#baby inuyasha AU

[ad-melioraart]

One of my favorite InuBaby comics I did for Patreon More Here (X)

[barblaz-arts]

Barblaz's Wenclair AU's masterpost

*NOTE: This is sorted by order of chronological events. If you want to see them by date posted, make sure you're in my blog before clicking on the name of the AU in the tags if ur on mobile. If ur on desktop, click on my blog's name first then click on the tag for the AU. Have fun backreading mwah!

Inuyasha AU - AU based on the anime Inusyasha. For the youngsters unfamiliar with it, it's an old anime about a modern Japanese teenager named Kagome who gets magicked to a feudal Japan that is terrorized by demons. She accidentally awakens a half-demon named Inuyasha(literally means demon dog) who was sealed frozen in time by Kagome's ancestor and Inuyasha's first love, Kikyo

Wednesday meets the half-demon Enid

Familiar faces

Kitty the Manticore

Pokemon AU - name speaks for itself i think.

Hex Maniac Wednesday and Cute Trainer Enid want to battle!(over a Mimikyu?)

Cover art

Getting to know Wednesday and Enid's Pokemons

List of Gym Leaders, Elite Four and the Champions

The Balcony Talk: Pokemon AU Edition

The boys awakening some "green-eyed monsters"

Challenging Champions Morticia and Gomez Addams(warning: it's still a WIP)

When you're part of their team...

Fanart by @enidtendo64

"Wenclair in my moot's styles" drawing meme by @kris-6758

Fanfics inspired by this AU by IntrusiveCreativity on AO3

Next Gen Nevermore AU - Wednesday and Enid as wives with a daughter named Vega

Meet Vega Addams

She has (both) her mothers' eyes

Mothers and daughter

Enid the wildlife rescuer

Baby's first wolf out

Vega's love for the extraterrestrial

Domestic Addamses

Full Moon nights are Family Nights

Finding the right 'do

The Heroes of Nevermore

Height Difference

Enrollment

SkyWolf

SkyWolf Meet Cute

Meet Sora Toriyama

Clowning each other like an old married couple

Principal Barclay

Clingy wolf

Family Day

Meeting Mrs. and Mrs. Addams

Full Moon Nights are Family Nights(ft. Sora)

Vega's favorite place: Sora's shoulder

Vega's Uncle Pugsley and his diverse children

Vega's Uncle Pubert, bane of her existence

Pubert fucks around and finds out

Happy Halloween

Regine Ottinger

Voices for Vega, Sora, Regine, and Pubert(ask)

The Mystery Missfits

Get to know Vega's cousins

Sora and Regine's parents

Bonus Vega fanfics by other authors:

Enid and Wednesday have a very important conversation with their daughter (by @eggplant-crusader)

Sora visits the Addamses (by TheVeryGayLouvio on AO3)

The aftermath of Vega's first wolf out by @whitebeltwriter

Vega and Sora's misadventures by @whitebeltwriter

Meet the Addamses AU - based on the movie Meet the Robinsons. Due a magical mishap, Vega Addams accidentally brings teen Enid Sinclair into the future and desperately tries to hide from Enid that the Addamses are the family she will eventually marry into.

Wednesday's daughter is full of woe(and stressed as FUCKK)

Addamses of the future

Enid Addams

See you later

Witchcraft Baby AU - loosely inspired by Lilo and Stitch. Wednesday is a witch who used Enid's blood to make a homunculus. The consequences are dire as their creation is taboo and Wednesday used the blood of a Sinclair to do it. Wednesday wants everyone to leave her and her creation alone, meanwhile all Enid sees is a chance for family.

A deal is made(fic)

Wednesday backstory(fic)

Vega the Homunculus (art)

Jailbreak (art)

[whirling-fangs]

😊 [SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES] — not intimidating at all

how intimidating does your muse find mine? // accepting!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Really? Even after I ripped the crystal from the youkai's neck with my bare teeth? Aren't you afraid that I might do that to your throat next? I'm scary when I"m really mad!"

A sigh. Maybe this girl was just impossible to scare... Or maybe she just hasn't seen him at his worst.

[creative-hanyou-girl]

Gotta feed the hungry puppies!!!!! This is so incredibly adorable!!!!!!!!!!!🐶❤

also @clearwillow I LOVE the background wall with the Queen, Princess, and King signs and how they correspond to the order that InuKagMor are sitting! Absolutely love that😄💚👌

A Pound Puppy piece for @roseheartwhitefox! A youkai, and a hanyou in the family calls for a lot of food, but Kagome doesn’t mind. Even…even when her husband’s making a wish with the turkey legs… 😅

You can see the large file in better detail (and the bonus “prints”) on patreon!

Continuar lendo

[chadsuke]

🍉 FICS FOR GAZA 🍉

Hello, I'll be participating in the @ficsforgaza fundraising project. Donate to a palestinian fundraiser and then send proof of donation via DMs (redact your personal details). I'm currently focusing on this fundraiser for Hamdy, and would prefer you donate here. For every $1 you donate, I will write 200 words. I'll be taking both requests, and WIP sponsors. My Ao3 is chadsuke, and you can send DMs here or my writing blog @ftcoye. Please read the information on the @ficsforgaza blog if you are confused.

For requests, I'm currently willing to write for:

Naruto

MDZS

TGCF

SVSSS

Inuyasha

If I've already written for a pairing, I'm willing to write for it again. Please check my Ao3. If I have not written for a pairing, please doublecheck with me first. I will NOT write: NSFW, Minor/Adult, Omegaverse, Genderbends, anything that can be covered under 'Dead Dove Do Not Eat', etc. If you're not certain, ask first.

For WIP sponsors, you may donate and then select one of my WIPs that you want me to update. Not all of my WIPs are available for update - I've listed the ones I'm focusing on below the cut. If you want to request a different WIP, talk to me first, but I may say no.

As of the current date, I will not accept requests for from the corner of your eye. I'm rereading Naruto and doing some reworking.

WIP LIST:

Title: sasuke and the baby: or, how to raise a child when you're only eight Summary: Itachi misses a newborn in the hospital during his slaughter of the clan. Guess that means Sasuke's a parent now, huh. Word Count: As this is a drabble fic, $1 will get you a single chapter. The fic will be updated MWF. If you donate $5 towards this fic, for example, I will update MWFMW, 5 chapters. (Backlog: 0.) Title: the girl and the demon Summary: Kagome's natural instinct when reborn into a new world is, of course, to befriend the nearest demon. Word Count: Approximately 2.5k. (Current: 0/2.5k.) Title: mile in your shoes Summary: Hyuuga Sasuke's and Uchiha Hinata's worlds shatter in the same week. [Sasuke and Hinata clan swap/role reversal AU.] Word Count: Approximately 4.5k. (Current: 0/4.5k.) Title: crying is alright Summary: “-in its way while it lasts. But you have to stop sooner or later, and then you still have to decide what to do.” - C.S. Lewis. Waking up from the death of your entire family with memories of a past life isn’t something that happens to most people - especially when that past life includes visions of your own future. [A Self Insert!Sasuke fic.] Word Count: Approximately 4.5k. (Current: 0/4.5k.) Title: tangled in the red strings Summary: You learn to hide your soulmate markings very quickly. Most of the time, knowing someone’s soulmark means absolutely nothing – it’s predictable, it’s safe, there’s nothing to it. But not always. And no ninja wants to let out their secrets, so everyone hides them, aside from the powerful, aside from those who have their soulmates and stand proud and true. After all, when your soulmark is the symbol of your soulmate’s village, it can be very, very dangerous to let others know. [Hinata/Kin Tsuchi.] Word Count: Approximately 10k. (Current: 0/10k.)

[la-hannya]

They really dropping that baby Sesskik content today.

Mimo studio releasing child figures of them. Inuyasha's is also adorable.

And this cute kiddy Sesskik au artwork by X

[rayshippouuchiha]

First off, the “Inuyasha gets adopted by KakaNaru” gives off Fox Bride AU vibes to me. Dunno why. Secondly, when I saw the Link in Konoha ask, my first thought was “Why not combine Inuyasha as KakaNaru’s kid with it?” The sheer chaos of not one, but two children just practically dropping into Naruto’s lap for him to take home and show Kakashi, Lion King style. Or maybe Link has already been adopted by them, goes out on a mission, and comes back to Konoha with a baby Inuyasha like “I have found a baby brother.” Kakashi resigns himself to the fact that apparently both his spouse and child are some sort of kid magnets that adopt everyone they see.

Alternately if the two combined I vote Naruto goes out on a mission and comes back with InuYasha only for Kakashi to be like "wow this is either the worst timing to the best timing" and then he pulls Link out from behind his back

Just, Naruto goes out and returns with a feral silver-haired dog boy meanwhile Kakashi stays home and acquires a feral blond-haired chaos machine

[inukag-archive]

Hi can you recommend any period drama Inukag fics? I read Rudd’s Sense & Sensibility retelling and I love it! I’m looking for fics with a similar vibe to the Regency/Edwardian era or other period drama types 💕

We heard your calls for period dramas and are here to answer! There aren't too many InuKag fics that are set in this specific time period, but we listed the ones we were able to find below. For more reading material, we included a few options at the end that take place in a historical setting, but are not specifically Regency.

For more historical, royalty, and fantasy fics, check out our recently posted Royalty AUs list, which includes links to our other fic rec lists in this genre.

Enjoy!

[Set in Regency/Victorian/Edwardian Era]

Sense and Sensibility, an Inuyasha Retelling by @ruddcatha & @kalcia (T)

When their father dies, the Higurashi sisters Sango and Kagome suddenly find their fortunes changed overnight. The sisters begin to find their own paths, as one learns to step away from the practical to learn to dream with the help of the dashing Miroku, and the other sees the importance of stability in a world of fancy with the steadfast Inuyasha. An adaptation of the Jane Austen Novel Sense and Sensibility.

--

Higurashiton by @theladymagnolia (M)

Lady Kagome Higurashi’s life appears perfect. Having spent her entire existence preparing for the upcoming social season, she is certain to find a proper match. True love and happiness will undoubtedly follow. Unbeknownst to her, the Duke of Tessaiga is plotting his revenge, and will stop at nothing to ruin Kagome’s perfect world.

--

Stealing Kagome by Isabella Rain (T)

Set in the Victorian Era of London, Kagome Higurashi is engaged to Lord, and friend, Kouga Wolfston. But when she catches the eye of a Prince, she knows her engagement is in trouble. Especially since the Prince has already stolen her heart.

--

Letters on a Train by Emilyblood (T)

Demanded to find a bride by his father, Inuyasha is spending a trip across Victorian Europe with Kagome trying to think of a way to get Kikyou to marry him. Needless to say, Kagome is nonetoo happy, but can she keep how she feels to herself for her friend

--

You, Waiting (series) by @witchygirl99 (G-M)

Your love isn't meant to be. It exists, anyways.

--

Inextricably Knotted (an Inukag + Jane Eyre AU) by @ssukidesu (T)

Kagome Higurashi was orphaned as a baby and raised by her cruel aunt until the age of ten, after which she went to school and learned the art of service and self-suppression. Now eighteen, Kagome takes a job as the governess of Shippo, the young ward of the great and mysterious Lord Inuyasha Taisho.

But as Kagome gets to know her bemusing master, a ghost seems to haunt his estate, hinting that there is a long-lost secret hiding on the third floor.

--

The Oval Portrait by @ruddcatha & @nartista (T)

A sudden accident causes Inuyasha and his valet to find shelter for the evening during a storm. A portrait captures Inuyasha’s attention: a figure so like his wife. A single journal lays nestled by the portrait, filled with a cautionary tale of love and obsession.

--

[Other Historical Settings]

Folktale by HoneyBee31 (T)

Kagome's life changes in ways that she had only heard about in folktales after she saves her brother from certain death.

--

Freak Attraction by @artistefish (T)

A birthday outing to see a foreign circus turns into a nightmarish mistake when Kagome stumbles upon a circus of a very different nature and meets a sideshow freak with dog ears and a human heart.

--

Monster by @akitokihojo (E)

A murderous demon taints the world with unforgivable crimes, taking out his weakness in secret. Unfortunately for him, it isn't that easy. He thinks he's unstoppable, but his arrogance blinds him to the war blooming before him. Kagome and Inuyasha, both powerful in their own way, and even more so together, step forward to try to put an end to things.

--

Feel free to add your own recs in the comments or reblogs! Check our Masterlist of previous lists to see which topics we've covered.  After reviewing our submission guidelines, send us an ask (here).

[ap-kinda-lit]

Omfg an awesome scenario in an AU where InuKag can still go through the well and visit the modern era with Moroha:

Kagome runs into her old school friends while out with Inuyasha and baby Moroha. They all go crazy when they learn not only has Kagome married her “delinquent boyfriend” but they have a baby too. Of course, they mostly fawn and squeal over baby Moroha. Inuyasha watches like a referee worrying over them being too loud or getting in Moroha’s face so much and he’s not the least bit amused when they joke how bad it will be when Moroha grows up and boys start flirting with her, which they find even cuter.

[pharaohzeth]

MXTX posts Masterpost

1 - Kill the monster au

2 - The Charming Demon Prince au

3 - Heavenly Demons rockband au

4 - Baby seed au

5 - TGCF X SVSSS Yuan Shizun au

6 - Magnus crossover au

7 - MDZS X SVSSS Frozen Lotur Pier au

8 - Medea au

9 - LQG to the past au

10 - Omegaverse mamajiu au

11 - Liujiuweek 2022

12 - The demon of the opera au

13 - Devilman au

14 - Moshang week 2020

15 - SVSSS Inuyasha au

16 - Souleater au

17 - Yugioh au

18 - MDZS Inuyasha au

19 - MDZS Voltron au

[legofanguy1999]

Inukag fluff week

A Inuyasha modern AU for @inukagfluffweek event Inukag fluff week 2024 day 1 you smell nice.

As Kagome cook dinner despite being pregnant with her third baby, her husband Inuyasha come up and said, "Hey, I smell some nice things. You and dinner. I just want to eat it now." and Inuyasha give playful bites on Kagome's neck, which made her laugh and she said, "Inuyasha! Inuyasha, you are funny!" "Mommy? Daddy?" a small voice call out and the pair stop to see their daughter Moroha look confused and Kagome quickly said to her, "Oh, daddy was just playing with mommy, Moroha."

[ad-melioraart]

Uh-oh- someone is in trouble-

More Inu adventures with his parents, here<3

[koipalm]

sv inuyasha au

“...Maybe you should have waited before barging in.”

“How was I to know!?” Shen Yuan screams from his high perch. His foot slips and he scrambles for a better grip on the rock as Liu Qingge makes an aborted motion forward. He’s currently hanging from a ledge, where a particularly pecky raven demon had dropped him after seeing him in her nest. What, it wasn’t his fault he was there, was it? It was just that one of the little chicks was going to swallow one of the jewel shards and he wanted to get there before it transformed!! Liu Qingge and Luo Binghe might not have had any qualms against killing a baby, but he very much did, thank you!! His morals haven’t deserted him completely yet!!!!

Nevertheless, he’s left hanging from an increasingly perilous ridge as his skirt flutters in the wind. Really, that’s just the cherry on top, huh? Not only is Binghe off fighting the engorged mother Raven (who just had to inhale the Jewel shard) so he can’t jump up and grab him, but he’s going to be flashing Liu Qingge of all people. Ah, what a fantastic day.

Looking down, he can see Liu Qingge averting his gaze hastily, probably in disgust. Shen Yuan promises it’s not his fault, okay?? His sister bribed him into cosplaying for her before he came here, and it’s not like he has another change of clothes on him!!

Visibly gritting his teeth, Liu Qingge shouts up at him without looking, “You’re going to have to jump!”

“I AM NOT JUMPING!” Shen Yuan all but screams. “I will splatter on the ground, Liu-shidi! I am not some godly demon that can just land on his feet!!”

He can see Liu Qingge roll his eyes. Bitch!?

“I will catch you!”

“How are you going to catch me without looking!?”

Shen Yuan braves another glance down, but the vertigo makes him dizzy and he grips his bloody fingers tighter on the slim ledge.

“Just-” Liu Qingge cuts himself off when he looks up again, a rougher flush lighting up his handsome features, before shaking his head resolutely and staring up at him again. “Just trust me, okay? I’ll catch you. I promise.”

Shen Yuan squeezes his eyes shut. Oh god, his heart is beating even harder!! Why does he trust this fighting-obsessed idiot? Is he really going to do this? Just… let go and trust Liu Qingge to catch him? He risks another glance down, only to see his Liu-shidi staring at him, flushed and brazen and faithful.

Oh, god.

Another breath, and he lets go.

A small scream escapes his throat before it’s smothered by the rushing air. His stomach is left behind, and he curls up like a pill bug in the air, awaiting impact. His breath is torn out of his chest by a sudden collision from the side, and strong arms wrap around him, pressing him firmly into Liu Qingge’s chest.

He can feel Liu Qingge hit the ground, skidding to a stop on one knee as he holds him tighter. Liu Qingge pants into Shen Yuan’s ear, huffing out a pained groan.

[junespriince]

INTRO & LISTS

Howdy, there partner!

The names Sluggy,

nice to meet cha~

Here are some things to know about me!

I'm a 2001 baby

My pronouns are they/he/xem/it

I'm nonbinary transmasc and demibiromantic

I'm AuDHD and dyslexic

I love the color blue and black, the ocean, slugs/snails/nudibranches/and gastropods in general, jellyfish, tomatoes, animals and cannibal facts, and lost media

I make a lot of aus and ocs

Writer and artist

Bullying Slade Wilson like it my job

Not in a region no more, but enjoy learning about them.

Learning German... It's... Going somewhere.

I'm a tag yapper will yap in tags

Links!

My accounts (tho all my accounts are Junespriince even my discord)

AO3 art fight insta

Tags!

Sluggy's art Sluggy's fics

Sluggy hell: yearlong headcanons

Interests!

Obsession I can yap about!!

DC (Wally West and birdflash mostly but I branch out)

Pokemon

Persona, persona 4 mostly,

Witcher, baldur gate 3

M * A * S * H, 911

Xmen and spiderman

Fnaf & indigo Park

Karneval, Naruto, Bleach, Tokyo Mew Mew, OHSHC, Inuyasha

Sonic

Bg3

Olb&a, love & deepspace, PARKCORE CIVILIZATION

Ib

Ace attorney

Ben 10, El Tigre, Secret Saturdays, Spongebob, Owl house, amphibia, Fop, ed edd and eddy, tmnt, Scooby doo

Pride and Prejudice

I adore but don't yap enough

Danganronpa ( Ultra Despair girls more since it was my first)

Rise of the guardians, how to train your dragons

Mlb

mlp

Littlest pet shop

Monster high

epic the musical, Waitress, be more chill, phantom of the opra

Pure cure, Servamp, free!es, beyblade burst and metal, Yu-gi-go, assassclass

Extremely goofy movie, lilo & Stitch

undertale

Thanks for taking the time to read this I guess? Have some cookies, a slug plushie, and uhhhhh a beyblade and some Yu-Gi-Oh cards!

[mrfeenysmustache]

Unexpected

For my SessKag AU Unexpected, where Sesshomaru and Kagome have a Hanyo baby that looks a lot more like Jinenji than Inuyasha.

[ssukidesu]

Inextricably Knotted (an Inukag + Jane Eyre AU) [Chapter 7]

Summary: Kagome Higurashi was orphaned as a baby and raised by her cruel aunt until the age of ten, after which she went to school and learned the art of service and self-suppression. Now eighteen, Kagome takes a job as the governess of Shippo, the young ward of the great and mysterious Lord Inuyasha Taisho.

But as Kagome gets to know her bemusing master, a ghost seems to haunt his estate, hinting that there is a long-lost secret hiding on the third floor.

(Read on AO3)

tag list: @heynikkiyousofine @xanthippe-writes

Chapter 7: Portraits and Wings

The presence of guests at Jidai-Ju Hall persisted into the following weekend. The days were not much changed—Shippo received most of her attention, even though she received very little of his. Despite his fascination with the goings on of the company, Kagome managed during most lessons to wrench some productivity out of him.

During the evenings, Kagome would sit as she was bid among their company silently. Her presence clearly disconcerted everyone—except him who ordered it, as he instead preferred to ignore her altogether. Kagome would pretend not to notice as she read lines of whatever book she chose to accompany her that night, with varying degrees of success. 

The group would often play games—cards, billiards, darts, guessing games, and so on. Tonight—which was a misty Saturday night that hinted at spring's approach—it appeared the game of choice would be charades.

It was Mr. Taisho’s idea. “Let us test the skill of our silence,” he had proclaimed dramatically as he came into the parlor last, as he always did. The room bustled in anticipation, and during the commotion, he walked over to grab a book off the shelf adjacent to Kagome’s seat. 

“Will you play?” he asked simply, gaze flicking to her face for a brief moment.

Surprised by the address, Kagome only shook her head.

To her relief, he did not insist. He returned to the heart of the room and declared himself the partner of the woman of the hour. 

Lady Yura sported a fine dress of pale blue, floral buds of beads and lace decorating the sweetheart bust and form-fitting sleeves. Her short hair was distinctly straight, and a dainty white ribbon worked to frame her face as a headband. The other women in the room donned similar, though less remarkable, attire. The men wore typical vests and shed their coats once the fire’s heat permeated the room. Mr. Taisho shared the fashion. 

The other pairs were named: Kagura with Ayame—the young demoness with brown hair—and Naraku with Kouga—the unfortunate recipient of Ayame’s too-frequent affections. In the last few days, Kagome had learned that both Ayame and Kouga were wolf demons, and Naraku and Kagura were some other type seemingly unassociated with a specific animal. But whatever they were, they were indeed kin of some sort, though the precise kind evaded Kagome still.

With the parties ready, Mr. Taisho opened the book, which housed charade prompts. “Who would like to go first?” he asked.

“I think we should, dear Inuyasha,” said Yura. “Someone must show everyone how it’s to be done.”

As Kagome’s grasp of the nuances between each relationship deepened, she found Yura’s air of confidence surprisingly fragile. The woman’s beauty proved unmatched; however, whenever her desired devotee did not fully satisfy her with their attention, her expression became strained, and her smile fabricated. And worse for her, Kagome thought for certain that Mr. Taisho noticed, too.

Perhaps more than anyone else, Kagome watched her master as he navigated through the weeds and waves of whatever bog this party was proving itself to be. But he did not miss a beat—every joke, he built upon masterfully; every flirt, he returned with charm. And yet, Kagome was becoming less and less convinced of the truth of her master’s affections for the woman. 

When she first arrived, Kagome bristled and flinched at Mr. Taisho’s smiles and trifles with Lady Yura. But Kagome’s observations—once she gained the courage to allow them—revealed that their companionship was quite hollow. 

And this was not merely the hopeful opinion of a naive girl. Kagome watched herself just as carefully, and she was confident that she was seeing with the undeceived eyes of a self-controlled woman: indeed, Kagome saw that Lord Inuyasha was going to marry Lady Yura—for rank, for family. But not for love. 

And this game of charades, with all of its coquetry and costume and comedy, was nothing more than the ironic pastime of the larger parody between the players. 

What frustrated Kagome the most was that, where Lady Yura failed to genuinely please Mr. Taisho, Kagome saw where she would have succeeded. Lady Yura was all too upfront: where she brushed the master’s shoulder, a subtle smirk would have proven more effective. Where she feigned bashfulness, a statement of distant confidence would have won. With the certainty of a woman, Kagome now knew what her heart had felt from the beginning: it was she who understood Mr. Taisho best. He was not to them what he was to her. They were akin to each other—more than any pair with so different experiences could be. Kagome was certain that she and Mr. Taisho shared more sympathy in a single passing glance than Yura could manage wrangling out of an entire evening.

And with all of this, Kagome remembered his words to her so many months ago: You’ve never felt jealousy, have you, Miss Higurashi? Of course you haven’t—for that would require that you experience love, first. When the day finally comes that you feel the prick, you’ll learn that one can only feel jealousy when the person usurping your love is truly better than you.

Kagome indeed did not feel jealous of Lady Yura. But the heartbreak was no easier. Perhaps if the woman had been a lady of grace and kindness, of wit and wisdom, Kagome would have been capable of blessing the union with all her heart. But it was the inferiority of Lady Yura—her inability to earnestly charm him—that kept Kagome discontented with her impending union with her master. Because he was going to marry her anyway.

Thus, she sat silently in her seat and watched as Mr. Taisho and Lady Yura, now dawning half-complete costumes relating to whatever their prompt was, enacted some sort of ceremony. The lady wore a white curtain about her body over her dress, and she draped a corner of it over her head and face like a veil. Mr. Taisho had restored his black coat to his person and added his top hat to the mix, and he filled his hands with the contents of a now-vacant flower vase and offered them to her on bended knee. 

“Proposal!” cried Ayame.

“Love,” said Kouga.

“Groom!” tried Kagura.

“Bride,” concluded Kouga.

Naraku sat absently, seemingly uninterested in the game.

The two actors signed that Kouga’s latest answer was the first word in the phrase. They then disappeared behind the makeshift curtain to prepare their second performance. In the interim, Kagura leaned over to Naraku from her place beside him for a curt whisper, most likely a rebuke for his lack of enthusiasm. He met her scowl with equal fervor. 

When Mr. Taisho and Lady Yura returned, their appearances had changed. Some Middle Eastern fabric had been retrieved and fashioned into scarves, which draped about the lady’s head and the master’s neck, respectively. The pair proceeded to mimic the Genesis meeting of Rebecca and Eliezer at the well—another allusion to matrimony. The only things missing were the camels.

“Bridewell,” said Kouga pridefully, and the players assented. Kagome smiled at Kouga’s obvious self-satisfaction, and she flicked her gaze to Mr. Taisho, who also seemed amused by his friend's joyous victory. Her master’s dark brows quirked, and his lips twitched into a subtle smirk. 

It was then the turn of the two gentlemen, who halfheartedly managed to perform “French Ballroom” with an abundance of proud jabs at the invoked inferior country. Ayame and Kagura somehow enacted “Aurora Borealis”, the revelation taking many hard minutes of struggle from all parties.

The game ended around midnight. Kagome could not have guessed the time, as she felt so far from sleepy that she wondered if she would get any rest at all after retiring. She kept picturing Yura in her blue dress, fingers pressed against Mr. Taisho’s shoulder as they conferred together during the other pairs’ performances. 

Kagome would not paint tonight, the mess seeming burdensome, but she could make do with the colored pencils that Lady Kaede had brought her alongside the paints. She began at her own desk, her draft sketches swirling and scraping on the first white page. But soon, the window above her space was abandoned by the moonlight. She had only one candle to spare, and though it had another couple of hours remaining, it was not enough. 

It was likely around one thirty. Everyone would be asleep, she assured herself. Kagome gathered her materials—the pages pressed between her arm and torso and the pencils clenched in her right fist—and gripped her candle. She departed from her room and turned down the westward hallway. She came upon her desired place—a large bay window that would bear moonlight for another hour or two. Its cushioned bench was large and would fit her easily. She settled herself, placed her candle on the sill, and continued her work. She completed the final version of the first piece—its flawless face, shining black hair, and pale blue dress filling the page masterfully—only thirty minutes after; she filed it beneath her new page and began working again. She would not use color for this one.

Kagome did not know how much time it took, but she was soon finished with her own portrait. She raised and compared the two—submitting to her purpose in drawing them. Lady Yura’s was titled: “An Accomplished Lady of Rank.” Her own, which brought a cringing curl to her lip and an emptiness to her chest, was titled: “A Governess, Disconnected, Poor, and Plain.” Kagome exhaled, satisfied with her efforts in humbling her recent illogic.

“What are you doing up at this hour?” inquired a voice from beyond the raised portraits.

She managed to smother her squeal of surprise. Lowering the papers and inhaling deeply, she admired Mr. Taisho’s curious face and ruffled sleeping clothes—his white shirt again open near the collar, exposing the top sliver of his muscled chest, and loose red pants—akin to his red coat, she noticed. As frightful as his appearance often was, there was a beauty to his ruggedness, to his long hair and wrinkled shirt, to his broad shoulders and strong legs. But she was forgetting herself—forgetting already the lesson to which she had dedicated the last few hours.  

She cleared her throat and brought her legs closer to herself. “Just drawing. I couldn’t sleep. And you?”

“I walk the grounds sometimes, when I’m restless. Such is part of my duties as lord here, anyway.”

“I see.”

A beat. “Can I look at them? Your drawings.”

Kagome swallowed hard, panic swelling in her chest. “I don’t know…”

Her hesitance brought a challenging look to his face. “Come on, where’s the harm? Have you made something horrible? Intimate, perhaps?”

“All my works are intimate.”

“Yes, but none have been so much so that you’ve hidden them from me before.”

“And how would you know that?” she shot back. “If I’m hiding some, by necessity you would know nothing about them.”

His smile was wolfish. “Ah. An admission?”

Kagome scowled. “A criticism of logic.”

Air left his nose in a puff. “Do you mind if I light a cigar? You’ve your creature comforts; I’d like my own.”

“I don’t mind,” she said.

He sat himself on the other side of the bench, situating his legs so that they mirrored hers. Kagome suddenly felt bashful about her slipperless feet. He seemed to notice them simultaneously, and she slid them backwards to hide them somewhat under her night gown. He made no comment, himself having bare feet, opting instead to place his cigar between his lips and pull a match from his pocket. The movement jostled the sleeves of his shirt, and Kagome noticed a single thin bandage wrapped around his forearm—exactly where he had been burned. Kagome would have asked him how it was possible that he had not fully healed after so many weeks, but the words would not form. The match’s fire erupted passionately when it scratched against his flint, then soothed to a subtle flicker. Once its duty was fulfilled, Mr. Taisho snuffed the flame. The first ring of smoke obscured his piercing gaze like a ghostly curtain.

Kagome peaked back down at the portraits in her lap. She pulled Yura’s out from beneath her own and studied it. What would be its effect on her master? The curiosity came upon her like a muse. “I don’t mind if you see this one,” she said finally, pulling it out and handing it to him.

He looked surprised at her acquiescence, his golden eyes flicking down to the paper only after he was assured by the certainty on her face. A moment passed before he spoke. “A beautiful picture of Lady Yura. You’ve captured her essence, certainly.”

Her toes curled beneath her dress. “But do you like it?”

His eyes flicked up at hers for only a second, a strange lilt in his brow forming at her inquiry. “As well as I like the person whom it depicts.”

Kagome puzzled at the riddle. She didn’t dare question his meaning further with words; instead, she felt a sudden courage unfolding in her ribs. “If I show you the other one, would it receive a more detailed review?”

Inuyasha smiled, then released a puff of smoke from his pursed lips. “If you wish.”

Wordlessly, Kagome unsheathed the second page from her lap and handed it to him. His clawed fingers took hold.

The silence was unbearable. She bit her lip and shrunk down to hide herself between her shoulders and behind her knees. Her elbows dug into her ribs like a clamp.

When he looked up, the reproachful disappointment on his face made her feel her own adolescence more than she had in years. When he spoke, his voice was slow, calculated. “The one of Yura was nothing short of perfection. This one, on the other hand… I must withhold my praise.”

She could have thrown up. Averting her eyes to the window, she focused on the moon as it peaked and wove through wispy clouds. “Why?”

“Because this is the only work of yours I’ve seen that houses a lie.”

Her head whipped back to face him. His look was serious, if not a little irritated—probably mimicking her own. “And what lie is that?”

Inuyasha retained his harsh expression, but he leaned forward till his elbows draped over his knees. “You dishonor yourself.” He brought a hand to brush an orphaned lock of hair from her face, reminding her that this was the second time he’d seen it down. His voice quieted for their increased proximity. “Do you want to hear my criticisms in greater detail?”

Kagome felt her jaw clench. She remembered the purpose behind her two drawings, and she could not help but feel that he was spitting on her efforts of self-preservation. Her words were clipped. “You may find fault with it, but a piece cannot be criticized for reflecting an artist’s thoughts and feelings. Such is the nature of art.”

His eyes seared into her own despite their focus out the window. His voice carried a firmness that reminded her of a lost friend. “A romantic attitude. But while an artist may claim immunity to mechanical criticism for such reasons, they cannot claim immunity to criticism of the perceptions themselves that produced the piece. No one is ever immune to being critiqued for their thoughts and feelings. In fact, it is these things alone that are worth criticism. All else—social rank, familial history, physical characteristics…” he paused, finally succeeding in regaining her strangely watery gaze, “…are arbitrary. Wasn’t it you who said you cared far more about judging me for the characteristics of mine you couldn’t see?”

As if struck dumb, Kagome only nodded. He tilted the page to make it visible to her, and she relented, leaning forward to join his scrutiny.

He spoke slowly, “Here, you’ve intentionally emphasized the slightest trace of defect and neutered every point of expression that gives life and light to your countenance. You’ve drained your color, dulled your eyes. Your lips have been dried out. Your lashes thinned. I have not once seen this expression on your face; even now, as annoyed as you are with me, your cheeks are alive, your eyes large with lighted emotion. Your lips…” His gaze traced her physiognomy as he spoke. Reorienting himself at her eyes, he concluded, “And you’ve left something out.” 

When he didn’t elaborate, she bemoaned her curiosity and took the bait. “What have I forgotten?” Her voice sounded strange to her own ears.

His smile was half tender, half menacing. “Your wings.”

Kagome couldn’t help the tension-relieving laugh that escaped her upturned lips. Whatever he said about the color in her face, she was sure it was growing now. She folded her arms and situated her unburdened legs to cross beneath her. “My wings are retractable. I save their exhibition for times when they’re needed.”

He was pleased with her play, and he scooted forward to chase her, knees bent and closing in like a cage around her. “Oh? And what sort of times are these? I would love to see them one day.” His posture had him so forward that his face was a mere foot from hers, their lines of sight equal. The smell of his cigar, forgotten in his fingers, curled around her nose.

Kagome’s smile grew, but something in her words pierced her own heart. “Impossible. If I’ve unsheathed them, I’ve done so for flight. I’d be gone long before you could notice.”

His eyes carried a strange emotion. “And what of my traps? The invisible nets I’ve splayed out in the sky to catch runaway fairies?” At the word catch, he again intertwined his finger with a lock of her hair.

“You of all people should know that you cannot confine such creatures.”

“I said nothing of confining,” he began, leaning in even closer. Kagome watched his mouth intently, gaze locked on the points of his teeth past his lips. He continued with a whispered sardonic lilt, “I only wish to study one of God’s highest creations. After which, if she wishes to go, I’ll pack her bag myself out of good will. But only after appealing intently for her permanent residence, and sulking petulantly at my failure.”

Kagome was sure she’d turned scarlet now. She pushed his left knee with the tips of her fingers, breaking his cage. She ignored the rough intake of his breath at the contact. She cleared her throat and said, “I’m afraid I can script our play no further, Inuyasha. I was never one for theater.”

“Nor I,” he said with a grin, seemingly pleased at her using his name. His finger relinquished her strands. After a moment with no response from her, he added, “No more of this.” He dropped both papers back into her lap. “If you’re going to steal my supplies, you’ll be sure to not use them for blasphemy. I order you to fix it.”

“I’d much rather destroy and forget about them altogether, sir. Additionally, though I am your employee, I don’t see the propriety of such commands that have nothing to do with my employment as Shippo’s governess.”

If he noticed her jocular tone, he didn’t show it. “I’m not commanding you as an employer.”

Kagome’s mouth sealed shut. She waited for him to explain his meaning, but he never did, opting instead to kiss his cigar once more. His golden eyes had caught fire, their glow outshining that of the candle on the sill, whose flame flickered from the easy draft and made their shadows sway together. Scared of his elaboration should she invite it, Kagome decided that the late hour demanded her retirement, even if it meant ripping her away from this dreamlike exchange. “As you wish.”

She saw the irritation on his sharp features at her obvious self-censorship. But he let it go. He reclined to his original place leaning against the wall. “You’re tired. If you’ve any desire to sleep tonight, you must go this instant.”

If he meant it innocently, his frustrated expression and clenching fists did not help depict it. Kagome felt a ghostly finger trace up her spine at his gaze, which fought to force its way into the depths of her own to assess its secrets.

Gathering up her things, Kagome stood, holding her papers flush to her chest to hide her unbound breasts which had before been protected by her dress’s loose drape. “Goodnight, sir. You might consider trying to sleep again, as well.” 

“I’ll consider it,” he said, eyes flicking down to her bare feet and the lower half of her shins, now exposed by her night gown. 

Blushing bright, she bowed her head in goodbye. “Till morning,” she said.