The Olive Branch Petition by Vonne

Diagram of the Demon's Mind

Summary: After centuries of feuding, the world has finally taken the first step. A huge group of demons, humans, shamans and priests alike have joined together to create the first virtual, life-like simulation game that allows you to live the life of another species. The catch? Even the creators don’t know the limits of the game; your possibilities are literally endless! People all around the globe who have logged in sooner than later come to a shocking realization of the new world and its first natural law—you must be a race that is not your own. Two beings that are worlds apart have been given the chance to bridge their way across to one another and any other options that stops them from doing so have been prohibited. She is more than willing to play her part as the teacher and, as a result, he has now been forced into the role of the reluctant student. Now, knowing all of this, you must ask yourself: are you ready to play Aiodios?

I disclaim all famous brands and anything else that doesn’t belong in my grubby hands... *grumble grumble*

Aiodios::

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: literally meaning eternal; everlasting; forever

Confusion clarifications: aionion (plural) & aionos (singular): (adjectives) are thought to mean eternal. In actuality, this definition stands only if the noun in question supports the meaning. Their actual definition is age(s), like era, eon, period, etc. Therefore by the ancient Greek language, aiodios is the word meaning everlasting. In the context that is used in the story, the word aiodios is used to specify the hope the people have of the game, which is the result of three races finally accepting one another… forever.

Dokuga moderators: This A/N is 292 words.

“Absolutely not.”

“Aw, come on Sess! Stop listening to that stick up your ass already!” Inuyasha growled towards his half-brother. In all honesty, Sesshomaru could not fathom how the half-demon had been so… innocent during childhood. It almost made him hope that the world invented an age-machine so he could turn back the clock for his foul-mouthed sibling. Not to mention it would stop him from whining about that ridiculous game.

“The whole world is tryin’ it! Don’t be such a killjoy for once in your entire lifetime and just play it!”

“I find the fact that such a game has ensnared the world’s population highly pathetic. There is no reason to attempt a trial of a simulation that lowers one’s intelligence.”

“My god, for the last time it doesn’t do fucking shit to your brain, so stop getting your panties in a twist and try it already!”

“If you do not desist soon, Inuyasha, you will find yourself falling from an increasingly worrying height, even for a half-breed. This will be your last warning.”

“Keh! You don’t have the guts to toss me outta window and even if you did, dad would give you a lecture worthy of a demonic hangover. Your threats don’t sca—“and then the once confident half-demon found that he was, in fact, dangling precariously from a window that had seemed so very nice and homely. You could never trust things like that these days, not when Sesshomaru was around.

“Like you were saying?” Inuyasha could imagine his half-brother, in all his full-demon glory, raising one of his eyebrows like you were the world’s biggest idiot for saying a word that defied him. Which, technically, you probably were and it was quite convenient that the victim of the current scene had forgotten all about his poor intelligence when it came to social levels.

“Sesshomaru, I thought you were above threatening your younger brother from the sixtieth floor. This week, I heard the seventy-forth floor’s window was the new thing,” chimed in a new voice.

“Hn,” the elder sibling narrowed his eyes, “Father, I had thought you were above death by height.” Nevertheless, Sesshomaru pulled his half-brother back up and tossed him unceremoniously on the ground. There was no reason to continue quarrelling when the object of his visit to Blade Inc. had made his appearance.

Touga, the looked-much-too-young-to-be-a-father president of the company helplessly shrugged. “Well, at least you’ve learned how to mock people instead of being cold and uncaring.”

“Old man!” shouted Inuyasha as he stood up from the marble floor, “Tell Mr. Icicle Up Various Places to try that new game, will ya’?”

The two demons turned their heads towards him and identically raised their eyebrow. “You know what ‘various’ means? And wasn’t Sesshomaru’s nickname Mr. Can Kill Everything But That Stick Up His Ass?” Touga couldn’t help throw in that last bit and let out a bark of laughter as he heard the satisfying growl from his eldest.

“Hell yeah I know what that word means! And that name was too long, it didn’t really click when I tried usin’ it in a fight.”

“Alright then, go and hand these papers to Miroku and I’ll talk to ‘Mr. Icicle Up Various Places.’”

“What?! You want me to skip out on Sesshomaru over here getting yelled at?” at his father’s narrowed gaze, Inuyasha made a hasty correction, “Alright, alright I’ll go give your damn files to Miroku.”

Sighing, Touga turned back to his stubborn son. “Father, I refuse to try that ridiculous game.”

“Sesshomaru, that game isn’t just some game. It’s a lesson,” Touga began to pretend to observe a nearby painting, “Look, by playing it you can experience what the people you’ll be directing will feel like, be able to manage, and work like. You won’t be able to hold over any stupid prejudices you have because you’ll be called a hypocrite if you still do.” He sighed, knowing his son didn’t like people in general. Now how could he convince someone like that to play it?

“I will not need to know any of that information.”

“You will,” he promised, “You will, and you’ll be able to see everyone on the same level. It’ll be useful and… there won’t be any need to hide anymore. It’s only fair you do your part like the rest of the world is.”

“We are not hiding father, there is no need to wear concealment spells anymore.”

“That’s a lie and you know it.” The ex-Inu No Taisho spun around sharply to lock eyes with his son’s.

It was true that there was a truce between the demons and humans, spiritual and not, but it was shaky at best. There were still conflicts and people still fought; still prejudices and wariness, still doubt and anxiety in the air. The atmosphere that had been cleansed by the demons, bringing about the truce, had started to be contaminated again; not by fossil fumes, but by negative feelings. Sometimes it was difficult to stay in one given area because of it and even those who had no sixth sense of empathy had started to grasp those emotions floating about. Something had to be done and since there was now a chance, Touga wanted to succeed.

“We are still suppressing our aura much more than we did in the Warring States period. We still hesitate to travel by our demon attributes. We question ourselves when anyone other than a demonic acquaintance asks about our roots. We still lock up our pasts that would be so helpful to the world’s library of history, something that would stay with the world even when we ourselves are long gone. We refuse to teach more about our customs and mannerisms so that we are understood better. We worry if anything could be used against us and ultimately, we do not trust any other race than our own…

Back then, we did not trust any other tribe unless there had been a long time pact or a mating that bound us together with another, but now… We’ve been forced to turn ourselves against the other two thirds of the world.

Sesshomaru… I’m tired of that. I want it all to change. I am ancient, I’ve seen many other times and this… This time looks the most promising to cross this gap between humans, spiritual, and demons. You understand where I’m coming from, slightly at least, right?”

And all of a sudden, it hit the thousand and four hundred year old full demon that even though he had grown, there was still no chance he could win against a verbal or physical fight against his father. No, not when Touga was passionate with what he was fighting for. Not when it was like this. Not when… not when he, too was partially for the idea of finding solid ground in this earthquake of races. The idea that they all could live in peace had been highly appealing as the years passed and was supported by the fact that a group had banded together to take that first step.

So Sesshomaru did the only thing he could do at this point. He sighed, trying to sound hesitant, trying to sound like he grieved the idea of this, but knew that his father, alpha, knew, too and could not be tricked. “I will try it.”

Even though he said so, he swore he was tempted to take back his words when Touga’s eyes lit up like a puppy that had found a brand new bone. “That’s my boy!” the old dog yelled and threw back his head to bark out a hearty laugh.

Sesshomaru felt his eye twitch and quickly escaped the building. Touga was happy, probably far too happy to be a good sign, and he certainly did not feel in the mood to suffer his father’s almost drunk-like joyfulness that had caused more than one employee to stay in the hospital (demonic or not) for more than a week. A chill ran up his spine. It was almost scarier than when his father went on a rampage or a conquering spree back in the Warring States period.

 

INUYASHA © Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan • Yomiuri TV • Sunrise 2000
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