𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘮 犬夜叉 ♡ ; 𝚜𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚞 𝚡 𝚘𝚌

morning blues

The dreams seem to be coming more and more often when the anniversary gets closer.

"Chiho. Chiho! Wake up, Chiho! You're going to make us late!" the agitated whispers of another girl came echoing into Chiho's mind, her soft yet squeaky voice was anything but in a dream.

This was, in fact, reality.

"Hn..." Chiho raised her arm with an agitated groan to shield her eyes from the morning sun. A girl with a pale round face and full lips forming them into a pout after sucking her teeth. "Chiho!" she shouted, yanking the sheets from her body, her long raven hair falling over her shoulder with her quick movement. "I am not missing morning meal for your incompetence!" the moon - faced girl squinted her light brown eyes at Chiho, burning holes in her vacant stare as she wiped her eyes.

"You go ahead, Naomi. I didn't ask for you to wake me up. I'm fine being late." There was a growing bitterness in her tone, and instantly Chiho's scolding stare softened up.

"Did you have that dream again?" she asked, helping her put on her morning robe with a brush already in hand.

Chiho was silent, but the aversion of her gaze to the floor as Naomi brushed her hair made it all the more clear. "Its that time of the year again."

"Mmh." Naomi couldn't find the word to make her feel better, so she settled for the universal vocal sound of someone paying attention.

"There's rumor of that soldier being promoted to Lieutenant.." Naomi thought out loud to herself, gasping at Chiho's stiffened demeanor. "N-not saying he is going to be here!" she said in attempt to save herself, "But, its just castle talk. You know us housemaids have nothing else better to do."

"Hmph." Chiho was humored by Naomi's honesty, she almost felt like a sister. That until she bopped her on the head.

"Hey! What was that for?" Chiho questioned, squinting at Naomi with disdain.

"I told you about staying up late writing in your diary, look at your finger!" Naomi grabbed her hand, waving it in her face at the blackened fingertip "You tried to put the candle out by your finger again instead of putting it out the way you were taught, huh!"

Chiho snatched her hand away, cradling same hand as she turned away "It was dark. And you were sleeping so peacefully, I didn't want to-" boop!

"No ex-cu-ses!"

It was 6 years since Chiho met Naomi; it wasn't a conventional meet and greet at school, moreso Naomi saved her. Naomi found Chiho hurdled in a corner with a blade tucked in the pocket of her kimono, contemplating suicide. She snatched the blade away from her and scolded her, the usual Naomi way she showed she cared.

"Are you insane?! You'll get blood all over the mats and leave the work for the other maids to do! Is that what you want? Give me that. Honestly.. don't be such a silly girl. How did you get here? Your parents sold you? Let me tell you, we have ALL been sold whether it be our parents or siblings or even we took a wrong turn at the meat market. We are ALL alone in one big happy family. Wel, a family to say the least. My name is Naomi, and as long as I'm around I'll be your sister and I won't let my sister die because if you die, I'm chasing you to the underworld! And I'll find you!"

And I'll find you...

Chiho felt her head of today's hairstyle before Naomi, with a smile pulled tight from cheek to cheek, put a mirror in her face. It was her signature two buns that were wrapped around with ribbons at the base.

Chiho's cheeks heated as she looked at Naomi in blatant discomfort "Naomi. I look like a child." The sigh that she heard in her head groaned in agony at the butterfly ornament dangling off one side of her bun.

"Don't be silly, it's the best I could do for a late riser, now come on! We are supposed to be having an important guest coming and I refuse to miss morning meal and have to do that thing to the cook for an extra portion of meat!"

"He surely gives you a good enough portion as it is.." Chiho muttered under her breath, still mentally preparing for the comments on her princess-like hairstyle.

"Watch it, you, might I add the garden boy has taken a liking to Little Chiho~" the shrill in her voice almost made Chiho's head explode.

"Nonsense, he flirts with all the women."

"Oh, you don't say!" Naomi replied to the obvious fact. "But, does he send all the girls letters and petals of chrysanthemums every night?" Chiho's eyes widened at the - once well kept - secret.

"How did you-" Chiho looked back at Naomi, her mouth still forming an 'o' as Naomi placed her finger on her lips with a childlike giggle.

"If you're going to journal, journal in code~" Naomi winked at Chiho as she jumped to her feet, dusting herself off with haste "I hear the morning bell!"

"Oh, spirits!" Chiho scrambled to her feet, her kimono still a bit sloppy as she fastened it in her strides with a motherly Naomi helping her tighten the sash from behind.

"Don't mess up my buns!" Naomi whined.

"To hell with your buns" Chiho said teasingly, even though she wouldn't really be sad if it loosened on its own.

- ♡ -

Sesshomaru walked ahead of his demon servant Jaken, his golden eyes peering across the horizon as the breeze circulated around his white hair in its own pattern that synchronized with his strides. He narrowed his eyes only slightly as he focused on the castle still a distance away from him and an even greater distance from his fumbling servant, Jaken.

"Lord Sesshomaruuuuuuu! Hah- hah- wait for me, My Lord!"

Sesshomaru's eyes followed the sound only to look ahead with a grunt.

Sometimes he wished he left Jaken with Rin in the village with Kaede, he could have made great use of his shaft to heat meats and boil water.

"My Lord!" Jaken almost fell over his own two feet as he caught up to Sesshomaru, clutching his two headed staff in agony. "Lord Sesshomaru, The Lord is expecting you, might I advise you to slow down your approach, t-there could be soldiers lurking in the bushes and I would not be there to defend you my L-" Jaken's voice trailed off as he made eye contact with Sesshomaru, his eyes narrowing in annoyance at Jaken's advisory.

"Ah! O-o-or I'm sure Lord Sesshomaru has his plans precisely timed and he dares not be intimidated by any foe this Lord may have in place of him. Yes.. that's it." Jaken rambled further praises to sooth his glare.

Sesshomaru didn't reply, he simply grunted and watched the castle in silence with the early morning sun beaming above him as to illuminate his presence further.

"My Lord?" Jaken grew uneasy at the silence even if it was Sesshomaru he was referring to.

Without announcement, Sesshomaru kept walking forward, his focus being solely on meeting this "Lord of the Northern Lands" and why does he want to meet with him, The - moreso nomadic - Lord of the Western Lands.