radix malorum est cupiditas

We see Inuyasha drunk exactly twice in the manga. Once when they go to fix Sango’s Hiraikotsu, but also once before that in the medicine seller arc.

One thing I want to emphasize about drunkenness before we go any further: being inebriated lowers inhibitions. What it does not do is give people desires or personality traits that they didn’t have while sober. If a drunk person picks fights with random strangers or starts yelling racist slurs, even if they would never, ever do such a thing while sober, that isn’t because the alcohol made them violent or a racist when they weren’t before. It just made them care less about the consequences.

And this actually says something interesting about the way Inuyasha behaves when he’s drunk. His most basic priorities remain intact: he’s still protective of his friends. He tries to keep Sango from going off with a shady stranger when she’s not in her right mind. He still bickers with Kagome and insists that he’s fine even though he’s physically unable to stand. What he does not do is get unusually violent or verbally abusive. And what I find the most interesting is the ways in which his behavior does change.

He spends much more time on all fours:

Chases after anything that moves:

Fights with his teeth rather than his claws or his sword:

And communicates completely nonverbally:

Because, why not?

Leaf Fall

The autumn leaves were beginning to fall. Maple leaves caught on the current and drifted down the stream.

"It won't be long until winter," InuYasha said, sticking his hands in his sleeves, almost able to feel the first cool breezes blowing down from the mountains. They sat in a warm patch of sunlight, watching the brilliant colors of the leaves.

Kagome, kneeling beside him, twirled a leaf between her fingers, then let the wind take it

"I know," she said. "I think we're ready for it. Sango's been helping me learn what to put up and how to do it."

His arm snaked around her waist. "For me, winters have always been cold and hungry and lonely," he said, a little sadly.

"Well, if I guessed wrong, you may be a little hungry, and if you guessed wrong, you may be cutting wood in the snow, but the only way I'll let you be lonely this winter is if you leave me," she said, leaning against his shoulder.

He leaned over and gave her a light kiss on the lips. "Koibito," he whispered into her ear, and snuggled her close.

After a few minutes of watching the river in silence, he scratched his chin. "You putting up lots of the crunchy pickle stuff?" he asked.

"Oh, lots," she said.

"I know it's gonna be a good winter now," he said, smiling at her.

She bopped him on the nose with a leaf, "Yeah, I bet it will be."