#but between Kikyo and Kagome

[hanyo-inu-yasha]

(( between Kikyo and Kagome, there is no contest...

literally.... let's not pit them against one another. I love them equally. Inuyasha loves them equally.

[makersruin]

sorry i just cant stop thinking about the inu/kagome and inu/kikyo ship wars that are still going on in the present day. as someone who isnt invested in it at all (both presently and in childhood) im really fascinated how it managed to stand against the test of time and still be a topic of discussion for 28 years. i'm sure there's more to this that i'm missing because i'm looking primarily at youtube comments which can, at times, be the bottom barrel of the internet but im part not-surprised part alarmed by how the discourse never moved past the standards of writing for female characters in 2002. so much of 'kagome is useless and doesn't deserve him', 'kikyo is a whiny loser who cant give him up', etc etc. has anyone considered that inuyasha might not deserve either of them. ok well thats not true but it also doesn't feel very fair to go band for band on worthiness, which is a kind of meaningless method of measurement on the subject of love, and leave the guy out of it.

when it comes down to it, inuyasha as a story is about a group of people who have been deeply traumatized and cannot move past these traumas until they address the root of it, which is the shikon jewel. the end goal of the story is for them to overcome their pasts. his relationship with kikyo and kagome is exciting and romantic, but they also do the more important job of being representations of the past vs the future. if the story is committed to its thesis, then inuyasha can't be with kikyo. and its not because she's unworthy or a bitch or any of that nonsense, its because kikyo is dead and her soul already reincarnated. kagome is kikyo, not in a literal sense, but in that she is the part of kikyo who has chosen to move on and live. what's left is the bones and grave dirt and regrets of a woman whose life was ruined by the shikon jewel. inuyasha can't be with that. he can't bury himself alive for someone who isn't real anymore, no matter how much he loved her and regrets what happened. this isn't a win for kagome or proof of that kikyo is lesser, its a tragedy that the three of them are going to have to heal from. and when talking about the three of them, any consideration taken away from the weight of that seems like a shame to me.

[dazzelmethat]

I kinda like but dislike that Rumiko and Sunrise (and fans) have never even mentioned that miko (priestesses) are virgins. And that their shinto ability to tend holy places comes from being unmarried virgins. In modern day I guess it is not really required but I kind of wish more people analyzed Kikyo, the dark priestess, Kaede and Kagome in that light.

Personally I think that due to the era Kagome would not be allowed to remain a miko after getting married and having a child. She would still be one of course due to her spiritual ability, but I think she would no longer be allowed to remain in that societal role.

Kagome is so spunky though that I see her rebelling against it. I think Kagome's strength in being outspoken is another great contrast between her and Kikyo. While Kikyo was confined by society and was only freed from expectation when she became an impure monster. Kagome was outspoken and loud to where she didn't have much of a societal role and yet remained 'spiritually pure.'

There is a huge theme of 'societal expectation' in Kagome, Inuyasha, and Kikyo that I think being a miko is a part of.

Personally I'm torn on Kagome loudly choosing to get married and have a child VS remaining a Miko and Kagome choosing to attempt to do both.

More thematic headcannons in the tag below..

[shinidamachu]

Do you think Kikyo should’ve been nicer to Kagome and thanked her for all those times she saved her? Some of the fandom even thinks she owed her Spiritual training as well, what do you think?

To me, the thing about Kagome and Kikyo's rivalry is that it felt very one sided. Obviously, they both had extremely valid reasons to hate each other's guts at first — reasons that go beyond Inuyasha —, but Kikyo was the only one actually acting on it.

And she kept doing it even after Kagome has proved, time and time again, that she can be trusted and that she is in no way deserving of Kikyo's hatred.

I think that was a great dynamic because Kagome and Kikyo parallel each other so well: while Kagome was strugling with her own feelings in order to understand Kikyo's and accept her as a part of Inuyasha's life...

...Kikyo was fighting to do the exact opposite and hold on to her grudge. You can tell it by the way she can recognize what Kagome's true intentions were but still belittle her for it and refuse to say anything nice to her face.

It's a extremely compelling "yin and yang" sort of thing that worked very well at the start. What happened was that, at a certain point, Kagome has done so much for Kikyo that any ressentment towards her just felt a little ridiculous.

And I'm not even saying Kikyo should've been nicer and thanked Kagome. I think it's perfectly okay for a female character to dislike another. They don't have to be friends just because they're women, especially when there's so much bad blood between them.

In fact, I don't think there's room for a canon friendship there without it feeling awkward and forced — even though Kagome was obviously trying. I also think Kikyo being nice and thanking Kagome would be out of character and honestly a little underwhelming.

After everything that happened, a simple "thank you" doesn't even begin to cover. And as much as Kagome deserved to hear it, she didn't do anything because she wanted to be the better person or for Kikyo to be in debt with her. She did it because she's a good person and therefore will always do the right thing.

In my opinion, it wasn't exactly to Kagome that Kikyo owed anything, but to the narrative, as a way to earn her so called redemption by being held accountable for her actions, which she never really was.

Rather than Kikyo being nicer to Kagome, I think it would've been much better for both characters if Kagome was allowed to tell Kikyo off every now and then without it being an illusion.

And rather than Kikyo thanking Kagome, it would've been way more natural and meaningful for her to die saving Kagome's or Inuyasha's life instead of Kohaku's. It would've shown more regret and gratitude than any words ever could. Everything would come full circle — since she tried to kill them both while they were only trying to save her — and her closure would feel actually earned.

As for the spiritual training thing, I see where people are coming from and in another universe I think it would've been totally cool for them to have a dynamic like Aang and Roku had in Avatar, but again: it doesn't really work in canon.

More importantly: it goes against a theme that was introduced very earlier in the show, which is Kagome being her own person, doing her own thing, aside from Kikyo.

We literally see her trying to channel Kikyo's powers and failing...

...Then just being herself and succeeding:

If anyone was obligated to train her, that's Kaede, but particularly I like the idea of Kagome being self taught and making the moves up as she goes even better. I think it adds a lot to her character, I just wished Takahashi had explored it properly.

Plus, let's be honest: Kagome was doing a fine job on her own. Kikyo was the one making her life a thousand times harder by coming up with those nonsensical plans. In the end of the day it wasn't Kagome who needed Kikyo to defeat Naraku, but rather Kikyo who needed Kagome.

That being said, if Kikyo were to be nicer and thank someone, I think that person should've been Inuyasha and I will die on this hill. He was risking everything he had because she guilt tripped him into thinking he owed it to her.

"You came for me, that is enough" was not a thank you nor an apology. I can understand her reluctance when it comes to Kagome, but I can't justify her treatment of Inuyasha. Not when she was supposed to love him.

[loopyren]

can i say something about inukik & inukag lol

For context, I’m a latecomer to this series. I just finished it last month in the year 2023. And “Did Inuyasha love Kikyo more or Kagome more?” is sort of a weird debate for me.

Because it's sort of implying that "love" could be quantified or something. Like it’s something you can point your finger at and count. But from my, ahem seasoned expertise, that’s not how it works.

So I want to look at it in a different way.

Let’s get it straight. Love is not quantifiable. Inuyasha loved both Kikyo and Kagome the best way he knew how. He was genuine about both of them. His feelings were earnest and true.

But you can’t deny his love somehow feels... different between the two of them.

So what is it? What is this difference?...

*deep breath* please bear with me I need to get this out of my system

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Inuyasha loved Kikyo. But their love felt transactional.

Kikyo showed him kindness, didn't try to kill him, treated him like a normal person for once. But... she was kind of in a sad place in life. In protecting the jewel, she felt robbed of a normal life. So, she asked him one day, "Will you become human and destroy the jewel? For me?" Kind of a tall ask, but I don’t blame her. She was feeling miserable. And Inuyasha's like, "Yes, of course!"

But then she died. And got resurrected. And Inuyasha's like “well shit, now I REALLY need to do something for her. She DIED because of me.” That's really what's driving his love (is it love anymore? idk) at this point. It feels like he's chasing to pay off his debt.

That's what I mean by “transactional.”

Okay, so Inuyasha loved Kagome too. But their love felt unconditional.

Kagome also showed him kindness, didn't try to kill him, treated him like a normal person etc. just like Kikyo. But she doesn’t really need anything from Inuyasha, right. She’s content with her life and all. So... she didn't ask for anything back. She just gave kindness to him and went on her merry way. Ok ya, sometimes she gets a lil grumpy (she’s human) but she always believes in him, trusts him to do the right thing, supports him when he's weak, yada yada... and like, that's it. Inuyasha even tries to make himself look like the bad guy, steals her shards, freakin’ pushes her into the well to get her to go home (cuz he didn’t want her to get hurt anymore), but Kagome comes back HUGGING him LMAO

Kagome is giving him literally nothing but love and trust and support. Not really expecting anything in return. She just wants to see him be his best and do his best. Encourage him during hard times. Even when she sees him with Kikyo lol… Clearly it hurts her and she realizes she caught feelings (oops), but she accepts that about herself and holds on to her desire to support him through and through.

She kinda says to him, "Hey… I know my place (in relation to Kikyo), but I still want to support you. I want to see you smile and be happy. Will you let me stay by your side?"

DAMN. Inuyasha says, "You’ll stay for me?" (well, in the anime in Japanese that's what he literally says, I replayed that scene like 500 times to make sure I heard it right). And she's like ya! Let's go!

CMONNNN. His brain is probably like “NO STOP! I OWE MY LIFE TO KIKYO!” but his heart is already saying “JFC THIS GIRL. I LOVE HER.” And he wants to do everything for her, not because he's indebted to her. It's not a transaction he needs to pay up. He does it because he really wants to.

So like, people making a ruckus about “Inuyasha Loved Kikyo!!!” vs “NO INUYASHA LOVED KAGOME!!” And I’m just sitting here going, uhh. I mean y'all both right! He... loved them both? Hello? And he loved very adorably for both of them. He’s such an honest lover.

But the circumstances in which he loved each girl are totally different. 

With Kikyo, the circumstances were pretty dire. They were both deprived of something important to them. Her, a normal life. Him, just basic love and affection. They weren’t able to love each other with no strings attached bc they both still had stuff internally to deal with (her: the need to be liberated & him: insecurity). But, regardless, they shared a special bond that can’t be replaced. That’s a given.

Kagome... gave him better circumstances to love. Her love made him feel light. It felt so good and positive. She taught him a lot on what it means to trust and love someone unconditionally. He could show her all his ugly and she accepts that about him. She helped him meet lifelong friends too, Miroku, Sango, Shippo... And he really treasures her for that. They also shared a special bond that can’t be replaced, literally no one can replace bc he basically screams out loud (in the Meido) she is his soulmate. :’) suh cute

I think at the end, yeah, Kikyo might’ve got some smooches and our InuKag friends are like D: But… I’m romantic ace so maybe I see it differently, but it’s just a kiss. I never doubted that the only kiss that would truly make his eyes light up, the only kiss that could cause his entire soul to leap out of his own mouth and stun him into silence, is a kiss with Kagome. And Rumiko Takahashi did that without actually providing us a kiss scene (in the manga). 

Takahashi made me trust Inuyasha like how he and Kagome trust each other. :((((

That’s... incredible. Standing ovation character building 👏🏼

[stopthebig3]

What do you think of girls hating in Kikyo for no reason? She suffered so much in Inuyasha and treated unfairly.

Shipping. She actually does come in the way of the ship because Inuyasha does love her too. Kagome is more relatable than her. Even the way Kikyo was brought up is just not something a lot of readers can relate to. Personally I find her a fascinating character. There should be more female characters that aren't moefied and sexualized to death while still having that "cool" personality. It would also be nice if people could look at Kikyo and Kagome's characters and realize they come from totally different backgrounds. I don't hate either of them.

Sakura hate on the other hand is not due to "coming between a ship" because neither Sasuke or Naruto care about her enough. Naruto and Sakura don't even interact much anymore, and Sasuke literally react like this when he saw her after many years;

And he never kissed her in canon.

The reasons people dislike Sakura are:

a) she wastes most of the screentime and many important situations she's in (which is a lot compared to many other characters) by being useless

b) she treats naruto poorly yet naruto is the one who has to save her ass all the time, and if not him then kakashi, yamato, you name it

c) she treats sasuke like an object, she doesn't care to listen to him at all, and acts like a victim because sasuke isn't romantically interested in her

d) she treats other women who help her poorly

etc.

As for me I dislike her fanbase more than her. They are insufferable and toxic, and can't accept the fact she's just not an amazing role model, badass or a likeable character in canon. They call you a misogynist for disliking her canon manga character, but then change her character into something different in fanon. Not to mention they always blame other characters for her failures.

[heikeee]

no but i need to scream into the void or i'll go mad. listen. kikyo wasn't a bitch. i don't think the way she was written did her any justice; it just makes her easy to hate. and don't get me wrong, this isn't about her relationship with inuyasha or kagome at all, i just want to talk about her as a character because she is one of the most complex of them and she needs to be looked at with more empathy.

i've said it before and i'll say it again: her whole thing is that she is tragedy personified. think about it. everything, and i mean every single thing that could have gone wrong in her life, HAS gone wrong. she had a difficult upbringing, having to raise her little sister and having to shoulder the burden of being the sole purifier of the shikon jewel (which constantly put her and her village under threat). she was never dealt an easy hand to begin with. then, she finds solace in love, tries her best to think of a way of unraveling herself from her duties to live a free life, while still caring for others selflessly: she took in onigumo, and he betrayed her. by pretending to be inuyasha, he had her think that her lover had betrayed her as well, and succumbed to wounds inflicted by him (or so she thought), while sealing him to the goshinboku.

the last wish she spoke of was to take the shikon jewel to the beyond with herself. later, kagome finds a way to actually destroy the jewel, which was what kikyo had intended to do but couldn't. in her heart, her last wish was to see inuyasha again. the jewel corrupts this wish and grants it in the most fucked up way possible.

her remains are robbed from her grave and she is brought back to life with NO agency on the matter, by someone who wanted only to exploit her powers. now, untethered from from her past duties, she is finally free to experience emotion. and that includes bad emotions. so anger, resentment, jealousy, contempt, loneliness, selfishness (and that's part of being human). every unfulfilled wish, the unfairness of it all. she spends the rest of the series navigating this undead existence, the duality of not belonging anywhere, constantly torn between doing what is right and what needs to be done to reach her goal, having no choice but to consume souls of recently departed girls to have the energy to fight her only fight (destroying naraku), all the while helping villagers and kids, and even the inugang, despite not wanting to align with their agenda at first. she contemplates sacrificing kohaku, yes, but ultimately her redemption is that she chose to save him instead of purifying the jewel in the end. she showed that she trusted the inugang to finish what she couldn't, and chose to spare another life, if possible (she says so herself in ch441)

it is very difficult to relate to someone that doesn't give access to her vulnerable side very often. her and sango are the two characters who had it the hardest and were forced to make the most difficult decisions out of everyone. but we love sango, even when she chose to sacrifice rin, even when she contemplated killing kohaku then herself, because we know where sango's heart lies and how torn she is about all of it. kikyo, on the other hand, is stoic and hardened by her life (and also post-life), but ultimately her biggest trait was kindness. we don't get to see her cry and be like woe is me about it, something that could've made us more empathetic towards her like we are with sango.

my point is kikyo deserves to be looked at through kinder eyes. she is a complex character, and she requires a bit more analysis and compassion to actually see who she really is. my tragic girl

[sesskag-week]

SessKag Week 2024 Theme Breakdown

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You'll find the week's prompts here!

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Day 1

Canon Compliant

Canon compliant fics follow the canon exactly and don't alter the setting or canonical plot events too drastically. An example of a canon compliant fic would be for example a retelling of a specific scene from another character's point of view.

VS

Modern AU

Modern AU is a fic that takes place in a contemporary setting instead of the work's canonical setting. In SessKag, modern AU fics are typically set in modern day Japan. They can either still feature youkai and miko, or be all human AUs as well.

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Day 2

Canon divergence

Canon divergence fics follow canon up to a point. They take place in the canon setting and may follow the canonical plotline fairly closely, before they began to spin off to their own direction. "What if Kikyo didn't die?" "What if Kagome never went back to the Feudal era?" "What if Kagome met Sesshoumaru first?" are all types of canon divergent fic scenarios.

VS

Historical AU

A fic that takes place in an alternative setting that's in a different time period than the canonical setting. For SessKag, this could be anything any other time period than Sengoku era and up to the 1990s. SessKag in Heian era? Meiji era? Regency England? Any other time is a fair game.

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Day 3

Missing Episode

Missing episode, or a missing scene fic, is canon compliant fic that is set between specific canon events, but it is a moment that's never actually shown to the audience.

VS

Fusion AU

Fusion AUs are types of crossovers, where you take the plot and/or setting of Fandom 1 and the characters from Fandom 2 and mash it all up. If you see a fic described as "SessKag Star Wars AU" or "SessKag Pride and Prejudice AU", those are type of fusion fics.

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Day 4

Pre-Canon

Pre-canon, or pastfic, is a fic that is set before the events of the canon. It could be a flashback or delve into the character's backstory.

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Fantasy/Scifi AU

Fantasy or Scifi AU could be any kind of AU that incorporates fantasy or scifi elements in it. It could be a fairy tale retelling, some kind of a Isekai scenario, a Fae/Werewolf/Vampire AU or a zombie apocalypse.

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Day 5

Canon Reunion

Broadly, this could mean any canonical reunion scene. With SessKag, though, the type of canon divergent modern era reunion fics where Sesshoumaru and Kagome meet again in modern day after Kagome never returns to the Feudal era are popular, so I had those in mind when I chose this theme.

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All human AU

All human AU is an AU in which the characters that are not human in the canon (e.g. Sesshoumaru) are human. High school or College AUs are a popular type of an all human AU. An all human AU does not have to be set in a modern day, however.

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Day 6

Post Canon

Post canon or a futurefic is a fic that takes place after the canon has ended, usually several years later.

VS

Royalty AU

Royalty AU is a type of an AU story in which one or several characters are a member of a royal family. Whether the story takes place in a historical, fantasy or contemporary setting is up to the writer. Tropes that go hand in hand with this type of AU are arranged marriage or bodyguard fics, for example.

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The fantastic banner features this artwork by the fabulous @valuvi

[inukag-archive]

Inuvember 2023 Part 1

In honor of @inuvember InuKag Day, the Archive Mods have put together a 30 item InuKag recommendation list: one InuKag fic per prompt. Since this list is longer than our usual, we've split it into two parts. Enjoy!

Day 1 Inuyasha

I Hate That Fucking Well by @kstewdeux (M)

Post-manga. Inuyasha POV. Inuyasha's inner thoughts and monologues. Rated M for fucking language

Day 2 Kagome

Cinnamon Hearts by @fandomobsessions016 (M)

"So, you may be wondering, what’s this story about anyway? Well, I’ll tell you. It’s about how this queen, almost lost her crown, her throne, but worst of all… it’s about how this queen almost lost her king…

Hindsight, of course, has perfect vision, but at the time I did not. I was a girl becoming a woman who fought bitterly against change that was inevitable. I didn’t want to open my eyes. I didn’t want to see what was right in front of me.

What I wanted more than anything was to keep Inuyasha.

High school forced my eyes open, tested our “unshakable” bond and made me confront my biggest fear. All because…

I caught feelings for my best friend.

I like-liked my king."

Day 3 Sango

Forever Home by KittyKatz (M)

How long had he roamed the earth in a form that was not his? Beaten, dirty and caged, he finds one last bit of fortune when she comes to rescue him from this place. But his road to redemption will not be easy. And he will find, that no matter how the world has changed, his old enemy remains. And this time, they plan to destroy him once and for all.

Day 4 Miroku

Under the Northern Lights by @lostinfantasyworlds (E)

Kagome Higurashi has her dream job, working as a photographer for the internationally well-known Yugen magazine. Her career whisks her all around the world, leaving her feeling lonely sometimes but mostly just incredibly grateful to be doing what she loves. When she gets assigned to Alaska for a month to photograph a series of celestial events, she runs into Inuyasha, a half-demon who lives on his own in the middle of nowhere. A mutual attraction draws them to each other, but Kagome's time there is limited. Will giving in to their desire lead to love or heartbreak?

Day 5 Shippo

Oh, But You're Good To Me by @witchygirl99 (E)

It’s a terrible photo, really. The action figure takes up the entire bottom of the screen and part of both of their faces. Shippo’s giggling though, eyes shut and crinkled in his mirth while Inuyasha looks at him. His expression is clearly fond. It’s the softest Inuyasha has ever, ever seen himself.

This is fatherhood, he thinks a little wildly.

He sends the photo to Kagome.

Inuyasha is a single father. Shippo is his adopted son. Kagome isn't supposed to be in the picture, but somehow, she returns anyways. A story about family, love, and all of its obstacles.

Day 6 Sesshomaru

Whispers in the Wind by @ruddcatha (G)

It has been 500 years since Kagome jumped back down the well to be with Inuyasha. A messenger waits to see her family, and is joined by a surprising guest.

Day 7 Rin

My Life Before You by @len-barboza (E) -- based on a story by Mizune-mei

No English language summary provided. Inuyasha había vivido la mayoría de su vida huyendo, un huérfano medio demonio considerado por la gente una aberración, rechazado por demonios y por humanos, pero quien pensaría que esa era una mejor vida, al menos un propósito lo movía; sobrevivir, que sucede con un hanyo con una vida longeva, en completa soledad.

Day 8 Kikyou

Stolen Soul by Kimberly-A (T)

COMPLETE Kikyo uses a spell to exchange bodies with Kagome, leaving Kagome stuck in the dead shell and Kikyo comfortably human. In the aftermath, Inu-Yasha faces difficult choices. InuKag, not very Kikyo-friendly.

Day 9 Koga

A New Moon, A New Start by @pinestripes (T)

Kouga visits the village near the Sacred Tree. On this particular evening, he finds that a certain half-demon is more on edge than usual.

Day 10 Kagura

The Portal Between Worlds by @neutronstarship (E)

Ten years ago, a portal transported Inuyasha from the demon realm to the human realm. Now a half-demon alone in a world he doesn't understand, he will do anything to get home. When Onigumo brings him a book with all the answers, Inuyasha pushes aside his misgivings and works with the man. He just wants to get home, after all.

Kagome just wants to make an extra buck (and find demons), much to Kikyo’s chagrin. That is why she published Demons Among Us! after all. But strange things start happening when she puts the book online. As if people are using it to open the portals that it hypothesized… When Kagura and Sango join the fray, the stakes grow higher as they try to find the source of the portals.

When Inuyasha encounters Kagome, fate is not what it seems. Not one, but two realms are in danger for their survival. What happens when the final portal opens and an unknowable terror is unleashed? Can the Demon Hunters save the world?

Day 11 Naraku

You Rescued Me by @keizfanfiction (E)

Maybe it was fate that he decided to take the back way home that night, but whatever the reason, Inuyasha was grateful for arriving just in the nick of time to rescue a waif of a woman who had clearly been through hell. He never would have imagined that she would end up rescuing him, too.

Day 12 Band of Seven

Delicate by @akitokihojo (T)

To trust someone, to let them in, what an unsettling ordeal. Kagome is easy and safe, and Inuyasha is difficult and guarded. She can put him at ease with a smile, simultaneously setting him on edge. It was nothing until it was something, creating absolute chaos and uncertainty within the both of them.

Day 13 Jinenji/ Shiori

How Does Your Garden Grow? by @dawnrider (M)

An Ingary-esque AU: Kagome, the newest generation of caretakers of the Higurashi House, finally starts to feel like her garden and business is thriving with the help of her friend Jinenji. Their routine is thrown off by the arrival of an injured visitor who does not want to be found...

Day 14 Toga

Taisho School of Acting: A Quick Guide by @jeremymarsh (G)

“Excuse me, what?” Kagome looked at her best friend with eyes as big as saucers, lips parted, and her mind replaying what he had said a moment before – trying to find a sense but to no avail. “You heard me.” Inuyasha scowled, looking down, arms crossed and lips pouting, just like he did every time he didn’t like the topic at hand. The problem was he had started it this time. “Yeah, I did.” Kagome shook her head and inhaled deeply before she continued. “And that’s why I’m asking you to repeat yourself since I’m having problems believing that certain sentences left your mouth.” “I said,” Inuyasha started through clenched teeth, still not meeting her gaze, “come to my family Christmas dinner this Sunday.” He stopped, ran a hand through his silver mane, closed his eyes, murmured something unintelligible and then added: “As my girlfriend.”

Where Inuyasha tries to fool his parents and miserably fails.

Day 15 Izayoi

The Silence of Daisies by Fierywenchxo (T)

Inuyasha shares with Kagome one of the biggest secrets he's ever kept. One-shot.

READ PART (2) HERE

[inusmasha]

InuKag's contrasting backgrounds and the challenges they face in their respective worlds create a fascinating duality.

Kagome is a teenager who's juggling 2 equally important forces; Her life in the modern era and her life in the feudal era.

It's like she's in a constant transitioning state. She has to stay adapting and recontextualizing her sense of identity bc it's different day to day. She's the master archer with sacred arrows that need to shoot the bad guys... But she's also that constantly absent student taking the make up test in the back, don't bother her right now. In the past she's often mistaken for "Kikyo" if it serves the plot. What's a Kagome anyway? Tiktok audio She's just a girl in the world.

In contrast, Inuyasha grapples with his half-demon, half-human heritage, representing a different form of duality, albeit in a more physical sense.

This is why I adore the opening of the series! There's nothing quite like witnessing the initial setup. You're paired with someone, and you have to rely on each other in order to navigate this unfamiliar terrain (and like..not die lol). Each brings unique skills and perspectives to the table, necessitating observation and learning. In the process, they grow and evolve together.

Inuyasha observes Kagome as she forges connections wherever she goes, allowing them to form a powerful team capable of confronting their adversaries and establishing a new home. Simultaneously, Inuyasha offers protection and combat prowess honed during his solitary childhood survival. It's the perfect partnership between the most unlikely pair.

I just love a mirror.

[kinmokusei-stars]

An actual story drawing? It's a miracle! LMAO

This is the first time Kouko and Inuyasha properly connected one on one, through comfort and a bowl of warm soup.

More on this scene below the cut!

After a particularly rough confrontation with Kikyo, Kouko followed Inuyasha out to where he was trying to silently recuperate from the event. He definitely wasn't thrilled, but instead of beckoning him back to the group, she offered him out a bowl of warm soup, and sat next to him to give her condolences to how things played out between the two of them.

She wasn't aware of his past before now, and in all honesty, seeing him do more than bicker with Kagome and fight in battles definitely humanized him in her mind. She still hadn't grown past her distain for demons yet, so being able to sympathize with one was a bit of a revelation.

She understood the feeling of breaking things off on bad terms with a lover, especially with how badly things ended with her and her own first love. Though it definitely wasn't the same, it was a similar type of grief, and while she had grown and overcome her own mourning over time, she had the realization that his pain was still a very open wound. If none of the others were willing to give him the time and patience he needed to grieve, she would.

It was a cautious, and very hesitant start to them growing to be friends, but one brought through compassion and concern. It helped them grow some semblance of understanding for each other, that would eventually lead to Inuyasha returning the kindness down the line.

I've had this one as a sketch for... Actual months now? I think? (￣▽￣*)ゞ What a pain! I'm so incredibly happy with how it turned out, though! The soft muted greens fit so well for this being the first peek into their bonding in comparison with the lively brighter greens they have later!

Fun Fact: I always forget to draw Inuyasha's beads when doing pieces like this where it's set before he got them taken off LMAO Slips my mind nearly every time!

(There's also a 50% chance I forget Kouko's freckles on every piece I do of her (×_×)⌒☆ Happens more than you'd think, I just manage to catch it before I post the drawing lol)

[makersruin]

completely unrelated to xiv, ive been rewatching a lot of inuyasha while i work and its been really nice and nostalgic but im also kind of fascinated going through it with a now-adult brain. granted the anime is slightly different from the manga but iirc a lot of key character relationship moments are pretty faithful adaptations so im really shocked to realize that the text explicitly says inuyasha feels indebted to kikyo bc the guilt of what he did to her makes him feel like he has to atone with his life, even if they had been tricked into killing each other. that simply never stuck with me as a kid because inuyasha never really acts like he's passively suicidal outside of kikyo (reckless in battle, yes but not suicidal!) but that is a crazy thing for your protagonist to be holding onto. and it is really shockingly mature of kagome, who is like 15, to accept that this sort of complication has its roots way too deep in him for her to do anything about it besides just being supportive. she can't scold it out of him, she can't beg him to live for a reason as petty as 'for me?' and she knows better than to demand that they simply stop interacting or seeing each other when they have 50+ years of baggage and just hopes that when the day comes, she will have sufficiently spent enough time with him that he realizes his living friends now are more important than someone who has long since died and came back wrong. i went in the youtube comments of the first movie and people were still repping their favorite inuyasha ship. it is actually crazy that there is still beef between inuyasha/kagome and inuyasha/kikyo stans in 2024. war never changes

[aae-tuu]

The Kikyo-Kagome Effect

In which you look like someone who he used to know

A Gojo Satoru (jjk) x platonic!gn!reader short fic

(readers appearance nor gender isn’t stated but there is mentions of them looking like someone else who’s gender is a girl so uh... Also slight spoilers for JJK season 2 but it’s not like explicitly stated what happened. Also also, probably some ooc gojo tehe)

——————————————————————————

You could feel it.

The way Gojo's eyes would always linger on you a few seconds more than they would linger on others, never in the romantic sense of course.

You were one of the four first years at Tokyo Jujutsu High, and along with Itadori, Megumi, and Nobara, worked towards perfecting your cursed technique.

But, there was always a question at the back of your mind.

Why doesn't Gojo Sensei like me?

It felt as if in a way he hated you, but at the same time didn't. Like he didn't want you around but wouldn't want you to leave either.

Whenever Itadori went to give him a high five or any sort of physical contact, Gojo accepted with open arms. Whenever you attempted any physical contact, Gojo would tense, his fun demeanor vanishing instantly and you'd be left wondering what you did wrong or if you had offended him in any way.

You'd hear stories about how fun Gojo is to go shopping with from Nobara and Itadori, but whenever it's just you and Gojo out, it's as if you have a suffocating helicopter parent.

One time, you had disappeared from his side to go look at a product at a store window. When he had found you he grabbed your shoulders, looking you over from head to toe, asking questions that ranged from "Who took you?" to "No shots?"

You didn't understand what he meant by that last question, but brushed it off as just Gojo Gojoing around.

It wasn't until he really scolded you for leaving his side, his voice and gaze uncharacteristically serious, that you had your suspicions that something else was going on with him. From then on, he's always make you hold onto his sleeve when out, or he'd hold onto yours.

That was one of the closest physical contacts he's granting you and it's only for when you two go out.

Another thing you noticed was he didn't like when you and Megumi hung out together. You didn't know why

He'd see you two talking and suddenly he has to whisk Megumi away for "something important" or if you two are sitting too close he'd either scoot you apart with his hands, or he'd just plop right in the middle of you both, doesn't matter how uncomfortable it is.

You could never understand why he acts like this around you. At first you thought he was just being protective over Megumi (who is basically his son), but the feeling in your gut said otherwise as you continued to observe his actions.

You try to be friendly, you really do, but he never gives you a chance to bond. He's always running off to annoy someone else and as much as you hate to think it, you wished he'd annoy you too.

You wanted a fun relationship with your teacher just like the other students. Someone who just wasn't a teacher but a friend as well. You wanted the inside jokes, the fun shopping trips, the physical affection, all of what the others have with Gojo, you craved as well.

But he wouldn't give it to you. No matter how much you begged for an ounce of your teachers attention, he simply couldn't look at you when you looked too much like her.

And those eyes bring back an unbearable pain that he refuses to go through again.

Even if it meant creating a barrier between him and his precious student...and watching you walk away, a disappointed look on your face, as he once again made sure only you wouldn't be one of the few who'd get past his walls. And he knew, deep down, even though she's gone and you're still alive, at this rate

he'd lose you too.

•

AN: i had to get this off my chest you guys because I like making Gojo suffer idc

Also let me know if this is ooc but honestly I just want that man to be sad

[shinidamachu]

I think you or someone else discussed how Inuyasha is most likely demisexual because of his lack of interest in nudity until he formed an emotional bond. I was just thinking how the anti’s claimed Inuyasha settled for Kagome, but all evidence points to him loving her *despite* her resemblance to Kikyo. Not hating on Kikyo, just pointing out how Inuyasha kept saying it’s his fault she died because he didn’t trust her, even though trust has to go both ways but whatever, so if he was settling then Kagome would be a daily reminder that he failed Kikyo. Which would sound like hell considering his repeated claims of his fault.

But clearly in the past discussion of Inuyasha being demisexual, we all know he isn’t shallow or ”settling”.

I might have mentioned Inuyasha being demisexual once or twice, but I don't remember posting something that specific. Maybe someone else did and I reblogged it?

I'm glad you brought up the "Inuyasha settled for Kagome" terrible take, though, because you make great points and boy do I have something to say about it.

First, I love that you mentioned trust has to go both ways despite Inuyasha blaming Kikyo's death solely on his lack of trust on her. It always bothered me how quickily and sincerely he owned up to the role he played on her fate when there was zero reciprocity from Kikyo.

He went as far as taking responsability for things that have never really happened and that would be completely out of his control if they had, such as Kikyo "dying to follow after him" even though he didn't ask for it and never would.

The irony is that, between the two of them, Kikyo was actually the one more equipped to realize they were being played and yet, not only she falls for the same trap, but never really acknowledges that her lack of trust on Inuyasha was just as detrimental to their downfall.

Naraku's entire plan was based on both of them doubting each other. If either one had been more trusting, it'd have failed. Inuyasha recognizes this and regrets not trusting Kikyo, immediately treating her like the victim that she is and never once blaming her.

But he is a victim himself and she never extends the same courtesy to him, still thinking her actions were justified because he should have trusted her — not the other way around — and so she never bothers easing his guilt. On the contrary, she purposely adds to it.

The thing about the love triangle — for lack of a better term — is that Inuyasha and Kagome are constantly pushing their feelings aside to empathize with each other's and Kikyo's pain, while Kikyo acts like she's the only one who's hurting.

Which is to be expected at first because she is the one who died and was brought back against her will, but as the story progressed, I kept waiting for Kikyo to see a little bit of herself on the ordinary girl who was entrusted the weight of the world upon her shoulders, had her shoes to fill and the mess she left behind to clean up.

I kept waiting for her to show some sympathy for the boy who lost fifty years of his life because she misjudged him and was willing to die for a debt she manipulated and guilt-tripped him into thinking he had, a boy she supposedly loves.

None of it came, at least not in a way that felt organic or satisfying. That's my main issue with how Kikyo was written. You can't paint her as a complex character and then gloss over her flaws. You can't sell her as gray character and then pretend the bad things she did never happened.

Takahashi wanted her to reap all of the rewards that come with a redemption arc without really bothering to make her go through one, because that would mean having Kikyo face her mistakes for what they were — including her distrust on Inuyasha — and then apologizing or making up for it, a feat that rarely happened in canon, if at all.

Instead, she abruptly stops acting as vicious, so everything can be conveniently forgiven and forgotten because "she isn't like that anymore." The lack of explanation about what motivated this change makes harder for the audience to connect with her and results in many plot inconsistencies.

And the lack of accountability regarding Kikyo's actions keeps her from growing and reaching her full potential as a character, indirectly regressing or preventing the development of the characters around her as well, which I believe is a huge part of why the story feels repetitive and stagnant at times.

Now, you're definitely onto something when you argue that all evidence actually points to Inuyasha falling in love with Kagome despite her resemblance to Kikyo. I've actually talked about it here and here.

While it's true that Inuyasha mistook Kagome for Kikyo when they first met, it would've been unreasonable to expect anything different. Their looks and scents are similar, he had just woken up from a fifty years long spell and up until then he had no reason to believe otherwise, but Inuyasha actually caught up in a decent amount of time.

After that, as much as he still refused to call Kagome by name, he was also very aware she wasn't Kikyo, to the point that it took seeing her with complete priestess attire on for him to even make that correlation again.

And yet, Inuyasha still doesn't go back into thinking they're the same person, but rather that Kagome's a girl who resembles Kikyo. Only eventually, even this starts to change the more time they spend together and suddenly, when Inuyasha has a nightmare about Kikyo, is Kagome he sees first.

Mind you, he has only seen Kagome in priestess clothes once. Kikyo wore those her entire life. It'd be understandable for him to confuse Kagome for Kikyo and yet Kagome was his first thought here when, by logic, she shouldn't have been. From them on, he doesn't even see any resemblance between the two girls at all anymore.

Which makes sense, because even if Inuyasha had tried to use Kagome as a replacement — something he never did — he couldn't possibly have succeded, since both girls are polar opposites — a creative choice that was done completely on purpose — and Kagome wasn't slightly interested on being anyone but herself, making her into the worst Kikyo replacement ever.

That's why it got easier for Inuyasha to distinguish one girl from the other with time. Their distinct personalities make up for completely different dynamics and bring completely different feelings out of Inuyasha, because they represent completely different things to him and, again: this is done absolutely on purpose.

In the manga, this is better illustrated by two very specific panels. In the first one, Kikyo is smiling sadly but genuinely at Inuyasha — which we don't see her do often — and he admitted later on that the exchange made him feel guilty, like he had done something wrong, since he had just been rude to her.

In the second one, Kagome is smiling brightly at Inuyasha, which she does constantly, then we immediately see him blush and think to himself how relieved he is to see that smile

Of course those are very different contexts, but they pretty much set the tone for both relationships and if the arrangement of those panels wasn't a conscious choice — which I doubt — then Takahashi is insanely lucky. It's also worth noting that Inuyasha felt relieved to see Kagome smiling because it was further confirmation that even after Kikyo's resurrection, she was still Kagome.

So I think it's safe to say the physical resemblance actually slowed the romantic process down, considering that the staged betrayal made Inuyasha build his walls even taller than they were when he met Kikyo. This becomes even more clear when you compare their respective first "amicable" conversations.

With Kikyo, even though he was reluctant about her approach and suspicious of her intentions, there was still a part of him that obviously wanted it to be true, so he was at least open to what she had to say.

With Kagome, he was visibly more aggressive and closed off because he has been burned before and she was the reincarnation of the woman who did the burning, which makes her managing to get his trust so quickly that much more remarkable, since she apparently did in less time and in worse circumstances, what Kikyo couldn't.

And Kagome did it precisely because she never acted like Kikyo. She actually took the time to know Inuyasha, to give him her trust and to earn his, to build a solid relationship, based on honesty and real acceptance.

I like to think that, while Kikyo found a crack on Inuyasha's defense she could slip in, Kagome slowly smashed his walls to the ground, therefore leaving an ever lasting impact on him that she couldn't have made by being anyone but herself.

When Inuyasha starts to pursue Kagome romantically, he does so after concluding that there's absolutely no resemblance between the two girls at all and after going through an entire arc where Kagome cried for his sake and trusted him blindly, none of which has anything to do with Kikyo.

People argue that Inuyasha was actually trying to kiss Kikyo here, but why would he do that when he still thinks she betrayed him? And if this was really the case, then why has he never willingly kissed or tried to kiss Kikyo until their final goodbye, Sunrise additions excluded?

At this point, it makes more sense to me that he was avoiding to look at Kagome not because she looks like Kikyo — he has been looking at her just fine before —, but because he has started to catch feelings for her despite his efforts not to and doesn't know how to act. In fact, when he had the chance to kiss Kikyo soon after, this is what we got instead:

And then he hugs her — something the anime cut out — but the important thing is that Inuyasha had this and many other opportunities to rekindle his relationship with Kikyo and simply didn't.

In this particular occasion, he even go as far as to ask Kikyo to return the piece of soul that keeps her "alive" to Kagome knowing full well what the consequences were.

Why would Inuyasha settle for a "replacement" when he could have the real thing instead? Even if you believe resurrected Kikyo to be nothing more than a malicious replica of the original, she's still more Kikyo than Kagome could or would ever be.

I dislike this notion because if it's true and there's not an ounce of Kikyo there, why should the audience or the characters care if she "lives" or "dies"? If she gets a redemption arc or not? It feels like a cop out to only consider her the real Kikyo when she does good things.

That being said, save for maybe one scene at the beginning where Inuyasha shoved a bow and some arrows at Kagome because Kikyo was a master archer, he never expected her to behave like Kikyo, never tried to change her so she would and never acted frustrated or disappointed at the fact that she was her own person.

Inuyasha has his flaws — as any good main character should — but he always respected the inviduality of both girls, which is more than I can say about the people who insist on this baseless take.

To wrongly paint Inuyasha as someone who settled for Kagome because she looks like Kikyo gets especially icky when even Naraku, the villain who was obsessed with her, never redirected said obsession to Kagome.

It's such a common trope that I was actually expecting it, but I'm glad it didn't happen because it's a subtle and yet effective way of sedimenting both girls as separate individuals instead of going for the cheapest option.

And ironically, the only character who treated Kagome as if she was Kikyo was Kikyo herself, but even that was very early on and she only seemed to do it as a way of belittling Kagome, because while mentioning her to other people — or by the end of the story — Kikyo had no trouble referring to Kagome as a different being.

Sunrise's adaptation made very questionable choices but something they were pretty consistent on was making clear Kagome and Kikyo aren't the same.

Besides, something fundamentally wrong with this argument is that Inuyasha comes off as shallow and Kikyo as disposeable. Shallow because it suggests physical appearance is all that matters — which goes against everything his character stands for in canon — and the soul is just a seal of approval.

Disposeable because it hints Kikyo's personality is so forgettable and unimportant that it played absolutely no part on sparkling Inuyasha's interest. She's so easily replaceable that even someone who had opposite world views, thoughts, feelings, temperament and mannerisms could do the trick. The memories they made are so generic that it wouldn't have make a difference if any other character was in her place.

Why do people even like those characters, why do they even ship them together if they truly believe that? That's why I don't buy that they actually do.

You see, considering how huge Kagome's soul is, Kikyo technically has got to be someone else's reincarnation too, but I've never seen anyone making the case that she is anyone but herself or that her predecessor is also the love of Inuyasha's life.

The reason they try to do this with Kagome is so that they can pretend Inuyasha and Kikyo somehow ended up together to cope with the fact that they didn't. And that's the exact same reason they pretend he setled for Kagome as well.

Which is funny because what exactly was Inuyasha settling for? Like, in the great scheem of things, what was Kikyo able to give him that he couldn't get a thousand times better from Kagome with no strings attached and just had to make his peace with it?

It seems to me like it was the other way around: Kagome managed to accomplish everything Kikyo failed to do, so if anything Inuyasha was settling, it was for Kikyo, resigned to spend the rest of his life as human — something he hated to be — just to get "accepted" or to die for something he didn't do just to appease her.

Finally, to say inuyasha settled implies he had no other choice but to marry Kagome. He had: staying single, because now that he has friends and wasn't alone anymore, he doesn't need a lover to fill that empty space in his life if he doesn't want one.

Plus, Kagome wasn't entitled to his love. She jumped trought that well knowing that three years is a long time, that people and feelings change and that what waited for her on the other side was a mystery, but she did it anyway because all she ever wanted from him was to stay by his side and for him to be honest with her.

Kagome would've been fine with a platonic relationship because even though she obviously wanted more, she was ready to accept whatever Inuyasha was willing to give her, but he wanted her to return so he could give her everything, which he couldn't before because he felt in debt with Kikyo. That's the whole point.

Inuyasha was the one who iniciated every romantic moment they had early on: the first hug, both almost kisses, etc. And it was clear that the things Kagome made him feel, such as that sense of peace, of belonging, of unadultered happiness, were very new to him, so the idea that Inuyasha was settling for her is laughable when this is the character in question:

I know a lot of those scenes were deleted or changed by Sunrise but I watched the anime without reading the manga beforehand and reached the exact same conclusions, so I'm still of the opinion that the people who convinced themselves Kagome was a consolation prize either didn't pay attention or have an agenda of their own to push, that won't change by reading the original material.

TLDR; one does not simply "settle" for their soulmate. They come home to them.

[nerdycafe]

A Parting Gift?.... Inuyasha's First Friend?

𝙼𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚒 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 ➢ 𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚜: 𝚄𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚍

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 ➢ 1 ◉ 3

𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚞𝚙𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛, 𝚋𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚞𝚒𝚗𝚐.

─────────ೋღ 🌺 ღೋ─────────

❝-*- 𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐎𝐟 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 -*- *.☽ .* | Inuyasha x Half-Demon! Adoptive Mother Reader❞

❝-*-𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬-*- •°•⚠️•°• | 𝙼𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑, 𝚂𝚞𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚍𝚎, 𝙰𝚋𝚞𝚜𝚎, 𝙳𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚌 𝚅𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎, 𝙵𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚎, 𝚃𝚛𝚊𝚏𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐❞

❝-*-𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠-*- ஓ๑♡๑ஓ | Mature ❞

❝-*-𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦-*- ❀○❀ | Inuyasha ❞

❝-*-𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬-*- ʚ♡ɞ | Sango ♥︎ Miroku _ Inuyasha ♥︎ Kagome _ Inuyasha ♥︎ Kikyo _ Koga ♡ Kagome _ Kikyo ♡ Naraku❞

♥︎ Romantic

♡ One-sided

❝-*-𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬-*-•┈┈┈• Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kirara, Koga, Ginta, Hakkukau, Kikyo, Sesshomaru, Rin, Jaken, Naraku, Kagura, Kanna, Hakudoshi, Kohaku, Izayoi, Toga, Iyame❞

❝𝚂𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚢 -*- ✎﹏﹏﹏ 𝐈𝐧𝐮𝐲𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐚'𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐤𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨. 𝐇𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐊𝐢𝐤𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬.❞

༶•┈┈⛧┈♛ ᎬΝᎫϴᎽ ͲᎻᎬ ՏͲϴᎡᎽ ♛┈⛧┈┈•༶

They all stared at you in shock, and confusion as they looked between you and Inuyasha. “Adoptive… Mother?” Sango asked as she looked at you with an owlish look. You nodded your head at her before you looked around at the others, Miroku spoke up next. “I never knew that Inuyasha even had any sort of living family.” He said as he looked back at Inuyasha who was still sitting with his eyes closed. Shippo, sitting next to Kagome added. “I didn’t either, I just sort of figured that he was alone.” He said, Kagome nodded.

You smiled gently at the lot, before you looked over at the cauldron, seeing the rice swell, you picked up the spoon and steered the rice in the cauldron some. “Yes, I took Inuyasha in when he was still just a boy. He was just wandering around in the forest when he stumbled upon my home.” You explained, they all sat quietly, as they listened to your tale. “He was dirty and hungry, yet fierce and frightened, he seemed to have been fighting for survival.” You continued, you gently tapped the spoon on the rim, knocking off any access rice from the spoon before you place it back on its resting stone.

You looked back at Inuyasha over your shoulder, a fond smile on your face as you stared at him lovingly. “He was distant yet so sweet. He always came back for either a snack or a warm bed. He wouldn’t stay long at first.” You said. “But the more he came, the longer he stayed, until one day, he just never left… He would follow me around the hut and the forest like a little duckling. He was ever so sweet.” You said in a sweet voice as you placed your hand on your cheek and you closed your eyes. Kagome smiled. “Wow, so he was a sweet kid huh?” She said a slightly teasing tone in her voice.

Shippo joined in, a smirk on his face. “Yeah, so big, bad Inuyasha was a mamma’s boy.” He said. Inuyasha growled lowly in warning but they ignored him. “It would only make a scene, seeing as how protective he is.” Miroku chimed in, his eyes closed but a teasing smirk placed on his lips. Sango nodded. Inuyasha's eyes opened and he glared at the lot. “Would you all stop picking at me!” He accused. They all gave him a kind yet knowing smile. He snatched his head off as he angrily glared at the wall next to him, but his glare fell and a thoughtful yet distant look crossed his face.

They all stared at him in wonder before they followed his gaze. Kagome blinked before she asked the question everyone was thinking. “What’s that?” she asked as she pointed. You looked up at her before you followed where she was pointing and a sweet smile graced your face. “Ohh, that was Inuyasha’s when he was just a small boy.” You said as you stared at the wall. Inuyasha stared at the wall a little longer, memories crossing his mind of when he was a young boy before he looked away from it. He stared down at his lap, a distant look in his eyes. “You still got all that old junk?” He asked in a soft voice.

You smiled at his words before you looked over at him. “It may be old, but it’s far from junk.” You said, your eyes warm with love. On the wall, there was a bamboo shelf, upon it was a pale, red ball. It was slightly worn but it still looked to be in good condition. Next to the red ball was a small wooden, handcrafted spinning top. It was painted with red and white stripes but it was faded much like the ball. Next to the spinning top was a small vase. It had a picture of a white dog, with a lady and a small boy.

The lady was wearing a blue like Kimono, while the child wore a white outfit similar to Inuyasha’s red one. There was one giant tree and one little hut. The painting was faded but was taken well care of. The last thing on the shelf was a white folded up cloth, it seemed to be two stacked upon one another, folded neatly. “Are those items...” Sango trailed off. “Inuyahsa’s?” Miroku finished. They all looked over at you, and you nodded.

“Those items were Inuyasha’s childhood toys. The little red ball was given to him by his mother, the spinning top was crafted by the nice old man who was always traveling by, the vase was created by the young girl from the village, and the white clothes were once Inuyasha’s when he was a child.” You explained. Kagome looked over at the items, a thoughtful look on her face. “They’re all gifts.” She said.

You nodded at her words. “Yes, he wasn’t usually accepted by villages or by demons, but travelers who were passing would give him gifts. He used to help them find their way through the thick forest that once surrounded these lands, most humans couldn’t always find their way out, the greenery was much too thick. Some were fearful of him, while others were fond of him, but they were always grateful.” You said, as you stared at the items once more.

Mirkou looked up at the shelf, he pointed with his staff towards the vase. “Earlier, you said that a young girl from a village gave you that vase. Who was she? Did she paint that picture?” He asked. Surprisingly, Inuyasha spoke up this time, his arms crossed as he angled his head upwards. “She was from a village that was beyond the forest. She got lost one day and I had to help her find her way back. The stupid girl was angry at something small and wandered off, she’s lucky I was there to help.” He explained in an annoyed voice. They all stared at him, listening to the memory.

You remained quiet, as you moved the cauldron from over the fire, seeing that the rice was done, you placed it on a large square resting stone. “She was angry? Why?” Shippo asked, everyone seemed to be thinking the same thing. Inuyasha huffed. “It was over something really dumb, but it doesn’t matter anymore, she’s long gone now.” He said, his annoyed voice slowly faded into a somber one. Kagome perked up. “Gone?” She questioned. Sango looked down, her brows creased in slight sadness. “She’s not of this world anymore.” She said. They all stayed silent.

You silently drank from your tea cup, allowing the group to talk among themselves. Inuyashas broke from his sudden saddened state and snatched his head off. “It doesn’t matter anyways, she was dumb and really annoying, she always came around and I’d always have to walk her back. How do you get lost on the way back home? It was a straight walk.” He ranted, an annoyed look on his face as he slapped his hand on his knee. ‘sounds like she really enjoyed your company.” Kagome said. Shippo nodded. “Mmhmm, and it sounds like you liked her too.” He said, Miroku nodded in agreement. “I agree with Shippo, it sounded like a young romance.” He said.

Inuyasha’s cheeks flushed a light pink as he glared at them. “Would you both shut it!! How would you know, you weren’t even there!!” He said, his voice a growling annoyance as he tried to defend himself. Shippo jumped on Miroku’s shoulder, a knowing look on his face. “I don’t know Inuyasha, from what we hear it sounded like you liked her.” He said in a teasing voice. “WHATEVER!!” He shouted as he turned away from the two. Everyone laughed at Inuyasha’s misfortune, mostly just happy to get a deeper look into his history.

You smiled fondly at the sound of their laughter, as you prepared their plates. “Her name was Ima. She was a sweet girl, she painted the vase for Inuyasha as a thank-you gift.” You explained, answering Miroku’s question and explaining a bit more. They all stared at you, listening silently to your words. “Ima was always running away from home, there was always great trouble from her village, the violence was rather high, and to get away from it all she’d come here.” You explained more.

Their eyes widen at your words. “A village shrouded in violence? But why?” Kagome asked. “It was a great famine among the land. In order to survive, many would sell their young. Preferably young girls, it was to make ends meet.” You somberly explained. Their breaths hitched at your words. “That’s awful.” Sango said. “They never even got a chance.” Kagome said. You nodded your head in agreement. “It was a different time, it was more rougher than it is now. She gave that vase, as a thank you, but also as a parting gift.” You explained as you looked up at the vase.

“A parting gift?” Mirkou asked. You nodded, but Inuyasha answered before you did. His back was facing the group as he looked down at his lap. ‘She died… she was sold away for money, but before she could be taken, she took her own life.” He quietly explained. A sadness fell over the group, before they all looked up at the vase, the small ceramic now holding more weight to it than it did at first.

She was a victim of domestic violence and famine, but she was Inuyasha’s first friend and her first real taste of relaxation. “How old was she?” Kagome asked. You placed a plate down, three of the plates were already made, and you had three more to go. “She was 7, and her birthday had just passed before she died. She knew she was being sold, so for her birthday gift, she gave Inuyasha the vase and she stayed here the whole day. Then, she just vanished.” You said.

A heavy silence weighed over the room, Mirkou stood up and he walked over to the shelf, they all watched him. He stopped in front of the shelf, his eyes trained on the vase, before he closed his eyes and bowed his head, his hand coming up for prayer. Before he could start, he heard movement, and he opened his eyes, he looked around and he could see his friends. Kagome, Sango, Shippo, Inuyasha, and yourself, all stood in front of the shelf, your head bowed in respect. Miroku smiled before he closed his eyes and he said his prayer.

“Ima, you were young yet kind, you showed the kindness you wished you could have to someone you saw as more unfortunate than yourself. You gave and you cherished, you no longer belong to the earth, but your memory remains strong. I do not know you, but your kindness will forever be with me. May you rest in peace.”

They all stood in silence for a while longer, they opened their eyes and they stared at the vase. “Poor Ima, she was so young.” Kagome finally spoke up. “She truly was.” Sango said. Shippo nodded. “There’s no point in being sad, she’s in a much more better place now, so instead of being sad we should be happy. She could’ve suffered far worst.” Inuyasha said, he was straightforward about it.

Kagome wanted to scold him for sounding insensitive but you spoke up. “He’s right, she could’ve been in a far worst place than where she was when she passed, so we must rejoice in her memory.” You said before you walked over to the plates, they all watched you, and one by one they all joined you around the fire.

Inuyasha was the last one left near the shelf, he looked at the group, he was about to step behind them, but he stopped and his eyes widen. “Thank you, Inuyasha.” Came a childlike voice. He quickly turned his head around and looked behind him. He stared in a bewildered daze before he looked up at the vase. He stared at it for a moment, before he gave a small but meaningful smile before he walked away from the shelf.

He joined the group around the fire, ready to raise hell with Shippo over his sashimi. You smiled at his never-ending childish ways, happy to have him home once more. The vase on the shelf glowed from the fire as their shadows danced over it, the happy laughter of a child echoed.

[hahaalaine]

There is no love triangle here - Kagome believes in Inuyasha's abilities and has supported him unconditionally. Meanwhile, Kikyo is only thinking of her isolated plan and working alone because she does not have the ability to trust and have faith in others. I can't believe how much they fabricated in the anime to make it seem like Inuyasha was really wavering between them when there is really only one real relationship here.