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as you lie before me now, like a shadow
Jun. 28th, 2014 10:07 pmIt's been a few days since InuYasha found himself suddenly turned human in the middle of the night, and the changes in the way people have approached him in the city are driving him crazy. People are warmer, more effusive in trying to speak with him, willing to overlook his strange fashion and focus on the fact that he looks like a young man with a clear abundance of time on his hands. Even heading into work had his boss convinced that InuYasha had been hiding his normal ears and hair all along.
And there's nothing that InuYasha can really do to prove otherwise.
Constantly on edge and looking for a solution to his problem, InuYasha growls under his breath as he settles on a bench just outside of a cafe. One of the perks of being human is the fact that some tastes and smells that were too strong to handle before now feel muted. Coffee, in particular, is something that he enjoys much more now, and he watches strangers pass by as he nurses his drink.
He's not sure what he's looking for. Answers, mostly, but what form they'll come in is completely unknown to him. His only solace comes from knowing that the people who have adopted his powers so far are people who won't abuse them for personal gain. But that could change any minute now.
It's a wonder that he gets sleep at all.
And there's nothing that InuYasha can really do to prove otherwise.
Constantly on edge and looking for a solution to his problem, InuYasha growls under his breath as he settles on a bench just outside of a cafe. One of the perks of being human is the fact that some tastes and smells that were too strong to handle before now feel muted. Coffee, in particular, is something that he enjoys much more now, and he watches strangers pass by as he nurses his drink.
He's not sure what he's looking for. Answers, mostly, but what form they'll come in is completely unknown to him. His only solace comes from knowing that the people who have adopted his powers so far are people who won't abuse them for personal gain. But that could change any minute now.
It's a wonder that he gets sleep at all.
It had only been a few hours since I woke up to find myself fully human on a night other than the new moon, and I was already starting to crawl out of my skin. It wouldn't have been so bad if all that happened was me losing my powers — frustrating though it would have been, there was some part of me that wondered if life would have been easier as a human. Not just in childhood, but also since deciding to live with Kagome. To live among humans. The longevity of a hanyou made that difficult.
You knew, in your heart, that you would eventually lose everyone.
The problem was, I knew at least one person who had become a hanyou in my stead. And all around the city were people who were picking up strange abilities, clearly without any idea how to manage them, or where they even came from. The chaos put everyone in danger, civilian or law enforcement or otherwise.
And there I was, seated in the park without any additional powers of my own, with nothing but a rusty, chipped sword at my side to show for it.
On the bright side, now that my hair was black and ears had shifted down into a human position, fewer people stared. No one immediately marked me as a danger if I decided to make another round through the city, looking for any other telltale glints of silver hair.
I heaved a deep breath, expression thunderous as I sat. And thought. I almost missed that pesky little Myouga bouncing around on my shoulder. Even if he didn't always have a solution to my problems, he was decent for tossing ideas at.
You knew, in your heart, that you would eventually lose everyone.
The problem was, I knew at least one person who had become a hanyou in my stead. And all around the city were people who were picking up strange abilities, clearly without any idea how to manage them, or where they even came from. The chaos put everyone in danger, civilian or law enforcement or otherwise.
And there I was, seated in the park without any additional powers of my own, with nothing but a rusty, chipped sword at my side to show for it.
On the bright side, now that my hair was black and ears had shifted down into a human position, fewer people stared. No one immediately marked me as a danger if I decided to make another round through the city, looking for any other telltale glints of silver hair.
I heaved a deep breath, expression thunderous as I sat. And thought. I almost missed that pesky little Myouga bouncing around on my shoulder. Even if he didn't always have a solution to my problems, he was decent for tossing ideas at.
The priests at the shrine have started to trust InuYasha a little more. Ever since the start of the new year, when InuYasha helped with mochi tsuki, they've actively greeted InuYasha whenever he comes around to spend time in the quiet forest behind the shrine. Even though there's always a slight lump in his throat that forms in response to the purity of the air by the shrine, the peace and quiet the shrine offers is well worth the discomfort.
Unfortunately, spending so much time around the shrine also means that InuYasha gets asked to help out with chores. Most of them aren't too much trouble — he's fine helping to sweep, or even cleaning out the trough to make sure the water's clean for use. But today, there's some type of murkiness inside the shrine itself, they tell him, and they suspect that it's some type of lingering youkai.
It'd be less of a problem if it weren't for how all of the workers are starting to fall ill, rashes spreading over their body.
A few hours' worth of time in the shrine makes it clear what the problem was: susuwatari hovering in the corners of each room, lurking in the darkness. Tessaiga clears them quickly enough with a few spiraling wind attacks, but InuYasha doesn't escape unscathed. Some of the soot ends up in his nose as he stumbles out of the shrine, coughing and disgruntled.
The priests offer him payment, but InuYasha refuses, choosing to walk out towards the forest instead and flop in the grass.
His head hurts.
Unfortunately, spending so much time around the shrine also means that InuYasha gets asked to help out with chores. Most of them aren't too much trouble — he's fine helping to sweep, or even cleaning out the trough to make sure the water's clean for use. But today, there's some type of murkiness inside the shrine itself, they tell him, and they suspect that it's some type of lingering youkai.
It'd be less of a problem if it weren't for how all of the workers are starting to fall ill, rashes spreading over their body.
A few hours' worth of time in the shrine makes it clear what the problem was: susuwatari hovering in the corners of each room, lurking in the darkness. Tessaiga clears them quickly enough with a few spiraling wind attacks, but InuYasha doesn't escape unscathed. Some of the soot ends up in his nose as he stumbles out of the shrine, coughing and disgruntled.
The priests offer him payment, but InuYasha refuses, choosing to walk out towards the forest instead and flop in the grass.
His head hurts.
I couldn't have told you why I had her on the mind. All I knew was that I did as soon as I woke up that day. Something about the way that the sun was shining kind of reminded me of her hair, in the same way that the full moon reminded me of Sesshoumaru's silver hair — even though my own was the same color.
Thinking of people without being prompted to was uncomfortable in a city like Darrow. I knew as well as most people did that disappearances were speckled here and there, with no more seeming reason than the arrivals had. You might have thought that someone who lived as long as I had would be used to the way that humans come and go, but... I wasn't. I had spent so many years avoiding human contact that the losses I remembered could be counted on a single hand.
Usually, I did the leaving first.
I ran around to settle my restlessness. Up the mountain, bounding through forests, but before lunchtime, I had managed to find myself perched on top of the lighthouse. I watched waves crash out at sea, each one not quite like the one before, but all steady enough that there was a calming frequency and regularity in it.
And I thought that perhaps Kathy would be someone to appreciate a scene like that.
It didn't take long for me to find her. She smells purer than most people. Like the countryside, grass after a long rain. I sat on a bench, waiting for her to emerge from the hospital. I knew she did some volunteer work there.
I didn't really know whether her shift was ending anytime soon.
Thinking of people without being prompted to was uncomfortable in a city like Darrow. I knew as well as most people did that disappearances were speckled here and there, with no more seeming reason than the arrivals had. You might have thought that someone who lived as long as I had would be used to the way that humans come and go, but... I wasn't. I had spent so many years avoiding human contact that the losses I remembered could be counted on a single hand.
Usually, I did the leaving first.
I ran around to settle my restlessness. Up the mountain, bounding through forests, but before lunchtime, I had managed to find myself perched on top of the lighthouse. I watched waves crash out at sea, each one not quite like the one before, but all steady enough that there was a calming frequency and regularity in it.
And I thought that perhaps Kathy would be someone to appreciate a scene like that.
It didn't take long for me to find her. She smells purer than most people. Like the countryside, grass after a long rain. I sat on a bench, waiting for her to emerge from the hospital. I knew she did some volunteer work there.
I didn't really know whether her shift was ending anytime soon.
The forest is the only place that InuYasha can practice with Tessaiga anymore. It's not every day that the sword is accommodating enough to let him practice, sometimes stubbornly remaining in its dormant form with nicks and unraveling at the hilt, but today it seems to recognize the importance of InuYasha maintaining his skill. At least, if he wants any hope of keeping an eye out for the very human population of Darrow.
He might not have found a way to fit in yet, but he's seen the good of a great number of them, and he just doesn't trust the city to reliably protect it for long.
He can feel a storm on the way, smelling like it's from a further distance than InuYasha knows the place allows, the swirling winds raising the hair on the back of his neck as he tugs Tessaiga out from her scabbard. In a flash, the fang expands, almost as tall as InuYasha as he aims her carefully for the split in the wind.
"Kaze no kizu," he yells, dragging her along the seam of the wind, tearing through the trees in the forest and cutting long, jagged trails into the dirt. An unfortunate tree in the way of the attack gets a twig sliced clean off, each one of its leaves torn into shreds.
The force isn't as strong as InuYasha was able to manage it back home, and he just can't seem to figure out why. Sniffing the wind in the wake of his attack, InuYasha's attention focuses on a small area without scent, without sound. A strangely perfect bubble in the middle of the otherwise lively forest.
When someone emerges from the space, InuYasha's nose immediately wrinkles in distaste, and he quickly shoves Tessaiga back in her scabbard.
"Why is it always wolves?"
He might not have found a way to fit in yet, but he's seen the good of a great number of them, and he just doesn't trust the city to reliably protect it for long.
He can feel a storm on the way, smelling like it's from a further distance than InuYasha knows the place allows, the swirling winds raising the hair on the back of his neck as he tugs Tessaiga out from her scabbard. In a flash, the fang expands, almost as tall as InuYasha as he aims her carefully for the split in the wind.
"Kaze no kizu," he yells, dragging her along the seam of the wind, tearing through the trees in the forest and cutting long, jagged trails into the dirt. An unfortunate tree in the way of the attack gets a twig sliced clean off, each one of its leaves torn into shreds.
The force isn't as strong as InuYasha was able to manage it back home, and he just can't seem to figure out why. Sniffing the wind in the wake of his attack, InuYasha's attention focuses on a small area without scent, without sound. A strangely perfect bubble in the middle of the otherwise lively forest.
When someone emerges from the space, InuYasha's nose immediately wrinkles in distaste, and he quickly shoves Tessaiga back in her scabbard.
"Why is it always wolves?"
As it turns out, the greater countryside of Darrow doesn't have ample wildlife for InuYasha to hunt and feed on. Birds are hard to fell without entirely ripping them into shreds with his claws, raccoons remind him too much of Hachiemon, and there are only so many times he can eat venison before the taste starts lingering in his mouth. He's done a few favors for the farmers now and again to earn himself a meal, but the looks that they give him are enough of a disincentive to go back too often.
They show him the kind of wariness that tells him the slightest disruption could be easily placed on his shoulders. He's never been great at evading blame.
Against his better judgment, he heads back into the city when the rain starts pouring out in the wilderness, not quite daring to linger around the large residential buildings, but instead hiding under one of the gazebos in Grant Park. With the downpour, the park's largely empty anyway, and he sprawls out underneath the roof, laying on his side, pulling the folds of his robe closer to protect against the cold.
Some distance away, the park lake taunts him, fish swimming easily in the raised water. His stomach growls, and InuYasha scowls. He's pretty sure that these fish aren't meant to be eaten.
But he'd only need one or two, and there's no one in the park anyway. It can't hurt, right?
He stares at the water in his indecision, wrinkling his nose in thought.
They show him the kind of wariness that tells him the slightest disruption could be easily placed on his shoulders. He's never been great at evading blame.
Against his better judgment, he heads back into the city when the rain starts pouring out in the wilderness, not quite daring to linger around the large residential buildings, but instead hiding under one of the gazebos in Grant Park. With the downpour, the park's largely empty anyway, and he sprawls out underneath the roof, laying on his side, pulling the folds of his robe closer to protect against the cold.
Some distance away, the park lake taunts him, fish swimming easily in the raised water. His stomach growls, and InuYasha scowls. He's pretty sure that these fish aren't meant to be eaten.
But he'd only need one or two, and there's no one in the park anyway. It can't hurt, right?
He stares at the water in his indecision, wrinkling his nose in thought.
It's been two years since the shikon no tama was wished away from existence. Two years since its malice stopped drawing in demons, since their constant struggle for power started to wane. What had been a relief in the beginning has since worn down to restlessness for InuYasha, who no longer has a stronger motivation to fuel his days than keeping villages safe from minor threats. It'll only be a matter of time, he tells himself, until another large threat will rise again, with demons putting aside their differences in the interest of pooling strength and grabbing power. It'll only be a matter of time before the world truly needs him again, a mantle that he's somehow taken from his late father without ever being told to.
But sometimes time itself feels like an insurmountable barrier, and InuYasha just doesn't care to think too much about it.
Inevitably, he still does. It's that stupid well more than anything that keeps InuYasha clinging to the past, a physical reminder of how he'd once been able to travel through time for the sake of seeing her. Kagome. Even after two years, it still carries the barest of her scent, lingering in the dirt. And even though it's been nothing more than a well for those two years, InuYasha finds himself visiting every third day, leaping to the bottom to feel closer to her. He tells himself that it's just because the scent of her is stronger at the bottom, but every time he makes the leap down, he can feel a skip in his chest. A traitorous vein of hope.
Today, he notices something different halfway down to the bottom. Ears immediately perking and eyes narrowing in suspicion, InuYasha lands softly on the dirt at the bottom of the well, sniffing the air, significantly changed. There's no trace of Kagome on the wind, but the acrid taste reminds him strongly of her world and the speedy vehicles he'd chased after on his few visits. Lowering his weight briefly, InuYasha jumps easily out of the well, perching on the wooden frame as he stares out into the distance, spotting towering buildings ahead and crowds of people milling through the streets.
This isn't where he wanted to end up, but at least it's something new. Dropping to all fours, InuYasha starts to bound for the city, nose tickled by all of the contrasting scents, and he does his best not to sneeze too much as he approaches the roads.
"What the fuck is going on here?" he asks himself, a low growl already settling into his throat.
But sometimes time itself feels like an insurmountable barrier, and InuYasha just doesn't care to think too much about it.
Inevitably, he still does. It's that stupid well more than anything that keeps InuYasha clinging to the past, a physical reminder of how he'd once been able to travel through time for the sake of seeing her. Kagome. Even after two years, it still carries the barest of her scent, lingering in the dirt. And even though it's been nothing more than a well for those two years, InuYasha finds himself visiting every third day, leaping to the bottom to feel closer to her. He tells himself that it's just because the scent of her is stronger at the bottom, but every time he makes the leap down, he can feel a skip in his chest. A traitorous vein of hope.
Today, he notices something different halfway down to the bottom. Ears immediately perking and eyes narrowing in suspicion, InuYasha lands softly on the dirt at the bottom of the well, sniffing the air, significantly changed. There's no trace of Kagome on the wind, but the acrid taste reminds him strongly of her world and the speedy vehicles he'd chased after on his few visits. Lowering his weight briefly, InuYasha jumps easily out of the well, perching on the wooden frame as he stares out into the distance, spotting towering buildings ahead and crowds of people milling through the streets.
This isn't where he wanted to end up, but at least it's something new. Dropping to all fours, InuYasha starts to bound for the city, nose tickled by all of the contrasting scents, and he does his best not to sneeze too much as he approaches the roads.
"What the fuck is going on here?" he asks himself, a low growl already settling into his throat.