Sin Times Seven by tenchi no mai
Gluttony
This was written in response to Priestess Skye’s challenge:
Seven Deadly Sins
Theme: Gluttony
Due: Week 6
Required Word Count: Minimum 700
Actual Word Count: 995
Universe: Canon – Feudal Era
Rating: T
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: The characters of InuYasha are not mine, they are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz Media. Only the plot to this story is my intellectual property. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
‘Italics’ = thoughts
Gluttony - [gluht-n-ee] – noun - excessive eating and drinking.
Gluttony
The cold, icy hold of winter had finally released its grip on Japan, and the weather was absolutely balmy. It was a perfect day for the picnic that Kagome had planned to celebrate her birthday, as well as the unofficial birthday of the rest of the members of the pack.
Kagome peeked out from the door of the hut. ‘Good, Inuyasha is nowhere in sight.’
She was still mad at the dog earred half-demon from a few nights ago. He had somehow sniffed out the large flagon of sake that Miroku had received for performing a wedding and had hidden in the back of Kaede’s herb drying cabinet.
Absconding with it, he was discovered several hours later with a young girl from the village, both of them roaring drunk and in flagrante delicto. The shouting match and ensuing threats from the girls father had made him somewhat scarce for the last few days.
Miroku had met her at the well when she returned earlier this morning with the bento boxes, a Tupperware container that held a large birthday cake and a box she said contained a surprise for Inuyasha.
After questioning Kagome several times and not receiving a satisfatory answer, Miroku assumed it was a decoy of some sort to throw Inuyasha off the trail of the real birthday cake that was in one of those strange containers that hid the smell. He hoped whatever it was would work, because Inuyasha had pigged out on the food that Kagome brought for the last few celebrations before anyone could stop him. Not that any of the humans could stop Inuyasha once he set his mind on something. Even when Kagome used the ‘sit’ spell, it only delayed the inevitable.
Gathering the rest of the pack, Kagome led the way to a clearing a short distance from the village. Rin and Shippo went to gather some of the early spring flowers to put in the vase; Ah-Un kept an eye on them as he found a spot to lay in the sunshine. Kagome and Sango spread out blankets for the picnic, while Sesshoumaru assumed his usual sitting position, leaning against a tree trunk.
Jaken slowly waddled into the clearing with kindling and some branches to make a small fire for brewing tea, just as the children ran back with snowdrops and a few jonquils.
As Rin arranged them in the small metal vase, Shippo stood proudly, nodding his head. “See, Kagome, we found some flowers.” He was hungrily eyeing the boxes that contained the food, wondering what was in them this time, and hoping they could eat before Inu-baka showed up.
Kagome was sure the youkai in the group would be able to scent Inuyasha approaching before she could detect his aura, so she was keeping an eye on Sesshoumaru, knowing he had the keenest nose.
Passing out the bento boxes, Kagome was glad to see everyone start eating. Kneeling in front of Sesshoumaru, she held a bento box out towards him.
“Miko, you know that I do not eat human food.” Sesshoumaru took a sniff in the direction of the box. It smelled different from the rest of them.
“I know that. Mama made this one specifically for you.” Kagome continued to hold the box out towards him, and watched as he reluctantly took it from her. “I think you will like it.”
He lifted the lid, and the scent instantly had his inner beast sitting up and taking an avid interest in the contents. “Miko, what kind of niku is this? This Sesshoumaru isn’t acquainted with it.” He tentatively poked at one of the raw strips of meat with a claw.
Kagome peered into the box and her eyes widened. ‘Well, Mama certainly went all out for Sesshoumaru.’ Looking up to meet his gaze, she wondered if he was being serious. “It’s Wagyu, or Kobe, beef. Something special, even in my time.”
Miroku quickly looked up, his chopsticks halfway to his mouth. “Kagome? You do know that there is an Imperial ban on the eating of beef, do you not?” When Sesshoumaru gave him a sharp glare, he then became flustered. “Although I have heard tales of a diamyo in Hihone that enjoys eating specially fattened Omi beef.”
Kagome returned to her place and opened her bento box. “Well, since it came from my time, I don’t think it will matter too much.”
Sesshoumaru picked up the chopsticks and made quick work of the delicious, buttery textured beef. ‘I will have to find out from the miko how this beef is grown and fattened. I may have to make some additional room in the stables at the Fortress.’
They were just finishing their luncheon when a flash of red and white came sailing through the clearing, and the last bento box and the white bakery box disappeared.
Kagome snickered as she looked over at Sesshoumaru. She had told him what was in the cardboard box, and to expect one quite ill hanyou. Sesshoumaru met her gaze and raised an eyebrow at her. He would give his half-brother time to finish his ‘treat’ before confronting him, although he would have liked to have seen what this “Death by Chocolate” concoction looked like.
Waiting until Kagome and Sango had gathered up and repacked the empty bento boxes and the tea was being brewed, Sesshoumaru silently glided across the clearing, following Inuyasha’s faint, but slowly increasing moans.
“Hanyou, does your gluttony know no bounds?” Sesshoumaru was disgusted as he looked down at his half-brother, who was currently laying on the ground, holding his distended stomach and groaning pathetically.
“Sesshoumaru, come have a piece of birthday cake!” Kagome’s entreaty had him returning to the group sitting in the warm sunshine as Inuyasha groaned louder.
He could see the cake was white and topped with swirls of sweet smelling pale creamy icing. Sesshoumaru smirked, he was acquiring quite a sweet tooth, for both the sweets and his other favorite treat, the miko.
~*~
Fin
~*~
“O gluttony, it is to thee we owe our griefs!” Geoffrey Chaucer (1342-1400)
~*~