Fic: Modern Girl vs. Paradigm || Fandom: Inuyasha
Fandom: Inuyasha
Pairings: Sess x Rin, Kag x Inu
Rating: PG-13
Title: Modern Girl vs. Paradigm
Summary: Kagome discovers that her 20th century ways of thinking are woefully anachronistic in feudal-era Japan. Un-beta'd, second draft.
Some truths are better felt than said. --Chinese proverb, anonymous
Certainly, it could be said. It could be picked apart, analyzed, explained. Kagome was tempted sometimes. You didn't need to have a degree in psychology but it helped if you liked romance novels, or had a mother who watched soaps.
But saying it didn't seem like her place. Inuyasha would never understand if she told him that it seemed obvious that his brother was confused and out of touch with his feelings. That yes, it didn't make sense that Sesshoumaru held Inuyasha responsible for his father's death although he'd been a blameless baby at the time. And yes, it didn't make sense for Sesshoumaru to bear resentment against Inuyasha for not showing up to fight against the cat demons because Naraku had tricked Kikyo into sealing him. Maybe on some level Sesshoumaru was aware of the hypocrisy, but for the preservation of his ego it was necessary to "hate" Inuyasha, so that he wouldn't go crazy from guilt. It was all terribly clear to someone who had seen enough television! But people from this time weren't able to break down a person's motivations in the same way.
Of course, Kagome also couldn't explain these kinds of ideas because Sesshoumaru had threatened her life more than once, and wasn't exactly a nice person. You couldn't forgive anyone, human or otherwise, for killing so indiscriminately. But for a creature that powerful and (there was no other word for it) handsome to choose a harmless girl and an ingratiatingly sychophantic toad as his sole travelling companions, Kagome figured there had to be something to Sesshoumaru under that cold exterior that feared to be around any perceived equals. Maybe a hidden inferiority complex underneath the superior attitude? Whatever his malfunction was, it certainly couldn't be healthy!
Maybe the "something" was simple enough, at first glance, to comprehend. Two dependants who worshipped him (perhaps "loved" was a better term, although Kagome realized Sesshoumaru detested such sentiments) were definitely ego-boosters. Inuyasha got such a kick out of defending people--even when he'd been arguing with them or beating on them himself just a moment ago. It wasn't difficult to imagine that Sesshoumaru felt the same. Besides, it was hard to act the part of royalty without followers. And an inability to keep two relatively weak and defenseless creatures (well, all right, so Jaken's staff could shoot some pretty mean fire bolts, but Kagome had squashed him once or twice) would be a slight against the taiyoukai's strength. So of course, he was obliged to protect them.
Except the tale of the betrayal Sesshoumaru had faced at the hands of his allies before added a new dimension to his relationship with his followers. Kagome knew that her friends pooled their strengths to fight together, but Sesshoumaru refused to "receive assistance" from anyone, and hated being forced to share enemies with Inuyasha. He viewed all potential allies as rivals, and didn't trust anyone who rivalled him.
It was sad, really, and it made Kagome worry for little Rin. When she stopped being a child and started to become a woman, would Sesshoumaru abandon her? Or even worse, would the relationship take on a strange and abusive turn?
On her wedding day, Rin blinked down at her brother-in-law's friend with startled amusement. "Sesshoumaru-sama and I do not discuss these things," the young girl said tactfully. "He gives me an order, and perhaps I obey it. If I will not, he tells me to do as I like." She smiled a secret smile and closed her eyes in that smug way Kagome's mother sometimes did when talking about her father. "Men often say one thing but do another. It is best to indulge them, and act innocent. If you're really good, make them believe that something you want is their idea."
Kagome blanched. "That's so sexist!" She ignored Rin's laughter. "How can you say that? I'm not acting stupid for that... that asshole's ego!"
Rin patted Kagome on the arm from her place on the stool. She turned to allow a muttering Jaken to finish pinning her dress, and asked Kagome to check the placement of her hair pins before she stepped into the palanquin and was carried into the main hall of her new home.
Crossposted to: inuyasha_fanfic, sesshyxrin, allfandomfics.
Pairings: Sess x Rin, Kag x Inu
Rating: PG-13
Title: Modern Girl vs. Paradigm
Summary: Kagome discovers that her 20th century ways of thinking are woefully anachronistic in feudal-era Japan. Un-beta'd, second draft.
Some truths are better felt than said. --Chinese proverb, anonymous
Certainly, it could be said. It could be picked apart, analyzed, explained. Kagome was tempted sometimes. You didn't need to have a degree in psychology but it helped if you liked romance novels, or had a mother who watched soaps.
But saying it didn't seem like her place. Inuyasha would never understand if she told him that it seemed obvious that his brother was confused and out of touch with his feelings. That yes, it didn't make sense that Sesshoumaru held Inuyasha responsible for his father's death although he'd been a blameless baby at the time. And yes, it didn't make sense for Sesshoumaru to bear resentment against Inuyasha for not showing up to fight against the cat demons because Naraku had tricked Kikyo into sealing him. Maybe on some level Sesshoumaru was aware of the hypocrisy, but for the preservation of his ego it was necessary to "hate" Inuyasha, so that he wouldn't go crazy from guilt. It was all terribly clear to someone who had seen enough television! But people from this time weren't able to break down a person's motivations in the same way.
Of course, Kagome also couldn't explain these kinds of ideas because Sesshoumaru had threatened her life more than once, and wasn't exactly a nice person. You couldn't forgive anyone, human or otherwise, for killing so indiscriminately. But for a creature that powerful and (there was no other word for it) handsome to choose a harmless girl and an ingratiatingly sychophantic toad as his sole travelling companions, Kagome figured there had to be something to Sesshoumaru under that cold exterior that feared to be around any perceived equals. Maybe a hidden inferiority complex underneath the superior attitude? Whatever his malfunction was, it certainly couldn't be healthy!
Maybe the "something" was simple enough, at first glance, to comprehend. Two dependants who worshipped him (perhaps "loved" was a better term, although Kagome realized Sesshoumaru detested such sentiments) were definitely ego-boosters. Inuyasha got such a kick out of defending people--even when he'd been arguing with them or beating on them himself just a moment ago. It wasn't difficult to imagine that Sesshoumaru felt the same. Besides, it was hard to act the part of royalty without followers. And an inability to keep two relatively weak and defenseless creatures (well, all right, so Jaken's staff could shoot some pretty mean fire bolts, but Kagome had squashed him once or twice) would be a slight against the taiyoukai's strength. So of course, he was obliged to protect them.
Except the tale of the betrayal Sesshoumaru had faced at the hands of his allies before added a new dimension to his relationship with his followers. Kagome knew that her friends pooled their strengths to fight together, but Sesshoumaru refused to "receive assistance" from anyone, and hated being forced to share enemies with Inuyasha. He viewed all potential allies as rivals, and didn't trust anyone who rivalled him.
It was sad, really, and it made Kagome worry for little Rin. When she stopped being a child and started to become a woman, would Sesshoumaru abandon her? Or even worse, would the relationship take on a strange and abusive turn?
On her wedding day, Rin blinked down at her brother-in-law's friend with startled amusement. "Sesshoumaru-sama and I do not discuss these things," the young girl said tactfully. "He gives me an order, and perhaps I obey it. If I will not, he tells me to do as I like." She smiled a secret smile and closed her eyes in that smug way Kagome's mother sometimes did when talking about her father. "Men often say one thing but do another. It is best to indulge them, and act innocent. If you're really good, make them believe that something you want is their idea."
Kagome blanched. "That's so sexist!" She ignored Rin's laughter. "How can you say that? I'm not acting stupid for that... that asshole's ego!"
Rin patted Kagome on the arm from her place on the stool. She turned to allow a muttering Jaken to finish pinning her dress, and asked Kagome to check the placement of her hair pins before she stepped into the palanquin and was carried into the main hall of her new home.
Crossposted to: inuyasha_fanfic, sesshyxrin, allfandomfics.