Inuyasha, "The Unquiet Winds" ch.6 (Kagura/Sesshoumaru)
Fandom: Inuyasha
Title: The Unquiet Winds
Chapter Title: Serendipity
Author: Paynesgrey
Characters: Sesshoumaru, Kagura's reincarnation (inevitable Kagura/Sesshoumaru)
Genre: Fantasy/Supernatural/Suspense
Rating: PG-13 (overall)
Universe: Canon divergence, Modern
Notes: This new serial was started to follow the themes for contests at Livejournal. This is the seventh installment, written for the Wacdonald's image prompt at i_b_4_y.
Story Summary: Natsumi dreams of another woman's past, a woman who desperately wants to reunite with the man she loves, even if Natsumi has to suffer in the end.
Her friend and coworker Ayako was surprised to see Natsumi at work the next day. She gaped at her when Natsumi came to her station and hung up her coat, and she could barely form a sentence she was so stunned.
“What is it?” Natsumi asked.
“I just didn’t think you’d make it back. The factory manager said you’d be out for at least a week for health reasons,” she said, and Natsumi waved her hand.
“I’m fine. I just have had trouble sleeping lately. I’m on medicine to regain my strength,” she answered, but Ayako looked unsure. Natsumi forced a smile. “I’m fine.”
Natsumi didn’t really want to deal with this today, not when she was so focused to find their new manager who apparently was letting her take off time for her health. Why he would single her out, she didn’t know but she’d find out. She glanced around and saw people stealing looks at her. How far did this gossip run? Natsumi harrumphed and went back to her work.
“Well, I’m glad you’re better, Natsumi-san, but since you collapsed the new manager has instilled new rules,” Ayako said, gaining her attention.
“Oh?”
“Yeah, he’s afraid we’re working too hard, and he’s issued fifteen minute breaks before and after lunch. He’s really turning out to be a good manager, and he seems to care about people who work here.”
Except that he doesn’t. He only cares about me, Natsumi thought, and she doubted the new manager would even have noticed the others if she hadn’t collapsed. Sure, she may have been presumptuous about her new manager’s motives, but she was certain he was singling her out for some reason, and she couldn’t wait to find out why.
And because of that, the dreams have gotten more vivid - the same dream over and over again of me dying in a bed of flowers, she thought.
“Hey, are you really sure you’re okay to work today? You’re spacing out again,” Ayako-san said, starting to fret. “I don’t know what I’ll do if you pass out again.”
Natsumi sighed. She stood up from her seat and met Ayako’s eyes. “Maybe you’re right. I should go see the nurse.”
“You should just go home,” Ayako stressed, and Natsumi paused after her thought, and nodded once.
It was a good excuse. She’d clock out, and the evidence that she attempted to work would be there. Then, instead of heading home she’d ride the lift to the corporate offices upstairs to finally meet her manager, and thank him of course, but her ultimate goal would be to find out what he wanted with her.
“I’m taking off,” she said, and bowed lightly to Ayako, who did the same. Natsumi could feel Ayako’s worried stare on her back as she left into the halls.
----
Surprising her new boss in his office ended up being futile. Natsumi was saddened and almost angry when he wasn’t there when she inquired from his secretary, and she didn’t appreciate the wrinkle in her plans to get to the bottom of this, let alone his secretary’s rudeness and snide tone.
Annoyed, she left the corporate offices quickly as people stared at her, and under their scrutiny Natsumi started to feel inferior, like she didn’t belong there at all. She was just a factory worker, and she felt like she was judged for having the audacity to even know the boss, let alone try to contact him.
She fumed as she rode the elevator back down to the lobby of her workplace, and she started to blame her manager for making her feel this way. After all, he was the one that showed interest in her, and there was no way in hell she was going to believe he’d be nice enough to her as anyone else.
“I don’t even know him, and I’m already making him out to be the villain,” she whispered to herself. Defeated, she left the building and headed down the streets of Tokyo. She felt her stomach rumble, and for once she let go of her thoughts about her dreams and her manager and decided to get a bite to eat. Stopping, she looked at the brightly colored WacDonald’s sign and reveled in the smell of American fries in the air.
This was probably not the diet her doctor wanted her to have, but she thought she’d indulge for once. Considering how terrible she felt, both emotionally and physically, the delicious fatty foods might even soothe her for the moment.
She got in line, surprised that it was so busy on that afternoon where people should be working, and she realized that most people were getting an early lunch break, and she was caught in the middle of it. Irritated she’d have to wait, she tapped her feet and looked around at the people in the restaurant, idly saddened there wasn’t a handsome face in the bunch.
Then, she felt it - that horrible pinch in her gut and ice pick in her eye. She rubbed her forehead and took a deep breath, trying to compose herself.
“Minora Natsumi-san,” said a deep masculine voice behind her, and she froze, cautiously turning around.
“Y--yes?” She looked up; the man who called her was tall, and the closer he came to her, the worse the aches in her stomach and head became. She met his eyes, and they glittered gold before she realized they were merely a light hazel. She saw his long dark hair pulled back, and for a second, mind tricked her and perceived it was silver, not black.
“My apologies,” he said bowing. “I am Sesshoumaru Taiki, your new employer.” Her eyes widened and words failed her.
What a strange surname, she thought, but his hard stare brought her out of her daze quickly. If she didn’t say something soon he’d think she was rude.
“Ah, ah, oh!” She bowed low. “I’m sorry, sir. I did not recognize you.” She couldn’t help her rising elation; she’d spent the morning looking for him, getting snubbed by his secretary, and here he was. But why did she feel so sick in his presence?
“No, no, it is understandable,” he said. “You were ill during my introduction.”
When they came up first in line, Natsumi hesitated and the server looked annoyed. “Um, just a meal number four, please.”
“I have this,” he said, pulling out his wallet.
“Oh, no, sir!” she panicked, but he acted as if he did not hear her. He ordered something small and then paid for her meal. Blushing, she followed him wordlessly as he took their tray and found them a table in the corner.
Natsumi was so shocked by his appearance and generosity that she could barely feel the pains in her head and stomach anymore.
“My secretary informed me that you were looking for me,” he said, sipping his tea.
“Yes, sir, I am sorry to so rudely barge into your office, but I just had to see you,” Natsumi said, still blushing and staring at her food, unable to bring herself to meet his eyes.
“Well, you have my attention Minora-san,” he said simply.
“I wanted to thank you,” she said, and she finally braved to look up, meeting his gaze. Then, as if her words were not her own, her tone turned fierce. “And I just had to find out why you are so interested in me.”
Her lips tightened, but he said nothing. He stared at her, intrigued. He took another sip of his tea and sighed heavily.
“I wonder,” he said, his tone distant. “I wondered if you were really her, and I had my doubts, but you surprise me, Minora-san. You are her after all.”
“Her?” The blood in her body suddenly felt cold. A flash of her dream screeched in her mind.
Unexpectedly, he handed her a napkin. “I’m afraid so,” he said worriedly. Natsumi looked down at her hands, splattered with a few drops of blood from her nose.
She had proven the connection between them, but at what cost? Why did this man affect her like this?
Title: The Unquiet Winds
Chapter Title: Serendipity
Author: Paynesgrey
Characters: Sesshoumaru, Kagura's reincarnation (inevitable Kagura/Sesshoumaru)
Genre: Fantasy/Supernatural/Suspense
Rating: PG-13 (overall)
Universe: Canon divergence, Modern
Notes: This new serial was started to follow the themes for contests at Livejournal. This is the seventh installment, written for the Wacdonald's image prompt at i_b_4_y.
Story Summary: Natsumi dreams of another woman's past, a woman who desperately wants to reunite with the man she loves, even if Natsumi has to suffer in the end.
Her friend and coworker Ayako was surprised to see Natsumi at work the next day. She gaped at her when Natsumi came to her station and hung up her coat, and she could barely form a sentence she was so stunned.
“What is it?” Natsumi asked.
“I just didn’t think you’d make it back. The factory manager said you’d be out for at least a week for health reasons,” she said, and Natsumi waved her hand.
“I’m fine. I just have had trouble sleeping lately. I’m on medicine to regain my strength,” she answered, but Ayako looked unsure. Natsumi forced a smile. “I’m fine.”
Natsumi didn’t really want to deal with this today, not when she was so focused to find their new manager who apparently was letting her take off time for her health. Why he would single her out, she didn’t know but she’d find out. She glanced around and saw people stealing looks at her. How far did this gossip run? Natsumi harrumphed and went back to her work.
“Well, I’m glad you’re better, Natsumi-san, but since you collapsed the new manager has instilled new rules,” Ayako said, gaining her attention.
“Oh?”
“Yeah, he’s afraid we’re working too hard, and he’s issued fifteen minute breaks before and after lunch. He’s really turning out to be a good manager, and he seems to care about people who work here.”
Except that he doesn’t. He only cares about me, Natsumi thought, and she doubted the new manager would even have noticed the others if she hadn’t collapsed. Sure, she may have been presumptuous about her new manager’s motives, but she was certain he was singling her out for some reason, and she couldn’t wait to find out why.
And because of that, the dreams have gotten more vivid - the same dream over and over again of me dying in a bed of flowers, she thought.
“Hey, are you really sure you’re okay to work today? You’re spacing out again,” Ayako-san said, starting to fret. “I don’t know what I’ll do if you pass out again.”
Natsumi sighed. She stood up from her seat and met Ayako’s eyes. “Maybe you’re right. I should go see the nurse.”
“You should just go home,” Ayako stressed, and Natsumi paused after her thought, and nodded once.
It was a good excuse. She’d clock out, and the evidence that she attempted to work would be there. Then, instead of heading home she’d ride the lift to the corporate offices upstairs to finally meet her manager, and thank him of course, but her ultimate goal would be to find out what he wanted with her.
“I’m taking off,” she said, and bowed lightly to Ayako, who did the same. Natsumi could feel Ayako’s worried stare on her back as she left into the halls.
----
Surprising her new boss in his office ended up being futile. Natsumi was saddened and almost angry when he wasn’t there when she inquired from his secretary, and she didn’t appreciate the wrinkle in her plans to get to the bottom of this, let alone his secretary’s rudeness and snide tone.
Annoyed, she left the corporate offices quickly as people stared at her, and under their scrutiny Natsumi started to feel inferior, like she didn’t belong there at all. She was just a factory worker, and she felt like she was judged for having the audacity to even know the boss, let alone try to contact him.
She fumed as she rode the elevator back down to the lobby of her workplace, and she started to blame her manager for making her feel this way. After all, he was the one that showed interest in her, and there was no way in hell she was going to believe he’d be nice enough to her as anyone else.
“I don’t even know him, and I’m already making him out to be the villain,” she whispered to herself. Defeated, she left the building and headed down the streets of Tokyo. She felt her stomach rumble, and for once she let go of her thoughts about her dreams and her manager and decided to get a bite to eat. Stopping, she looked at the brightly colored WacDonald’s sign and reveled in the smell of American fries in the air.
This was probably not the diet her doctor wanted her to have, but she thought she’d indulge for once. Considering how terrible she felt, both emotionally and physically, the delicious fatty foods might even soothe her for the moment.
She got in line, surprised that it was so busy on that afternoon where people should be working, and she realized that most people were getting an early lunch break, and she was caught in the middle of it. Irritated she’d have to wait, she tapped her feet and looked around at the people in the restaurant, idly saddened there wasn’t a handsome face in the bunch.
Then, she felt it - that horrible pinch in her gut and ice pick in her eye. She rubbed her forehead and took a deep breath, trying to compose herself.
“Minora Natsumi-san,” said a deep masculine voice behind her, and she froze, cautiously turning around.
“Y--yes?” She looked up; the man who called her was tall, and the closer he came to her, the worse the aches in her stomach and head became. She met his eyes, and they glittered gold before she realized they were merely a light hazel. She saw his long dark hair pulled back, and for a second, mind tricked her and perceived it was silver, not black.
“My apologies,” he said bowing. “I am Sesshoumaru Taiki, your new employer.” Her eyes widened and words failed her.
What a strange surname, she thought, but his hard stare brought her out of her daze quickly. If she didn’t say something soon he’d think she was rude.
“Ah, ah, oh!” She bowed low. “I’m sorry, sir. I did not recognize you.” She couldn’t help her rising elation; she’d spent the morning looking for him, getting snubbed by his secretary, and here he was. But why did she feel so sick in his presence?
“No, no, it is understandable,” he said. “You were ill during my introduction.”
When they came up first in line, Natsumi hesitated and the server looked annoyed. “Um, just a meal number four, please.”
“I have this,” he said, pulling out his wallet.
“Oh, no, sir!” she panicked, but he acted as if he did not hear her. He ordered something small and then paid for her meal. Blushing, she followed him wordlessly as he took their tray and found them a table in the corner.
Natsumi was so shocked by his appearance and generosity that she could barely feel the pains in her head and stomach anymore.
“My secretary informed me that you were looking for me,” he said, sipping his tea.
“Yes, sir, I am sorry to so rudely barge into your office, but I just had to see you,” Natsumi said, still blushing and staring at her food, unable to bring herself to meet his eyes.
“Well, you have my attention Minora-san,” he said simply.
“I wanted to thank you,” she said, and she finally braved to look up, meeting his gaze. Then, as if her words were not her own, her tone turned fierce. “And I just had to find out why you are so interested in me.”
Her lips tightened, but he said nothing. He stared at her, intrigued. He took another sip of his tea and sighed heavily.
“I wonder,” he said, his tone distant. “I wondered if you were really her, and I had my doubts, but you surprise me, Minora-san. You are her after all.”
“Her?” The blood in her body suddenly felt cold. A flash of her dream screeched in her mind.
Unexpectedly, he handed her a napkin. “I’m afraid so,” he said worriedly. Natsumi looked down at her hands, splattered with a few drops of blood from her nose.
She had proven the connection between them, but at what cost? Why did this man affect her like this?