The Taisho fire

Jealousy

Jealousy

A surprised gasp escaped her lips when Gwen unloaded her bag. Stuck over the cover of her piano sheets was an ink drawing of the Inu no Taishō. That sneaky Captain must have slid it into her bag during her last intervention. Stunned, Gwen lifted the heavy paper. He'd caught every little detail, morphing the lines of his face to the Yōkai he used to be. The kosode, the armour and its ruby gleaming at the centre, the two swords at his side, the stripes adorning his left shoulder...

Taishō must have been roaming his dreams to put together such a skilful picture. It was so vivid that she almost felt like she'd met him, that fearsome Yōkai of the feudal era. A pinch in her heart told her he had been dead a long time, and she wondered when and how it happened. For the moment, Tōga's stories revolved around clans, and his marriage to the inu lady that bore him his son; Sesshōmaru.

Her mind was still reeling when she turned the paper around, finding a few words written in Japanese. There was no doubt that the Captain had brushed them – the old way – rather than used a fountain pain. At once, she picked up her kanji dictionary to translate the words he'd left. It took almost an hour, just for a single sentence, but she eventually pieced his meaning together.

I am glad I was intoxicated enough to trust again.

Taishō

Butterflies fluttered in her belly, and she allowed her finger to caress the paper longingly. Who could boast having a powerful – past - Daiyōkai as a friend ? The Captain's trust was a present, and she allowed herself to bask in those happy thoughts. Tomorrow, she would go shopping for a frame to display the picture.

Two days later

"There they go again..." Jolyne sighed, wiping sweat from her brow.

Gwen just nodded as she tried to cool off from the intense self-defence class their Captain insisted on teaching every month. It was unusual, and held in the garage with the truck parked outside to liberate the space. No mats, no tatami, no changing rooms and absolutely no skipping. Taishō was adamant than they learn how to defend themselves, and drilled them without an ounce of mercy.

Anyone stating that 'the other stations didn't have to do it' only earned a few dozen more push-ups. For her part, Gwen just took it in stride; after being attacked the last time, her dedication to the class had only grown. She needed to acquire more reflexes, just in case someone suddenly decided to shove a switchblade in her belly.

Gwen shivered at the memory, taking a sip of her bottle. By her side, Jolyne downed at least half a litre in a row, her attention on the impromptu duel.

Mark had challenged their Captain to a little boxing session. Now that she'd learnt about Yōkai, and the usual way to overthrow the top dog – through a fight -, Gwen wasn't surprised that Taishō would meet the challenge with determination. Gloves covered their knuckles, as well as teeth protections. Even though they were supposed to control any blow to the face, better safe than sorry.

Gwen eyed the bulky man distastefully; Mark was an arrogant ass, thinking his winning smile and his hormone-treated muscles would get the ladies to fall at his feet. He got another thing coming; what Taishō didn't match in mass, he overcame easily with speed and strength. And, incidentally, all the potential reflexes from his past life. As the men traded mock punches to assess their opponent, the young woman wondered how difficult it must have been to adjust to human abilities, rather than Yōkai ones.

How terrible it must be, for a being that used to be able to fly, to experience the limitations of humanity. And he couldn't transform in his true form either. Did he miss it ? Somehow, the long ponytail was a stark reminder of his doggy days, as she called it. It should get in the way, but it strangely behaved. Unfortunately, it couldn't quite make up for the mokomoko.

"Gwen !"

A towel soaked with sweat landed on her face.

"Eh ?"

"Bah, forget it"

The young woman sniggered, throwing the towel back to Jolyne. It wrapped around her dark curls, and she emerged with a glare.

"Hey, by the way. Did you find Taishō's age after all ?"

Blue eyes blinked at her.

"You know, the bet you lost ?"

Realisation dawned upon Jolyne's face, followed by a flicker of uncertainty that was soon replaced by fierce determination.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to hop home and doll yourself up this evening ?"

Gwen sighed, her gaze returning to the boxing match. For a moment, she thought Mark was about to land a mean hit, only for Taishō to dance away at the latest second with a smirk. The young woman smiled; he was playing with his prey and the unit lead was completely oblivious.

"Didn't your brother invite that friend you like ?"

Gwen reddened slightly. Yes, her little brother was in town with one of his lawyer friends, but the crush was long gone now. Or was it, really ? It was so annoying not to know where her own heart lay...

A muffled grunt called her attention back to the game; Taishō had taken a sharp hook to the ribs, and she ached for him. His eyes flashed red, and he caught her gaze for one little instant of eternity before he literally plummeted Mark, his temper frayed. What could have annoyed him that much ?

Bah. Men.

"So. Little black dress ?" Jolyne prodded.

Exasperated, Gwen shrugged. In the garage, people dispersed; the match was over, and Mark's nose was bleeding. A strange tension seemed to have filled the room, and no one dared approaching the Captain who unstrapped his gloves with humour.

"Let sleeping dogs lie, eh ?"

"What is it with your dog expressions ?" Jolyne huffed.

This time, she smiled softly and grabbed her bag.

"Just a bet."

Given the Captain was still busy, now was the perfect time to drop the little sticky note in his office. She sneaked up the common room, passing the gaping door that he almost never closed. No one in sight. Like a ninja, Gwen opened the drawer where he kept his chocolates, and stuck her little message upon the box. The elegant letters of her Rötring quill stared at her, and for a second, she wondered if her boldness would put him ill at ease.

You draw beautifully.

I framed it... you know, so I don't dog ear it 😊