Due to an age difference Kikyo and Kaede didn't always see eye to eye about everything. Kikyo needed her older cousin, because she was her key into networking with the contacts she needed to reenter the work force without turning her family name into something ordinary, but it was difficult with the constant critism she received.

Kaede grew up in a fishing village off the coast, married young to an aspiring business man, and successfully raised three daughters who'd all married. Kikyo was the daughter of a drug addict lawyer, who married into the Higurashi family to escape watching her previous family destroy itself. She had two unruly daughters, and didn't believe in putting any restrictions on them.

It was Kaede's suggestion that led to Kagome being forced to have a curfew and forced to stay indoors, because if steps hadn't been taken Kaede would continue to question if she were a horrible mother or not. Kagome couldn't take the blame for her own mistakes under this roof.

The only thing that the two really agreed about when it came to the oldest Higurashi daughter was that one day she would be married to Sesshoumaru Murashu.

The two didn't do anything other than glare and argue with each other in public, and Kagome still believed she was dating Kouga, but the two were barely seen apart.

"They will have beautiful children," Kaede noted over coffee.

"His a bit older than her," Kikyo responded quite worried about Kagome's next move, "and I think she's just using him to hangout downtown whenever she wants."

Kaede shook her head, "I know Sesshoumaru, he won't let her take advantage of him and its rare that he invests his time into anything that isn't work. They'll be engaged by the end of the month."

"Still seems fishy. She's not his type and they went out last night and she's still not back."

"Back to drinking? Where else would they go that late at night?"

"Making an idiot of myself," Kagome came in yawning looking for her coffee, "worst night ever."

"I thought your mother gave you a curfew," Kaede rose an eyebrow, "going soft already Kikyo?"

"Sesshoumaru seems responsible so she can do what she wants. Not like she has anywhere to be the next morning, so what's wrong Kagome?"

"Sesshoumaru only has one arm," Kagome answered.

"Yes," Kaede responded, "he list it a few years ago in a car accident."

"Did you know mom?"

Kikyo nodded before answering in a mocking tone, "I had an idea when I noticed that one of his arms were fake. You seriously didn't notice?"

She shook her head, "The fake arm looks and acts so real I didn't even notice it when he played the piano."

Or Guitar Hero for that matter.

Last night they went to a gaming bar, something Kagome had never seen before prior to living in Tokyo. Though they'd been hanging out for only a few days a little Guitar Hero to start off the night became a pattern.

"Still on medium?" Kagome smiled stretched her fingers out on the buttons, "get better already so we can play against each other."

It was hard to contain a laugh at the sight of him glaring at the small plastic guitar that he had strapped around him, "This skill doesn't get you anywhere in life therefore it doesn't matter."

"Then why do you keep trying to play? Admit it you just want to be better than me in every way shape and form."

He shook his head, "I just need some entertainment, and since you don't drink this is all we have."

"There is always dance dance revolution."

A small growl erupted from him, "Don't test me. It's rather difficult to get to the orange button when there are only four fingers. It's a different stretch than it is on the piano, but I'll go against you. You barely make it through a song on that level."

Kagome nodded ready for a challenge as she went into multi-player.

Sesshoumaru was still unsure about Kagome Higurashi and what to do with her. She was indeed entertaining to him and not a drunk skank like he thought she would be, but was she right for him? There was no question about it, that if he wanted to marry Kagome would it happen with no bumps in the road, but could she take care of his household and future children?

Still, there was something about her that told him she would be his sure thing.

"It will be left up to fate," he told himself.

Guitar Hero would solve everything for him. If she managed to beat him, which was highly possible since she had more experience on him on a higher level, it meant that he would have to continue his search for a bride, but if he could beat her than destiny demanded he make her his.

"What song?" she asked moving through the list.

"I don't care," he muttered not really being a fan of any of the music on this damn game.

"Freebird it is," Kagome cheered selecting the song for the whole purpose of torturing Sesshoumaru during the longest song in the game.

He rolled his eyes, because this had been the third time she did this, but that only gave him more of a chance. Already the stupid orange button was causing trouble for him as he was already missing notes, but Kagome was doing the same just because she was bad.

"So when did you learn how to play this stupid game?" he asked.

"A lot of parties," Kagome made that clear.

Kagome still had a thing for Kouga, and hadn't given up on him yet. She didn't even think about Sesshoumaru as an option at all for right now, he was her escort and gaming partner, so she never felt compelled to lie or change anything about herself around him.

"How hard do you party?" he continued to ask slowly recovering his score and getting some star power to later activate.

Within this long song Kagome told him everything. She told him about the reputation she managed to create for herself and all the things she did to live up to it by drinking her nights away and once in a while doing whatever drug was offered to her. After talking about all the dark stuff she managed to lighten it up with telling him her goals to stay sober and live her life that way until some money came in.

"You don't seem sober," he noted when her score began to fall really bad, "your almost done Higurashi."

She started to get really angry as he was finally beating her, and at a higher level than he was used to. There was a reason Kagome hadn't played too many games in her life before her party days, and that was because she was a really bad sport.

"STOP IT!" she kept yelling as she tried to keep focused to get into the lead again.

He smiled when he lifted his guitar to activate his star power, which led to her not having a chance against him, and they were approaching the end of the game. He was beating her at one of the hardest songs at a level he'd never played, so it looked like Kagome Higurashi was destined to be his.

"NOT FAIR!" she pouted when he won before she hit him in the arm.

It was almost like all the sound in the room stopped when the clank of an artificial arm hitting the ground could be heard.

"It was embarrassing," Kagome pouted to Kikyo, "me and my stupid sportsmanship ruins everything."

"It's a really expensive arm," Kikyo glared, "all I can say is that you better not have broke it? That thing is state of the art, I don't even know if it can be replaced."

"How much it costs is all you can think about? Mom I think I quit this whole socialite thing, and I'm ready to go work in a drive-thru for the rest of my life! Anyone there that I was close to making friends with now knows how stupid the Higurashi's are. See ya whatever reputation we had left!"

Kikyo rolled her eyes, "Stop being over dramatic. What happened next? That doesn't explain where you've been this whole time."

"I walked home and got lost."

Kaede almost spit out her coffee, "He left you? That doesn't seem like Sesshoumaru."

She shook her head, "I pretty much ran away I was so embarrassed, and I- uh...got lost."

Kagome didn't even tell her family the true story about what happened, but only a half truth. Indeed after slipping away from Sesshoumaru due to embarrassment she attempted to walk home. Her escort was fully aware she never had cash in her pocket, and therefore always paid for everything without ever expecting a thank-you, so there was no chance when it came to getting a taxi.

"Look at this slut," a clearly intoxicated man from the bar laughed as he followed her, "I know why she is wearing a skirt that short."

He wasn't even talking to anyone, but she knew she was in trouble. She reached for her apartment key forgetting that she she no longer had a heavy key chain filled with car and liquor cabinet keys. Still she put it between her finger incase she was forced to defend herself.

Indeed the moment he grabbed her ass she turned around and attempted to jab her key into his chest, but he grabbed her wrist before anything could be done.

"Stupid slut," he slurred, "Its your job to get me laid slut."

She struggled for a moment, but he overpowered her and she remained in shock as she was pressed up against the wall. She couldn't move as he attempted to rip her clothes off.

"What the fuck!"

The man was then on the ground holding his head after being struck. Sesshoumaru stood above him holding his arm, which had been used as a weapon. After giving a moment to recover Kagome quickly followed him away, but they didn't speak to each other. He even took her out to get some coffee, because he could tell she wasn't quite herself at the moment. Not only had she allowed herself to be taken advantage of so easy, but after Sesshoumaru pistol whipped the man with his an artifical arm everyone was talking about it.

Sesshoumaru left Kagome be thinking that she was in shock from almost being raped, but to her it wasn't that big of a deal. She was saved therefore she should be thankful rather than worry about what could have been, but now she was scared hoping her family wouldn't find out about this because it was probably her fault. She shouldn't have been out here this late wearing these skimpy clothing. It was all her fault.

What she didn't know was that none of this had affected Sesshoumaru's opinion on her. He still planned on marrying this girl, because she was focused on her goals and overall a good person. There were a few childish things about her that he could do without, but that wouldn't take long for him to correct.

"Please don't get lost again," Kikyo whispered meaning it was serious, "that's all I ask of you, and don't ruin things with Sesshoumaru."

Kagome rose an eyebrow, but had no time to process that as she struggled to get back to her room into her bed. Her mother thought she planned on hooking up with Sesshoumaru? All she really wanted from him was for he to be her close friend in a new city, which wouldn't last long since he was only here on business.

She shook her head. It couldn't happen...

Sesshoumaru was ten years older than her, which wasn't a stretch when it came to marrying for money, but she was already giving up freedom so the compromise would be someone her own age, and he was just...

Kagome fell into her twin bed and slowly closed her eyes. Her and Sesshoumaru would never happen.