[MillietheWarrior]

(Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3)

It was rare these days that InuYasha got a day off. Whether from his human job or his side job, the time he spent doing things for himself was dwindling and becoming more rare than the demons he hunted. His nose twitched as he leaned against a tree, tying his long, white hair back over his shoulder and lifting his lips over his fanged teeth in a snarl. He could smell his quarry, which was rapidly increasing the distance between the two of them in leaps and bounds, and he didn’t like the idea of chasing it down. He was even less fond of the idea that the creature had practically been running amuck in his own back yard (literally, because he owned the forest) and he hadn’t noticed it until now. He’d been so busy grading papers and thinking of new lesson plans, not to mention entertaining a visit from that Bureau bastard, Tsume, who insisted he take a heavier hand in the comings and goings of the demons in his immediate territory, that he hadn’t really had time to go sniffing around the forest for any intruders. But when he’d gone for an afternoon walk on Saturday, he’d caught the unmistakable scent of a trespassing demon (and a low class one at that, which added insult to injury) and been forced to put his work on hold to eliminate it.

Unfortunately, despite being the demon being outclassed and outmatched, he’d managed to put up a good fight, going so far as to tear a rather wide gash in the arm of InuYasha’s expensively tailored dress shirt, and made a run for it. The half-demon pursuer’s heart wasn’t really in the chase, and as much as he wanted to get rid of the damned thing, he just didn’t feel like it. He was tired, he had fucking papers to grade, and he hated that stupid Tsume bastards and the next time he saw him he’d tear his face in half with his bare hands and-- God damn it, he was tired of this heat! Cursing under his breath, InuYasha bounded off the forest floor, taking to the trees with expert ease, moving fluidly from branch to branch with little effort. He’d done this thousands of times, if not millions, and it felt as natural to him as breathing. A vivid memory of blue-black hair and chocolate brown eyes flashed across his vision, nearly making him stumble, and he immediately froze on the branch, panting in a way that was disproportionate to the effort expended. He remembered a time when he would do this, when a young woman would cling to his back, pointing out which way the demon was going.

A time when he’d agree and bound after his quarry with enthusiasm, keeping his charge safe from harm and looking after her all the while disposing of the threat. He remembered easy laughter and bright smiles and a voice threatening “Osuwari!” to sit him into oblivion if he didn’t behave. He fingered the beads around his neck with a smirk, remembering all the times he’d ended up with a face full of dirt and a headache. But he’d never complained --well, not really-- and he missed those days more and more. In the end, she was only human, his dear, dear companion, and in the end, he’d outlived her easily. She was buried here, somewhere deep in his forest, next to a shrine that had survived since the ancient, feudal days of Japan, but he hardly visited her grave anymore. The memories were too painful. InuYasha was so caught up in his thoughts that he failed to hear the rapid approach of his quarry until it was too late. The demon, an ugly, green thing that had the vague shape of an ogre and five inch long canines sticking out of either side of his jowls, slashed a nice hole in the back of his shirt, drawing blood as the hanyou bit his lip and leapt from the tree, tamping down on the urge to cry out in pain.

Instead, he snarled, turning to face the demon and reaching up to feel the rent in his shirt where blood dribbled in slow, oozing rivulets down his back. He soaked his claws in the blood as the low class demon chuckled, inching forward with a hungry look in it’s eyes. In the next instant, InuYasha had dragged his arm around, flinging blades made of blood at his prey. The demon barely had time to shriek before the blades sliced him in pieces, and he fell to the ground with a sickening ‘thump,’ green blood oozing into the ground and making the dead leaves hiss as it soaked into them. InuYasha knew nothing would ever grow there again, but it didn’t really matter much; even as he sat down against one of the trees, hissing as his back pulled painfully at the slices in his skin, and sighed. Maybe he’d just sit here for a day or two and let the damn things heal; he really needed a break from grading papers anyway.

[ToxicShadow]

It was very much unlike Sathia to be out on her own these days. Under normal circumstances, the family of hunters at least broke up into pairs when on the prowl. Despite her age and her capabilities, her older brother, just being older by nothing more than a handful of minutes, worried for her safety. He didn't like if she went off alone, though he was typically too serious and a drag when it came to anything outside of their self-appointed tasks. She loved him dearly, but he did eventually become exhausting when it came to seeing him day in and day out with neither of them having any prior engagements. They were considerably new to this world, still, and had yet to settle into a permanent residence. With that notion, it also meant that neither of them had any friends or acquaintance outside of the family. Her only get away time was when something like this happened; she had gone and sent her brother and sister out after an alleged demon, insisting that she would stay behind with her son. However, even he had realized her need to get out and about, and sent his own mother off to, "explore and check out the nearby land to see if it would be habitable or if it needed their services."

The she-demon was merely wandering the vast forest that she found herself in, huffing at her son's antics, when she caught the scent of a lower class demon. Though she'd hunted plenty, and didn't exactly get any kind of thrill in the hunt, the invitation of something to do was a welcomed one. She'd shifted from her human-esque form to her beloved wolfish form, the only thing remaining from the shift being a necklace that once enslaved her in hell and restricted her powers, to bound in its direction, certain that it wasn't all that far away. She could catch it easily on all four legs, no question about it. Closing in, however, the scent of fresh blood caught her nose. At first, it was a scent different from the demon that she had first caught wind of, before an even stronger scent of blood, one certainly belonging to the demon, came. She halted in her tracks, reassessing the situation. With that much blood spilled and the fading essence of the demon, it had undoubtedly already been disposed of. Whomever else it was that she smelled, they must have been the one to do it. This made her reconsider entirely, though they were definitely bleeding, too. They weren't quite a demon, either. Perhaps half?

It had been a long time since curiosity had gotten the better of her, but Sathia decided to find out what had happened. If they were bleeding, maybe they needed her help. If they were dangerous, then she reasoned that she could fight her way out if needed. Her continued approach was no longer at such a quick pace, closing in slowly, as she would when stalking a prey. They were close now, not but a few yards away. Deciding that her human appearance would be best for approaching a stranger, she returned to said form once more, dark hair falling down past her shoulders. She had to will away her ears, tail, and the deathly metal-like blades that appeared on her forearms before breaking through the last of the brush; even worse at controlling her ears and other wolfish parts than her son was.

The sight that laid before her was relatively unexpected. It only took her a moment to access the situation, the portion of the earth killed off by demon's blood, while a young, bleeding man had slumped against a tree. He had been damaged during the disposal of the demon. Concern, as that came with being someone like Sathia, lead her to approached the man quickly. "You are hurt," she immediately prompted, eyeing him with more concern than caution. She kept moving forward, seemingly unafraid, until she was only a few feet from him. "You should let me take a look at that. I can help you." After all, she was one such demon with healing magics. A little help from her and he would be as good as new.

"Injuries from demons aren't exactly pleasant, though I'm sure you already know that if you're hunting them down."

[MillietheWarrior]

InuYasha leaned heavily against the tree, careful not to put any pressure on any of his wounds as he did so. He could already feel his skin beginning to stitch itself back together, although it’d be a few more hours before he was completely good as new. And he’d need to get a new shirt. And toss this one. It was a pity, he decided with a scowl; it was one of his favorites. Sighing heavily, InuYasha closed his eyes, taking in the sounds and scent of his forest, which was as much a home, if not more, to him as the house he lived in bordering it’s edge. He could hear the birds chirping and the trees rustling, and somewhere deep in his memory, he could hear a gentle voice chiding him for being so reckless. He could almost hear see her, hovering over him with a worried expression, a wet cloth held between her dainty fingers, looking torn between forcing him to let her treat him and quietly begging him to let her help.

“You should let me take a look at that.”

“I can help.”

InuYasha…let me help you…

InuYasha’s eyes snapped open when he realized the voice was not who he thought it was, and was very real. It didn’t belong to a shapeless memory woman, but to a real live, living, breathing woman. How had she snuck up on him? He wondered with a low, rumbling growl. He tensed slightly, shifting so he was facing her as his brows drew down over his molten eyes with an angry glower. He was really losing his touch if he hadn’t even smelled her coming. Her scent reeked of demon, and his hackles instantly rose, his growl intensifying a few notches as she came closer. “No shit,” he snapped, fangs flashing as a sharp pain lanced through his back; he wished the damn thing would hurry and heal already. “I don’t need your help, lady. I suggest you get lost; you reek of demon, and I’m not in the mood for another fight.” He shifted again, leaning heavily against the tree and growling at her like a corner dog. “Especially not some mangy wolf demon; had enough of those to last me one lifetime.” Besides, her scent brought up far too many memories; memories that he didn’t have any interest in reliving. He’d had enough of that for one day.

“So get lost, wench,” he waved with one clawed hand, his snarl still on his face. “You aren’t welcome in my forest!”

[ToxicShadow]

Sathia was not fazed by the man's show of anger and defensiveness, nor did it deter her or make her back down from her current position. Instead, her own amber eyes narrowed, fixing him with something of a glare. Why was she bothering with this when he had turned away her help? Heh. Everyone told her that she was too kind for her own good, and perhaps they correct. Regardless, she smiled faintly, her own fangs just barely visible. "I'm not looking for a fight either. Well, I suppose I was, although you already dealt with the target in question before I could arrive. If you'd be so kind, half-demon, I have the soul of a mortal, it's my body that is demon, so you ought to watch that awful tongue of yours. It's not very polite to show prejudices based on species," she chided him. With how things stood, it didn't look like he was about to go anywhere. Had he really been prepared to fight the demon? His injuries seemed almost reckless and now he was paying the price for it, without even wanting to take the offered help. How dense could he possibly be? Apparently, very.

"I'm only passing through, scouting the area for troublesome demons and things, that is all," came her calm reply, though one eyebrow did twitch with irritation when he called her a "wench," having never once been called such a thing in her life. Though, being that she was only recently able to take on this form, it meant she had been called plenty of other things while confined to her wolf form. It was miracle that her blades didn't come out in a defensive gesture in return for his vulgar behavior.

"I came here only because I could smell your blood. It was very reckless of you to get hurt, so just quit complaining and let me heal you." Her words held an undertone of a growl, which only emphasized her more politely spoken statement of "just shut up and let me help you." Here, she lifted up her hand, her fingertips emanating a pale light. "Healing happens to be one of my specialties, and I'm sure having your injuries healed right away as opposed to waiting would be helpful to you. Unless you want to sit there and mope about in pain for the next few hours."

[MillietheWarrior]

Half-demon. InuYasha felt the bile of bitterness rising up in his throat; he had been so sure he was done hearing that slanderous moniker, but it appeared that he was wrong. Even in this modern day and age, he couldn’t escape his curse. However, the word no longer held the stigma it once had (although InuYasha still remembered the burn and bite the word used to hold, how it was used to inflict pain) and he’d long grown used to being referred to as a hanyou, as a half-demon. It was who he was, and he accepted it because he’d once had friends who accepted it. One in particular flashed through his mind, but he stubbornly batted the memory away. He snarled softly, baring his fangs at her aggressively when she didn’t take the (very obvious) hint and get lost.

“Whatever, wench. You smell demon enough to me, so I don’t really care what the hell your soul is.” He didn’t care what she was, he just wanted her gone. He was tired, and he wanted to be alone, and maybe if his damn back would hurry and heal he could go home, ignore his work, and take a bath or something. He reeked of blood and it was starting to make his nose feel twitchy; maybe that was why he hadn’t smelled her coming. Obviously, the scent was what attracted her to him, but he didn’t like the fact that she’d entered his forest so carelessly. It was marked by his energy, and it kept most demons away; except for the really powerful or the really stupid. He wasn’t sure which one she was (he was betting on ‘stupid’), but her presence here disturbed him, even more so than the low-level demon he’d just shredded into pieces.

Snorting, the little ears atop his head flattened against his skull, showing his displeasure as he tore his gaze from her and angrily directed it to the tree across from him, as if staring hard enough might make the thing burst into flames, or maybe uproot itself and bash the woman over the head to make her go away. “Shut up, you don’t know what prejudice is,” he snapped. “And you don’t have any business ‘scouting’ my forest. This is my territory; if you had even half a brain you’d have noticed the energy markers around the edges of the forest. Guess your ‘mortal soul’ is too stupid to recognize a ‘keep out’ sign when it sees one.”

He smirked, though didn’t turn to look at her, settling heavily back against his tree and dismissing her with a flick of his ear. Her next words, however, made him freeze, and he slowly swiveled around to stare at her as if he’d never seen her before; in his eyes, her dark hair and dark eyes became blue-black and warm chocolate, and he had to shake his head hard to escape the memory that floated before him as a voice from another time and place rang dully in his ears.

“You’re hurt, InuYasha! So just shut up and let me help you!”

”Why are you being so stubborn? Just let me look at your wound!”

“InuYasha, you’re injured! You can’t fight anymore!”

“You shouldn’t move around when you’re hurt like that! Please, InuYasha, just stay here and rest.”

“I‘m trying to save your life! You could be a little more grateful, you know!”

“InuYasha, just...let me help you…Please.”

The cool breeze of the forest brought him back to his senses, and he stared at her glowing hand, his brows drawing together as a pained look crossed his face, though what the look was borne of, it wasn’t entirely clear. With a low growl, he turned his head away, white hair whisping over his forehead as the wind brushed against it, the strands glinting like silver thread in the faint sunlight that filtered in through the trees. He regarded her out of the corner of his eye, his face set in a somewhat neutral expression, though his brows were still drawn down over his eyes. “Feh,” he muttered, flicking one ear in her direction and turning away to gaze into the distance. “Do what you want then, wench. I don’t care.”

[ToxicShadow]

Sathia wisely allowed him to speak without further arguing with him, for now, as he barked about his territory and the stupidity of her entering it. Something as simple as territory markings didn't keep her out. Once in her life, it may have, when retraining the form of wolves meant that entering another's territory could outright mean a proclamation of war, but those were days long since passed. It seemed that in this world, disputes and misunderstandings could often be solved with words, which made it considerably safer of a prospect to trespass. Besides, she had her reasons, and intended no harm to this man that claimed the territory.

What interested her more was the strange look in his eyes when he turned to stare at her once more. He... wasn't looking at her, so much as passed her and onto something else. He was't seeing her. The gaze reminded the she-demon of a look that she often had, though its frequency had calmed considerably in recent years. The first time it happened was when she had mistaken her brother's voice for that of someone else just a precious to her and it happened again, nearly every time she heard the voice of a small girl. Her own thoughts somewhat rattled her composure and she had to look away from him. Though, it was impossible not to wonder what sort of tragedy may have befallen him for their looks to be the same. Had he lost someone, too? The flash of a pained expression on his face as he returned to his senses made it seem that way, which stirred something in Sathia that she hadn't felt for a stranger in a long time.

“Do what you want then, wench. I don’t care.”

There was that same awful word again, yet, despite herself, she found herself smiling in relief as he accepted her help. Sucking in a breath, she stepped forward, crouching down just in front of him. Her smile was reassuring, while her gaze seemed almost thankful that he had accepted. "I must make a form of contact, at the very least," she explained, before she cautiously reached for one of his hands to hold in both of her own, palm facing up. In comparison, her hands were much more delicate than his and not having the same claws that he did. "And, being so indirect, it will take a few minutes, so hold still." Her touch was gentle as she began to trace circles into his palm with both of her thumbs, the glowing around her fingertips shimmering even brighter than before. Simultaneously, her plush wolf ears and tail both appeared with the use of her abilities. It was too much effort to hide them while expending her energy already. As her healing magics flowed into his body, he would soon start to tingle, until enough had entered to actually get to work.

"I didn't mean to offend you," she commented, her words coming out slowly at first. "If I did, then I apologize. Though I may be a demon on the outside and with these abilities, I wasn't one originally." It was complicated and a tale that she didn't frequently tell.  "I hunt down violent demons, but I came out here to scout the area, as I have never been this way. I didn't trespass with any ill intent, I just needed to know what was in my surroundings and if it was safe if anyone else absolutely had to pass through." Her mind went immediately to her son. He was far old enough to take care of himself, but that didn't make her any less of a fretting mother, she would always worry. It wasn't something that ever changed with age. "That and... I just really needed to get away from it all for a little while."

[MillietheWarrior]

InuYasha’s ears twitched as she kneeled beside him, and he didn’t turn to look at her, keeping his gaze studiously trained on the trees in the distance. He jerked slightly when she took one of his hands, a snarl bubbling up in his throat on reflex. No one had been this close to him, touched him like this since…He stamped down on the urge to snarl louder, because he had given her permission to do what she wanted. Instead, he tapered his snarl off into a low, rumbling growl, so soft it was almost inaudible, and studiously turned away from her, ignoring her easily. The magical energy she pushed into his body immediately met resistance; his demon and human blood had always been rather unstable, and the feel of another, different energy entering his body made the two sides of him clash. For the briefest of moments, it was as if his biological makeup didn’t know which way to go, before it finally settled on accepting the new energy, though not before giving him a splitting headache.

He could feel tingles working their way up his spine, his body humming comfortably as the healing took effect. He leaned back against the tree, though his shoulders remained tense as he kept his gaze away from the woman at his side; he didn’t like this. He didn’t like her. He didn’t like her nearness. When she started speaking, his ears flattened, and he was dead-set on ignoring her, except that everything she was saying was…surprising. She wasn’t a demon originally? He’d had dealings with humans who had become demons, and in his experience, their minds were often twisted and warped, so overcome by the dark power of the demons that they became evil and terribly powerful. She didn’t feel evil, but then, not all of them did. He gnawed on his lips for a moment, as though deciding whether or not he should simply reach out and slice her in half. In the end, though, he settled back against the tree, his claws flexing slightly as he listened to her speak.

“Feh. As if I care. You should know better than to trespass, no matter what the reason is. If I was anyone else, I might’ve killed you on sight. You’re lucky I’m nice.” He regarded her out of the corner of his eye, briefly, before he resumed staring straight ahead. “It’s…not a good idea for you to be in these woods. There are things here…” -that I don’t want anyone to see… “-that aren’t meant to be disturbed. It’s not a normal forest. A lot of demons live here; all of them are under my protection, although the…odd one gets  in now and again.” He indicated the pile of slime and hissing goo a few yards off. “The others are so much a part of this forest that outsiders can’t even sense them anymore. But demons like you are felt as disturbances in every corner of the forest. That’s why trespassing is forbidden; if I didn’t find you and kill you, something else would have.”

He sounded as though he was telling her this grudgingly, every syllable bit out with a low growl. He hated sharing things with anyone, especially strangers. “If you really ‘mean no harm,’ then I guess it’s fine if you come here now and again. Just don’t disturb anything. Or kill anything. If you do, you won’t be welcome here again.” He plucked at his dress shirt, scowling down at the buttons that were stained slightly with speckles of green demon blood and his own blood. “Are you almost done? I need to…get home.”

[ToxicShadow]

As he spoke and she continued to work her magic, Sathia's gaze was primarily placed upon their hands. In seeing the differences in their appearance, it had her mind wandering back toward a question that she had thought about from time to time. If her daughter was still of the living world, what would she have looked like when she first changed into a human? If... if her mate was still of the living world, what would he have looked like? Would she have readily recognized him? Seeing everyone else change, even herself, was dramatic enough. Briefly, she closed her eyes and inhaled sharply. She had reasonably made her peace with the past, that which she had prematurely lost, and she could think about them calmly, but that didn't make it particularly any less painful when diving deep into it.

Her gaze finally shifted back to him, her smile only faint. "I... understand what you mean." Everyone had their demons, pun both intended and not intended. "I have nothing against demons, half demons, humans or anything else, unless they particularly ask for it, so rest assured there. Though, I'd like to point out that you didn't find me and kill me. In fact, I found and am healing you. I suppose that's a different turn of events." Sathia spoke with a soft laughter to her voice, her ears twitching and tail swishing with the mirth. What really amused her, however, was that there was some truth to his words. She was lucky that he was nice, even if his words did not portray it. It seemed that he was kinder than he made himself out to be.

On a more serious note, she eventually added in further explanation. "My primary concern, why I scout out the areas, is to protect my son. I cannot afford to lose anyone else; one can only take so much loss." It wasn't common that Sathia so openly shared things about herself, though the feeling that this man stirred within her, she felt that they were similar and that shook up both her curiosity and her concern. Talking seemed like a good way to gain his trust. "He's also a half demon, old enough to take care of himself, but that doesn't stop me from being his mother. So if someone comes here with a scent somewhat similar to myself, I ask that you do not attack him either. I can't imagine him doing anything to provoke you. He's not that sort of child." Kajiame was possibly softer than she was, when it came down to it, which left him even more warped by the loss in their family.

"It will only be a moment longer before you are fully healed." There was a brief pause in her worlds, as if she was deliberating about some thought. "If I may be so forward, it seems, same as myself, you have... also lost something in your lifetime. I am truly sorry, for whatever pain you may have felt." Sathia knew fully well that her words were bold and that they had the chance of making him turn away from her completely and retract what he had said about being okay to come to this forest. Yet, she felt that she had to say it. Just having someone care made all the difference in the world for her, so perhaps that would be true in his case, too. "That look, I often get it, too. When I mistake someone for someone that they are not."

[MillietheWarrior]

“I made a mistake,” he scoffed, turning away with his nose in the air. “Things like this don’t normally happen, for your information.” And it was true; he never made sloppy mistakes like this; he was always so careful, but his mind had wandered today, and he’d been so caught up in his memories that he’d fallen victim to a stupid misstep. It had been a long time since he’d spent any length of time in the forest. He had been trying to stay away ever since…well, ever since it had lost it’s meaning, and he’d managed quite a few years without finding himself this deep in the forest; he stuck to the outskirts, where it was safe, and where he was safe from him memories. He made a noncommittal grunting sound at her words, though he couldn’t deny she was right; one could only take so much loss. In his case, only so much until he cracked.

He rolled his head away from her, gazing out into the distance. His back no longer tingled like it had before, and he felt the flesh finally knitting together as his wounds closed. “As long as he doesn’t do anything stupid,” he informed her crisply. “Then I ain’t gonna kill him. But you’d better let him know that I won’t tolerate anyone messin’ up my forest, or messin’ with the demons who live here. At least the good ones, that is.” He sighed as the healing slowly began to finish it’s job, and he felt the wound son his back close completely, no longer stinging or tingling as they’d done before. She scent of blood was still strong, and he reeked of it, making his nose twitch in displeasure.

Her next words, however, made the displeasure skyrocket, and he turned to her with narrowed, golden eyes, his brows drawing down in a thunderous expression. “That is too forward,” he hissed angrily, jerking his hand away from her and rising to his feet. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, wench,” he snapped as he rose to his feet, shoulders hunched in fury and ears flattened against his skull. His silver hair whispered around him like a halo, ends spiking slightly with his anger. “I’m going home.” He whirled on his heel, not bothering to thank her for the healing, and began to stalk off, a low growl rumbling in his throat. She had no idea what she was talking about!