this real?”
“Sure is.”
“Then we’re awake, but we’re very puzzled. Where are we?”, Kaede yawned a third time and pushed herself to sit up, righting the world once again.
Crickets chirped in the distance, aiming for a slick, soft interpretation of Miles Davis’ tonal jazz. It takes all kinds you know – some crickets are just more hip than others; can you dig it? Moving on-
“A very deserted, very private place; do you like it?” Totosai looked around him in emphasis and then waggled his goofy eyebrows suggestively for good measure.
“What I’d like is a cup of tea; I suppose that’s a dream too.” Kaede was not a morning person and that applied to any time she awoke from sleep. Totosai’s smile split his sweet, silly face and soon the querulous miko was handed a crooked cup full of what appeared to be green tea. Tasting it, she revised her opinion of the stuff to say that it resembled tea, but thirsty, she drank it anyway.
Scanning the fire-lit space around her, Kaede noticed a couple of amorphous, ill-tempered blobs at the edge of the fire’s light. The hearth let off just enough light for it to not be pitch black and not enough to do anyone but cats any good to see by.
“Totosai, where did you find blankets and tea and cups and a kettle? I know where you got the fire – but what about all this other stuff?” she scratched the eyebrow over her empty socket in sleepy disbelief.
“Oh, that was easy. Various youkai use this place as a rest stop on their travels. There are always supplies if you know where to look. I just shook the blankets out, singed off the spiders and things are fine. The tea’s a little old though.”, the cross-legged demon mused, pulling on one of his long moustaches.
Ugh – spiders.
“How old is old, Totosai?”
“Only about 75 years.”, he replied nonchalantly.
No wonder; Kaede revised her opinion of the tea yet again to now state that it was the fossilized remains of tea. Her stomach wasn’t complaining, so she nodded when Totosai waved the kettle at her in silent question.
They sat in companionable silence for a while until Totosai unwound his tall form from the floor and went out for more firewood.
When he returned, he found the cyclopean miko had dragged their night’s bedding close to the hearth and was inspecting it rather thoroughly.
Arranging the deadfall just so in the hearth and dribbling a short thin line of flame into the coals, Totosai banked the fire for the night, and once satisfied with his work, scooted to the nearest pile of miko certified spider-free blankets and lay his long body down upon it.
Kaede gave up on the spider hunt and sat herself down upon the old fabric. Her eye started out staring at the hearth and it’s wavering red coals, but kept creeping its way over the lounging half-naked and muscular form to her left. At least he remembered to stay out of her blind spot, the big idiot. Totosai seemed to feel her eye upon him and turned his long face towards her scrutiny.
The demon smith’s face blazed with outright love – selfless, weirdly innocent and extremely profane – all at the same time. Kaede couldn’t help herself; she smiled.
The demon smiled back.
She licked her lips suggestively.
His brows crawled up into his dark hair as a nervous leer bloomed across his fanged mouth. He opened his long arms wide to her and Kaede happily fell into them.
Sending MoMo off to do his perpetual grazing, Totosai wondered if the girl could read the very ancient script around the threshold of the shrine’s main door – well, truthfully, its only door. The place was small, offering only a space to rest, a hearth at which to cook one’s meal and the patron Kami’s devotional space. No one came here since the newest daimyo had moved the road’s course many ri to the west to better suit his strategies. That was fine with Totosai – the way the place was now suited his strategies perfectly.
Chimata-no-kami had once walked this same road before recorded time and his energy remained a part of the very land. Kaede didn’t know this – she had let her mind wander during her studies when the ancient and primordial Kami were discussed. Who worshipped them any more? What power was there to be had in the empty crossroads of the world? Keh – she just wanted to know more about herbs and practical wisdom. Leave the mysticism to the Buddhists! Sliding the dusty shoji back on its worn track, the young miko glanced within. This temple had been empty for longer than she had been alive! The floors, the walls, even the deity appeared washed-out and dusty.
But it did have one thing going for it – it was very private. That made it perfect.
Warm late afternoon sun filtered through the small windows, illuminating the dust that swirled in her wake. Tiny motes filled her vision as the events of the day caught up with the girl very quickly. No amount of fire can do what the late-afternoon sun can in a closed room – and so, languid with lingering afterglow and the closed-in warmth of the ancient shrine. Kaede lay down, put her head on her arm, closed her eye and fell asleep before Totosai even wandered in after her.
Totosai smiled at the sleeping miko and bent down to kiss her sweet, sleep-slack face. Which promptly got him slapped in unconscious irritation by the dreaming girl. Rubbing his sore chin, the demon metal smith looked around the spare room. The girl really must be worn out; he couldn’t believe she missed the multitude of phalluses scattered throughout the ancient carvings. Oh well – he’d be sure to point them out to her later; they were impressive. Totosai was always, at his heart, a lover of swords – even those of the flesh. Speaking of which…
He glanced back at the softly snoring girl on the bare wood floor and grinned. Let her sleep; she was going to need it. Looking through the various nooks and crannies, Totosai hunted for anything useful.
~*~
Kaede blinked her eye and yawned as she slowly swam back up to consciousness. How long had she slept? Was it dark in here or was it just her? Why was Totosai upside-down? Yawning again the miko let her mind catch up.
“Are we awake?” Totosai grinned down at his sleepy miko.
“That depends. Is this real?”
“Sure is.”
“Then we’re awake, but we’re very puzzled. Where are we?”, Kaede yawned a third time and pushed herself to sit up, righting the world once again.
Crickets chirped in the distance, aiming for a slick, soft interpretation of Miles Davis’ tonal jazz. It takes all kinds you know – some crickets are just more hip than others; can you dig it? Moving on-
“A very deserted, very private place; do you like it?” Totosai looked around him in emphasis and then waggled his goofy eyebrows suggestively for good measure.
“What I’d like is a cup of tea; I suppose that’s a dream too.” Kaede was not a morning person and that applied to any time she awoke from sleep. Totosai’s smile split his sweet, silly face and soon the querulous miko was handed a crooked cup full of what appeared to be green tea. Tasting it, she revised her opinion of the stuff to say that it resembled tea, but thirsty, she drank it anyway.
Scanning the fire-lit space around her, Kaede noticed a couple of amorphous, ill-tempered blobs at the edge of the fire’s light. The hearth let off just enough light for it to not be pitch black and not enough to do anyone but cats any good to see by.
“Totosai, where did you find blankets and tea and cups and a kettle? I know where you got the fire – but what about all this other stuff?” she scratched the eyebrow over her empty socket in sleepy disbelief.
“Oh, that was easy. Various youkai use this place as a rest stop on their travels. There are always supplies if you know where to look. I just shook the blankets out, singed off the spiders and things are fine. The tea’s a little old though.”, the cross-legged demon mused, pulling on one of his long moustaches.
Ugh – spiders.
“How old is old, Totosai?”
“Only about 75 years.”, he replied nonchalantly.
No wonder; Kaede revised her opinion of the tea yet again to now state that it was the fossilized remains of tea. Her stomach wasn’t complaining, so she nodded when Totosai waved the kettle at her in silent question.
They sat in companionable silence for a while until Totosai unwound his tall form from the floor and went out for more firewood.
When he returned, he found the cyclopean miko had dragged their night’s bedding close to the hearth and was inspecting it rather thoroughly.
Arranging the deadfall just so in the hearth and dribbling a short thin line of flame into the coals, Totosai banked the fire for the night, and once satisfied with his work, scooted to the nearest pile of miko certified spider-free blankets and lay his long body down upon it.
Kaede gave up on the spider hunt and sat herself down upon the old fabric. Her eye started out staring at the hearth and it’s wavering red coals, but kept creeping its way over the lounging half-naked and muscular form to her left. At least he remembered to stay out of her blind spot, the big idiot. Totosai seemed to feel her eye upon him and turned his long face towards her scrutiny.
The demon smith’s face blazed with outright love – selfless, weirdly innocent and extremely profane – all at the same time. Kaede couldn’t help herself; she smiled.
The demon smiled back.
She licked her lips suggestively.
His brows crawled up into his dark hair as a nervous leer bloomed across his fanged mouth. He opened his long arms wide to her and Kaede happily fell into them.