All That Glitters by Lillian
The Jeweled Flower
Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim and do forever disclaim any possibility of owning Rumiko Takahashi's Inuyasha.
Welcome to All That Glitters! This is a seven chapter--that's right, SEVEN chapters only--fiction that I am writing in response to the Seven Treasures Challenge on Dokuga_Contest. The second chapter will be up sometime this week, I promise. You can hunt me down if it's not.
I hope you enjoy it.
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Sesshomaru stood with his hands in his pockets in front of an elegant, yet completely female store. The awning arched above him, a light, delicate pink with a flower--its center cleverly replaced with a golden topaz--emblazoned on the canvas. ‘Kazurahana's’, flowing cursive script proclaimed.
He glanced again at the slip his secretary had given him and frowned. It was the right address, but she had expected him to go into this place? It fairly reeked of estrogen. He was here, however, and he really just wanted to get it over with. A clawed hand opened the door, and he stepped inside.
“Welcome to Kazurahana's,” the clerk chirped at him. Hnn. Of course it was a female. He didn’t bother to look or reply to her, his gaze lazily wandering the showcases to see if he would even bother getting serious.
It looked respectable, and so he strode to the counter.
Hnn. A woman, not a girl. A very nice woman with hair the color of midnight and sapphire eyes that belonged on a shelf. A dazzling smile graced pouty lips as she said, “How can I help you today, sir?”
“An anniversary present.”
“Oh!” she beamed at him. “Congratulations! How many years will it be?”
He didn’t bother correcting her and telling her he wasn’t buying the item for his anniversary but rather for his idiot brother who had forgotten it--again, for probably the tenth time in his centuries long mating with the priestess. “Four hundred and seventy-five.”
The woman didn’t even blink at the number, apparently well acquainted with demons and their life spans. “A big one, then? Four hundred and seventy-five years isn’t something to sneeze at, you know!”
Sesshomaru merely blinked placidly, and her smile wavered for a second before recovering. Interesting. His stare usually brought even the highest of the executives her met with to tears, and yet this small woman resisted.
Interesting and intriguing.
“What would you like to give her? We have many, many selections to offer you.” She came from behind the counter and turned to close the partition, her hair swirling. It left a delicious fragrance, that of fuchsia and warm sunlight, in the air.
“--a necklace?” the woman was asking. “Perhaps a ring?”
“Tell me your name.” It was clearly a demand, not a request, and Sesshomaru expected an answer.
Long lashes blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Your name, woman.”
“Higurashi Kagome.” She bowed. “Dōmo sumimasen for not having introduced myself, honored customer.”
“Taisho Sesshomaru.”
A cheek dimpled prettily. “Taisho-sama, then. Would you like to tell me a bit about her? Perhaps we can narrow it down that way.”
He thought carefully about the hanyou’s mate. Quiet, yet forceful. A miko of power, to be sure. She enjoyed cooking and playing with the two’s pups in the yard.
Sesshomaru repeated his thoughts. “Quiet. A miko. She likes to cook and has two pups.”
Kagome’s eyes brightened at the mention of his supposed mate’s status of a miko. “I’m a miko as well. I know--”
“You’re a miko?” Sesshomaru frowned. He hadn’t felt anything.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Hai. I mask it so the youkai customers I have don’t get discomfited.”
“I know just the thing for a miko,” Kagome continued from where he had interrupted her, bustling over to a display case and unlocking it. It was a simple silver chain, clearly of the highest quality--it gleamed brightly in the store’s light--with a crescent moon pendant hanging elegantly. The inside of the crescent was not filled, and it created a striking contrast against the black of Kagome’s hair.
He’d like to see his mark against the white of her throat. The thought struck him suddenly, and it did have its appeal; however, it was not what he was here for: He was here to save his brother’s ass yet again.
“The chain can be lengthened if need be, or exchanged for your pleasure, Taisho-sama.” Kagome looked expectantly at him.
“I’ll take it.”
“Good choice!” She moved back to the counter and began to ring it up. “Silver is a good property for mikos to have around them, especially as jewelry. I find that it helps tune my ki to a finer level than it was, allowing me more exact control.” Kagome smiled self-deprecatingly. “I need that extra help sometimes.”
The statement interested him and as he signed the slip of paper she handed him with his name and confirmed the total he charged to his credit card, he wondered exactly how powerful she was. Surely a low level miko at the most.
“Domo arigatou gozaimasu, Taisho-sama!” she waved cheerily as he left the store, the little bells tinkling overhead.
He allowed himself a small smirk as he started his car, the creme bag beside him in the passenger seat.
Higurashi Kagome has spiked his interest.
~~~
Prompt: Silver
Words: 817
Kazurahana’s, the name of the store, means ‘the Jeweled Flower’.
Domo sumimasen: ‘Excuse me’, or ‘I am sorry’
Domo arigatou gozaimasu: ‘Thank you’
Thanks to Lyra for her fantabulous help. I love youuu!