Nocturne - An Inuyasha Fanfic

Chapter Ten: The Onibaba

Author's Notes: Yes, Sesshomaru is an asshat. Let's try not to hold it against him (too much). He's fighting against something he grew up with, and it takes A LOT to break down 900 years' worth of prideful arrogance. But, we know that he doesn't think as poorly of humans as he did when IY started (thanks, Rin!). He can see their worth; he is having difficulty stomaching his romantic feelings for one. We will begin to see some more development soon once he is confronted with someone more radical than he ever was.

Happy Reading!

Nocturne - Chapter Ten: The Onibaba

Rated - M (for suggestive adult themes, references to some violence, and coarse language)

o - o - o - o - o : Indicates scene or POV change

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

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Sesshomaru merely eyed the woman, not giving any indication of acknowledgment. It would be a gesture of deference for him to do so, and he was not in a position to allow this mainland yokai to infer anything.

The woman, Tsering, flashed another slight grin. She seemed amused but shrugged, her massive fur pelt pressing into her cheek. She nuzzled against it and eyed him coyly.

"Hmmph. Lord Sesshomaru, I presume," she stated.

Sesshomaru looked upon her with indifference. She was attractive enough, he supposed. "You presume correctly, Lady," he responded finally.

Tsering turned around and roamed around the grand room, sighing audibly. "This will have to do, I think."

She occasionally stopped to run her hand over different items, picking them up and placing them back down and finally pausing to view a set of hanging scrolls. The scrolls were painted silk depicting diverse landscapes. Simple, yet elegant, Sesshomaru supposed, as many humans tended to be.

During her wandering around the room, Tsering would peek out at Sesshomaru from beneath her lashes. It seemed she was assessing him just as much as she was the room.

"My, how droll," she said, running her finger down the silk scroll.

The coronet upon her head, which he remembered to be called a fengguan, was delicate and looked as if it could fall from her head with any sudden movement. Wings jutted out to the sides of the coronet, and gold links dangled, weighted down by gemstones that clinked against one another. Sesshomaru figured this was how the mainlanders subdued their women by making it difficult for them to move unrestrained, but on the other hand, alluded to the fabled grace of their women. Tsering seemed unperturbed by the fengguan, likely accustomed to its weight, and moved with a grace appropriate for a yokai of her stature.

"Do as you will. I have no use for these items. They are of no importance to me," Sesshomaru replied to her observance. He had no use for material wealth; that was true.

"Am I also of no importance to you?" Tsering all but purred, walking towards him with a steady stride. She casually placed a hand upon his cuirass and traced along with the metal with bold fingers, all the while giving an uneven smile.

Sesshomaru side-stepped her advance with a disinterested gaze, moving further into the room. Jaken had announced her entourage as well, but Sesshomaru did not see anyone else present, which struck him as off.

"I trust your journey was uneventful," he said. "Jaken will see to it you are settled appropriately."

Jaken had all but disappeared into a corner of the room. The woman cowed him before Sesshomaru had arrived, and it was evident he wanted to stay outside of her reach for some reason. The imp sprinted forward, his staff in hand, and nearly went prostrate in front of Tsering, "Yes, master! I will ensure the Lady wants for nothing."