#unboundbytime

"It ain't a competition."

Not with a human, anyway. He'd compete with a full demon any day of the week, but humans couldn't hope to achieve what he could. He wasn't going to fault them for what they were born as. Just how they acted. Even if it did seem... like a really short height to be able to jump.

Really short height. Humans were so limited, and he was reminded of that every new moon.

"What's the point, anyway? Why don'tcha just run down the... uh."

Hold on, what's it called again? Brows furrow in thought, golden eyes glancing upwards. Come on, she told you this once! Something that has to do with walking. It was hard, but it wasn't stone. Some other kind of thing. Oh, right! Not that he's going to use the right word, he's going to change it around a bit. This was about running.

@unboundbytime Said: "Hey Inuyasha, when is it the market day for the next village again?" Kagome softly asked, looking at her husband's reflection through their mirror as she combed her hair.

That was what he'd always wanted, a peaceful life. Maybe he hadn't understood what that meant years ago, what those desires meant, but damn if he didn't now. Early mornings were the norm, for Inuyasha, they always had been. Just as when she'd first arrived, all those years ago, it never failed to impress him how quickly Kagome had adapted to life here.

Maaaaaaybe the man had begun taking care of his own appearance a little more. Namely, Inuyasha let her do his hair every night before bed. It meant feeling her warmth, and that gentle scent in his nose, so why deny his wife the joy of combing his hair? Sometimes he even got ear rubs, talk about a bonus!

Warm ups, this was just before Inuyasha's morning run. He didn't have to, but following something he'd learned once from her mother, such a lovely woman of which even he'd shared a fond farewell with when Kagome made her decision, he'd taken to doing aerobics. Totally not as an excuse not to go straight out the door for the morning sprint, so he could spend his morning with Kagome.

Without having to sit still. That was still difficult.

"Afternoon." Word spread easily from traveling merchants. Sensitive ears couldn't help overhearing, sometimes too much. "There was a wedding, so they moved it to the afternoon." The movements paused. Admittedly, aerobics did make his body feel even more limber. Sort of like its own form of training.

"Y'gonna be okay without me?" Even now, Inuyasha's steps were silent as he moved closer, so that they were adjacent to each other. "Keh. Guess that's a stupid question." His voice was laced with amusement in those words. Sango would be there, he would have been there too if Miroku hadn't begged him to help out with the kids.

The twins loved his ears. Fair enough.

"If you're goin' all the way to the market, y'gotta get some mochi for us." There was a quiet pause, and the words that followed were softer. "Today's my birthday, so get some for the village kids, too. It shouldn't cost anything more than usual, just tell 'em I'll help out extra. They really seem t'like it when I move hut materials."

exhaustion … sentence starters

Dog ears twitched and Inuyasha lifted his head to focus on the miko across from him. A soft snort followed. "I can tell."

Like always, he had been content to rest upright with his sword within reach. Youkai didn't need sleep as much as humans did, and old habits were hard to break. Naraku had been dead for three years and life in and around the village had been relatively peaceful, all things considered. But the hanyou didn't think he could ever allow himself to relax completely.

So he was well aware of her tossing and turning, the blanket that neatly covered her form now tangled around her as the night went on.

"There's no point counting shadows if you can't sleep." He wouldn't mind keeping her company until she could. The flame from the hearth that warmed their dinner had died down to glowing embers. Shifting away from the wall, he used a dry stick to coax a bit more light into the room. "Somethin' on your mind?"

Kohaku was searching a nearby forest for any Shikon Jewel shards for Naraku as he then sensed a presence nearby, one with what seemed like a small number of shards.

His own which resided within his back resonating with them as he tries to find the source, he was about to get near before he sensed someone near which caused him to quickly dive into some nearby shrubbery.

He slows down both his breathing and increased heart rate as he slowly peered out before going under, he could see a girl with black hair through the foliage.

Why did they look familiar to him?

He tries to remember where but his head stings a little, he remains there in silence.

Only a faint widening of his eyes. A smile softened into something resembling curiosity.

...It came unscented? Truth be told, he had opened one of them before. It was more in wondering what it was, and the scent hit him harder than any ink. Chemicals in modern times were so complex, he couldn't have begun to try learning how to identify them. Too strong. He couldn't breathe, he'd spent at least ten seconds still gagging after he'd closed the bottle.

"So... you can clean yer hair without it chokin' ya?"

He hadn't quite noticed his own ears having already perked forward. Smooth silky hair, that wasn't much of a concern to him. His hair already held a natural silkiness, it was something he'd gotten from his yōkai blood. What interested him, was the knowledge that clean hair meant it wasn't as troublesome. Even Inuyasha found matted hair to be uncomfortable.

But he'd never gotten the chance to learn how to take care of it, not until Kagome. What other strong scented things had an unscented version? He could ask when they were there, when she could physically show him.

Thoughts vanished like the rains of a sun shower. Inuyasha's expression didn't change, though his ears visibly relaxed. That smile. That smile that, even years ago, had a way of calming the raging storm that constantly ruled his chest. A smile that made his heart beat faster, even to this day. Mesmerized him in a way no yōkai's spell could ever hope for.

"Eh...?"

He'd been staring, hadn't he? With a rapid shake of his head, he broke himself from the spell he'd been put under. A short huff came from the hanyō's nose, head turning as golden eyes closed. What made her so sure he wanted ramen at all? Other than the fact that of all warm foods, it was his favorite. Fast, flavorful, warm and comforting. The way the broth spread throughout the entire body, and...

...He's lost focus again. God damn it.

Partway, a single eye opened to glance over.

"Keh. I'll manage."

Even still, the smile that tugged at his lips was unmistakable, as was the way he pulled her even closer. It didn't really matter, dd it? Because even when he messed up, even when something frustrated him, Kagome always listened anyway. The warmth he felt right now, no food could ever hope to provide. This wasn't just comfort. It was every feeling all at once, overwhelming, intoxicating, like the depth of Kagome's eyes.

And he wouldn't have changed any of it for the world itself.

"Guess it depends. Tomorrow, if there ain't nothin' causin' trouble."

What he didn't outright state in words, Inuyasha spoke with the depths of golden eyes looking into hers.

"Afternoon, yeah? Wouldn't feel right if I didn't get a morning run in. Leaves are gonna change color soon, I can smell it. You'll need somethin' a lot warmer than what you're wearin' now."

@unboundbytime Said: 💭

I didn't mean to walk in like that, 'n I'm glad she didn't notice, but...

Those scars...

What burned her? Why didn't she tell me?

She wasn't even sure if her spiritual powers would work on these vampires or not. Just because they felt similar to youkai, that make them a subspecies of them. So usually she'd just hide away until the feeling past. But she didn't have the time this time. So instead she knocked her arrow and pointed it at the chest of the being, her reiki crackling and ready to loose itself.

"Who are you? What do you want?" she asked. (to Mika)

He thought he had heard someone in the area. Too cautious to be a vampire on the hunt, yet not careful enough to be a seasoned soldier. Mika knew of a few human settlements nearby, assuming that this human had wandered in search of their own supplies. If that had been the case, the worst he could do was scare them off. He wouldn't have minded that, especially if it meant that he could gather more of what was left behind.

But instead of running as he predicted, she raised her bow, making him stop his approach. He merely stared past the arrowhead pointed at him, unimpressed by her bravery. Someone of his rank could dodge a mere arrow with ease, and she didn't appear to be a part of JIDA's ranks. Had he been anyone else, she would have been slain where she stood.

_

"Hey, auntie, do you mind if I... ask something?"

Towa's adjustment back in her own era had been hard, but she was grateful she had family and close allies to talk to here. In particular, getting to know her cousin and her family.

Still, one thing did seem to be bothering.

"Sessh- my father, ah... is he always so..."

She gestured with her hands. What am I doing? That doesn't mean anything- "Like that?"

Wait oh gods that sounds like you're making fun of him don't try to insult him DON'T BLOW THIS IN FRONT OF YOUR AUNT-

"I-I mean! He's always so aloof- like he's so above it all you know? It's just... makes it hard to talk to him-" Towa bit on her lip, hoping she didn't sound too rude or anything."