Electric Saké by merrrcurius

Is it... Versace?

there's a moodboard on imgur under the title if you'd like to get a feel of what you're stepping into

also, S/O to RannYunny for drawing the coolest pic ever of sesshou with a beard. thanks for making my dreams come true dude! now, if you’d like to know what he looks like, go worship her art real quick

this is my first fic posted on dokuga, so we'll see how this turns out :D just a little futuristic take on a scene that popped in my head. um, little side-note, this is mild-dub content with minor bloodplay and some major powerplay and uh... yeah

you've been warned 

enjoy!

[[[-]]]

Kagome peered around a glossy white corner, checking to see if the coast was clear before she tiptoed down the bright corridor. She grimaced at the feel of cold metal stinging her bare feet. Couldn't they have given her any shoes? Socks? Slippers? The young woman shook her head at the pissy thoughts floating around her head, knowing it was her fault for running out so fast. Honestly, she shouldn't take her negativity out on those poor old ladies just trying to do their job.

Besides, the interior of the ship was surprisingly clean. At least it wasn't grossing her out just walking around... Neon white and chrome trim lined the hallways, grounded by shiny, luminescent floors on every level she'd managed to sneak down, which hadn't been very many because she had only just escaped. This place was nothing like she expected, but to be fair to herself, she had never seen the inside of a ship like this. To be honest, it seemed too... formal. Sterile considering the vulgarity of its existence.

It feels like I'm trying to sneak out of a mental hospital, Kagome grumbled inwardly and then straightened fearfully as one of the doors opens up farther down the hallway. 

A tall, beautiful, lime green woman swayed out and spun around the doorframe just as it snapped shut behind her, exhaust hissing from the airtight seal. Spotting Kagome, she tossed neatly woven pink dreads over her shoulder with a flamboyant flair and flashed a smug smile when she eventually passed by. Kagome bit her lip and stared after the woman and the pretty red dress hanging off one shoulder, looking the very definition of ravaged. The lady also appeared extremely satisfied.

Well, good for her... Kagome felt a prickle of envy that the woman managed to, at the very least, have nice clientele. Then immediately squashed that train of thought. Like heck would she care about that! She didn't even want to be here! There was a gaping difference in their situations, obviously, for that woman to be so proud and happy and Kagome to be... well... pissed off. And sneaking around.

Maybe I should look more like that instead of like this. It'll be easier to get around, Kagome mused and glanced down at the stiff, stealthy posture she held against the wall, hunkered like some gremlin trying to steal everyone's jewels or something. Yeah, make it look like I actually belong here.

Loosening the front of the pink robe she'd tied around herself so tight it had begun to hurt her ribs and shrugging off one shoulder as much as her modest disposition would allow, Kagome smiled at her effort to blend in. She patted the fancy updo those "mothers" had wrapped her hair up in - rather forcefully might she add - and decided to leave the loose mess atop her head alone. It would fit the role she was trying to play despite the actual reason for its state of dishevel. She'd had quite the tussle with that grubby demon earlier, but what people didn't know, couldn't hurt them. 

In this case, at least. Because she truly didn't want to hurt anyone.

Then, with all the confidence she could muster despite running around an unknown ship, Kagome strut down the hallway, moving onwards with her mission. Yeah, she was going places now. This felt much better than lurking around, looking afraid of her own shadow.

Finding a room to hide out in until she had a plan was her main priority. It would give her enough time to figure out a way off this stupid ship, maybe call some friends if the room had a means of communication. Gosh, she was so ready to leave! To think this had all started out by trying to help someone who never actually needed it...

Letting her aura unfurl a bit, she tasted each room as she passed, fingers trailing over the gleaming doors until she stopped and turned to one, slowly. She stared at the glowing 618 on the chrome surface for a long moment and then pressed her aura into the room tentatively.

Nothing. Nada. No one.

Slipping into the room was easy. A bit too easy. She had expected to have to fry the system a bit...

The foyer was dark until she stepped into what she assumed was a small living room. Red paper lanterns lined the walls and farther back, illuminating a pretty shoji screen that divided the room from what promised to be an amazing view of the galaxy. Her room had only had a very small bubble for a window of a terrible view. She was incredibly excited to find out what the ship was docked next to. Perhaps a waystation, a moon, or Venus? Anything would help in identifying her location.

What felt like a tatami mat greet her feet as she continued exploring; she glanced down and confirmed. The sparse light touched the surface of things just enough that she could avoid stubbing a toe - a desk here, a coat rack there, oh snap, watch out kotatsu. Kagome squeaked as she managed to catch herself on the shoji screen in her haste to avoid stepping on such a fancy piece of antique furniture. Compared to the high-tech modernity of the rest of the ship and the skimpy dollhouse theme she'd awoken to earlier, everything in this room felt very... traditional. Very tranquil.

Perhaps this room will require a geisha? Kagome pondered as she stepped around the divider, studying the artwork for a moment. She looked up and came to an abrupt halt. A tall man with a white undercut and casual business clothes stood at the far end of the room, facing the view she had been excited to see just moments before. Now? Not so much.

She mentally screeched at her luck.

Desperately hoping the man was too caught up in his thoughts to have heard her enter, Kagome made an attempt to back away quietly until a deep timbre addressed her, sounding utterly bored. 

"Is this a new game?" 

Breath hitching, Kagome froze. She had no idea what to do. She couldn't even sense this man and if she had to fight someone like that- 

"This One does not enjoy chasing what he paid for," the man said as he lift an arm and sipped from the sparkling scotch glass he was holding.

Kagome blinked. Sad as it was, it took several seconds for her to realize what exactly this man possibly could have paid for. Honestly, it should not have shocked her. She was on a brothel ship, “kidnapped and forced” into a prostitution ring... Maybe she could still run... and why did he refer to himself as - Kagome jolt back with a squeak as the man who was obviously no mere human suddenly stood before her. Strikingly handsome features, red facial tattoos, and a trim beard just as white as the rest of his hair greet her.

"Oh," Kagome laughed nervously and smoothed out her robe as if she were trying to smooth out her hammering heart. "Hey there..."

Apathetic golden eyes flit down her figure - a quick assessment - and with a quiet… grunt he leant back on his heels a fraction, swirling the contents of his glass contemplatively.

"What?" Kagome shimmied awkwardly, mentally chanting BlendInBlendInBlendIn. Play the part of flirty and seductive. Like any other employee would. She asked sweetly in a tone almost everyone appreciated hearing. Or so she was told. "You don't... You don't like?"

The center of his brow scrunched minutely but she couldn't be sure because it happened so fast, his features relaxing into nothingness not a second later. It made her feel mildly disoriented. Had she seen it or not? The man cocked his head slightly and asked, "You do not know?"

His impassivity was extremely disconcerting. Nothing she couldn't handle, though. Kagome took a deep breath to prepare herself but was unsure of what to say. What didn't she know? That she wasn't supposed to be here? Uh, duh! She was trying to work around that, though... 

As she debate with herself over how to reply correctly, the man stepped towards an end table by the wall. Without looking away from her, he waved a hand over the surface which summoned a luminescent keyboard. A touch of his finger and then a sweet, nasally voice from... somewhere spoke up. Kagome glanced around dubiously as it said, "Yes, Mr. Azai? How may I help you?"

"There seems-"

"Wait!" Kagome snapped and lunged for his arm, shoving his finger off the table. "Let's just-" The same hand was around her throat before she could finish her sentence, holding her aloft. She struggled in his hold, crawling at his forearm as she pleaded for him to understand with her eyes. The icy disdain maring his elegant features wasn't proving to be in her favor, however. Maybe she shouldn't have touched him... She squeezed her eyes shut and plead with her mouth instead, a strangled, "Please, don't! Please!" somehow making its way around the clamp on her vocal cords.

"Begging for your life?" The man snarled and then visibly inhaled as if to collect himself. Despite the tremulous situation she'd found herself in, he was thankfully ignoring the intercom voicing concern or something or another. This she could handle. But add a few others to the mix? Specifically, human others? Not so much. He finished calmly, "Your assassination attempt is utter trash. Who sent you, foolish mortal?"

"Wha-? Um," Kagome choked on her laugh and managed an incredulous expression. "Y-You're someone important?"

The look he shot her was the most serious deadpan she had ever received in her life.

Casually, as if he had all the time in the world, as if he wasn't holding someone off the floor like they weighed less than a feather, the man stepped to the side to set his glass down on the table with a light clink. Gods, this guy's stare game was strong, Kagome whispered to herself as they held one another’s gaze. The intensity of his eyes alone could cut someone in half. Not one to back down, though, Kagome wiggled her feet, fruitlessly seeking the floor as they watched one another.

Then he poised a hand over the screen.

"No!" Kagome cried out and kicked at his arm with a frenzy. The lacy ends of her robe flew up between them as she fought to keep him from ruining her escape plan. "Listen, jerk! I just-" His hand squeezed until her words were cut off. Pinpricks that burned more than they pierced alert her to the fact that this guy wasn't impressed or humbled by her pleas. Instead, he found her lacking. Weak and unworthy of keeping, even under the illusion of a good lay. 

Gritting her teeth against the pain and lack of oxygen because while Kagome was no pathetic little girl, but neither was she a fighter if she didn't have to be... she chose life over death and let a thin layer of energy sizzle under her skin. When the squeezing stopped, Kagome deemed it safe to open her eyes and simply held tightly to his arm, waiting for his next move as she took thick gulps of fresh air. 

They shared a moment of quiet deliberation. She offered a weak, friendly smile to say I don't want to hurt you, please, don't make me hurt you.

He clicked the button anyhow. 

Panic struck like lightning through her and her struggles started anew, skin heating several degrees with mounting purity until he said, "Never mind This One." 

Kagome's passionate fight left her slowly. 

When she was hanging limply once again, frankly stupefied, he hummed quietly in what sounded like approval and gently lowered her until her toes touched the cool floor.

However, he did not pull away.

Instead, his thumb slid over her jaw to push her chin to the left. Kagome blinked owlishly at the wall. What was he doing? Eyeing his next meal? Jeez. She remained still, however, waiting to see what would happen. His thumb hooked her jaw and turned her face the opposite way, long fingers sinking into her hair as he palmed the side of her neck. It was hard not to notice how large his hand was, how effortlessly he encompassed her throat, and wow, either this room was incredibly cold or this guy's body index was ridiculously feverish and he needed to see a doctor.

Restlessness manifest as an irritated huff when he picked his drink up once more and took a sip as if he weren't being the weirdest person on the planet at that very moment. Kagome paused at her own thoughts, realizing they were on a ship, not a planet, so that could, indeed, not be a major feat. Whatever. Was this guy perfectly content to just stare at her? 

In an attempt to send him a glare that would clearly let him know she was fed up with this, she tried twisting in his grip, but he held firm. She growled and dug her nails into the surprisingly soft sleeve covering his arm, not enjoying the pressure on her jaw. It was beginning to hurt! She was no above biting to get her way, but there was no telling where his hands had been.

Having enough of this strange observing with deadly claws around such a delicate area, Kagome flared her aura in warning. Their eyes clashed and she had the strangest sensation they were sizing each other up. Who could attack first, when and where, and how long would it last before one of them dealt the final blow? She could practically see the gears turning. Perhaps he was unsure of what she was and exactly what she could do to him. Maybe that's why he hadn't released her, yet. 

She would give him time to decide his fate. It was only fair. Kagome wasn't one to hurt someone for no reason.

Eventually, when he seemed to realize what was good for him, his fingers pried away one by one. She glanced at the offending body part, determined to give him a piece of her mind when the scorched, peeling flesh of his palm left her gaping. She'd actually, seriously hurt him and he wasn't even... 

The youkai pocket his flayed hand and intoned in that deep timbre of his as if nothing in the world could have bothered him at the moment, or ever, "You wish to stay?"

Caressing the irritated skin of her neck, Kagome nodded hesitantly and cleared her throat, "Yes. Um, for your troubles... I mean - I just need time to-to figure some things out, so... if you don't mind… please..."

An eyebrow a few shades darker than stark white cocked at her sputtering, but she wasn't sure what exactly she was willing to offer him in return for his silence. Certainly not what she had been expected to do earlier and certainly not what he was expecting from his guest. Surely there was something he needed. Favors were always good to have on deck. But he just gave a little hn and remained silent, not giving her any indication to whether he was or was not okay with hosting a stranger.

Kagome popped her lips and nodded awkwardly, glancing around the neigh empty room save for the bed a few feet behind the end table they stood near. She looked back at him in time to catch his gaze swept over her, the faintest crinkle lifting his nose before he turned away. He took another sip of his drink as he studied the rest of the room, gaze searching, and then gestured to the side with his glass, ordering with a simple, "Shower."

Kagome gaped at him and then exclaimed, "Look, buddy, I'll... I'll do something, but don't you go getting the wrong idea here! I'm not-"

"Bathe," he interrupted smoothly, pinning her with those intense golden pools of his once more. "Or leave my quarters. You reek," and then he elaborated when she gave him an aghast expression, "Of others."

At this, she paused, drawn to the minute wiggle of his nose. Remembered the earlier crinkle and the fact that this man wasn't human. "Oh," Kagome said lamely and gestured to her face and then point at his. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were - um -"

His eyes narrowed as if daring her to guess wrong. She clamped her mouth shut since she really had no idea and he silently nod toward the washroom once more. 

She went without complaint.

Kagome didn't want to have their scent, the memory of those grubby hands groping her, either. Could practically still feel that demon's hands between her thighs before she was forced to fry him to bits. The memory of his flesh charring to a crisp over her had her stripping as fast as possible. She braced herself against the glass door once inside the chrome stall and closed her eyes against the sharp sting of tears, shuddering with guilt under the hot spray of water. This life may be for some, but not for her. While he had not been nice or gentle or polite, she would never wish to... to just end someone's life like that. It felt awful, the way his life energy had diminished within the blink of an eye.

Because of her. A priestess. Someone holy. Who was meant to do no harm. 

If she had never bothered with this job, if she had never been here, he would still be alive. Enjoying life the way he saw fit. And whoever would have taken her place might have actually enjoyed doing so, like that woman earlier in the hallway.

Punching all of her frustrations out on the buttons on the wall until something that looked and smelled like soap came out, Kagome forced her mind to the present, enjoying the way her joints jammed from the force. There were a million little adjusters on the outside of the stall, but she had no idea what they would do once activated and she wasn't willing to risk her hide over a little curiosity. 

His idea for a shower was actually pure genius despite where her thoughts kept leading her. It gave her plenty of time to think about a game plan, of which was completely avoiding her at the moment. She supposed she could always ask to sneak out with him, but that wasn't a guarantee and what would she do once out? She still had no idea where she was. Or how to get back home. Or how to go about getting a ride to get back home. Kagome scrubbed her skin angrily at the mounting anxiety in her chest and stomach but tried to push it away. She didn't need to freak out or throw up. That would definitely stink. And hurt. And burn.

She debated taking her hair down, not really wanting to fool with drying it because of the length and how long it would take, but this youkai's olfactory capabilities seemed to be particularly sensitive and that foul bat demon had snatched a handful of her hair, so... wash it was.

When she emerged from the shower fresh and dewy and with more questions than answers, Kagome glanced around for the flimsy nightie and robe those women had stuffed her in only to realize it had been swallowed by the wall hamper thingy she'd laid it over because for some reason this place didn’t have hooks. She knew this because said hamper was no longer protruding from the wall. A smooth, gray panel was in its place. 

What in Kami's name is wrong with this place?! Why is everything so high-tech? She raged to herself for several minutes as she busied with scrunching her hair until the majority of the water had been absorbed.

Wrapping the damp towel around herself, she randomly pressed a handful of buttons on the wall that made strobe lights flash and music thump for a few seconds before the door opened. Peeking around the edge, she spot the youkai crouched on the floor near the large wall-window, staring out at the galaxies horizon of clusters and stars and the stray ship zipping by on the IGI belt. She wasn’t quite sure how she had expected to find him, but his meditative state was jarring, amplifying the traditional Asian aesthetic against the cyberpunk backdrop. 

Unsure as to why, but Kagome had the sudden assumption that this man was an incredibly old youkai if his taste in decor said anything. And he seemed to be quite introspective with nothing occupying him but his... whiskey? Perhaps it was some kind of sake if the theme was consistent?

Poor guy, he looked homesick.

"Um... sir?"

Said youkai tipped his head in her direction, ambient light highlighting an elven ear and dark red stripes along his cheekbones but otherwise remaining silent. She knew she had his attention, though. "Um... I'm sorry to ask this, but the hamper ate my clothes and I don't... have anything else... to-to wear... Um-"

"That is This One's problem, how?" He drawled.

Kagome's jaw dropped at his rudeness. To be royalty, according to his speech, he sure was acting the part of a pompous asshole! She nearly squealed, "I am not coming out naked!"

The demon glanced over his shoulder unseeingly. "No?"

"No!"

A faint smirk quirked the corner of his mouth before he turned back to his view and sipped his drink, effectively making it not his problem.

Air huffed through her teeth via an aggravated exhale as she spun and crossed her arms tightly over her chest. She refused! Like hell would she waltz around naked. She would wait in the bathroom for as long as she had to. Until something came to her aid. Yeah! Or she would just suffer in this stupid towel. 

Her bloody luck this rescue mission was turning out. Why she had let Sango talk her into doing this, Kagome would never know.

After several minutes of fuming and thinking all sorts of nasty things, something caught the corner of her eye and she turned to see a pale hand offering white fabric on two clawed fingers. He wiggled his fingers impatiently when she didn't immediately take it.

"Oh. Thanks..." Kagome muttered as her chest prickled with embarrassment. He was being nice now... and she had wished something close to death upon him... Darn.

Shrugging the white button-up over her shoulders, Kagome hummed contentedly at the warm, cozy feeling that wrapped around her. It smelt amazing! Like the forest back home and something nutty, like pecans, maybe? And was this suede? Or some type of bamboo velour? No way. Couldn't be. This was probably the softest material to touch her skin in days. Weeks. Months. Heck, she didn't even own anything this soft! Which was saying something. She loved furr.

When she stepped out, she realized why it smelled so good. The youkai had offered her the shirt right off his back. Her jaw dropped again and a blush burned up her neck as she stared at the way his muscles moved in his back while he walked away. He wasn't bulky by any means, instead, carrying the kind of compressed muscle tone one could only form through a consistent fitness routine. Black slacks and a belt wrapped around his lower half accenting trim, cut hips and an ass she would die for. The only word that came to her mind was solid. 

She was so stunned she couldn’t even muster the urge to reprimand herself for ogling. Like… why? Why be so nice after…? 

The youkai stopped at the corner bar by the large window to fix himself another glass and Kagome couldn't help but follow his movements, eyeing the smooth cords that flexed in his forearm. And to know all of this had been hidden under a layer of fabric so soft. Kagome was uncomfortable with how attractive and naked and - and she suddenly wished he hadn't been so nice. Yep. Super awkward now. 

Mid pour he looked over to see her still standing in front of the washroom and asked dryly, "Does this offend you, as well?"

"No - No, I just..." Kagome ducked her head and rubbed her hands together beneath sleeves that were much too long for her arms. "I didn't expect - I mean - I thought you had a spare or - or something else. I'm sorry. I didn't want to take your only shirt."

He watched her for a moment as he capped the crystal jar and returned it to its resting place, but otherwise remained silent. Kagome looked around, trying to avoid staring at the red accents marking every end of his body in the most symmetrical pattern she'd ever seen on someone. It was different from natural animal print. But if he was a youkai... Was he born that way or were they tattoos? She couldn't tell. She, also, could not stop staring. 

Gods, this was so awkward.

"Are - Are you sure there's nothing else to wear around here? I mean, I feel bad," Kagome mumbled at the floor and shifted her weight. "This suede is really nice... I'd hate to ruin it, you know."

The youkai continued to watch her for another uncomfortable few seconds before he stroked his beard thoughtfully and said, "Perhaps you are more heathen than previously assumed."

"Heathen?" Kagome scoffed and shot him a funny look. "What makes you say that?"

Pocketing his hand, he turned to face her fully and said, "Suede comes from leather, woman. This One wears no such thing."

"Okay, youkai," Kagome quipped sassily with a roll of her eyes, fighting back a smile as she said, "Whatever. My bad. It's not suede." 

His royal speech was amusing. It was too exact and surprisingly comical despite his stoicism. It bordered between dry sarcasm and formality. She couldn't tell which was more. They eyed each other until Kagome grew impatient and approached, waving her hand in a roundabout gesture. "Well then?"

An eyebrow arched quizzically for a moment before he lift his chin in silent askance.

She said, "What kind of fabric is it? You can't be a pompous turd and then not tell me."

There was a pause, his mouth twitched, and then he asked slowly, "Is that so?"

"Yep,” she replied, popping the p. Kagome stopped a few feet away and crossed her arms, watching his mouth, waiting for an answer. When it never came, she looked up to see what this guy's problem was. They just stared at one another. Eventually, she had to forcefully avert her eyes because they were drifting to other areas... Trying to hide her face, she turned away as she tucked a wet curl behind her ear.

Well, isn't he a quiet one? Kagome desperately needed to talk, build some kind of repertoire with this guy, something, otherwise, she'd go insane. She rolled her eyes and cocked a hip.

"Okay, whatever, you want me to guess, I get it," she sighed forlornly and peeked up at him. He remained silent, neither giving her any indication she was correct or amused by her playfulness. Forging on, she rubbed the material between her fingertips and studied the way it almost... tingled against her skin. A shiver raced through her. Super weird. Must be some fancy youkai material. When she looked back up and he still hadn't responded, she finished, "It kind of feels like... I dunno... Velvet or something. I've never felt something like this before."

"Rest assured, you have not," he finally replied and angled slightly to take in the horizon.

Blue eyes drug helplessly over the whipcord that made up his body. Gods, he was so... How did someone even get that lean? And the vision he made just standing there, relaxed as ever, watching the skyline. She lingered on the shimmering trail of white hair disappearing under the waistband of his slacks. It was kind of unfair how pretty he was. Then she abruptly glanced up in that odd way people do when they feel they're being watched. He caught her, watching her for only a moment over the rim of his glass as he took a sip before his eyes slid away without comment.

"No need to be so secretive about it," she tutted a little too late and swayed on the spot. This was getting awkward. He wasn't interested in talking. Or doing anything for that matter. Too bad. "Where can I get it then? Venus, maybe? They have cool plant fibers..." she commented absently, refusing to look up at him when his attention turned back to her, pretended to eye the detail to the thread and stitch on his sleeve. His gaze was a heavy thing, impossible not to feel, and apparently, she no longer had control over her own eyes, so...

"You cannot."

Kagome rolled her eyes and said with a smile, "Okay, Mr. I-Own-Everything. What about something like it?"

"There is no other like it," he stated simply and she could hear the ice clinking in his glass as he swished it.

It pulled her attention up and then she frowned grumpily at him. "Fine then," she snipped and thrust the sleeves out. "How much would you like for it? I might as well buy it since you won't be getting it back until I find more clothes."

The youkai side-eyed her for a minute and then he said, "It is not for sale." His tone obviously brooked no discussion, but Kagome was ever the stubborn person and she prided herself in that fact. It helped her deal with Inuyasha.

"Oh, come on!" Kagome cried and hopped closer to grin up at him. "Don't be stingy. Hook a girl up!"

He seemed to hesitate as he looked down at her, pondering something. Then, smoothing a hand over his beard once, he closed the gap to lift the collar of his shirt with a claw. He asked dryly, "Hook?"

Chewing on her lip as she eyed the vein running up his forearm, Kagome eventually met his gaze once again and then her face split into another grin. His stoic expression threw off his sense of humor, or maybe it was just right for it, but she was beginning to catch on. It was subtle and incredibly dry. She poked his bicep right on the bright stripes there and said with a smile, "You're funny."

"Hn," He lift his chin a fraction and she watched him appraise his sweater. On her. Was he... checking her out? Woah, the temperature in the room just went up a few degrees. Kagome curled her toes against cool wood as she watched him watching her. When he met her eyes once more, he offered his glass and said, "Hook This One up and perhaps a deal may be struck."

"Alrighty," she wiggled in excitement and glanced at his glass. "How may I be of assistance, Oh Cool One?"

He seemed to glower at her, but honestly, it was hard to tell. She felt the mood shift more than anything. Instead of airing his irritations, though, he simply inhaled and instructed, "Do as you did earlier."

"Er," Kagome pursed her lips and twist back and forth shyly. "What do you mean?"

"Electrify the contents in this glass," he explained.

She stared at him for a moment and then at the glass until it dawned on her and a hand reached for her throat impulsively. "Oh! You mean when you grabbed me and I... Um, that wasn't... electricity. That - That was..." How would he react if he knew exactly what she was? Sure, knowing she could take him was one thing, but to know how… to know why... While Kagome ruminate on that, she took notice that he was patient, retracting his offer and standing silently. He seemed content with watching her for the moment. Kagome shook her bangs back and shrugged, looking away to avoid his penetrating gaze. It didn't help, unfortunately.

He thankfully took pity on her before she could ruin everything and said mildly, "Specifics do not matter, woman. Do it again."

Taking a decisive breath, Kagome shook back the sleeves to reveal her hands and gathering energy, gently cupped the bottom of the glass and tried to push her power into it. However, there was nothing to purify, just as there had been nothing to singe on her kidnapper, so what he was asking of her wouldn't work. Good thing, too, otherwise she was sure more security measures would have been enforced on her count. She pulled away and bit her lip with no small amount of remorse. "I can't. It's just glass."

There was a quiet moment. They stared at one another. And then, "You require contact..." the youkai formed and executed the words slowly as if he loathed admitting ignorance. "With another life form," he stated after another pause and swirled the contents as he pondered this. Then an eyebrow twitched and he held it out once more, expectantly. "Stir it."

Kagome blanched. "You're drinking something alive?"

He nearly scoffed, but she saw the restraint. So introverted, she mused as he said, "This is brewed and distilled from various plants... and youkai," he added, "In a way, it is alive... As all things are." He gave her a once over as if assessing for himself and asked condescendingly, "Does one such as you not consume live plants to sustain a healthy life force?"

"Of course!" Kagome giggled disbelievingly. "I've just never encountered youkai alcohol before. I had no idea it was even a thing..." she trailed off wistfully, leaning to peer into his glass as if she'd find an eyeball floating in it. She glanced up at him and said, "You're sure you want me to stick my finger in your drink? That's kind of unhygienic, you know."

The youkai smirked and stroked his beard as he pointed out, "You are freshly bathed, are you not?"

"I could be sick or infected and you'd never know," Kagome sang, waving a dainty finger at him.

He stepped right into her poke with a kind of deadly swagger and brushed a claw down the bridge of his nose. He murmured, "You are... very clean. This One knows."

With a roll of her eyes, because she'd rather laugh and oblige him this simple task than think about how much he was turning her on with that low voice of his and that dry humor and his intense eyes and just... Taking a deep breath, she stirred the amber-colored liquid with her middle finger and sucked the moisture from her finger. They trade a glance and she swallowed. She hadn't intended to make that look so... seductive. 

Those intense pools of gold lingered on her mouth for a moment. 

After taking another sip, the youkai licked his bottom lip and rolled the flesh between his teeth slowly. The way his extended canines pressed into the soft flesh of his lip held her attention and she could not stop staring. Thank Buddha he wasn't looking at her to notice. His gaze was cast down, not quite at the floor but not quite eye-level as he observed the way her power affected him. It had to burn something fierce, but he wasn't wincing or choking. 

In fact, he seemed completely at ease except for the minute crease in his brow and that only seemed to be an expression of concentration. The bob of his adam's apple was mildly hypnotizing and her finger ghost down the column of her throat absently, wondering what youkai alcohol would taste like. It had been bitter, the small bit she'd tasted on her finger, but also surprisingly sweet, too. Like peaches. And... cinnamon?

So, it wasn't sake...

He held out his drink and she obeyed his silent request, stunned. This youkai was weird. He actually liked it. He wanted more.

They stood like that for a long while, quietly trading power and sips, and after becoming eerily familiar with the purple vein that traveled the length of his forearm from him stroking his beard for what seemed like the umpteenth time, Kagome knew she had to move. She had to get some space, some fresh air, something. Mostly because she was feeling things she shouldn't and it was disturbing. Honestly, if only she had underwear on she might feel better about this whole situation, but every time she shifted her weight she could feel the dampness between her thighs.

It was getting on her nerves.

When she discreetly rubbed them together, seriously debating the pros and cons of running down the hall just to get away from this weird tension, his gaze trailed up her figure and it made her hot all over. It felt the same way honey stuck to the skin and that train of thought had her imagining him licking honey off of her. She swallowed, stuck in his stare. 

"So?" Kagome prompted after a deep, steadying breath. "What's it like? What did you taste?"

The youkai inhaled as if to prepare a speech, his chest expanding with the action, but then he shot her a look and dropped his gaze. He cocked his head much like a canine and after running his tongue over his fangs, he murmured, "You taste... zesty."

Their eyes met on the last word and Kagome froze, wide-eyed and wished the floor would open up and swallow her right then and there. What was happening?! This couldn't be happening. He hadn't said, "your power taste zesty" he'd said you. And that look. As in... Because his sense of smell was... And she didn't have on...

A blush burned at her cheeks and she crossed her arms tightly over her chest. No way. He couldn't. That was ridiculous. Except Inuyasha always complained about all sorts of bodily odors she emit - sweat, ovulation, whenever she took a public transport, mensies, whenever she got the flu - and he had the finest nose outside of Koga’s pack and all her friends that she knew of. And if this guy... 

Swallowing around the lump in the back of her throat, Kagome turned to study the rest of the room. Honestly, she wasn't appreciating the view enough. She should do something about that. How ungrateful of her! To ignore this beautiful scenery!

Moving toward the pile of pillows situated in what looked to be a sitting area, Kagome bit the inside of her lip at the soft graze of her thighs each time she stepped. The heat. Gods, this was ridiculous. She didn't even know him! She was not going to pimp herself out like these people wanted her to! For free, at that. This guy already had someone coming to take care of those needs. And she definitely wasn't it. Nor would she hurry the process along for him.

Veering toward the floor-length window instead, because she was suddenly too antsy to sit down, Kagome hugged herself tightly and forced herself to focus on the situation at hand. She needed to worry about how to get off this dang ship. What could she do? How was she going to get off of this godforsaken ship and make it home? Something, anything, to take her mind off of the weird youkai distracting her with his weird kinks. 

"You are troubled." His voice was quiet and rumbling from farther behind her and it was incredibly comforting that he noticed. She could also tell it was more of a question than a statement.

With a put upon sigh, Kagome confessed, "I'm not sure how to get off this ship."

"This One suggests precisely the way you arrived," he advised after a moment.

Kagome couldn't help the humorous smile she sent him over her shoulder. He was fishing for details without asking and it was cute. "That's not possible. If I did that, I would never leave."

There was silence and she accepted this, thankful she wasn't looking at him anymore, but also uncomfortably aware that her back was turned to this dangerous stranger. She picked at her nails, wondering how to face him without actually having to face him. If she had to look at his shirtlessness one more time, she might end up jumping his bones. She could practically feel the heavy stare on her back and it was beginning to itch.

When he spoke next, he was much closer without having made a sound. She jolt, a hand over her heart to calm it's racing thrum as he asked carefully, "You are in service?"

"No!" She snapped over her shoulder and wiggled irritably when she turned forward once more. With a huff, she said, "I was kidnapped. On purpose. To help someone. Don't get it twisted."

"Hn." And then a glass was making its way around her. The inches between them were enhanced somehow, as if precisely because they weren't touching. 

She complied easily, throwing a coy look over her shoulder to see a glimpse of tight pale skin stretching over the muscle of his shoulder. She turned forward, biting her lip, belatedly realizing she should not have done that. "Why do you like this? Do you even know what it's doing to you?"

He was close enough that wisps of white hair tickled her temple. A warm exhale of cinnamon and peaches ghost down her neck and her head tilt to the side of its own accord, enjoying the warmth at her backside. "Yes, Miko," he said softly. "This One knows."

His exact words hit her like a sack of bricks at the same time their eyes met in their reflection. She panicked. They were so close. Why had she let him so close? Straightening, she brushed damp hair behind her ear and cringed when her voice shook as she said, "You, um, you didn't answer my first question."

There was a pause before his arm wrapped around her, this time grazing her ribcage, silently demanding her tricks again. Biting her lip to fight back a smile, Kagome simply curled her toes against the cold floor and wait. Why should she answer him when he wouldn't answer her? Silly man. Obviously, he didn't know how things worked.

She jolt when he nosed her head impatiently, but simply responded with a sassy brow at their reflection. "Ladies first, youkai. I asked a question."

His presence seemed to grow heavier by the second with Kagome feeling confused as to why it was getting hard to breathe. That is, until she realized he was trying to intimidate her. Kagome clicked her tongue with a roll of her eyes, easily pushing back against the suffocating aura. What a bully. Just like Inuyasha.

The low hn that rumbled deep in his chest at a frequency that was most certainly not human was her only answer for several seconds. He seemed to make this when he didn't feel like gracing her with words and Kagome smiled, quite prepared to be just as stubborn until he asked with a  hint of irritation, "Why does one enjoy anything?"

"You can't answer my question with a question," Kagome retort hotly.

"No?" His murmur vibrate in her ear.

With a pitching giggle, Kagome stepped to the side to get away from the tickling sensation, but a firm hand met her hip, halting her. She seized with the action. The realization dawned on her with that gentle, but steady hold that she had somehow initiated a dangerous game of cat and mouse with this predator at some point. And he didn't seem to care about rules or social norms considering his... interests. As courteous as he had been until now, she wasn't sure if she wanted to play along with wherever this was going. 

Sure, he was hot. But would he really keep his word and help her?

Kagome spun into his arm to face him, eyeing him curiously to see if she could figure out the answer herself since he was going to be obtuse. 

The pale blue crescent moon at the center of his forehead was bright against the paleness of his skin, as was the magenta stripes at his cheekbones. Feral pupils, aristocratic nose and the opalescent gleam in his beard was ethereal, otherworldly, and not for the first time did she wonder exactly what species he hailed from. Elves, maybe? There was no doubt this youkai was royalty in some part of the universe, and extremely powerful to boot. The fact that she hadn't even felt a life form in the room at first spoke volumes. He could probably destroy whole planets if he wanted to... not a soul around who could touch him if she'd felt even an inkling of how strong he was earlier. 

Suffocating her with his mere presence. To be so strong, so untouchable...

It was this train of thought that guided her, recalled his lack of reaction to a singed hand, his interest in the way her power tasted on his tongue, how unafraid he had been even when she revealed herself. There had only ever been curiosity. He wanted a challenge and he had somehow found one. In her.

As the answer came to her, a slow smile grew on her face. She stated succinctly, "You're a masochist."

The youkai looked down his nose at her, but she could see the heat in his eyes. That little saying about the eyes being the windows to the soul really was true in this youkai's case because nothing but that and his tone ever was ever given away. He said haughtily, "A priestess of your caliber could never hope to outmatch This One. You have yet to inflict severe pain."

"That's because I wasn't intending to, silly," Kagome giggled up at him as she swayed. Oh, how she could. And that's why he liked it, whether he would admit it or not.

A white eyebrow quirked as he stepped closer and asked, "Were you not forced to protect yourself from This One's wrath, Miko? Perhaps another example is in order."

Kagome could have snorted at his speech but hid it behind one of his velvety sleeves. Maybe if she hadn't been looking at his face or had their previous conversation in mind, she might have thought he was serious. Alas, "You are correct, Oh Cool One," she replied easily and fluttered her lashes, "but I wasn't trying to hurt you. I just wanted some space, you know."

Head cocked curiously, reminding her of a canine again, his smoldering gaze dipped between them briefly and then he murmured, "And now?"

Kagome faltered and blinked, realizing they were nearly standing toe to toe having this conversation. She hadn't backed away from him and he had only gotten closer. Suddenly, those heated looks and his predatory swagger made sense. How he'd practically inhaled her. Her stomach bottomed out as she realized he may want a taste of Miko. And not just via his cup. He was drinking the lives of other youkai... what was to stop him from distilling her?

"Are you... Are you going to eat me?" She whispered outrageously and stepped back, defensively balling her hands in the sleeves of his sweater between them as if this would protect her.

Something dark flashed through his eyes before his lids slid half-mast and he said, "Perhaps."

"W-What? But why? I'll keep stirring your drink, I promise!" Fear lurched in her throat and she stepped back quickly, only to hit the tempered glass behind her. "There's no need for all-"

Following her movement fluidly to keep the intimacy, his nose twitched minutely, and then he addressed very valid concerns, "For how long? Until this One tires of you? And what then, Little Miko?"

He stalked forth another step to press against her, all the intimidating presence of an animal on the hunt. She slid to the side against the glass, aiming to slip around him, but he propped an arm casually against the glass as if he hadn't meant to block her path. When she tried scooting through the other side, his arm was there, melting the empty cup in his hand.

Kagome gasped at the sight. What the crap! She glared up at him and bared her teeth, growling, "I can... I can take you! I don't want to hurt you, but d-don't underestimate me, youkai!"

"This One counts on it." The man gave his very first feral grin, fangs and all. The next second he held her against the glass eye-level with two handfuls of her hips, his face pressed into the apex of her legs. A bit dumbly, she watched his shoulders rise as he took a deep breath and a thick, rumbling growl came with his exhale.

"Ahhhoo, gods!" Kagome shouted and trembled at the sharp sensation of heat it had pooling between her thighs. Gods, he was a living, breathing vibrator!

Shouting weak objections despite them both knowing she could fry his face off at any second, she pushed and kneed at him, but it only seemed to give him more space to lodge his shoulders between her legs. Holding her up with one hand, he grabbed the back of her thigh with the other and forced her leg up and out, feverish skin pressed against the cool glass.  

"Oh, f-fuck!" Kagome gasped at the wet, open kiss of his mouth and tried to shut her thighs against his head, hands and legs squirming as she fought to dislodge him, but he hardly budged. "S-Stop! Wha-" Her complaint turned into a pitching wail as he gave a tortuous lap from her asshole, over her entrance, to the soft tuft of curls up top, dragging beautifully over her heated flesh. 

A throaty rumble vibrate her lower half as he repeated the action. If he wasn't forcing his affections on her, Kagome might have assumed those growls were bad, but he was nuzzling into her quite happily. Something cool and smooth replaced the rough texture of his tongue. Jerking her head down, Kagome whined breathlessly at seeing him nuzzle her folds apart as if he were looking for something. He lapped at her again, closed his lips around her clit and - and she screamed. He sucked without preamble, feeling her body draw taut and shaky at the sensations crashing through her. 

Futilely, she tugged at his white hair and twisted her hips in his grip until she was twisting into him. The hand holding her thighs open seared over the swell of her ass, pressing the tips of his fingers into her skin roughly as he trailed up her hips to grip her waist tightly, taking the sweater with him. 

With a soft moan, Kagome pushed into his hand, hoping for more touches like that. That was nice. And then the other smacked her ass, hard, the echo in the chamber and the sharp pain a stark contrast to his previous action. This strange youkai looked up from between her legs panting, golden eyes luminescent and tinting red, nose and chin dripping with her juices and demand she energize her pussy. 

Kagome had never seen or heard anything like it. She almost fainted with the overwhelming emotions and sensations coursing through her.

As he ate at her again, devouring her core like he'd forgotten how to breathe and was using her as a ventilator, she'd almost forgotten that she even had a way to fight him. Kagome whimpered at the ceiling, gripping his hair and struggling to maintain his wishes. Really, if this was all he wanted... Her power wavered dangerously under her skin, but the control was weak and she lost it as soon as he sucked her clit again. 

Sharp fangs indent the soft flesh at the top of her mound where he snarled, shoulders vibrating her thighs with... disapproval? And then he nipped her there harshly. Gasping and bucking against the sharp pain he inflicted, Kagome glared down at his white head, outraged because did he seriously just bite her? His head snapped up as if he'd felt the power of her glare and bared bloody fangs, red eyes glaring right back at her. A ravenous aura flared beneath her and she felt it like a hot, acidic blanket that burned at her skin. Her only thought was, woah, big boy coming through. It nearly suffocate her with it's intensity and her own rose up to bat, naturally refusing dominion over her being by the very thing she was genetically built to wage war against.

Sharp nips pinched along the inside of her thighs, every single one drawing blood, but she hardly felt it under the strain of battling against him. When he began sucking at the bites like he was trying to give her hickeys, or drinking her blood like a vampire, she brushed her fingers through his soft hair, thankful for the reprieve. 

"Control yourself, miko," he pressed his mouth into a bite near the crux of her thigh, voice coming out more gravel than the smooth timbre he had earlier. She wondered if she was singeing his vocal cords with the sheer amount of holy energy coursing through her at the moment or if he was really just that into eating her out.

"I'm trying! It's hard! I've never done this before," she whined and then snatched at the fistful of hair weaved between her fingers. "And screw you, buddy! You didn't even ask first!"

He rolled his shoulders under her thighs, situating her weight more comfortably, and quite deftly ignored her manhandling and bossy attitude. With a quick glance up at her, his thumb swept over her entrance. Her hips bucked instinctively in anticipation as he repeated the motion. When he nuzzled into her curls and growled softly, all while maintaining eye contact, the way he was looking at her and the way his thumb was moving slowly... She wasn't sure why she understood him to be asking this time. She just did.

Kagome massaged his scalp as she caught her breath, thinking it over for only a second. She bit her lip and nod, a small, "Please..." escaping her when he didn't move.

"Say it,” he rasped. The words were spoken against her womanhood, the light brush of his lips and the soft graze of his beard against the inside of her thighs making her pant. She wiggled closer and he pulled away, refusing her. Damn it, why did she have to say anything?

"Please," she shut her eyes tightly and arched pitifully against him. "I want it. I want you to...to..."

His hand curled, claws raking over her skin to make a fist and pressed the back of his knuckles into her instead of the fingers she was hoping for. Kagome mewled quietly at the barely there intrusion, walls clenching uselessly, but coating his hand in fresh juice and allowing him to glide back and forth. That must have been what he was aiming for because he practically purred and licked a small trail of blood dripping down her thigh before pressing a gentle kiss to her clit. She bucked against his mouth and equally soft, scratchy beard and he obliged her silent request, sucking the sensitive bud into his mouth and looking up at her.

"Oh, oh, s-shut up..." Her moan pitched high as she watched his eyes smile at her. "Jerk."

Eventually, strong, steady fingers slipped in knuckle by knuckle, scissoring slowly. Demonic, dilated pupils watched her expression as he idly flicked her clit with his tongue, devouring the way she enjoyed stretching around him. She shut her eyes against the intense black hole that was his gaze and gasped, body shivering until his fingers were thoroughly soaked and pumping. Kagome couldn't stop bucking into his hand, and good god, the sounds she was making! She felt so hot and embarrassed. She knew she was loud in bed, but this room was too big...

Unable to take it any longer after she wailed so loud it echoed in the chamber, Kagome bit the back of her hand with a soft whine and watched him pillow his head on her thigh to watch his ministrations.

When her consistency of power waned, he made sure to give sharp retribution to the inside of her thighs. The action made quick work of bringing her back to her task. A cool nose nuzzled through the trimmed patch of curls where he growled softly when she obeyed, tongue rolling against her clit soothingly. It was quite a contrast, but she was learning. 

Her stomach twisted and tightened at the hooded expression he wore as he ate at her. He looked absolutely enthralled. She wanted him to suck her clit again, but she didn't know how to ask for it. She'd never had anyone do that before. Dear god, why had she never had anyone do that before!

Gripping his hair, she pressed his face against her and wiggled. She felt him smirk against her lips before proceeding with her wishes. Kagome choked on her wail as he slurped the bud between his lips and held it between his teeth, flicking his tongue against her in time with each deep stroke of his fingers. "Oh, gods, yes! Yes, yes, yes!" She cried to the ceiling.

Desperate for more touch - anywhere, everywhere - Kagome drug a hand up her chest and tangled in her hair. How she wanted to be closer to him. When he angled his head and used the tip of his tongue to carefully press her clit against one of his fangs as he sucked, Kagome went still, eyes rolling back, toes curling at the sensation skittering through her body. That’s when she finally noticed his fingers had curled slightly and rubbed at her front wall, probing for something. His wrist twist up just right and she promptly jolt at the strange sensation. Is that my- 

Then, she shattered.

The rippling tide that had steadily knocked through her as she strained to balance her aura - to keep from purifying him, but to maintain that right amount of voltage he wanted - it was all suddenly a tsunami sweeping through her. She felt like a lamp light humming away and eventually exploding, shards hitting the walls, and for a moment she swore she could hear the tinkling sound of it hitting the floor. That was just her voice box breaking, though.

Without even realizing her vision had blacked out, Kagome sluggishly blinked the colors of the room back into existence. The stroke of a warm tongue cleaning her thighs drew her attention back to the youkai between her thighs and she jerked in his grasp, hissing a breath in through her teeth at how sensitive everything became within seconds. She had never had to maintain that powerful surge during an orgasm before. This guy was crazy! And he apparently was not stopping either...

A comforting rumble filled the vast room, vibrating the peach fuzz on her face and arms and down to her bones it was so dense, but she couldn't tell if he was pleased with her or himself. Slouching against the glass, Kagome sighed contentedly. Whatever kind of noise this guy was making felt so soothing, it really didn't matter. Nothing mattered but how great it felt. She was a puddle of goo until the urge to say, to know his name before he made her come all over his face again rose up within her as he slowly worked her up again, but realized she didn't know it. 

With a pout, Kagome tugged on his silky hair to gain his attention. The youkai glared up at her as if he were angry at the distraction and nipped her folds gently. She bit her lip as she gazed down at him, pleased that while he wasn't happy about it, his attention was where it should be. Her thumbs swept across his eyebrows and down over the velvety stripes that were definitely not tattoos. It seemed to be his skin, just a different type of flesh, and she felt him moan quietly, watched his eyelids droop as he held her gaze.

"Name," she whispered and bucked as he put pressure on her clit with his thumb while he stroked his fingers to find that beautiful spot inside her again. She shuddered and nearly closed her eyes again. "I w-want your stupid name, youkai."

This wicked man had the nerve to pull away completely, flash a devious grin and lick his lips before finally, finally introducing himself. "You may call This One Sesshoumaru."

"Oh," she gasped, because gods did that sound familiar but she was in no position to think properly, and trembled atop his shoulders as the pads of his fingers found her nirvana once again and didn't let up this time. 

"S-Sessh - aah!" Her mouth opened wide, head smacking against the glass behind her as he dipped and sucked at her clit furiously once more, golden eyes laughing at her as she burst at the seams. Again. 

She didn't bother stressing over purifying him this time because as she imagined those golden orbs of his behind closed eyes, his identity hit her. And she let his smug ass have it.

Sesshoumaru, the killing perfection… and Inuyasha’s evil, older half-brother. He was certainly killing this.