Kudos to Sweetest Angel for her review of this chapter.  Word.  (What you wrote, is everything I felt about this chapter, as well, but was too reserved to say directly.  My father is a very weak man in the same manner as Sesshomaru's father, as well.)

The characterization of Sesshomaru's father and Izayoi was amazing.  You are such a perceptive observer and skillful recorder of human behavior.  What an impossible family situation! 

I am always befuddled by people like Izayoi.  Certainly, she is allowed to be less than effusive, given the fact that Sesshomaru is the product of her husband's infidelity.  But I cannot imagine any society where bad manners such as she demonstrated toward Kagome, who is, after all a total stranger, would be proper.  She is, in fact, the one who is behaving barbarically, while accusing others of the very behavior she is not just engaging, but wallowing in.  One of the most unattractive and exasperating traits of humankind is the tendency to be a hypocrite.

I had been anticipating this episode, every time Kagome chided Sesshomaru for rejecting his father's advances.  Someone on the outside has no way of knowing what has come before.  While Sesshomaru's father is trapped in a difficult situation, it is of his own making, and he is re-living the weakness he displayed in his youth by allowing his wife to run rough-shod over others.  I realize he must have made a hard decision in the past to give his loyalty to Izayoi and InuYasha, but that obviously made Sesshomaru literally a human sacrifice, and has relinquished his own manhood to regret for his infidelity.

Poor Sesshomaru.  Hopefully, Kagome will now understand why he is not willing to be so receptive to his father.  His father has chosen sides, and Sesshomaru has been the one to take the fallout for his father's sins and pathetic weakness, even when he was a young child. 

Ah.... a little laxative in your tea every one? of course, cute little Rin will have plain green tea.

-evil snicker-

They deserve to be kicked in the ass by their own evilness, those %*$# !

Good job Lass! I truly like how this story is going on!

mata ne!

Wow, I can't wait to see what will happen next!

Please, tell me that kagome will put izayoi in her place! Let her know that if she wants to be resentful, she should be angry to her husband and not make sesshomaru pay. After all, the son shouldn't pay for the errors of the father! Or even better, the father!

As incredible as it sound, izayoi and sesshomaru's father just make me think about my own father. Well, at the exception that my sister and me are the rightful children, from a precedent marriage, and izayoi would be my father's second wife. My father was just like sesshomaru's father, leaving that...woman insults us openly and he never did anything, just stayed silent.

It might be why I can so much understand sesshomaru and his reactions and why I don't see his reactions, even if clumsy, as really childish. It's just called selfprotection. If you want to live your life and move forward in life, you can't try to fix everything all the time, and be the only one doing the fixing and forgive. The change must be from his father, and if that man refuse to act then it is better to cut links totally. If Sesshomaru could do that, even if sad, I'm sure he would be happier in the end.

Being insulted and put down continuously for years is one thing but that your father is there and just let it happened is just much more unforgivable, whichever way you try to turn it. And the excuse 'but it's your father', well I just want to say, 'that just what make it worst'! You feel it as betrayal. It's frightening as much my father and sesshomaru's father are alike. My father was always nice to us but when she was in the room, she could say anything she wanted to us, he would never interfere to protect his own children. Hell, she seemed to not be happy if, at least one of us end the week-end in tears! You forgive your father because you try to convince yourself that it just her and that your father doesn't think the same as her so you forgive him, only for it to happen again and again...until you can't take it anymore and want to scream stop. It is that or you end up ripe from the inside out.

For the ones who hope that Sesshomaru will let go of his grudge just like that...well if you have been in Sesshomaru's position, you would understand that it is that or you die and lose yourself. The only way to fix this is if his father TRULY wish it and you can see in this chapter that he don't. Forgiving his father now, as nothing had change and it continue to happened, it would be like saying what he did wasn't that wrong and in a way that sesshomaru was the one in the wrong for resenting him for his inactions...It would just destroy Sesshomaru more.

I'm sorry, my personnal experience shouldn't have overflow in the review. >_<

Just to say that you write remarkably well and it is truly realistic! Sesshomaru had the chance to not be alone in it (well, he is really much older than I was too) and I truly hope that he will have a better ending than me with my father. I truly hope that sesshomaru's father is really sincere in his wants to reconcile with sess and that he will finally take action to prove it! ^^

I really can't wait to see what will happen next!

Ahhh... but even after what just happened in the last chapter, it has been revealed that Sesshoumaru is still, indeed, a pervert! Lovely!! There Kagome is, concerned for his wellbeing, and all he can think about is her chest pressing against his. lolol.

And awww... I was wondering what had happened to Sesshoumaru to make him so stoic and such a stick in the mud again. I'm glad it was because of his secret surprise for Kagome. She was very pleasantly surprised and I was too. That was really very cute. :3 Man, if a guy did that for me... I'd probably swoon. lol

*Snickers* Sesshoumaru resembles an Enoki. XDDDDD I can just imagine Sesshoumaru's absurd face while the baby continues to point and Kagome's rolling on the floor laughing. lol. I think Sesshoumaru would make a wonderful father despite his protests and his apparent dislike for children. He already takes care of the baby so well, even if they did leave him on the countertop while they resumed their cooking. lol

And OMFG! The bath scene! Priceless! Absolutely priceless! Ohhhh... I giggled so much, you wouldn't even believe me! xDDDD Sesshoumaru's retort set me off in another round of giggles.

“Excuse me?? I was going to bathe. I wouldn’t want to look at you even if you paid me to! What’s there to see anyway-”

LOL.

But really... what made it hilarious to the point where I was nearly hyperventilating... SESSHOUMARU GETS KNOCKED OUT BY A SHAMPOO BOTTLE! Of all things... a SHAMPOO BOTTLE! Sesshoumaru! HAHAHA. Who knew Kagome had such good aim! ROFL.

wow, kagome seems to suit her job as okami of the ryokan perfectly. @___@;; if i had someone greet me and provided a stay for me like that... well, they'd get a massive tip. lol. andandand... OMGGGGGGG. fluff! spontaneous hug! cute vegetable fight! almost kiss! the baby loves sesshoumaru! all are just too cute and fluffy andand... *drowns* i think... i think this is my second favorite chapter. :3 i don't know how much more fluff my heart can take before it goes into overdrive! lol

the waterfalls sound absolutely lovely! when i get a chance to in the future, i definitely want to go see it! i love waterfalls. i was completely mesmerized by them up in Yang Ming Shan when i was in taiwan and those were just small waterfalls; not the big lovely ones you just described. ohhh... i can picture how gorgeous they would be already. you really make me want to travel. lol. another wonderful chapter, MissTeak.

awwwwwwwww fluff!!!!!! i'm so excited! i squealed, i screamed, i cooed, i cheered, and i laughed. it was great. still very asian drama-esque, but that's what i love about it!! i don't even know what else to say about. if i could, i'd just fill this review page up with exclamation points to show my joy at this chapter. this has got to be my favorite one by far! well, it's only been 7 chapters... but the fluff was just so great that i think it might be difficult for me to absolutely fall in love with another chapter in this story.

Maaaaaan, that old lady went from sweet to downright mean. =/ Poor Kagome, getting those harsh words thrown at her and all she had been doing was trying to help.

Oh noooo, their first argument. Yikes! I can't believe Kagome really left just because Sesshoumaru told her the door was open. Well, maybe I can believe it. I'd be pretty furious too. I'm not sure how to describe it... I loved reading it for some reason because it was expected, but at the same time, not. It's very contradictory, I know. lol.

But point is, while I feel for both Kagome and Sesshoumaru with the argument, I loved reading that scene. Maybe because it happens all the time in asian dramas and this is really starting to resemble one? lol. Everything from Sesshoumaru telling her the door is wide open, to Kagome telling him that he said it and she hated him, to Sesshoumaru immediately feeling guilty, and to Kagome really leaving in a hurry with her suitcase in the middle of the night only to find out the bus isn't coming till the next morning and she had too much pride and hurt to go back to the ryokan so she just ends up sobbing in misery.

Or maybe I just love that scene because I'm a meanie like that. I don't know. lol. In any case, it just sums up to be that I love this chapter, just like all the previous ones. And probably, most likely, all the future ones.

Wow...poor Kagome is going to need to work on her comebacks or even her sarcasm. Let the night that will never end begin :)

Awww, they couldn't sleep because of the tension between each other! That's cute in a very... odd way. And I love how they can go from being kind of nasty to each other to making up and launch right into a subject about ghosts. xD Only Kagome and Sesshoumaru!

"So what do you want this Sesshoumaru to do? Exorcize the ghosts? Do I look like a priest to you?”

That was my favorite line in this chapter. And also, that was a very sneaky but smart way of getting Kagome to know more about Sesshoumaru.

I think they're finally adjusting to each other, which will be great since that can only mean more fun and more amusement! Yaaay!

Poor Kagome - having to lie to her mother about what she's really doing at the ryokan. I imagine that when her mother really finds out, she'll... freak? I know I would. =/ Being homesick sucks too. And Sesshoumaru. Well, Sesshoumaru's already begun changing! So soon, but who could resist Kagome's charm, right? xD

Aaaand... what I found funny in this chapter:

Quoted;;

Standing in front of her door, he raised his fist, dropped it and raised it again. What was he supposed to address her as?

Girl? Woman? Wife? Kagome?

He settled for something else.

“Oi.”

He knocked.

“Oi. Are you in there? Dinner is ready.”

End quoted;;

Hah. I never imagined Sesshoumaru as the type of guy to say "Oi." That's actually a very Inuyasha-like thing, in my opinion... which is what made it funny. Because when I read, I envision everything in my head. And the image of a stoic Sesshoumaru holding a tray of food yelling "Oi"  in a slightly unsure and confused demeanor in front of Kagome's door was hilarious.

And naturally, I love Sesshoumaru's consideration with the blanket just as much as Kagome did! =]

*Snickers*

“Are you incubating eggs in there, or have you drowned in that kimono?”

Oh man, that line... I think I laughed for five minutes straight with that one. XDD You are too much! But of course, the very minor... and I mean very, very minor fluff was awesome. I think Sesshoumaru saw for the first time how bee-you-tee-ful Kagome really is. ;3 I wish there was a fanart of Sesshoumaru's stunned expression at seeing her in the kimono. =]

I'm nearly squealing with excitement here at the anticipation of continued and increased amounts of pure fluff! I can't wait!

Hahaha. Oh boy, I'm just loving Kagome and Sesshoumaru's bantering more and more. They truly are so comical and it is you who made them that way. So I guess in turn, I have to applaud your sense of humor at thinking of those phrases and comebacks that they've decided to throw at each other. While it is a bit immature, it's hilarious. In fact, it's probably hilarious because it is a tad bit on the immature side.

My favorites...

"And I am not 'woman'; I actually have a name, man."

The emphasis you placed on man with the italtics was brillant.

And, of course, Kagome's irrationality of ghosts haunting the ryokan. That was great too.

Quoted;;

“Are you kidding?” Kagome asked, her large sparkling eyes reminding Sesshoumaru oddly of marbles in that instant. “There is no one else in this god-forsaken place? Doesn’t it…doesn’t it…” She lowered her voice to a whisper and opened her eyes wide. “…you know…get creepy at night?”

“No.” This neurotic girl had obviously been watching too many typical horror movies for her own good.

“But…it looks like the sort of place where ghosts like.”

Sesshoumaru fought the pressing urge to roll his eyes, and instead, settled for a dead pan expression. “You know what sort of places ghosts like? Are you an idiot? Or are you a ghost?”

“No, I am Higurashi Kagome, you idiot.” Kagome smirked in return, watching how Sesshoumaru’s temples twitch in annoyance at her smart comeback. Her voice fell back into a low whisper. “You never know if you might meet something…creepy, and what if it decides to pester you…?”

Staring straight at Kagome with eyes slightly narrowed, Sesshoumaru said matter-of-factly, “I think I already have.”

End quoted;;

Really great, MissTeak. I can already tell that this will be a story that will keep me entertained with each chapter. In fact, by the time I'm done with this story, I'll have ROFLed through my entire house. XD

MissTeak, remember me?! Yeah, the MIA Raine is baaaack! =] Well, sort of. lol. And I know it's been like, FOREVER, since I told you I would read HEA but, here I finally am and boy you sure didn't disappoint. It's definitely a nice plotline, I can already tell from the first chapter. Things will definitely be interesting - it always is when it involves Sesshoumaru, Kagome, and arranged marriages. lol. I love your interpretation of Kagome. She's really the comical one in this chapter, but without Sesshoumaru's deadpan expressions and taunting words... well, it just wouldn't be the same. And yes, I have to say that I love their bantering. It's just so very, very amusing. You did such a great job with this! Now, on to the next chapter!

I am really enjoying this story ^_^  The chemistry between these two is sooo well done.  Every single one of thier interludes has so much emotion behind it.  It's sweet, it's sexy, frustrating and yet heartwarming.  I love it.  I still feel like she's letting Sesshoumaru's dad off the hook a little easily...but she is right.  He shouldn't hold on to this grudge forever.  I can't wait to see how the family dinner goes.  Please update soon!  keep up the good work!

Just started reading this! It's very cute, I can't wait to catch up on it some more. I wanted to add that I love the Hapimari manga as well, but since I don't know Japanese, I have to wait for the English Scanlation and it's been months since the last update *sob*

awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Awwww.... Fluffiness! ^^ I think it was cute how they made up! X3

I can't wait to see how the dinner goes... It's definitely gonna be eventful...

Great Chapter! Update Soon!