#my beloved dog boo boo is also 11 ;;;

[herewegobebe]

Kibum & His Sons 💕🐩🐕‍🦺💕 I Live Alone Ep. 481

[xfangheartx]

Just Us Two- Chapter 1

Ta-dah, it’s here! The sequel to my InuKag High School AU, Only You!

Now, I won’t lie, this might not get updated as often, but I hope you’ll continue to enjoy it!

Next

WARNING: This contains spoilers for Only You, so if you haven’t read that, first, you might want to do that.

Tagging: @cstorm86 @keichanz @zelink-inukag @keepyoursmilesup @myverysweetescape @xxaries-witch-postsxx @ashcanvas @realinugirl @meggz0rz @desiree239 @inuyashaeienni

Anybody who wants to be tagged (or doesn’t want to be) let me know!

Enjoy!

Ch. 1- The Summer

Monday, June 9th. 11:55 AM. The air was getting warmer as the days went by. Where there were once flower petals raining down from the trees, there were now bright sunny rays and the sound of cicadas buzzing. All these changes meant only one thing: summer would be coming soon. At Shikon High School, the air was abuzz with chatter. The students, both human and demon alike, were all heading out to the cafeteria for lunch period. As they did, they all talked about one thing and one thing only: their plans for summer vacation. For instance, some girls sat at a table in the corner, chatting amongst themselves as typical girl cliques do. "So what are you doing for the summer, Naomi?" "Hmm...dunno. I'll probably go see my grandparents for a few weeks. What are you doing?" "Probably just stay home and eat junk food." The girls all laughed while nearby, a group of boys also chatted about their plans. "What are you doing for summer break, Tatsuki?" "I think I'll finally ask Mizune if she'll go out with me." "Mizune? The snake demon girl you've been crushing on for the past few weeks?" "Yeah. I figured it was about time, you know?" "I don't blame ya. She is pretty hot!" As the students talked and gossiped, there was one particular student who was heading up the stairs to the roof, holding a bundle in her hands. She had a look of excitement on her face and she couldn't stop the giggling that was bubbling up inside her chest. A warm blush was painted on her cheeks as she carried the bundle up the stairs. Her raven hair was tied up in a ponytail as a measure to keep off the summer heat. Kagome Higurashi, a second-year student with spiritual powers, was going to give her boyfriend a homemade lunch she made. In the past, she didn't think she'd ever do something like this: cooking homemade meals for someone she cared for. Now that she was actually dating someone for real instead of just sleeping around with guys, she couldn't contain her giddiness. She could imagine the look on his face, now, the moment he took that first bite. She honestly felt like they were already married, even though they were still in high school. As Kagome headed up the stairs, her phone buzzed, causing her to pull it out of her pocket.

NEW TEXT MESSAGE FROM INUYASHA: 

"Hey, where R U? I'm starving."

Kagome giggled as she began to text back. KAGOME: 

"I'll be there soon." ^^

INUYASHA: 

"I hope so. My stomach's about to eat itself."

Kagome giggled again. "Oh, Inuyasha..." She then headed up the stairs, passing several students on the way there, particularly of the male variety. "Hey...isn't that Kamakiri Kagome?" "I heard they don't call her that, anymore...not since she and Inuyasha Taisho started going out about a couple of months back." "Are you serious? Aww, man...I thought I could get a chance to score!" "Dude, don't let Taisho hear you say that!" "Are you kidding?! I wouldn't say it to his face! You know what he'd do to me?!" Kagome sighed and rolled her eyes. It seems that despite how much things have changed, part of her reputation still followed her. Despite that, she smiled. She wasn't going to let that bother her. Not today. She was going to be spending a much-needed break with her beloved boyfriend. Soon, Kagome opened the door to the school roof, where she was soon greeted by three familiar faces. First was Sango Tachibana, a third-year sophomore that was skilled in martial arts and Kagome's best friend since childhood. Because of Sango's fierce and protective attitude, some people often called her Kagome's bodyguard. Her younger brother, Kohaku, had been injured from a hit-and-run earlier this spring, but thankfully, he survived the incident and was now in his third year of middle school. Then there was Miroku Tatsuya, also a third-year student. He was a Buddhist priest-in-training who had a bit of a reputation amongst the female student body as a ladies' man. Even though he and Sango were dating now, it seemed that old habits died hard with him. To this day, Sango still doesn't know why or how she fell him, but here she was. "Hey, Kagome!" Sango exclaimed. "How's it going?" Miroku asked with his arm draped around Sango's shoulders. "Pretty good," Kagome answered. "Where's Inuyasha?" "Hey, baby girl." Kagome turned and smiled fondly at the one who spoke: her half-demon boyfriend, Inuyasha Taisho. Inuyasha was in his third year of high school, now. A half-demon born of a human mother and a dog demon father, Inuyasha had quite the reputation at the school for being a juvenile delinquent. He often had a nasty temper and got into fights with anyone who so much as even looked at him funny...at least, that's what people believed. Really, Inuyasha was a big marshmallow at heart with an affinity for small and cute animals. He actually adopted a stray kitten a few months back that he had affectionately named Miyuki. "Hey, boo," Kagome said as she walked up to Inuyasha and stood on the very tips of her toes, kissing him on his lips while Miroku and Sango smiled at them. It was hard to believe that just about three months ago, in the middle of spring, that Inuyasha nearly killed Kagome when they first met. It all started way back in March. Inuyasha had been asked by Miroku to help him recover a confiscated DVD (Sexy-Ninja-Something-Or-Other, Inuyasha couldn't quite remember the name) during the night, sometime after curfew. During that time, Kagome came outside after being bullied by a bratty girl and her clique. Back then, Kagome had a bit of a foul reputation for sleeping around with guys and...well, the bullying got to be so bad for her, that she felt like she wanted to die. That night, Inuyasha nearly granted her wish, but he struggled with his inner demon. Not wanting to bring harm to an innocent human girl, Inuyasha let Kagome go, thinking that he'd probably never run into her again...but it seemed that fate had other ideas. The day after that, Inuyasha ran into Kagome at the school garden, wanting to get flowers for his mom since her birthday was coming, soon. Imagine Inuyasha's surprise when Kagome's idea of a reward was to strip down to her underwear and prepare to have sex with him. Needless to say, the half-demon was definitely appalled by this sudden turn of events and ran out. Upon hearing of Kagome's reputation, however, he suddenly felt the urge to see her more often. Days passed and before too long, Inuyasha found himself deeply in love with Kagome, who began to reciprocate those feelings...even after Inuyasha's ex-girlfriend, Kikyo, came back to town, and Kagome was kidnapped by the deranged half-demon student, Izumo. Since then, Inuyasha and Kagome officially became a couple. "I brought you something," Kagome said as she held up the bundle, which she opened to reveal two lunchboxes. "One for me and one for you!" "You made me one?" Inuyasha asked as he took one of the bento boxes. "Just to show you that I love you," Kagome said. Inuyasha smirked at her before he opened up the box, revealing an assortment of food such as chicken karaage, tamagoyaki (a little bit blackened in some parts), sweet potatoes, octopus weiners, rice balls, and fried pork cutlets. "Wow, you made all this?" Inuyasha asked. "I had a little help from my Mom," Kagome admitted. "I just thought that maybe you could use a change from eating instant ramen, every day." Inuyasha shrugged. He didn't really have a problem with eating his daily cup of instant ramen...but then again, even that could get boring, now and then. Besides, Kagome did go through all this trouble of fixing this lunch box for him. The least he could do was at least try a bite. So, he sat down, took a pair of chopsticks and took a bite out of the tamagoyaki first...and the moment he did, all of a sudden, he found himself shoveling every morsel he could into his mouth while Kagome sat down beside him, giggling at his ravenous appetite. "I guess it's safe to say you like it, huh?" she asked. "Mm-hmm!" Inuyasha nodded. "How come you never eat my homecooked meals for you like that?" Sango asked as she looked at Miroku, who gulped. "Uhh...well...about that," Miroku said, nervously. "Y-you see, the thing is...I, err..." "Well? What are you trying to say?" Sango inquired. "That I'm a terrible cook?" Inuyasha snorted while Kagome glanced off to the side, an embarrassed blush forming on her face. "Kagome, you don't think my cooking is terrible, do you?" Sango asked. "...Well..." Kagome muttered. "Umm..." 'I can't just tell her that the last time I ate something she made, I ended up in the bathroom for almost 6 hours...!' XXX

12:12 PM. Empty trays and bento boxes were the only sign of a finished meal. The two couples remained on the roof, staring up at the sky. Miroku leaned against the wall with Sango, his arms still wrapped around her shoulders while Inuyasha lied on his back with his arms behind his head and Kagome lied with her head on his stomach, her hands folded over her own abdominal area. There were so few clouds these days. Hardly provided any shade, but...they didn't mind. It was still beautiful to look at. "So, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. "Yeah?" Inuyasha asked. "What are you doing for summer break?" Kagome inquired. "Oh...I dunno," Inuyasha replied. "My parents and I are probably gonna go to our summer house for a few weeks." "The one in Hokkaido, right?" asked Miroku. "That's the only one we have," Inuyasha answered. "You ought to know. You've been there." "Yeah, only once," Miroku pointed out. "What are you going to do, Kagome?" Sango asked. "Oh, I don't know," Kagome replied. "I'll probably just stay home for most of the summer. Maybe go to a festival later." "That sounds fun!" Sango added. "You know, my Dad got me a new kimono for summer! Maybe you and I could go, together!" "And don't forget me, right, love?" Miroku asked. "...You, I'm still skeptical about," Sango quipped, causing Miroku to drop his jaw while Inuyasha snickered. "She's got your number, Miroku," he said, causing his best friend to sneer at him. "Haha, very funny," Miroku said, sarcastically. "What are you doing for summer, Miroku?" asked Kagome. "Oh, you know," Miroku said. "This and that." "By which he means trying to pick up chicks," Inuyasha retorted, prompting Miroku to toss his empty milk carton at his forehead. "Ow!" "Oops! Did I do that?" Miroku asked, feigning innocence, causing Inuyasha to growl at him, but then Kagome gently reached up, took his left ear betwixt her thumb and index finger, and began to tenderly rub the fuzzy appendage, causing Inuyasha to sigh softly, a soft rumble reverberating in his chest, which made Kagome giggle at the feeling. "That better?" she asked. "Thanks, baby," Inuyasha said, locking his smoldering golden eyes with her chocolate brown orbs. Kagome sat up on her elbows before she crawled over to Inuyasha's face, prompting him to prop himself up, too, chuckling darkly as he gently cupped Kagome's face. "How'd you get to be so cute?" "It's a gift," Kagome shrugged...before she soon wrapped her lips around his, causing him to moan softly in her mouth as he pulled her close. Taking this as their cue to leave, Miroku and Sango glanced at each other before they smiled and promptly took the exit. Kagome moaned quietly, her hands gripping Inuyasha's shoulders while he let his hands roam down her back and her nice, slender curves, one hand slowly reaching under her skirt. That's when Kagome squeaked as she felt a set of claws slipping under her panties and squeezing her right butt cheek. Not long after, she pulled away, giving the half-demon a sultry grin. "Naughty doggy," she said. "I don't know any other way to be," Inuyasha smirked while Kagome lowered herself down, laying a trail of kisses down from his jaw to the base of his neck. "Ohhhh...ohh, yeah, right there, baby...!" Another giggle bubbled from Kagome's throat. "You like that, huh?" she asked. "What do you think?" Inuyasha inquired, his crooked grin widening, showing off a glinting fang that he knew Kagome hated because it turned her on so bad. "That's not fair," she said with a playful pout. "You know that I can't resist that." "I know, that's why I do it," Inuyasha replied before they started to kiss, again. "Mmm..." Kagome moaned as she momentarily pulled away squeezed her body up against his. "You know what'll be nice about summer break?" "What?" Inuyasha asked. "We could have more moments like this," Kagome answered as she rubbed her nose up against his. "You and me, alone...together..." "Yeah..." Inuyasha drawled as he brought her lips against his, his right hand gently brushing up into her hair. He pulled away again just to bury his nose in those luscious charcoal locks...to breathe in and drink her intoxicating scent of roses, mint tea, and vanilla. God, he just loved this smell... He loved her. Her body, her eyes, her smile, her personality, her scent...everything. How in the hell did he ever get so lucky?

Pretty hot, right? And we’re only gettin’ started!

[frangipanidownunder]

Just Them: fic

Written on a whim on my phone so excuse typos and formatting. It's based on an old prompt from @scully-eats-sushi who suggested a ficlet about M&S having a perfect casual weekend together. Post season 11. No baby.

He saw the classified for the cottage in an old copy of an alien abductee magazine he'd long since unsubscribed from. The ad claimed 'come for the light show and if you're lucky enough to get to stay you get the chance to sound like an alien-loving lunatic'. Something about that line made him think of Scully. He booked it for the following weekend.

She griped most of the way up. 'You know, sometimes Mulder, I would like to choose where we go for the weekend. I'm a grown ass adult, with preferences and yet...'

'Here you are riding shotgun with your boo while Fleetwood Mac blares out the open windows.' He shoots her a smug grin and she presses the window up button.

'Bae, Mulder. I'm the boo and you're the bae.' He can tell she instantly regrets saying it. He latches onto the opportunity like one of her beloved barnacles.

'I love you, the boo. I love that you are always willing to get in the car with the bae because you still trust him.'

She slides down the seat and toes off her shoes. 'I might trust you, Mulder, but I don't always trust your weekend accommodation choices.' She lets his hand linger on her thigh for a moment longer than he anticipated.

'I swear Scully, this one will be beautiful.'

She sighs and he squeezes and they both watch the tall trees guide their way to the lake.

There's a verandah with a rocking chair fit for an old man. There's a spa bath perfect for the boo. There's a fireplace and woolly rug ideally positioned for fu... 'Mulder!' She practically stamps her foot and he loves it.

Loves her. All her moods and moans. All her exasperation and eloquence. All her curves and dips and soft, warm places. She looks like an ancient witchy woman, swathed as she is in an old robe, fiery hair asunder, mouth popped open ready to snap, power running through her veins. He has a sudden urge to run a beast through as she foraged for herbs. He can smell the wild borage and dandelions. But when she lifts her chin to speak to him, he realises they've both seen too much blood and bone and spent too long looking for sustenance, for life, in strange places.

This cottage, admittedly is strange. But it's also comforting, like a rare hug. It spoke to him from the pages of a yellowy, dog-eared magazine. Years ago, he would have cut it out and slipped it into a Manila file. Now, he's willing to just spend a simple weekend away, on the receiving end of Scully's eyebrow, sighs, tsking and midnight snuggles.

It's nearly 11pm. 'Hey, the boo,' he whispers, so close his lips brush the underside of her ear and she half-giggles, half-bristles. 'Come look at this.'

How many times has he grabbed her slender wrists and pulled her into his orbit to watch the arcane?

'M'sleep,' she says but lets herself be swept along. Outside, cicadas chirp like maracas, the wind through the leaves is a lilting harp. His hair wafts up and down in rhythm. Her arm snugs itself through his and he finds her hand to clasp her cold fingers inside his.

Above them, thin strips of cloud undulate like dancer's fingers across the silvery glimmer of the full moon. The sky is pearlescent and he thinks his sailor's daughter, pressed against his side, will love its purply-green seashell mottling.

'It's beautiful,' she says and it is. It is.

'It's not quite the aurora borealis but it's good enough.'

It will always be good enough if she's shivering in his embrace, if she's telling him she's going vegan, if she's bored of Netflix, if she falls asleep on his bad shoulder, if she chooses a luxury apartment in the city for their next weekend away. It will always be good enough. That's the truth.

'Is this why you chose this place, Mulder? For the lights?' Her fingers dance in his palm and he drops a kiss on her mussed hair, breathing the faint smell of woodsmoke.

He shrugs. 'I chose it for my boo.' And she laughs into his underarms. 'For you, Scully.'

There's a flash of white. She gasps. Another. They crane their faces to the melange of colours. It is beautiful.

The sky goes ink-dark, the wind drops, the woods are plunged into silence. It's just them. Chin to chest, arms in loose knots, hearts pressed together.

And he realises it's always been just them.

[cordlock7-blog]

WWE’s Roman Reigns Announces Cancer In Remission, Returns To Ring

By Chuck Carroll

(CBS NY/CBS Local) — When Roman Reigns stepped through the curtain Monday night, he was met by an unfamiliar sound. It was heartfelt applause stemming from a place far deeper than just a desire to cheer for one of the good guys on TV. Absent was the chorus of boos to drown out cheers from his allegiance of fans.

On this night, not a single detractor could be heard among the thousands of members of the WWE Universe who had gathered in Atlanta. On this night, the Big Dog was universally beloved.

Thunderous chants of “welcome back” reigned down from every corner of the arena. The prolonged cheers delayed his first live remarks since the fateful night last October, when he announced that he was relinquishing the Universal Title and walking away from the ring to battle leukemia for the second time in his life. Reigns hadn’t said a word on WWE TV in more than four months, so what was another few minutes?

Roman Reigns (Photo Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

Finally, 10 minutes into the live broadcast of Monday Night RAW, he could speak.

“I’m probably going to say this a lot, but I’m going to start out by saying ‘thank you,’” Reigns began.

Fittingly, some in the crowd began chanting “you are welcome.”

The WWE Superstar who has clawed his way to the top of the sports entertainment world and built a reputation as a fearless competitor then made an uncharacteristic confession. Thinking back to last fall, the powerful Samoan confessed to being terrified and insecure prior to revealing to the world his cancer had returned after being in remission for 11 years.

>>MORE: Roman Reigns, Breaking Character, Reveals He Has Leukemia

“So many people prayed for me that God’s voicemail was full,” he said. “That is how strong it was to be surrounded by y’all’s love and grace… I can do anything with that type of strength and love.”

His words, coupled with the writing on the black tank top that adorned his still muscular body, hinted at what was to follow: We Fight. We Overcome. We Believe.

Roman Reigns (Photo Credit: Ron ElkmanSports Imagery/Getty Images)

“When I made my announcement, I said I was going to swing for the fences. We did better than that,” Reigns continued. “We didn’t just swing for the fences, we hit a home run. I’m so grateful, so humbled, and so honored to announce this. The good news is I’m in remission. So with that being said, the Big Dog is back.”

The crowd erupted, giving the once controversial former champion another undivided standing ovation, as deafening chants of “welcome back” again echoed throughout the arena.

His response was equally heartfelt.

“Thank you so much. I love y’all,” he replied.

Even before Reigns was able to deliver the uplifting update, some in the audience were calling for him to declare an opponent at WrestleMania. Without missing a beat, he paused and smiled, then said that he first had to crawl before he could walk and then walk before he could run. Of course that will do little to quiet the speculation that his Mania future will soon become clear.

There doesn’t appear to be a path for him to challenge for the Universal Title that he was forced to give up due to the cancer diagnosis, as Royal Rumble winner, Seth Rollins, is set to challenge current champion, Brock Lesnar. However, as of now, Daniel Bryan’s dance card and a shot at the WWE Championship seem wide open. In recent weeks, there had been speculation that Bryan would be facing an unnamed returning Superstar. Many assumed that the mystery man would be revealed as John Cena, Bray Wyatt or Kevin Owens. But with Monday’s announcement, the door is open for Reigns to lay the smackdown on the devilish vegan and make the jump to Tuesday nights. Looking ahead, his presence on SmackDown can only help shore up slumping ratings and bolster viewership, as the show prepares to move to a new network in the fall.

>>MORE: From the world of Pro Wrestling

Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns (L-R) (Photo Credit: JP Yim/Getty Images)

In the more immediate future, the door has been left open for a potential reunion of The Shield, the faction that launched Reigns’ career in WWE and cemented his status as one of the promotion’s top stars. The returning champion and Rollins ran to the ring to save an outnumbered Dean Ambrose from a three-on-one beatdown at the hands of Bobby Lashley, Baron Corbin and Drew McIntyre. As storylines go, there will need to be some fence-mending before that can happen after WWE controversially decided to have Ambrose turn on Rollins on the same night Reigns announced the reemergence of his cancer. As of now, none of the men have a match scheduled at the upcoming Fastlane pay-per-view on March 10.

But as Reigns said, that is to be determined down the line. For now, we celebrate more than the return of a wrestler. We celebrate a father who has devoted countless hours to improving the lives of thousands of others battling life-threatening illness and has himself beaten leukemia back into remission.

Welcome back, Roman. You were missed.

News & Notes

The other big news coming out of Monday’s show was the return of Dave Bautista. The Guardians of the Galaxy star brutally beat down Ric Flair, spoiling The Nature Boy’s 70th birthday celebration and appearing to set the wheels in motion for a showdown with Triple H at WrestleMania.

The triple threat match between Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch for the RAW Women’s Championship at WrestleMania also took a step forward Monday. As part of the storyline, Lynch was arrested for defying orders and showing up to attack Rousey despite her ongoing suspension. Rousey then left the title in limbo by seemingly relinquishing it after Stephanie McMahon declined to sign off on the match.

>>MORE: Is Ronda Rousey Leaving WWE?

WWE Hall of Famer Tammy “Sunny” Sytch has run afoul of the law yet again. The 46-year-old is now facing charges of driving while intoxicated after being arrested in Seaside Heights, New Jersey Saturday evening. Authorities are also levying charges of driving on a suspended license, failing to stop at a stop sign, having an open container of alcohol in the car, reckless driving, driving the wrong way on a one-way street, and careless driving, according to multiple reports. Police say Sytch also had outstanding traffic warrants in Holmdel, NJ, which is less than an hour away. PWInsider’s Mike Johnson is reporting that officials in Pennsylvania filed to revoke her parole prior to the most recent arrest. She spent much of 2018 incarcerated in the state following multiple arrests for DWI.

WWE Hall of Famer Arn Anderson has been fired from his backstage role as a producer for the company. Anderson had been butting heads with Vince McMahon, which led to his ouster according to Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer. An original member of The Four Horsemen, Anderson was not present for Ric Flair’s 70th birthday celebration on RAW.

Tye Dillinger and Hideo Itami have both requested and been granted their releases from WWE. There is some speculation that the former will eventually join AEW.

Former WWE Cruiserweight Champion TJP has also been let go by the company for disciplinary reasons, according to Meltzer.

Tickets to Ring of Honor’s debut in the Pacific Northwest will go on sale for Honor Club members on February 27 and to the general public on March 1. ROH will run in Kent, Washington on June 1 and Portland, Oregon on June 2.

ROH Women of Honor Champion, Mayu Iwatani, will defend her title against Kelly Klein at the ROH 17th Anniversary pay-per-view on March 15.

The Young Bucks vs. Lucha Bros is now official for AEW Double of Nothing on May 25.

Chuck Carroll is former pro wrestling announcer and referee turned sports media personality. He once appeared on Monday Night RAW when he presented Robert Griffin III with a WWE title belt in the Redskins locker room.

Follow him on Twitter @ChuckCarrollWLC.

Source: https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2019/02/26/roman-reigns-wwe-cancer-leukemia-remission-ring-return-wrestlemania/

[xoxopandapanda]

Little Family Ch. 1

Chapters  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

FF.net

AO3

A/N: The Lucky Ones is one of my favorite Inuyasha fanfictions of all time, and I am drawing inspiration from it, along with every other story where a little hanyou is found and needing more love. MOAR LOVE.

I read somewhere that Inuyasha was based off of the Akita inu (and I love that breed of dog more than anything in the world), so I was inspired to ask myself ‘what if there was a red Akita hanyou’, and I’m taking it and running.

Also, I want to make it a little bit like post-canon, but I am definitely making it AU. (There is a baby and Kagome can go back through the well, because Mama Higarashi is life.)

When Kagome had first come back through the well, both she and Inuyasha had figured it was a one-way trip. The well was closed now. They had never once considered to even try to go back down it, nor did they even give it much of a second thought.

The had quickly settled into their new norm, Kagome apprenticing under Kaede to take over as the village priestess, and Inuyasha maintaining his position as the village guardian.

Kagome hadn’t been that surprised to find out that Inuyasha had taken to making sure that everyone in the village was safe, and there were no threats lurking in his forest. What had surprised her is his involvement in other areas of the village. He planted rice and built homes with the village men. He cleaned up larger kills, and sometimes even smaller ones like fish, for the village women. He carried anything to heavy for any of the elder’s to where ever they needed it.

What surprised her the most was when it came to bartering, and Inuyasha was the mindful eye making sure everyone got a fair deal.

“You’re really involved around here, Inuyasha,” she remarked one day in passing.

Inuyasha had simply responded, “It’s my home.”

Kaede was the watchful eye that reminded Kagome of Inuyasha’s standing in the community whenever she seemed to forget. “People used to be so scared of him, Kagome. But you taught them, and me, that he was to be trusted and let into our lives. He is invaluable to us now, and he is part of our community.”

Kagome was also miffed by Inuyasha’s willingness to let Sango and Miroku’s girls mess with him. The Inuyasha she knew would never have allowed toddlers to climb all over him and make squealing noises that startled her with her human hearing. But the Inuyasha of now did, and sometimes would even let the girls take a nap on his knee.

Sango had told Kagome that Inuyasha had stayed away at first when the girls were born, but one day he came back and never quite left. “Miroku had gone the village over to help with an exorcism, and Inuyasha just came over for dinner. He held one of the girls all night for me, switching with me as necessary. I don’t know, Kagome. It was like he suddenly realized that they were also a part of our family.”

“They sure do love their Uncle Inuyasha,” Miroku had commented once while the girls snored on Inuyasha’s knee.

Inuyasha had grunted in response and said nothing further, making Kagome think that maybe Inuyasha loved them just as much.

Kagome had been back for a few months, before Inuyasha built her a home. She had been suspicious it was in the works for a while, but wisely said nothing to him, as it was also probable he was doing it by himself.

Kagome had found out about the structure from Kaede who told her that one of the younger village men had found it while out trapping, and was appalled Inuyasha hadn’t asked him for help. “Inuyasha has helped built or fix nearly every building standing. I think the men were hurt he hadn’t asked them for help.”

Inuyasha had grumbled and carried on that he didn’t need anyone’s help, because it was his home for his Kagome, but the village men had ignored him and done as they pleased.

Within a week of Kagome learning she had a home being made in the forest, she was moving into her home and welcoming guests who brought household items for the newly married couple.

When Sango and Miroku visited, baby and toddlers in tow, Inuyasha was proud to show his friend around his new home.

“I’m going to put Kagome’s garden here,” he pointed just a stone’s throw outside the front door, “and a bucket for washing right here,” he pointed to just next to the door. “I’ve already got the fire pit installed, but I think when the traveling salesman comes back, I might try to get the supplies to make some tatami mats. I think that would look nice on the floor.”

Miroku hummed to indicate he was listening, but if he had any thoughts of his friend’s plans for the new home, he said nothing.

Sango however was quick to tally up what was still needed, and tell Kagome. Kagome took her advice to heart, eager to learn how to manage a household of her very own. “Have Inuyasha build you a little rack to dry herbs on. One that can go outside in the summer, but move inside in the winter. Sometimes you can still dig up good herbs in the snow.” Sango patted the lightly fussing baby in her arms, now entering a big growing phase and uncomfortable in his own skin.

“Do you think we will need more pots and dishes than this? I have two pots, and they are pretty big, but that’s about it. I have quite a few bowls from different women.” Kagome showed Sango her wedding gifts from villagers.

“Not until you have extra mouths to feed, you won’t.” Sango assured her.

Before they departed, Miroku announced that Inuyasha and Kagome should have a ceremony in the village, and he was happy to officiate. Inuyasha had balked and tried to protest, but Miroku ignored whatever warbling words had escaped his friend’s mouth.

Kagome readily agreed, thinking back to how Kaede had told her that Inuyasha was a part of the community. It was agreed that the next day a small ceremony in front of the small shrine would happen.

Inuyasha had trudged down to the village that morning, releasing all the theatrics he was capable of to show Kagome his level of displeasure, but once the village men started to congratulate him on his wedding, he changed his tune and told them all to come to watch.

Which was exactly how the ‘small ceremony’ turned into the whole village crowding the entire area around the small shrine, and Miroku having to shout out the prayers over the newlyweds.

The party and drinking that ensued carried on into the early morning the next day, and Kagome swore she had never felt so happy in her entire life.

It was six months into living in the feudal era as a married couple that they discovered the well was still open to them to travel.

It had happened quite unexpectedly one day. Miroku and Inuyasha had been taking the twins for a walk, and Kagome was taking care of the baby boy at her home to give their mother a break. The twins were leading the walk, meandering as they pleased with their father and uncle keeping watchful eye on them.

They had made it back to the bone eaters well without the men thinking much of it, where the girls were playing with each other and running around. They had managed to rope Inuyasha into playing along with them, as he rarely denied them anything besides direct access to his ears.

They were rather sly girls, much like their father, and had, while playing peek-a-boo with their favorite uncle, gotten him to balance on the ledge of the well. While he had his eyes covered pretending he couldn’t see them, they each shoved a leg with all their might, and toppled him into the well. They squealed in delight at having gotten the upper hand on their beloved uncle. But instead of him jumping out to playfully startle them, a bright blue light flashed.

Miroku had rushed over from where he had been resting in the shade as soon as he saw the light, but knew there was nothing to be done- Inuyasha was on the other side of the well. Sighing loudly and scooping up his girls, one in each arm, he made his way to Kagome and Inuyasha’s home to tell Kagome.

“What do you mean he’s gone?” Kagome stared at the monk, one eyebrow high on her forehead. The baby at her chest was asleep, having finally given into his body’s demands for rest. The girls were back to chasing each other, seemingly to have forgotten their favorite uncle was gone and nonplussed that they had been taken somewhere else.

“I’m afraid they pushed him down the well, and now he’s gone.” Miroku reached and picked up his son from Kagome’s embrace, tucking him carefully against his chest and rocking him to stay asleep.

“Well, where did he go?”

“Down the well, I suppose.”

“The well is closed, Miroku. He couldn’t have gone down it.” Kagome crossed her arms and regarded the man in front of her. “I can’t believe you lost my husband.”

“I didn’t lose him, the girls did.” Miroku dropped a kiss to the baby’s head as he snuffled and nuzzled closer to his father.

Kagome turned to look at the girls. “Ayame, Suzume. Where did Uncle Inuyasha go?”

The girls stopped playing and looked at their beloved aunt. Ayame, the far more vocal girl, spoke first. “With the blue light.”

“Poof!” Suzume added with a flourish of the arms above her head.

Kagome paused before turning back to Miroku. Kagome opened her mouth to scold him, but found that she was speechless. The robed man shrugged before holding out an arm to his girls. “Let’s go find Mama, girls. Aunt Kagome needs to find her husband.”

With that, Kagome was left alone.

Sighing audibly, Kagome walked to the well. Looking down it, she reasoned that trying wouldn’t hurt. But she wanted to go slowly down it, as to ensure she wouldn’t break something in case it wasn’t open. Hoisting herself over, she cautiously worked her way down the vines to the bottom of the well. Her feet touched the solid ground, and she stood still for several seconds. Realizing she wasn’t going through, she cursed out loud.

“YOU’RE SO DAMN FULL OF IT, MIROKU,” and then the light engulfed her.

Although she had endured the sensation for years of her life before, Kagome was startled at the free-falling sensation of going through time before being gently placed on her feet in the future.

Blinking back sudden tears from the rush of emotions that over took her realizing she went through time, Kagome looked up and saw her little brother staring at her from the top of the well. He had grown quite a bit, she noticed. He no longer had his chubby baby cheeks. Her heart-strings pulled hard as she realized how much she had missed.

“Took you long enough, nee-chan. Inuyasha-nii-san is already on his third bowl of ramen.��� He tossed the rope ladder down her. “Mama went to the store to make oden for you.”

Kagome’s tears finally spilled down her face as she made her way out of the well. When she reached the top, she grabbed Souta and squeezed him tight. “I’ve missed you,” she whispered, her voice cracking from emotion.

“I’ve missed you too,” Souta was fighting his own tears as he held her just as tight.

Arm in arm they walked towards the house where Inuyasha was watching TV with grandpa and slurping down noodles. Giving her grandfather a hug and a kiss, Kagome sat at the table as well, waiting for her mother to come home.

Her reuniting with her mother was the most tear-filled, as she told her mother about everything she had done since she was gone, what had changed in the village, and her mother listened happily. Kagome made dinner with her mother again, grateful for the chance to spend time with her family again.

They ate dinner with gusto and many tales of the last year that night. It was a large meal full of familiar and favorite foods. When Momma heard that Kagome and Inuyasha had married in the feudal era, she insisted on running to the store and buying a small cake. Inuyasha didn’t understand the significance of the small white cake, but he sure enjoyed the taste of it.

As they returned to the feudal era the next morning, Inuyasha and Kagome agreed to come back as often as they could for a day or two, to share a meal and stories. Kagome promised it would be at least once a month, but hopefully more frequent. With a new house and new responsibilities being the apprentice priestess, Kagome knew she was busy. However, she also knew she was blessed with a chance to come home for dinner. 

[suchagiantnerd]

46 Books, 1 Year

In 2016 I didn’t QUITE make it to my goal of reading 50 books, but I sh*t out an adorable human instead so I don’t feel too bad. Because of the pregnancy and baby-having, I also decided to cut myself some slack and didn’t take notes after finishing each book (which I usually do), so this year’s reviews are not as detailed as usual. But if you’re interested in learning more about any of these reads, just message me and I can chat more about them!

1. The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country / Helen Russell I am obsessed with the Danish concept of hygge (which loosely translates to ‘coziness’). I wanted to learn more about how to live a life full of hygge and other ways of increasing happiness. This is a fitting read for this time of year. January doesn’t have to be cold and depressing; it can be full of candlelight, soft blankets, comforting food, and friends and family. The message seems to be to nestle in and hibernate together!

2. Dragonfly in Amber / Diana Gabaldon The second book in the Outlander series follows Claire and Jamie as the battle of Culloden approaches. Can they stop it? Or does attempting to change history result in even worse outcomes?

3. Voyager / Diana Gabaldon I can’t say much about the third book in the Outlander series, as it will spoil some big plot twists. So I’ll just say that the sex scenes are as great as ever!

4. Six Metres of Pavement / Farzana Doctor Set in Toronto, this story follows three broken people as they slowly find community and acceptance with each other - Ismail grieves his infant daughter years after her death (which was ultimately his fault), Celia, recently widowed, deals with loneliness and feeling unwanted, and Fatima, a queer university student, deals with the fallout of coming out to her traditional family. A heartwarming read, though the plot feels a bit too contrived.

5. The Light Between Oceans / M.L. Stedman You best read this one before the movie comes out! Or is it already out and I’m that out of touch now? This story will make you want to visit all the barren, lonely lighthouses you can find. It will also make you thank god for your relatively uncomplicated life. This book is heartbreaking and features baby-stealing (with the best of intentions), WWI PTSD, and a look at life (for better or worse) in small town Australia.

6. Cinder / Marissa Meyer You thought for a second I’d forgone my first love, YA Dystopian? Nuh uh! This is the first in a series that works fairytale characters into a futuristic world full of spaceships, robots, and a violent lunar people. “Cinder” obviously pays homage to Cinderella. But instead of one glass slipper, she’s got one bionic leg and is an expert mechanic.

7. Circling the Sun / Paula McLain Based on the real-life love triangle between Beryl Markham, Karen Blixen and Denys Finch Hatton in while colonial Kenya, McLain takes us from Beryl’s “wild” childhood without a mother figure playing with her Kipsigis (a Kenyan tribe) best friend and riding horses, to her bold and sometimes disastrous adult years training horses, falling in and out of love and lust, and eventually becoming one of the first women to fly solo across the Atlantic. This is a well-written and dreamy story, but ignores most of the world outside the expat community. Is that irresponsible? I don’t know.

8. Wolf Winter / Cecilia Ekback If there’s a better “dead of winter” read, I don’t know what it is. I loved this tale taking place in 1717 in Swedish Lapland. A disparate group of settlers struggles to survive a particularly brutal winter just after one of their members turns up dead. Was it actually an animal attack? Many of the settlers believe otherwise as suspicion and cabin fever set in.

9. Behind the Beautiful Forevers / Katherine Boo This non-fiction account of a Mumbai slum reads like a novel. Journalist Katherine Boo spent months getting to know the slum’s residents, gaining insight into their hopes and dreams, the drudgery of their day-to-day existence, and the political and personal ties between them all. Their stories will break your heart.

10. Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong - and What You Really Need to Know / Emily Oster I’ve always dreaded pregnancy, mainly because of all the policing of pregnant women’s bodies. This book is a nice antidote to all of that. When Oster, a statistician, became pregnant for the first time, she gathered together all of the valid studies about caffeine and alcohol consumption, gardening, certain foods, owning cats, etc, etc, etc and and complied their results, determining what’s really harmful to a growing baby and what’s not. Have your cup of coffee in the morning, ladies. And a glass of wine now and then is just fine! But no ciggies. No ciggies at all.

11. The Heart Goes Last / Margaret Atwood Atwood’s latest novel does not disappoint. Set in a near-dystopian future, a new gated community takes the prison-as-business model one step further. Rotating every month, half of the population acts as prisoners in an actual prison, while the other half maintain the town or work as prison guards. It’s efficient, right? Less housing required, the prisoners all do work to help the town, everyone gets a salary. But it just might be too good to be true…

12. Drums of Autumn / Diana Gabaldon Once again, I can’t say much about the fourth book in the Outlander series for fear of spoilers except that Jamie and Claire are a bit older now, and there’s a new generation of sexy Scottish people to populate your daydreams.

13. Fifteen Dogs / Andre Alexis I don’t know what to say about this book other than I both loved it and hated it? This is also the book my book club has spent the most time ever talking about. Set in Toronto, it follows 15 dogs staying the night at a veterinary clinic who are suddenly blessed/cursed with human consciousness. What follows is occasionally comedic, but mostly violent and terribly sad.

14. I Just Want to Pee Alone / Some Kick Ass Mom Bloggers I should probably have waited to read this collection of true stories until after I’d had the baby. In one story, a woman describes her post-birth vagina as a sad old elephant.

15. The Damned / Andrew Pyper Pyper is great at sketching out a truly creepy character. In this story, Dan is haunted by his deceased twin sister, who happened to be a sociopath while alive. Now that she’s dead, her ability to torture him seems to have no bounds. I also really liked the book’s setting of Detroit.

16. Scarlet / Marissa Meyer The second book in the “Lunar Chronicles” series, this book focuses on a Red Riding Hood-inspired protagonist. And the love interest is pretty wolf-like. Oooh mama!

17. The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st Century / Steven Pinker Full disclosure: This is a grammar book. Basically you shouldn’t read this unless you write for a living / want to really improve your writing. I’m not even sure I should have read it. Some tips were great, others were too detailed for me to grasp, others I already forget.

18. Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time / Jeff Speck Though this book focuses on American cities, it applies to anywhere. If you’re an amateur urban planning nerd like me, you’ll love this book. Two fun factoids - trees increase a neighbourhood’s value and liveability A LOT and you’re more likely to suffer a heart attack in the few hours after you’ve been driving a car. Driving in a city is THAT stressful.

19. How to Be a Woman / Caitlin Moran In this non-fiction tome of memories / essays, well-known British feminist Moran takes on body image, sex, working in the music industry, pregnancy and childbirth, living in poverty, and abortion.

20. The Jade Peony / Wayson Choy This novel reads more like a series of related short stories, and follows the childhoods and teenage years of three siblings, Jook-Liang, Jung-Sum and Sek-Lung living in Vancouver’s Chinatown in the 1930s and 40s. This is a touching book, and each child deals with their own stresses and troubles from losing a beloved grandmother to realizing one’s sexuality to the difficulties of life as a child of new immigrants.

21. Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman / Lindy West Lindy West is my hero, and the author of my favourite piece of comedic writing ever, a hilarious review of Jurassic Park from beginning to end. She’s also a fiercely intelligent feminist and this is her first book. It’s about trying to make herself as small and quiet as possible, only to realize that that’s bullshit. As women, we should be as big and loud as we want.

22. I Was Told There’d Be Cake / Sloane Crosley This is a non-fiction collection of stories from Crosley’s life. Who is she? I didn’t know before and I still don’t really know, but she’s a Jewish New Yorker who is a good writer and is pretty funny. This collection is not heavy in the least - it’s just some funny and amusing anecdotes from a regular person’s life.

23. Tampa / Alissa Nutting Hooooooooo boy. What can I say about this one? Nutting tells the story of Celeste Price, a 26-year old middle school teacher who is a pedophile. And Price is relentless in her pursuit of the perfect victims, searching for boys just on the cusp of puberty. This is kind of a reverse “Lolita”. But I gather it’s way grittier (I have not read “Lolita” so I can’t say for sure). Nutting is a good writer and her style is very, shall we say, visceral? But this book is not for everyone.

24. The Widow / Fiona Barton This book felt like Barton’s attempt to get on the “Gone Girl” / “The Girl on the Train” bandwagon, and it fell short. I don’t recommend it. I also hated the main character, a simpering weakling of a woman.

25. Time Zero / Carolyn Cohagan This feels like a “The Giver” of our time. It’s also a truly feminist YA dystopian novel. In it, Cohagan has created a world (in what used to be Manhattan) run by men with a set of very harsh rules for women. In a poignant twist, all of the rules in the novel are actual rules that various women around the world today have to live under. I really believe this book should be added to the public school curriculum.

26. Battle Royale / Koushun Tatami Before “The Hunger Games”, there was “Battle Royale”. Set in a dystopian Japan, each year in a government experiment, random classes of ninth graders are sent to secluded locations and forced to kill each other until one survivor remains. To prevent runaways, each student must also wear a collar which explodes if the student tries to escape. YIKES. A cult classic, this is a sad and violent read full of interesting characters.

27. Before the Fall / Noah Hawley A private plane crashes into the Atlantic ocean, and of the 11 people on board, only two survive - a young boy and the lone outsider, an aspiring artist who’d recently befriended one of the rich passengers. This is a tight, scintillating thriller, and as the mystery of what (or who) caused the crash unfolds, we get an inside look at each of the passenger’s thoughts and backgrounds. I didn’t love the resolution, but the excellent lead-up was worth the read.

28. The Passage / Justin Cronin I reread this for the third time in advance of the release of “The City of Mirrors” (book 30), the third in this trilogy. This remains my favourite book / series of all time. It’s a dystopian/sci-fi/thriller/epic full of an amazing cast of characters and spanning over a century.

29. The Twelve / Justin Cronin I also reread the second book in “The Passage” trilogy.

30. The City of Mirrors / Justin Cronin As expected, the final book in this trilogy both thrilled me and broke my heart.

31. The Haunting of Maddy Clare / Simone St. James I just wanted a good old-fashioned book about a ghost set in the British countryside. This book was that, but was cheesier than I thought it would be. And unexpectedly involved a sexy romance sub-plot which was enjoyable and terrible at the same time.

32. The Girls / Emma Cline In the summer of 1969, bored and naive teenager Evie befriends a mysterious older girl named Suzanne, who slowly brings her into the folds of a Manson-inspired cult. The Manson-y cult leader isn’t quite as big a character as you might think, and the book, like the title, really does focus on the relationships between young girls that we can all relate to - the idolization, the obsessiveness, the jealously, the fervent love we sometimes feel for each other.

33. The Last Star / Rick Yancey I had to read the final book in “The Fifth Wave” alien trilogy, and much like the “Divergent” series, this series gets worse with each tome.

34. The Bluest Eye / Toni Morrison Penola is a young Black girl growing up in Ohio in the post-Great Depression era. Her life is shit. Daughter to an abusive father and an overtired and busy working mother, teased at school, and simply put, already beaten down by life, all Pecola wants are for her eyes to turn blue. This is a classic and an important read for these times.

35. Indian Horse / Richard Wagamese This novel tells the story of Saul, an Ojibway boy sent to a residential school after his family spends a few years trying to protect him from just such a fate. Saul’s only escape from the horrors of the school is his growing love of hockey. It turns out that he’s a gifted player, and his talent allows him a chance at a better life. All Canadians should read this book. The racism Saul experiences in the 1970s is still alive and well today all across this country.

36. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child / J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, Jack Thorne If you’re a Potter fan, you’ve also already read this, and if you’re not, you don’t care!

37. After Birth / Elisa Albert I read this novel in preparation for motherhood. In it, we meet Ari, a first-time mother dealing with feelings of loneliness and the emotional fallout of her caesarian section. She cannot get over it, and her anger and sadness are palpable. She later befriends mother-to-be Mina, and the two develop their own little support system (or should I call it a lifeline?). This is a much needed story about pregnancy, birth, mothering, female friendship, and the importance of support from friends, family, and the medical profession.

38. Sex Object: A Memoir / Jessica Valenti In this collection of anecdotes from feminist and journalist Valenti, she tackles issues of sexism, harassment, internet trolling and your everyday, run-of-the-mill misogyny against the backdrop of her youth and young adulthood in New York. Add this to your growing feminist library (we all have one, right?)

39. Parenting Beyond Pink and Blue: How to Raise Your Kids Free of Gender Stereotypes / Christia Spears Brown, PhD The title says it all. But as you’ve probably seen, Fern wears a lot of pink. You can’t say no to hand-me-downs and gifts! I guess I’ll work to combat gender stereotypes in other ways…

40. Middlesex / Jeffrey Eugenides This is a sprawling coming-of-age story about Cal, who is intersex. When born, Cal appeared to be a girl and was raised as such. As they go through puberty, Cal’s transformation is more confusing and painful than that of most, and they start to question their identity. Eugenides also details the strange and somewhat taboo history of Cal’s family, illustrating that nothing occurs in a vacuum. We exist in the context of our families. This was a thoughtful and engaging read.

41. Everything I Never Told You / Celeste Ng This novel explores all the things we don’t tell those we are closest to - our spouses, our children, our parents, our siblings - and the fallout of these omissions. It also explores the unique challenges of a mixed-race family living in 1970s America including overt and subtle racism, feelings of not belonging, and questioning one’s own identity. On top of all this, Ng has also rolled in a gripping mystery.

42. The Japanese Lover / Isabel Allende Allende is one of my favourite authors, but this book fell flat. The dialogue felt forced and preachy, and the characters, especially the Japanese ones, were often stereotypes. A tale of illicit love and Japanese internment camps (sounds promising, right?) I would skip this one, especially if you’ve never read Allende before.

43. North American Lake Monsters / Nathan Ballingrud I was so excited to read this collection of strange and scary short stories, but it was a disappointment. Ballingrud does not take any of these stories far enough, and the endings were almost all vague and left things up in the air. I don’t consider this tactic all that artistic anymore, it just seems lazy. COMMIT TO AN ENDING, authors, COMMIT TO A DANG ENDING!

44. Cold Mountain / Charles Frazier Towards the end of the Civil War, soldier Inman has had enough. Recovering from a serious neck wound in hospital, he decides to defect and make his way home to Cold Mountain and his love, Ada. Meanwhile, back on Cold Mountain, Ada’s fallen on hard times and is in serious survival mode. As Inman makes his long way home, Frazier paints a broken and bloody countryside on the cusp of something new.

45. Mrs. Poe / Lynn Cullen This is a juicy historical fiction novel about the love triangle between Edgar Allan Poe, his wife, and his contemporary, writer Frances Osgood. Surprisingly, the delicate ingenue Mrs. Poe seems like the creepiest one of the three (whether or not this is based on fact, I don’t know). I loved the setting, the plot, and the literati cast of characters, but the style of writing was a bit fluffy. It felt as though Cullen was writing with a future movie deal in mind.

46. All My Puny Sorrows / Miriam Toews Set in Winnipeg and Toronto, this story follows a Mennonite family plagued by tragedy after tragedy. Toews explores issues of intergenerational trauma, suicide, mental health, the damaging effects of patriarchy, and how amidst all that, love still flourishes.