WIP
Since it takes me forever to get out new chapters of Shrine Prostitute anymore, I figure I'll post tidbits here as I 'finish' them (because nothing is truly done until it's 'published' on one of the fiction sites, and even then I continue to tweak forever). I figure this way I'll feel like I'm accomplishing something though, as opposed to sitting on a 40 page chapter for ages because it needs to be edited like crazy and have some connecting scenes added. Who knows, the two people who are still around on LJ might be vaguely interested, lol.
Chapter 29: Acceleration
Kagome hated going to the grocery store anymore. It wasn't even because of how often they had to go now - every other day - but because of the sheer amount she had to buy, then carry, then lumber up the million stairs to her house with. She even brought a trolley with her, but that only helped as far as the steps. At least she was using otherwise forgotten muscles, as her body had achingly made her aware the first few times she'd been sent on the errand.
Luckily they normally sent youkai on the trip, which typically meant Yami. He'd basically become the youkai equivalent of troop mother for their shrine, but even though he was willing they couldn't make him do everything. Besides, he normally shopped at youkai markets, understandably enough. However, her mother had gotten a new cookbook and was anxious to try out some of the recipes.
Her mom had actually started teaching some of the girls and a couple of the boys how to do some of the cooking, and it was absolutely adorable the way they'd all pour over the cookbooks and point out new things they wanted to try. Most of the hanyou hadn't had very expansive diets growing up, they'd usually just been given the same cheap and easy foods day after day, so they loved the exotic spices and pictures they found.
Tonight they were going to try a variety of curries. Knowing how much Inuyasha hated spicy foods, she'd been surprised to discover that a few of the younger hanyou at the house absolutely loved them. She supposed it had to do with what type of youkai heritage they had, but wasn't sure. It could just be general preferences too, much like how she enjoyed hot things much more than Souta did.
Curry, according to Yami, wasn't a big favorite among youkai, except among tigers who seemed to live off the stuff. Most youkai groceries tended to only carry a little bit of it, and then only one or two varieties. There was a market that catered to the big cat youkai but it was on the other side of town, whereas this ningen shop was just down the street from her shrine. It wasn't hard to ascertain what would be the easiest option.
So now here she was, trying to figure out how many different varieties to buy, and how much of each - if none of the hanyou liked red curry, for instance, they could be stuck with it for ages since none of the Higurashis much cared for that one either.
She had her cart about half full when she heard her name.
“Kagome?”
She wasn't sure why, but she tensed up as she spun in the aisle to face whoever had called out to her. Maybe it was the incredulity in the voice, or maybe she sensed some underlying anxiety, but a soon as she saw who it was she understood.
“Yuka?!” She mirrored her friend's surprise. Eyebrows up to her hairline, she faltered, “Wow, how long has it been?”
“Months,” Yuka said dryly.
“No, it can’t have been…” She did some mental calculations. “Holy cow, it really has been.” Well, that was awkward. “But it’s good to see you! What are you doing here?”
The other girl wordlessly raised the basket she was holding.
“Yeah, yeah, Miss Obvious,” Kagome ribbed lightly, testing the waters. “I mean here at this store. Last I heard you’d gotten an apartment closer to downtown."
“I’m staying with my parents. My mom fell and hurt her hip so I’m helping take care of things for a while.”
“Oh, Yuka…oh, I’m so sorry. Why didn’t you tell me anything?”
Yuka shrugged with forced nonchalance, or at least Kagome thought it was forced. "You just seem to busy these days; you're a hard person to pin down, you know?"
Now she knew for sure she was putting on an act. There was too much underlying bitterness and hurt and Kagome felt cut to the core. She hadn’t thought Yuka still cared about her that much.
Things had all kind of gone downhill after the situation at the hospital with Eri. Of course Ayumi and Yuka had come flying at her, demanding to know how she could just abandon Eri like that, vulnerable and alone in such a situation.
Kagome had tried to be patient, knowing they’d only heard Eri’s side of the tale, knowing they’d probably unsay every word when she told them the truth, but the words and accusations still stung.
‘Was friendship really worth so much less than a good fuck?’ The accusation still rung in her ears.
She was, admittedly, a little too heated and forceful in cutting them off and sharing her side of the story. They’d been in plenty of fights over the years, though - as teenage girls often will - and she knew they’d hold it against her no more than she held their previous words against them.
She withheld the information of Inuyasha’s breakdown despite knowing how it would sway their feelings. He wouldn’t want anyone else to know and frankly it wasn’t their right to know. Even still, she was surprised when they hadn’t immediately thrown their weight in her corner. To her it was so clear cut, black and white, that their hesitation seemed impossible.
Hadn’t she overreacted just a little bit? Did she really have to abandon a friend just because of a few cross words? Or maybe there was miscommunication; Eri was bound to be all high strung. Maybe she didn’t want anyone else there at all - it was a highly private matter after all. Maybe Kagome was so oversensitive to the whole hanyou thing that she took Eri’s request that her boyfriend leave as an insult to his heritage?
Kagome had felt blindsided. They’d watched plenty of movies together in their years of friendship, and whenever the dashing hero - whether he was the Japanese warrior wandering through an early China or the charming boy from the streets who managed to best even the most pompous of American tycoons - was treated as an outcast they’d all yelled at the unfairness of it and celebrated the hero’s inevitable victory. They’d all demanded that the hero be seen for who he was and what he was capable of, not the where, when, and to whom he was born.
Of course, the fact that the hero was almost unfailingly Japanese probably didn’t hurt, Kagome realized later, a bit sourly.
In the end Ayumi and Yuka simply chose not to take sides. Their two versions of events were too different, they said, it was impossible to know what had really happened, what with emotions running high on both sides. They’d simply put it in the past where it belonged and move on. They’d still be friends with both Kagome and Eri, but understood if the two of them couldn’t be.
Things were all right but understandably awkward between them.
After that they didn’t see each other as much, since Yuka and Ayumi had to split their time between who they jokingly called ‘mom’ and ‘dad’. Oh, by the way mom, dad says hi, and to not forget to have us back by 7pm, ha ha.
And then Kagome’s life became busier and their calls became less frequent and they all just slowly, naturally drifted apart.
“So how is…everyone?”
“They’re fine.”
The space between them filled up with awkward silence. Kagome did not like awkward silences and always inevitably sought to fill or overcome them.
“Is Eri still upset with me?” she blurted out. It was a stupid thing to say; what difference would it make?
Yuka looked uncomfortable. “Erm, yeah.” And then, as if she felt a burning need to confess, “She’s actually been saying some rather unflattering things about hanyou since then.”
Kagome sighed and squeezed the bridge of her nose, deflating.
“I think it’s more just that she feels they stole you away from us, that you’d choose hanyou over her.”
Kagome looked up. Her friend looked slightly chagrined but her eyes were intently focused, waiting for some kind of answer to her unspoken question. The answer was a flat out yes, she would, but Kagome knew she needed more finesse than that. She was talking to her friend for the first time in months, suddenly tackling all the big issues between them, and she didn’t want to turn her off immediately.
“If Ayumi had a really bad lisp and a stutter would you defend her if she was getting made fun of?”
Brow scrunched but already seeing where Kagome was headed with this, Yuka sought to head her off. “Of course I would, and I get what you’re trying to do, but Eri’s your friend too.”
“Exactly. What would you do if I started making fun of Ayumi?”
Yuka snorted. “Like you’d do that.”
“I didn’t expect Eri to call Inuyasha an animal and a dirty thing to his face, either. People can surprise you. Now what would you do if I made fun of Ayumi?”
She shrugged. “I guess I’d tell you off.”
“And if I didn’t stop? If I continued to mock her?”
Yuka glanced away.
“How do you decide between keeping one friend and protecting another?”
"I thought they only had the one confrontation and saw each other for about a minute." It was avoidance and they both knew it.
“How could I tell hanyou they’re equal and then stand by as they’re mistreated?”
“So you’re saying it was a hard decision?
Kagome cringed. “No, it wasn’t.”
She knew how bad that sounded so she rushed to explain. “Eri had you guys. She had other friends. Family. She’s human: she had the whole world. Inuyasha has nobody. Besides, I have my beliefs and I have to stand up for them. I won’t stand for prejudice, even from a friend. Especially from a friend. And I would’ve done the same for any hanyou, not just Inuyasha.
“What happened to our ideals that everyone be treated for who and not what they are? Inuyasha was afraid that I’d been hurt, had just run himself ragged to get to the hospital thinking I’d been admitted, and was immediately met with scorn. If Eri had wanted him to leave because she just wanted us to be alone, that’d be one thing. Or if she’d said he was a stranger, or she wanted privacy, or she didn’t really want to see me with my boyfriend right then, given the nature of her visit. Any other excuse would’ve been fine, understandable even, but she fixated on his being hanyou and forced me to make a choice.”
“But you were still her friend,” Yuka lamented.
Kagome sighed. “I know. I don’t think one mistake makes her a bad person necessarily, but I had to choose.”
“She felt abandoned.”
“I know,” she repeated. In part it was frustrating; she’d just laid out how Inuyasha was the wronged party here, Yuka apparently buying her story in its entirety this time, but still her only worry was about Eri’s feelings. Then again, she didn’t know Inuyasha, had never seen his shell go up or his eyes deaden, she only knew Eri and saw how it affected her.
“I’m sorry it worked out this way. I should’ve called one of you and told you what was going on, to drop what you were doing and take my place at the hospital. I was just...preoccupied.” Busy holding him as he huddled into the wall, shivering in her arms, every defensive wall he had struggling to block out the hurt. Not that he’d ever describe it that way. “I had to be with the one who needed me more.” That was as close as she’d come to admitting his breakdown.
“So you chose your boyfriend over your friend.”
And that was the crux of it all. In the end what she did felt like a betrayal because she’d chosen a guy first and foremost, and that was a big no-no in the friendship book of ethics. Reasons almost didn’t even matter.
“But what if they’re not what you think they are?” Yuka pleaded. “I mean, everyone holds they’re pretty much just talking animals, a mess of human instinct and youkai power to make them dumb, incompetent, and dangerous. You’re the only one who says otherwise. What if you’re wrong and just being blinded by emotion and good intentions? Or what if Inuyasha is an anomaly and all the rest are as dangerous as they all say?” She took a deep breath. “All I’m saying is you have an awful lot riding on this whole ‘hanyou-are-equal’ bit.”
Kagome was quiet a moment, mulling over her words. “Who’s this ‘everyone’ you keep referring to?”
Yuka floundered. “Uh, well…”
“And who among them - give me a single name - has met a hanyou? And don’t say Eri because she only saw Inuyasha for a minute and all she did was yell at him.”
Yuka was understandably silent.
"You won't even take my word for it, when you know me, so what kind of stock can you put in secondhand information? You simply want to dislike them because it's more convenient." Kagome said it softly, not particularly wanting to offend her friend, but knew it was a truth that needed to be said regardless. She wished she knew kinder words to use, but she was just so tired.
There was silence again, but Yuka's face was thoughtful, and Kagome could've cried at the fact her friend was considering her words instead of just shutting her out.
“Would you at least be willing to meet one?”
“W-wh-what?!” The girl looked downright terrified, and Kagome had to suppress a grim smile.
"How can you know what they are and how intelligent or dumb they are without judging for yourself? They are sweet, precious creatures who've grown up hearing their entire lives how they're unwanted, how it would be so much better for everyone if they'd never been born. Yet after all that they still manage to care about others and desire to be part of this world, not destroy it. I think that speaks to a strength beyond imagining.
"Besides, if you met one then maybe you'd stop looking at me like I'm crazy, stop thinking that I'm throwing my entire life away on some grand delusion. Maybe then you'd understand why this has become my focus and drive. If you won't believe me about them, then don't you owe it to yourself, to all of us, to be able to decide for yourself?"
Yuka looked curious, intrigued even, but unconvinced.
Kagome sighed. "It's not like I can guarantee you a meet-n-greet anyhow though. The hanyou I have around are understandably skittish about meeting other people, and I only have one hanyou-friend who's agreed to meet a human-friend before. So even if you do agree to this it might be a while before it can actually happen."
The tension in Yuka's shoulders noticeable lessened. Kagome wasn't sure what had affected the change. The fact that any meeting wouldn't be immediate, that she'd have time to prepare for it? Or that the hanyou were just as reluctant about meeting 'outsiders'?
Slowly, Yuka nodded. "I...I'll think about it. That's the best I can do right now."
Kagome grinned widely and grasped her friend's hands. "Thank you, Yuka, really."
Yuka's smile was a bit more hesitant but she squeezed Kagome's hands back before letting go. "Well I need to get going now, but it's been good to see you."
"You too. Let me know what you decide, well, whenever. And let Ayumi know that she's more than welcome too. I don't know if you might be more comfortable if you two came together, but we can make it work, however you like. I just...don't know what the timetable might be. Sorry."
Shaking her head, Yuka chuckled lightly. Same old Kagome, babbling tendencies and all. "Okay, I'll do that. See you around Kagome." She raised her hand in a wave and then disappeared around the corner.
Once Yuka was gone Kagome's smile waned. She wondered if either she or Ayumi would be willing to go through with this. Still, just the fact that Yuka was considering it was a small victory in its own right. She'd just think about the positive; she was sure those two would come around eventually. She just didn't know how long it might take.
She was pulled from her musings when she hit her elbow. Rubbing it vigorously to soothe the pain, she turned back to her cart. Her half-empty cart. Groaning she gave up and just started throwing assortments of curries and other sauces in to join everything else; whatever she picked would inevitably turn out wrong anyhow. They'd have too little of what everybody ended up liking, and too much of what everyone hated.
Glancing at the clock on her cell phone she decided it was late enough she could get away with calling home once she was close. Then she could wheedle out some helpers to assist in carrying the motley assortment of bags up the stairs of death.
Sighing once again, she slowly rolled her way over to the checkout.
That's all for now. I'll pop my head up again in another couple months, lol.
Chapter 29: Acceleration
Kagome hated going to the grocery store anymore. It wasn't even because of how often they had to go now - every other day - but because of the sheer amount she had to buy, then carry, then lumber up the million stairs to her house with. She even brought a trolley with her, but that only helped as far as the steps. At least she was using otherwise forgotten muscles, as her body had achingly made her aware the first few times she'd been sent on the errand.
Luckily they normally sent youkai on the trip, which typically meant Yami. He'd basically become the youkai equivalent of troop mother for their shrine, but even though he was willing they couldn't make him do everything. Besides, he normally shopped at youkai markets, understandably enough. However, her mother had gotten a new cookbook and was anxious to try out some of the recipes.
Her mom had actually started teaching some of the girls and a couple of the boys how to do some of the cooking, and it was absolutely adorable the way they'd all pour over the cookbooks and point out new things they wanted to try. Most of the hanyou hadn't had very expansive diets growing up, they'd usually just been given the same cheap and easy foods day after day, so they loved the exotic spices and pictures they found.
Tonight they were going to try a variety of curries. Knowing how much Inuyasha hated spicy foods, she'd been surprised to discover that a few of the younger hanyou at the house absolutely loved them. She supposed it had to do with what type of youkai heritage they had, but wasn't sure. It could just be general preferences too, much like how she enjoyed hot things much more than Souta did.
Curry, according to Yami, wasn't a big favorite among youkai, except among tigers who seemed to live off the stuff. Most youkai groceries tended to only carry a little bit of it, and then only one or two varieties. There was a market that catered to the big cat youkai but it was on the other side of town, whereas this ningen shop was just down the street from her shrine. It wasn't hard to ascertain what would be the easiest option.
So now here she was, trying to figure out how many different varieties to buy, and how much of each - if none of the hanyou liked red curry, for instance, they could be stuck with it for ages since none of the Higurashis much cared for that one either.
She had her cart about half full when she heard her name.
“Kagome?”
She wasn't sure why, but she tensed up as she spun in the aisle to face whoever had called out to her. Maybe it was the incredulity in the voice, or maybe she sensed some underlying anxiety, but a soon as she saw who it was she understood.
“Yuka?!” She mirrored her friend's surprise. Eyebrows up to her hairline, she faltered, “Wow, how long has it been?”
“Months,” Yuka said dryly.
“No, it can’t have been…” She did some mental calculations. “Holy cow, it really has been.” Well, that was awkward. “But it’s good to see you! What are you doing here?”
The other girl wordlessly raised the basket she was holding.
“Yeah, yeah, Miss Obvious,” Kagome ribbed lightly, testing the waters. “I mean here at this store. Last I heard you’d gotten an apartment closer to downtown."
“I’m staying with my parents. My mom fell and hurt her hip so I’m helping take care of things for a while.”
“Oh, Yuka…oh, I’m so sorry. Why didn’t you tell me anything?”
Yuka shrugged with forced nonchalance, or at least Kagome thought it was forced. "You just seem to busy these days; you're a hard person to pin down, you know?"
Now she knew for sure she was putting on an act. There was too much underlying bitterness and hurt and Kagome felt cut to the core. She hadn’t thought Yuka still cared about her that much.
Things had all kind of gone downhill after the situation at the hospital with Eri. Of course Ayumi and Yuka had come flying at her, demanding to know how she could just abandon Eri like that, vulnerable and alone in such a situation.
Kagome had tried to be patient, knowing they’d only heard Eri’s side of the tale, knowing they’d probably unsay every word when she told them the truth, but the words and accusations still stung.
‘Was friendship really worth so much less than a good fuck?’ The accusation still rung in her ears.
She was, admittedly, a little too heated and forceful in cutting them off and sharing her side of the story. They’d been in plenty of fights over the years, though - as teenage girls often will - and she knew they’d hold it against her no more than she held their previous words against them.
She withheld the information of Inuyasha’s breakdown despite knowing how it would sway their feelings. He wouldn’t want anyone else to know and frankly it wasn’t their right to know. Even still, she was surprised when they hadn’t immediately thrown their weight in her corner. To her it was so clear cut, black and white, that their hesitation seemed impossible.
Hadn’t she overreacted just a little bit? Did she really have to abandon a friend just because of a few cross words? Or maybe there was miscommunication; Eri was bound to be all high strung. Maybe she didn’t want anyone else there at all - it was a highly private matter after all. Maybe Kagome was so oversensitive to the whole hanyou thing that she took Eri’s request that her boyfriend leave as an insult to his heritage?
Kagome had felt blindsided. They’d watched plenty of movies together in their years of friendship, and whenever the dashing hero - whether he was the Japanese warrior wandering through an early China or the charming boy from the streets who managed to best even the most pompous of American tycoons - was treated as an outcast they’d all yelled at the unfairness of it and celebrated the hero’s inevitable victory. They’d all demanded that the hero be seen for who he was and what he was capable of, not the where, when, and to whom he was born.
Of course, the fact that the hero was almost unfailingly Japanese probably didn’t hurt, Kagome realized later, a bit sourly.
In the end Ayumi and Yuka simply chose not to take sides. Their two versions of events were too different, they said, it was impossible to know what had really happened, what with emotions running high on both sides. They’d simply put it in the past where it belonged and move on. They’d still be friends with both Kagome and Eri, but understood if the two of them couldn’t be.
Things were all right but understandably awkward between them.
After that they didn’t see each other as much, since Yuka and Ayumi had to split their time between who they jokingly called ‘mom’ and ‘dad’. Oh, by the way mom, dad says hi, and to not forget to have us back by 7pm, ha ha.
And then Kagome’s life became busier and their calls became less frequent and they all just slowly, naturally drifted apart.
“So how is…everyone?”
“They’re fine.”
The space between them filled up with awkward silence. Kagome did not like awkward silences and always inevitably sought to fill or overcome them.
“Is Eri still upset with me?” she blurted out. It was a stupid thing to say; what difference would it make?
Yuka looked uncomfortable. “Erm, yeah.” And then, as if she felt a burning need to confess, “She’s actually been saying some rather unflattering things about hanyou since then.”
Kagome sighed and squeezed the bridge of her nose, deflating.
“I think it’s more just that she feels they stole you away from us, that you’d choose hanyou over her.”
Kagome looked up. Her friend looked slightly chagrined but her eyes were intently focused, waiting for some kind of answer to her unspoken question. The answer was a flat out yes, she would, but Kagome knew she needed more finesse than that. She was talking to her friend for the first time in months, suddenly tackling all the big issues between them, and she didn’t want to turn her off immediately.
“If Ayumi had a really bad lisp and a stutter would you defend her if she was getting made fun of?”
Brow scrunched but already seeing where Kagome was headed with this, Yuka sought to head her off. “Of course I would, and I get what you’re trying to do, but Eri’s your friend too.”
“Exactly. What would you do if I started making fun of Ayumi?”
Yuka snorted. “Like you’d do that.”
“I didn’t expect Eri to call Inuyasha an animal and a dirty thing to his face, either. People can surprise you. Now what would you do if I made fun of Ayumi?”
She shrugged. “I guess I’d tell you off.”
“And if I didn’t stop? If I continued to mock her?”
Yuka glanced away.
“How do you decide between keeping one friend and protecting another?”
"I thought they only had the one confrontation and saw each other for about a minute." It was avoidance and they both knew it.
“How could I tell hanyou they’re equal and then stand by as they’re mistreated?”
“So you’re saying it was a hard decision?
Kagome cringed. “No, it wasn’t.”
She knew how bad that sounded so she rushed to explain. “Eri had you guys. She had other friends. Family. She’s human: she had the whole world. Inuyasha has nobody. Besides, I have my beliefs and I have to stand up for them. I won’t stand for prejudice, even from a friend. Especially from a friend. And I would’ve done the same for any hanyou, not just Inuyasha.
“What happened to our ideals that everyone be treated for who and not what they are? Inuyasha was afraid that I’d been hurt, had just run himself ragged to get to the hospital thinking I’d been admitted, and was immediately met with scorn. If Eri had wanted him to leave because she just wanted us to be alone, that’d be one thing. Or if she’d said he was a stranger, or she wanted privacy, or she didn’t really want to see me with my boyfriend right then, given the nature of her visit. Any other excuse would’ve been fine, understandable even, but she fixated on his being hanyou and forced me to make a choice.”
“But you were still her friend,” Yuka lamented.
Kagome sighed. “I know. I don’t think one mistake makes her a bad person necessarily, but I had to choose.”
“She felt abandoned.”
“I know,” she repeated. In part it was frustrating; she’d just laid out how Inuyasha was the wronged party here, Yuka apparently buying her story in its entirety this time, but still her only worry was about Eri’s feelings. Then again, she didn’t know Inuyasha, had never seen his shell go up or his eyes deaden, she only knew Eri and saw how it affected her.
“I’m sorry it worked out this way. I should’ve called one of you and told you what was going on, to drop what you were doing and take my place at the hospital. I was just...preoccupied.” Busy holding him as he huddled into the wall, shivering in her arms, every defensive wall he had struggling to block out the hurt. Not that he’d ever describe it that way. “I had to be with the one who needed me more.” That was as close as she’d come to admitting his breakdown.
“So you chose your boyfriend over your friend.”
And that was the crux of it all. In the end what she did felt like a betrayal because she’d chosen a guy first and foremost, and that was a big no-no in the friendship book of ethics. Reasons almost didn’t even matter.
“But what if they’re not what you think they are?” Yuka pleaded. “I mean, everyone holds they’re pretty much just talking animals, a mess of human instinct and youkai power to make them dumb, incompetent, and dangerous. You’re the only one who says otherwise. What if you’re wrong and just being blinded by emotion and good intentions? Or what if Inuyasha is an anomaly and all the rest are as dangerous as they all say?” She took a deep breath. “All I’m saying is you have an awful lot riding on this whole ‘hanyou-are-equal’ bit.”
Kagome was quiet a moment, mulling over her words. “Who’s this ‘everyone’ you keep referring to?”
Yuka floundered. “Uh, well…”
“And who among them - give me a single name - has met a hanyou? And don’t say Eri because she only saw Inuyasha for a minute and all she did was yell at him.”
Yuka was understandably silent.
"You won't even take my word for it, when you know me, so what kind of stock can you put in secondhand information? You simply want to dislike them because it's more convenient." Kagome said it softly, not particularly wanting to offend her friend, but knew it was a truth that needed to be said regardless. She wished she knew kinder words to use, but she was just so tired.
There was silence again, but Yuka's face was thoughtful, and Kagome could've cried at the fact her friend was considering her words instead of just shutting her out.
“Would you at least be willing to meet one?”
“W-wh-what?!” The girl looked downright terrified, and Kagome had to suppress a grim smile.
"How can you know what they are and how intelligent or dumb they are without judging for yourself? They are sweet, precious creatures who've grown up hearing their entire lives how they're unwanted, how it would be so much better for everyone if they'd never been born. Yet after all that they still manage to care about others and desire to be part of this world, not destroy it. I think that speaks to a strength beyond imagining.
"Besides, if you met one then maybe you'd stop looking at me like I'm crazy, stop thinking that I'm throwing my entire life away on some grand delusion. Maybe then you'd understand why this has become my focus and drive. If you won't believe me about them, then don't you owe it to yourself, to all of us, to be able to decide for yourself?"
Yuka looked curious, intrigued even, but unconvinced.
Kagome sighed. "It's not like I can guarantee you a meet-n-greet anyhow though. The hanyou I have around are understandably skittish about meeting other people, and I only have one hanyou-friend who's agreed to meet a human-friend before. So even if you do agree to this it might be a while before it can actually happen."
The tension in Yuka's shoulders noticeable lessened. Kagome wasn't sure what had affected the change. The fact that any meeting wouldn't be immediate, that she'd have time to prepare for it? Or that the hanyou were just as reluctant about meeting 'outsiders'?
Slowly, Yuka nodded. "I...I'll think about it. That's the best I can do right now."
Kagome grinned widely and grasped her friend's hands. "Thank you, Yuka, really."
Yuka's smile was a bit more hesitant but she squeezed Kagome's hands back before letting go. "Well I need to get going now, but it's been good to see you."
"You too. Let me know what you decide, well, whenever. And let Ayumi know that she's more than welcome too. I don't know if you might be more comfortable if you two came together, but we can make it work, however you like. I just...don't know what the timetable might be. Sorry."
Shaking her head, Yuka chuckled lightly. Same old Kagome, babbling tendencies and all. "Okay, I'll do that. See you around Kagome." She raised her hand in a wave and then disappeared around the corner.
Once Yuka was gone Kagome's smile waned. She wondered if either she or Ayumi would be willing to go through with this. Still, just the fact that Yuka was considering it was a small victory in its own right. She'd just think about the positive; she was sure those two would come around eventually. She just didn't know how long it might take.
She was pulled from her musings when she hit her elbow. Rubbing it vigorously to soothe the pain, she turned back to her cart. Her half-empty cart. Groaning she gave up and just started throwing assortments of curries and other sauces in to join everything else; whatever she picked would inevitably turn out wrong anyhow. They'd have too little of what everybody ended up liking, and too much of what everyone hated.
Glancing at the clock on her cell phone she decided it was late enough she could get away with calling home once she was close. Then she could wheedle out some helpers to assist in carrying the motley assortment of bags up the stairs of death.
Sighing once again, she slowly rolled her way over to the checkout.
That's all for now. I'll pop my head up again in another couple months, lol.