karikitdemonrp

[karikitdemonrp]

Kagome watched Inuyasha dash off. She sighed softly, though the priestess was glad Inuyasha had been so quick to help. Kagome then looked back to Sango and Miroku to discuss anything else in relation to Kari.

The child had been curled up and trembling in her sleep, whimpering and whining weakly at a nightmare. Kari clung to her rabbit toy for comfort with small tears at the edges of her eyes.

"Don't... hurt... me..." She squeaked weakly after Inuyasha adjusted her blanket, her body flinching a bit. "It... hurts..." She wheezee only to jolt awake and tense, panting while slowly sitting up. She looked around then froze when she saw Inuyasha. "Hi, did I pass out?" She asked, the tears that rested in her eyes falling down her cheeks now. "Guess I was tired, haven't passed out like that in a while." The child muttered softly, glancing away as if ashamed. She moved to hug her knees to her chest, agitating her wounded feet a bit which caused her to flinch.

Inuyasha crossed his arms, his expression a mix of irritation and resolve as he leaned against the wall. “Feh. Like you even have to ask. I already said I’d help, didn’t I? I’m not about to leave a kid to fend for herself with all this weird stuff going on.” He glanced toward the other room, his ears twitching at the faint sound of Kari’s whimper. His sharp eyes softened slightly. “Besides… she’s been through enough. I’m not gonna let anything else hurt her.”

He shifted his weight and looked at Kagome and Sango. “Fine. I’ll keep an eye on her and make sure she’s safe. But you two better figure out what’s going on with that tree and her scarf fast. The longer we’re in the dark, the more dangerous this could get.”

Inuyasha’s gaze moved to Shippo, his smirk returning briefly. “And you—don’t make me regret trusting you to help keep her happy. If I catch you slacking off, I’m sticking you in a tree.”

Shippo puffed out his chest, clearly determined. “I won’t! I’ll keep her safe and happy, you’ll see!”

“Good.” Inuyasha turned back to Kagome. “As for teaching her to fight, I don’t know if that’s the best idea right now. She’s barely hanging on as it is. Let her rest and recover first. If it comes down to it, I’ll handle anything that shows up.”

The half-demon's ears twitched again, catching another soft sound from the other room. His expression darkened as he pushed off the wall. “Speaking of… she doesn’t sound too good. I’ll check on her. You guys figure out the rest of your plan.”

Without waiting for a response, Inuyasha headed toward the room where Kari was resting. He entered quietly, his sharp eyes immediately finding her as she twitched and whimpered in her sleep. He crouched by her side, careful not to startle her, and adjusted the blanket over her small frame. “Hey, kid,” he said softly, his tone uncharacteristically gentle. “It’s just a bad dream. You’re safe now.”

[karikitdemonrp]

Core let out a heavy sigh, watching Kohaku for a moment only to grin. "Supplies then hunting, got it." He said, that pain that settled in the kitsune's eyes slowly melting away to admiration. "And you're only faster when I allow it." He chuckled teasingly, enjoying Kohaku's playful demenor, at least right now. When his warrior ineveitably starts getting a bit more... Intense will be when Core regrets encouraging this, but this pattern tends to happen a lot between the two.

The kitsune chuckled softly, following his lover happily with a swaying tail. "Very well, I'll take you up on your game. Just don't be upset when I win." He let out a chirp. "And, if you're up for it, as an extra bonus lets say the loser also has to do whatever the winner wants for the night. Within reason if I win of course, don't want to have you do something I say that will aggitate your wound. Speaking of, how is your wound doing? You didn't agitate it with your work out this morning did you? Is it ok?" Core asked with a soft tone, clearly worried about his lover.

Kohaku held Core a moment longer, a warm smile spreading across his face. “Of course, I know what to say. It’s my job to keep my kitsune smiling, isn’t it?” he teased gently, his tone light and playful as he ruffled Core’s hair. He could still see traces of pain in Core’s eyes, but he was determined to bring back the brightness that always lit up his lover’s face.

As Core pulled away, Kohaku placed a hand on his hip and flashed a mischievous grin. “Alright, then. Let’s make this outing fun. First stop, the village supplies. After that, I’ll let you show off those legendary hunting skills of yours. But don’t get cocky—I’m still faster,” he added with a wink.

He turned, gesturing for Core to follow as he started walking. “And while we’re at it, we’ll make a little game out of it. Whoever spots the biggest prey first gets to choose what we do when we’re done. Loser has to cook dinner.” He shot a playful glance over his shoulder, his grin widening. “Unless you’re too scared I’ll win, of course.”

[karikitdemonrp]

Kagome and Sango exchanged glances for a moment. Kagome sighed and looked at Miroku and Inuyasha. "When Kari wakes up from her nap we're going to take her to the tree. Inuyasha, if you wouldn't mind helping protect Kari for the forseeable future? Please, you're a lot faaster than the rest of us and a lot stronger too so if something happens then you're more likely to beable to protect Kari first." The priestess's eyes were pleading for the half demon's help, knowing that it was probably a lot to ask but Kari needed the help.

Sango sighed. "I'll admit, out of all of us Inuyasha is likely to be quick to act and quick to pick up things we can not." The demon slayer sighed. Kagome nodded.

"Miroku, Sango, I'd like to help look into anything that could help us learn more about not only the seals on the tree, but also anything that might point to what Kari's scarf is enchanted with. Maybe figuring that out could point into a direction that could help us figure out why it was placed on her in the first place, which could help us solve this mystery or at least get closer to figuring things out." Kagome gave a small grin then looked at Shippo.

"What's my job Kagome?" The kitsune asked, wagging his tail a bit while shifting in place excitedly.

"You're incharge of making sure Kari stayes occupied and happy. And also making sure inuyasha doesn't get too grumpy." The teenager said playfully. "Also helping Kari escape from a bad situation if it's needed. You're really good when if comes to getting to a safe place." Kagome said and Shippo gave a wide smile.

"Right!" He chirped happily. Sango chuckled at Shippo's enthusiasm and hummed.

"If push comes to shove maybe teaching Kari to fight would be beneficial too. I do have some spare daggers I could use to teach her incase we need to."

"Let's hold off on that for now, but good idea Sango." Kagome smiled then looked to Inuyasha and hummed softly. "Anythoughts, Inuyasha?" She asked with a small hum. She had already seen how quickly Inuyasha had wanted to help the child, albeit hesitantly. The priestess noticed the half demon's demenor change around the child and she trusted him to protect Kari if he had to, even though he was very closed off she saw something between the two tht she hadn't seen before. Maybe this would be a good thing for Inuyasha.

In the other room Kari let out a sad whimper, having a nightmare. Her body twitching a bit in responce while the nightmare went on.

Inuyasha folded his arms and leaned back against the nearest tree, his golden eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “Tch. I told ya, there’s something off about her scent. It’s not just the scarf—it’s her, too. Something’s been done to her, but it’s not the kind of thing you just smell right away. It’s… buried. And if that scarf’s enchanted, then whoever put it there doesn’t want anyone figuring her out.”

He glanced toward where Kari was sleeping, his ears twitching. “If we’re gonna check out that tree, we need to be ready for whatever’s there. Last time we dealt with stuff like this, it didn’t exactly end with tea and pleasantries. If there’s something dangerous waiting for her—or us—it won’t take kindly to us poking around.”

Inuyasha’s gaze shifted back to Kagome and Sango, his expression growing more serious. “And if she’s got some kind of seal on her, like you’re saying, Kagome, then ripping it off without knowing what it’s holding back is a bad idea. It could be keeping something in check. Or worse—it could be protecting her from something else out there.”

He let out a low growl and looked to Miroku. “What do you think, monk? You’re the one who’s supposed to be good at figuring out all this spiritual junk.”

Miroku rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his usual playful demeanor subdued. “Inuyasha has a point. If there’s a seal, we need to tread carefully. Removing it without understanding its purpose could do more harm than good—for her and for us. We’ll need to investigate the tree carefully. It might give us clues about her situation and the enchantment on the scarf.”

Inuyasha grunted, clearly impatient with all the theorizing. “Fine, we’ll look into it, but don’t waste too much time talking about it. If we’re gonna do this, let’s get it done sooner rather than later. The longer we sit around, the more time we give whatever’s out there to come after her.”

[karikitdemonrp]

Core let out a heavy sigh and relaxed, leaning into Kohaku's touch slightly. The kitsune let his muscles and mind relax, only focusing on Kohaku. The world around them didn't matter right now. Core smiled, giving a small chuckle, his arms firmly clung to the demon slayer though they were slowly relaxing in the moment.

"You always know what to say, huh?" He asked softly, looking into Kohaku's eyes lovingly, though Core's still showed pain. Not as much, but it was clear he was still hurting, still in pain. "Let's get going to get whatever the village needs and to hunt too." He sighed, nuzzling Kohaku a bit before moving to part from the hug so Kohaku could take the lead and the kitsune would follow close behind.

Kohaku’s heart ached as he watched Core struggle to hold himself together. He gently reached up and cupped the kitsune’s face, his thumbs brushing away the tears that threatened to spill over. “Core,” he said softly, his voice filled with warmth and reassurance. “You are already more than good enough. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.”

His eyes locked onto Core’s, unwavering in their sincerity. “What they say doesn’t matter. They don’t know you the way I do. They don’t see the heart you have, the love and kindness you show—not just to me, but to everyone, even when they don’t deserve it.”

Kohaku pulled Core into a tight embrace, holding him close and resting his chin on the kitsune’s shoulder. “You don’t bring me shame. Ever. If anything, you make me better. Stronger. You’ve shown me there’s more to this life than just fighting and surviving. You’ve given me a reason to want something more.”

He pulled back slightly to meet Core’s gaze again, his expression fierce with conviction. “You are worthy of everything—of love, of happiness, of acceptance. And if they can’t see that, then that’s their loss, not yours. We’ll prove them wrong together, one step at a time.”

Kohaku placed a gentle kiss on Core’s forehead, his hands resting firmly on the kitsune’s shoulders. “So don’t let their ignorance dim your light. You’re my Core, and I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”

[karikitdemonrp]

Core shifted his gaze to the ground, off of Kohaku with a frown. "Kohaku..." He muttered, his voice heavy and somber. "I..." The kitsune frowned, taking a moment before letting out a heavy sigh. "I just heard some unsavory comments while playing with the children waiting for you to get the information you needed. That's all." He informed, looking up at Kohaku with clearly upset eyes and a broken smile.

"It just didn't sit right with me. Hearing how I shouldn't be here playing with the kids and how we shouldn't be together since you're a demon slayer and I'm a demon. Though if they knew how together we were I'm sure it'd be worse." Core felt his heart break, tightening his grip around Kohaku's hand slightly. The kitsune's frown deepened. "It hurts a lot, I try yet I'm still looked at with disgust by so many people." He muttered, hand shaking a bit while he fought off tears.

"I hope that changes one day. I want to be good enough so that I won't be looked at like that... So that I don't bring that to you and so I feel like I'm worthy of being yours in the process." He muttered with a slightly shaking voice. "I don't want you to be looked at that way because of me. It's an awful feeling."

Kohaku returned to where Core was, immediately noticing the shift in his energy. His lover’s usually bright demeanor seemed dampened, his tail moving slower than usual, and his ears drooping slightly. Kohaku’s sharp eyes scanned the area before turning his full attention to Core. His voice softened, but there was a firm undercurrent of concern.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, stepping closer to the kitsune. His hand reached out instinctively, resting gently on Core’s arm to ground him. “You were fine just a minute ago. Did someone say something?”

Kohaku’s gaze flicked around the nearby villagers, his protective instincts kicking in as his expression darkened slightly. “You don’t have to hide it from me,” he added, his voice low but steady, “If something happened, I’ll handle it.”

He let his fingers trail down to Core’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Talk to me, love.”

[karikitdemonrp]

Kari immidatly curled around the plushie when the half demon tucked it under her arm, letting go of Inuyasha's hair. The child let out a heavy sigh and relaxed her body, clearly happy that she had Tsuki in her grasp. Sango watched this with a warm smile then straightened and went to tuck Kari into bed.

Once done tucking Kari in Sango returned to the group with a hum and sat down, finishing her food. "So, I suppose someone is going with Kari to have a look at that tree she mentioned, right?" She asked, looking at everyone. Kagome nodded and rubbed the back of her head.

"Yeah. It's kinda rubbing me the wrong way. I thought it was sealed up or something. I mean, given the apperance of it and the fact I never sensed anything I was sure it was properly sealed up. Something must've happened." She muttered softly, worry and confusion lacing her voice.

Sango hummed, crossing her arms. "Well, obviously something happened. The question is what that something is." The demon slayer frowned a bit in thought, glancing over her shoulder in the direction of where Kari was tucked in. "I suspect you can sense sometthing from Kari too?" She asked and Kagome simply nodded.

"It's faint, but something's there. I've never sensed it before. And inuyasha said Kari had a weird scent too but Shippo never said anything and Kirara didn't react." The priestess informed and Sango had a weird feeling in her gut.

"Maybe the scarf is hiding something from us. That's probably why it's enchanted to stay stuck to her." Sango concluded and Kagome closed her eyes to think things over then gave a heavy sigh.

"It certainly adds up, but again why? If we manage to take it off then it might give us answers... But it might also become another problem. I mean, if Kari has some kind of seal, there has to be a reason." The young priestess grumbled. "This isn't gonna be easy that's for sure." She then looked to Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippo "Any thoughts?" She asked and Shippo raised a hand.

"She's staying right?"

Kagome gave a chuckle. "Well, I certainly hope so. I already told Inuyasha I'd like to help her around since she doesn't have anywhere else to go and we aren't even sure she can go back to my time. Though I don't want to force her to stay, we'll ask her when she wakes up though." Shippo seemed to relax at this answer and nodded with a smile then went back to eating his food.

Inuyasha let out a long sigh, scratching the back of his head as Kagome spoke. “Yeah, yeah, I get it,” he muttered, his ears twitching in annoyance. “I know Miroku’s a pain in the ass, but he’s not as bad as you think. He’s just… well, he’s Miroku. Still, I get why you don’t trust him, especially with her. She’s just a kid.”

When Sango approached and lowered herself so he could handle the plush rabbit, Inuyasha scowled lightly, though it was more out of habit than anger. “You don’t need to treat me like some babysitter,” he grumbled, though his movements betrayed his words as he carefully tucked Tsuki under Kari’s arm. His clawed fingers handled the toy with surprising delicacy, ensuring it was nestled securely against the child.

[karikitdemonrp]

Kari moved to get closer to Hawks, leaning on him slightly while peaking at the crowd. She could see the expressions of confusion and some of distain. It kind of freaked her out, not liking the feeling that those looks gave her.

Then out of that crowd ran a kid, roughly Kari's age or maybe a bit older. This kid was covered in obsidian black scales, had silver horns, weird ears that were petal shaped with no apperant inner ear, decently sized wings that were bat-like, a long tail with petal shaped fins at the end, fingers and toes that were coated in some kind of material to make them more talon like, sharp teeth, and peircing golden eyes.

Kari watched this kid run up to her, completly ignoring Hawks. "Hey a-are you okay?" The kid asked, clearly worried and wheezing.

Kari blinked, glancing up at Hawks for a second then back at the other kid. She nodded, a hand gripping on Hawks' pant leg a bit. "Y-yeh. I'm okay. Uh, thanks." She muttered shyly and the kid smiled, flashing his sharp teeth only to tense and close his mouth.

"Ah, I'm glad you're okay. That was some really cool gliding. You're wings look super cool too!" The kid said, rubbing the back of his head while shifting his tail. "Oh! Uh, my name's Chase. Chase Dara. It's nice to meet you." The kid hummed.

"Kari. Kari Himura." She shuffled her feet and turned off her quirk, causing her wings to retract. The group of people once again muttering as they dispursed but Chase didn't care.

"Whoa! That's so cool!" Chase gasped and Kari's shy blush deepened.

"Uh, thanks... uh, you're teeth are pretty cool too."She muttered softly and Chase widened his eyes, giving a big, genuine, toothy smile.

"Really?! Ya think so?" He asked and Kari chuckled and nodded.

"Yeh. They remind me of a really close friend of mine. He's super manly and strong!" Kari gushed, opening up a bit to this boy. That was when Chase finally came down to reality and noticed Hawks and froze, scales slightly standing on end akin to a startled cat.

"Ah, y-you're--- I-- uh-- I didn't mean-- I'm so sorry--" Chase stammered, a bit star struck in the moment and Kari stiffled a giggle.

"I'm sure it's ok, right Papa?" Kari asked innocently which caused Chase to tense, his scales shifting a bit to me even more on end.

"P-pa--P-p-p..." The boy was clearly flustered, moving to hide his face in the collar of his emerald green shirt, tail curling around his dark brown kahki's. Kari just held back a giggle, clearly doing this on purpose.

Hawks chuckled, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright, you caught me, Feather Brain,” he said, a teasing smirk tugging at his lips. “But hey, it worked, didn’t it? You glided! That was all you, kid. I didn’t do a thing—except, you know, make sure you didn’t splat.”

He ruffled her hair playfully, his golden eyes gleaming with pride as he crouched to her level. “And yeah, I saw you! You were amazing up there. Gliding on your own already? That’s a huge step. Flying? Psh, it’s not far off now. You keep this up, and you’ll be soaring circles around me in no time.”

As murmurs from the nearby crowd caught his attention, Hawks straightened up and cast a casual glance their way. He gave the crowd a lopsided grin, waving a hand in a laid-back manner. “Show’s over, folks! Just teaching the kid the ropes.” He gave a wink, then turned back to Kari, shielding her a bit from the curious onlookers.

[karikitdemonrp]

Kagome sighed. "I guess. But it's a bit of a weird situation when you're on the other end of Miroku's actions." She muttered. "I mean, he groped me when we first met, I know you know that much Inuyasha. I know his intentions aren't bad but it's still a little difficult to sit with sometimes in situations like this or similar." She muttered softly, watching how gentle Sango was with Kari.

Kari whined more, now curling up in Sango's arms as the demon slayer held the child carefully. "We should maybe look into what exactly is going on with her scarf and why it's enchanted like this, at least at some point." Sango muttered while adjusting the child in her arms.

The child's face scrunched slightly, clearly upset. "Tsuki..." Kari whined again, wanting her plush rabbit. The child wriggled a bit in Sango's arms, wanting her plush toy. Sango frowned then looked at Inuyasha and went to the half demon and lowered slightly so the half breed could tuck the toy under Kari's arms or something if he wanted to.

"I'm pretty sure she wants her toy, Inuyasha." Sango whispered and Kari whined again, managing to reach out and grab whatever she could reach that was soft. In this case it was one of Inuyasha's hair tufts that hung by his head. Kari seemed to relax, a soft smile growing on her lips and her whole body relaxing. Her grip was weak and not very harsh and her body had been shivering until she had something soft to hold. Sango frowned, understanding that Kari needed some sort of comfort through the night for some reason. The demon slayer didn't understand exactly what the child had been through but she felt a very strong need to protect Kari, much like she used to with her little brother back before... Sango brushed aside those thoughts and frowned slightly, moving to grab the rabbit but stopped when she saw how gentle and careful Inuyasha was with the plush. So she just waited until Inuyasha was ready to hand it over.

Miroku immediately raised his hands in mock surrender, a sheepish grin on his face as he stepped back. “I didn’t do anything! You all act as though I can’t be trusted with a child. I caught her, didn’t I?”

Inuyasha, sitting cross-legged near the fire, rolled his eyes dramatically and muttered, “Yeah, I had some faith in him, but fine. Sango, if you’re so worried, take her. This way, let’s let the kid have some rest and stop arguing about it.”

As he said this, his sharp eyes caught the worn and patched bunny plush lying by his side. He picked it up, studying the ragged thing for a moment before glancing at Kari, still whimpering softly in her sleep. “Tch. She’s gonna wake everyone up at this rate,” he grumbled, though his movements were surprisingly gentle as he held the rabbit.

Then Sango moved closer, holding out her arms to take Kari. “I’ll handle it. Give her here, Miroku.”

The monk hesitated for a split second, but with a slight shrug, he carefully passed Kari over to Sango. “Fine, fine. But for the record, I wasn’t planning on doing anything other than putting her down to rest.” He gave Kagome and Sango a mock-offended look before retreating to his spot near the fire.

[karikitdemonrp]

Core listened to Kohaku with a small grin and a nod, staying with Kohaku as the demon slayer walked into the village center. The kitsune stayed close to his lover, watching as hee talked with the villagers. Eventually Core spotted some of the children waving at him, wanting him to join in their game. The kitsune chuckled and glanced over his shoulder at Kohaku with a grin, knowing the demon slayer was with in eyesight of the small group.

So, while Kohaku was talking with some of the adults, Core went to play with the kids, playing whatever game they wanted which usually involved the kitsune getting to chase the children around, and this was no exception. The children all laughed while running away from Core, who was chasing them at a rather slow speed to keep the game interesting, knowing he could easily catch up if he wanted. A cute sight to anyone watching. A few of the woman walking past chuckled at the sight but one scowled slightly.

"Why is a demon chasing our children." She tutted in slight disgust, holding the arm of her son and tugging him close so he wouldn't join. "Honestly, if he hadn't just saved our village with the damon slayer then I'd have asked some of the men to kill him or at the very least chase him out. And a demon slayer in the company of a demon? How obsurd." Core's ears twitched a bit, having heard the comment made by this woman. He slowed to a stop and sighed, giving the children a half hearted smile.

"Sorry kids. I should go make sure Kohaku didn't leave yet. We're gonna go hunting soon." He said while the children all got upset and whined. "Sorry, can't leave Kohaku hanging. I promised I'd join. But maybe I'll find something cool and bring it back, okay?" With that Core went back to the demon slayer, visably upset but trying to hide it.

Kohaku nodded, his amber eyes scanning their surroundings as he stretched his arms briefly before turning to Core. “Alright, I’ll check in with the villagers and see if there’s anything specific they need us to help with. If not, we’ll head out and see what we can bring back for them.”

He gave Core a playful smirk at the kitsune’s confidence, reaching over to lightly tap Core’s nose. “I’m not saying you don’t know what you’re doing, but I’m just saying… you might get distracted with all your bragging.” His voice carried a teasing lilt, but his fondness for Core was evident in the way he looked at him.

Turning on his heel, Kohaku started toward the center of the village, glancing back over his shoulder. “Stay close, though. I wouldn’t want anyone else getting ideas about stealing my clever little fox while I’m gone,” he added with a wink before striding off to speak with the villagers.

His stride was steady, but the slight upward curve of his lips betrayed his playful mood as he glanced back occasionally to make sure Core was following. “Let’s see what kind of trouble—or adventure—we can get into today,” he called back with a grin.

[karikitdemonrp]

Core shivered slightly when Kohaku brushed his tail, letting out a muffled moan but managed to compose himself. "Well, you can have me all yo yourself when we get back. Besides, having two out to hunt means we can get go after bigger prey to bring back or multiple even instead of maybe having to leave what extra we kill hidden to risk being found and stolen." He informed, swishing his tail in irritation, having had to do something like that once when he was younger so he had learned to keep his kills close, having learned the hard way about many things when it came to hunting and gathering.

"Me keep up? Kohaku, my dear warrior. I believe it'll be the other way around." The kitsune chuckled with a fond expression. "I've been hunting for much longer than you. And all on my own at that. Mother was too obsessed with going after her sister and eventually my cousin to even think about me so I've had to learn a lot myself. If anything my one greatest strengths is hunting. Though, you know this." He gave a hum, moving to kiss Kohaku's cheek before moving to leave the hut with the demon slayer.

Kohaku smirked, his amber eyes glinting with playful mischief as he tilted his head at Core. “You’re cute when you get all flustered, you know that?” he teased, leaning in to brush his lips against Core’s ear. “Almost makes me want to keep you all to myself instead of letting you tag along.”

He chuckled softly, slipping his hand down to brush against Core’s tail for just a second before pulling back with a grin. “But, since you insist on coming, I suppose I’ll let you,” he added, his tone dripping with playful arrogance.

Kohaku grabbed his tools and adjusted them on his shoulder before stepping outside, glancing back over his shoulder with a wink. “Just try to keep up, fox. And if you start daydreaming about me again, I’ll make sure to remind you why you need to stay focused,” he said, his voice light but full of flirtation.

[karikitdemonrp]

Core listened to Kohaku and gave a soft sigh in admiration, he did always like how Kohaku was so eager to help others. "Uh, I'd like to tag a long." He chirped when Kohaku asked if the kitsune would like to join. Core's face grew rather red. "I, uh... I just..." He muttered, shifting a bit in place. "I need a moment. I won't be long." The kitsuned said shyly, glancing a way, trying to calm himself down enough so he wasn’t visibly "excited" when he stood up.

He tried to calm down a bit, ignoring Kohaku's teasing to the best of his ability. It took a few minutes, but Core was eventually calm enough to comfortable stand up. With that he was easily able to use his demonic abilities to hide the clear buldge in his pants until he could fully calm down properly, which will happen over time asCore thought about other things.

"This should be fine for now." The kitsune hummed then went over to Kohaku and smiled kindly, moving to give the demon slayer a sweet kiss on the cheek. "Sorry for keeping you waiting. I'll follow your lead, my warrior." Core said with a kind grin, his tail swaying slightly, happy to be joining Kohaku.

Kohaku chuckled softly, shaking his head as he gently ran his fingers through Core's hair. “You’re impossible, you know that?” he teased, his voice light and affectionate. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

He leaned back slightly, giving Core a warm smile. “I’ll probably head out hunting soon. The village could use some extra meat stocked up for the colder days, and they’re always in need of firewood, so I’ll gather more while I’m out. It gives me something to do.” He shrugged casually, but his gaze softened as he added, “Wouldn’t mind the company, though, if you’re up for it. Having you around always makes things a little more… interesting.”

Kohaku stood, stretching briefly before glancing down at Core with a smirk. “Of course, if you’re still too ‘worked up,’ you might need a little more time to cool off before we head out.” His teasing tone returned, though his expression was full of fondness. “I wouldn’t want to distract you too much while we’re out there.”

He grabbed his demon-slaying tools and slung them over his shoulder, his movements relaxed and effortless. “So, what do you say, fox? Want to join me, or should I leave you here to daydream about me while you calm yourself down?”

[karikitdemonrp]

Kari curled up a bit in Miroku's arms when she was caught, though her body was kind of tense even in her sleep.

Kagome blinked. "I asked Inuyasha to set a place up. Inuyasha, where did you set up Kari's spot for her to rest?" Kagome asked while Sango stood up, catching what the monk said.

"Miroku, you are staying here. I will take Kari to get some rest." She ordered with glare. "I've finished me food already. I don't trust you to be alone with her yet. Knowing you, you might do something stupid like with every other girl you meet." The demon slayer huffed, lying about having finished her food since her bowls still clearly half full of rice and stew.

Kagome gave a slight groan. "Sango, I know Miroku has a... reputation, but he hasn't done anything to any girl Kari's age... I don't think. Thats why I asked Kari how old she was, to get that informationout there. And besides, he never actually does anything, just asks that one question. Though, I'll admit, it is very forward and... unnecessary... and Kari has already dealt with a lot as it is... and no child should be asked such a thing. " Kagome thought for a moment then began to feel a shiver down her spine, remembering how she first met the monk. "I agree with Sango. Miroku, you're not allowed to be alone with Kari for the foreseeable future. Give her to someone else so they can tuck her in." The young priestess huffed while Sango nodded in agreement.

Kari whimpered slightly at the noise and tried to move to dampen what noise she could. The child wasn't happy with all the noise then moved to make a grabbing gesture with her hands, letting out a weak whine upon realizing she didn't have her plush rabbit. "Tsu...ki..." The child let out a pitiful whimper, having dropped said plush rabbit when she passed out. Tsukuba had landed next to Inuyasha, face up with it's forever smiling face.

It was a rather adorable bunny upon closer inspection given the circumstance. One eye had long been missing, the other an adorable dark brown button. The body was mostly patch work at this point, sewn together with crude stit hing though some of the original fabric still remained. It was supposed to be a cream colored rabbit, at least mostly, with velvety soft fluffy and cute sewn on pads that had the texture of the thread to provide a bit of a sensory variety. The ears once stood up right, able to be adjusted but now one torn in half and the other tattered but still intact, albeit with some crude patch work. The tail was surprisingly intact with not much change to it aside from some staining. Bits of brown and some dark reds, or was that a weird red-brown? It was hard to determine. Either way this plushie had seen better days but it was clear Kari did her best to fix it up to keep it around for a long time, obviously caring for it deeply.

Again, Kari called out the name of her plush rabbit with a whimper, now moving a bit in Mioku's arms a bit distressed but not fully concious. Her movements were also rather weak and easy to deal with given her current state, on the verge of being in deep sleep.

Miroku, who had been watching the conversation unfold with a calm expression, was quick to act as Kari began to fall. His reflexes kicked in, and he caught her gently just before her head hit the ground. Cradling the now-sleeping child in his arms, he chuckled softly, his warm gaze falling on the little girl. “Well, I suppose that’s decided. Guess we’re going to bed and skipping the bath for tonight.”

He glanced up at the group, his expression a mix of amusement and sympathy. “It seems she’s been carrying a heavy load for someone so young. Can’t blame her for crashing after a good meal. Do we have a place set up for her yet?”

[karikitdemonrp]

Kari puffed out her cheeks, wings flaring and puffing out. "You did that on purpose Papa." Kari crossed her arms, glaring at the hero in a pouting manner. She stuck her tongue out at him. "Feather brain!" She chirped then paused for a moment only to snort and giggle, clearly not very mad at the hero. She hopped up and down a bit, wings flapping in enthusiasm. "Did you see me glide?! I did that! I was gliding! It was super scary but super fun too! I'll maybe be able to fly soon, yeh?" Kari asked, clearly excited about being able to fly one day, eyes sparkling the whole time.

"That means pretty soon we can fly together and-and we can race eachother in the sky too!" Kari was super excited then moved to try ny look at her wings, which had gotten noticably bigger, not by much but it was noticable. "I can't wait to be able to fly like you one day, Papa!"

Not too far away a crowd had formed, watching Hawks play with the little girl and the whole scene occur. They were murmering amongst themselves, wondering why a little girl who didn't have wings before suddenly sprouted smaller versions of Hawks wings.

Hawks’ sharp eyes immediately caught Kari as she began to slip. He dove after her like a bullet, his wings cutting through the air with ease. “Hold on, Kari! I’ve got you!” he shouted, his voice steady despite the urgency.

As he neared her, he noticed her quirk activating, allowing her to glide instead of free-fall. He smirked, a mix of pride and relief washing over him. “Well, look at you! Gliding already? You’re a natural!” he called out, his tone encouraging.

In a swift motion, Hawks positioned himself just beneath her, catching her in his arms with practiced ease. He steadied them mid-air, his wings flaring out wide to slow their descent. “Phew, that was a close one,” he teased, a playful grin on his face as he looked down at her. “Didn’t think I’d have to break out the rescue skills today, but hey, keeps things interesting, right?”

He gently floated them back to the ground, setting her down and crouching to her eye level. “You okay, kiddo? That was a bit of a scare, huh?”

[karikitdemonrp]

Kari looked up at Inuyasha and gave a nod. "Kay." She muttered softly, taking in what he said only to look up as the monk walked in. She waved, clearly a bit nervous. "Hi, I'm Kari Kana Lee Himura and this---" Kari moved slightly and grabbed her tattered rabbit plushie and held it out. "Is Tsuki." She chirped while another person walked in wearing pink and black armor and what looked like a large boomerang on her back, though she sat it to the side.

Kari was about to introduce herself again but smiled when she saw Shippo on the woman's shoulder. "There she is, Sango! That's Kari, the girl I mentioned came from wherever Kagome came from!" shippo smiled and hopped off of the woman's shoulder and trotted over. "Hey! Has inuyasha been nice?" The kitsune asked with a chuckle.

Kari blinked and gave a nod. "Yeh. Nicer than what I'm used to anyway." Kari shrugged while Kagome came back in with Kari's second helping of food with a hum, glancing at Miroku, making sure he didn't pull anything. Knowing the monk he might pull his usual schtick but given Kari was younger than thirteen Kagome wasn't too worried.

"By the way, Kari, how old are you?" Kagome asked, trying to inform Miroku tactfully without worrying Kari. The child gave a soft chirp.

"I'm seven." She informed and happily took the second helping of food. "Thank you for the food, again." With that Kari began to eat, still rather quick but she was slowing down a bit in comparison to earlier.

Sango looked over the girl while sitting down and accepting her food. "So, Kari right? What exactly happened to get you here?"

"Weird wind sent me into this freaky old tree. I passed out from the hit and woke up with the tree lookin' different and was found by Chiyo and brought here." Kari summed up as quickly as she could and Sango gave a hum in thought. She could sense something from Kari, but couldn't pin point what. That was when Kagome gave a hum.

"Well, I was planning on taking Kari back to that tree tommorrow to try and figure out what exactly happened, I thought it would be a good place to start since we don't have much else to go off of." She sighed then glanced at Kari, noticing her scarf was getting dirty. "Kari, you're getting your scarf dirty, here I'll go--"

"DON'T!" Kari panicked and moved away as Kagome reached for the scarf in an attempt to take it off the child to wash it. "Ah! I-I mean... It can't... Be taken off... And I don't like people touching it. It means a lot to me. I dunno why but I've had it for as long as I remember." Kagome was a bit freaked out by Kari's sudden out burst but frowned. Then something clicked.

"Wait, can't take it off?" Kagome asked and Kari nodded, moving to pull on her scarf as if to take it off. The scarf strained a bit, giving the faintest shimmer as if fighting to stay around the child's neck. The shimmer was clearly unnatural and caused by some kind of enchantment or something of the sort. A strong one at that.

"Never could and honestly I never really wanted to. Guess that's why the wind didn't knock it off." The child shrugged softly, her heart calming down from the panic attack as she went back to eating.

Sango narrowed her eyes slightly. "Kari, who put that on you?" She asked, her tone laced with worry. Kari shrugged again.

"I dunno. Maybe my parents but I never knew 'em." The child again acted like this was a normal responce, not really caring about the message between the lines. Sango gave a nod and sighed.

"Well, in that case I can help you wash it when you take a bath next if you like." She offered and Kagome smiled.

"I'll help too. You could get a nice bath when you wake up after eating if you like." The young priestess offered with a grin. "You look like you could use one. It could help your feet too." She informed and Kari puffed out her cheeks as a blush formed, clearly emberassed.

"K-kay." Was all she said, moving to finish her food. Kagome explained what she could to get Sango and Miroku all caught up on Kari's situation so they were fully informed.

Once done with her food Kari yawned, clearly looking tired and having clearly had her fill of food. She swayed, trying to stay sitting up for a bit, clearly fighting off sleep just a little bit longer. Shippo was about to act and get Kari to a spot to sleep, but the child passed out, falling backwards with a thud, not really reacting to any pain. Poor girl was finally able to relax enough to fall asleep, or maybe it was that she finally had a full belly to get comfortable enough to pass out. Either way she was asleep.

Inuyasha watched the scene unfold, ears twitching as he observed Kari’s skittishness. He frowned, his golden eyes narrowing slightly at Kagome’s firm tone. “Oi, Kagome, don’t go scaring the kid like that. She’s been through enough already,” he muttered, crossing his arms. Then, glancing at Kari, he softened his tone. “You’ll get used to her bossiness after a while. Trust me, she means well… even if she sounds like she’s yelling at ya.”

Before anything else could be said, the sound of footsteps approached, and Miroku poked his head into the hut, a warm smile on his face. “Good morning, everyone,” he greeted, his gaze sweeping over the group before landing on the small figure near Inuyasha. His eyebrows rose in curiosity as he stepped fully inside. “And who might you be, young one?”

[karikitdemonrp]

Core let out a chirp and relaxed as best as he could. "You're definitely gonna get what's coming to you when you're fully healed." He muttered playfully, moving to lean on Kohaku. "The only reason I react so intensly is because I love you so much it's kinda hard not to react with you." The kitsune sighed, nuzzling Kohaku lovingly. Core looked up at Kohaku and smiled with a small chuckle.

"So, what are you planning on doing when you finish up here? Going back to helping the village or maybe train or something else?" He asked, tail shifting a bit on the ground. "Cuz I'm planning on going to get a bit of shopping done for when we head back out to the next village that needs our help." The kitsune informed with a stretch. "Once I... Fully calm down that is." Core's blush deepened slightly at mentioning his still rather hard member.

Kohaku smiled softly, letting go of Core’s tail as he leaned back a bit, his eyes glowing with affection and just a hint of playfulness. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to rile you up that much,” he teased, his voice calm and warm, though there was no hiding the amusement in his tone. “I was just trying to stop it from flopping around and hitting me, that’s all.”

He tilted his head, letting his hand rest lightly on Core’s knee, giving it a small, reassuring squeeze. “But you’re really not making it easy for me to keep things innocent when you get all flustered like this. You’re adorable, you know that?” Kohaku’s smile widened as he leaned in closer, his face just inches from Core’s. “It’s a little hard not to tease you when you react so… intensely.”

Kohaku gave a quiet laugh before pressing a quick, soft kiss to Core’s forehead. “Relax, love,” he said gently, his fingers brushing Core’s cheek in a soothing gesture. “I know it’s not fair to push you like this when you’re clearly… struggling.” His voice softened, a note of tenderness slipping into his teasing demeanor. “But I’ll stop—for now.” He chuckled, his eyes sparkling mischievously. “You’re too fun to resist for long, though.”

[karikitdemonrp]

Kari let out a gleeful chirp as she clung to Hawks, feeling the wind swirl around her with each move the hero made. She was worried she would fall off and didn't like the idea of falling off of him again. Her grip tightened like her life depended on it, even though she trusted Hawks to catch her if she fell off of him.

As Hawks kept this up, Kari's grip grew weaker and weaker and even though she tried to keep her grip tight, she was clearly losing it.

Eventually Kari slid off of the hero with a surprised chirp and began plummeting to the ground. She was falling quickly as she tried to slow herself down so Hawks could catch her, flailing about in distress out of instinct. As this kept on one of her quirks activated, Hawks' quirk actually, and the child began to glide towards the ground. Not quite flying but it was an improvement from nothing. The child was going a much safer speed now so if she were to hit the ground she wouldn't die or anything but she would still be sore from the impact.

Kari looked up at Hawks, a bit shocked at the recent turn of events and a bit scared from falling to the earth. But she was also clearly excited to be gliding at least which was rather confusing mixture of emotions to her.

Hawks let out a hearty laugh as Kari hopped out of his shadow, shaking his head in disbelief. “Shade sounds like a handful,” he teased, ruffling her hair. “But I gotta admit, that shadow swimming trick? That’s next-level sneaky. You could spook anyone with that—me included.”

Before he could say more, Kari suddenly latched onto his back, giggling mischievously. Hawks playfully groaned, rolling his eyes with a smirk. “Oh no, not this again! Kid, I’m not a jungle gym. Get off before I—” He paused dramatically. “Actually, you know what? Don’t get off. Let’s see how long you can hold on.”

Without another word, he spread his wings and took to the sky, climbing higher and higher. Once he reached a good altitude, he grinned over his shoulder. “Alright, Kari. Let’s see how good your grip really is!”

With a sharp tilt, Hawks launched into a series of rapid barrel rolls, spinning wildly through the air. The wind rushed past them as he zig-zagged and looped, his laughter echoing through the sky. “Still hangin’ on, kiddo? Better hold tight, ‘cause I’m just gettin’ started!” he called out, his tone playful and teasing.

[karikitdemonrp]

The cub let out a crackling roar again, stretching out her legs and spreading her paws while she was cradled, leaning into the scratches Hawks gave her behind her ear. She shifted back to her true form and giggled happily. "I think I have... I dunno but I have a whole lot. Then there are quirks I can't use until I'm given permission or something. I dunno how that works exactly but I think that's it. Kinda like how I learned about who I'm related to." Kari muttered under her breath.

"But I'm most comfortable with my siblings quirks since I've had them the longest! Shade taught me that trick with the shadows. She said since shadows aren't technically uh... tang-eh-ble or whatever that we can give them whatever form we want. She would swim in shadows a lot too. Like this." Kari giggled then moved to wriggle free from Hawks grasp and hopped into the shadow of a tree and swam in it as if it were a pool. She eventually swam into Hawks' shadow and hopped out since the two shadows connected.

Kari giggled. "She would scare the crap out of all of us cuz she would poke her head out from a shadow in the ceiling and call from above outta no where then just go back in and swim away. I think she found it funny. But when I started doing it I got a bit of pay back." The child snorted at the memory and leaned onto Hawks with a soft sigh.

Hawks watched Kari's movements closely, his golden eyes narrowing with focus. The shifting nature of her shadows intrigued him—one second they were solid, the next they rippled or vanished like smoke. “Alright, I’ll admit,” he muttered with a grin, “you’ve got some tricks up your sleeve, kiddo.”

When she launched herself into the air, Hawks’ wings flared, ready to dodge. But the sight of her transforming midair into a lion cub gave him pause. “Whoa—didn’t see that coming!” he exclaimed, his grin widening with genuine surprise.

Instead of moving out of the way, Hawks adjusted his posture just enough to catch her. He spun them both in the air to absorb the momentum of her tackle, his wings stabilizing them as they hovered. "Alright, Kari, you win this round," he chuckled, holding the lion-cub version of her gently but securely. “That was some serious creativity—props for pulling out a whole new trick mid-fight.”

He floated them both back down to the ground, still cradling the fluffy, crackling cub in his arms. “You’ve got me curious now, though. How many surprises do you have packed in that little head of yours?” he teased, giving her a playful scratch behind her fluffy ears. "You keep this up, and I’ll have to step up my game just to keep up!"