The Other Side of the Ramen Cup
It is a lovely day. The sky looks fine, the air is crisp, cool but not too much so, and the sun is shining and warming their skin. Sesshomaru is sitting on the grass of a small hill, with his newest traveling companions and his old ones are eating lunch behind him. He hears birds and crickets singing to each other from the forest in front of him. Then he hears the sound of slurping as it slams into Sesshomaru’s ear drums; his brother is inhaling his daily cup of ramen.
He barely moves, but allows his eyes to flicker over his shoulder and settle on his younger brother. The half-breed is crouching with his elbows resting on each knee, a cup of ramen in his left hand and a pair of chopsticks in the other. The other humans and demons are eating quietly whilst chattering amongst themselves. He will eat later, out of the humans’ sights.
Such a stop has become routine to them. Everyday they walk or fly or run, searching for Naraku whilst ridding the unfortunate and weak villagers of any demons that should torment them. It is amusing to watch his brother and his friends aid the humans and he has found that on an average it takes them ten minutes, sixteen seconds to exterminate such low-living demons. He has counted.
Again his thoughts are interrupted by the loud gulping down of the remaining liquid in the ramen cup. Sesshomaru watches with uncaring eyes as Inuyasha picks up his second helping and begins to swallow its contents hazardously.
Sesshomaru has always wondered how Inuyasha is able to eat the reincarnated priestess’ human food everyday. He can barely stand its sickening scent and Inuyasha’s lack of table manners only aids the terrible substance’s assault on his senses. He is almost tempted to wander away and return when he is sure his brother’s breathe doesn’t smell like fake vegetables and pig bits.
He hears giggling beside him and turns to find Rin smiling down on him. She beams brilliantly, as though he is the greatest thing that is in her short life, “Lord Sesshomaru, Rin wants to go with Kagome and her friends to the village that way,” She points towards the east, “Can Rin go?”
Sesshomaru inclines his head, “You may. Do not cause trouble.”
“Okay!” The little girl giggles, grins and skips away. Sesshomaru watches as she reaches for Kagome’s poised hand, “Bye, bye, Lord Sesshomaru! We’ll be back soon!”
It is only when the group begins to move away does Sesshomaru realise that Inuyasha is joining them. He is perplexed; Sesshomaru was under the impression his little brother didn’t appreciate accompanying his friends into the human villages; the humans that inhabited them aren’t fond of demons, half or not.
Sesshomaru doesn’t dwell on his little brother’s bizarre behaviour for long; he has more important things to think about than why Inuyasha is keen on torturing himself.
Ah Un sends a roar his way, and Sesshomaru turns to his left to watch his loyal companion stomp over to him and curl himself around him. Ah Un, as much as it both amuses and bothers Sesshomaru, has always felt most content when he is closely pressed against him. Sesshomaru believes it is because of their closeness whilst still young. They had been near inseparable, as much as it had annoyed his caretakers.
The Lord allows his fur pelt to cover the dragon’s shoulders and allows himself to lean back against Ah Un. He places his hand on Ah’s head and scratches the smooth, tough scales that protect his head, before moving it to Un’s to do the same. Jaken must have followed Rin and gone to the human village Sesshomaru suddenly realises when he cannot hear squawking.
Sesshomaru allows his eyes to slide shut, and for his companion’s hissing breathes to calm him. He has forgotten how much he enjoyed the quiet. The blessed, peaceful, quiet…
A cool breeze sweeps Sesshomaru’s platinum white hair from his face and soothes the heat that was gathering there from the sun’s rays. His breathing is calm. But he cannot help but wonder: what does Inuyasha see in the Priestess’ strange cuisine?
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Night has fallen upon them, and Sesshomaru has come to a decision: He is going to taste the Priestess’ food. It is the only way he can see that will satisfy his annoying curiosity and his need to understand his little brother. Sesshomaru has thought of all scenarios, of all the possible outcomes of his future actions, and he is certain there is little chance of it poisoning him; Inuyasha has consumed enough to feed his army and most of his staff.
Sesshomaru is sure that by tasting such a substance the worst that could happen to him is it would get stuck between his teeth.
The Lord eyes his brother, as he waits for the human girl he is fond of to give him the offending food, and is mildly surprised to find Inuyasha wandering in way with his ramen held between both hands. He carefully – almost amusingly so, Sesshomaru realises as he spies his brother’s far too serious expression – sits down beside him. Inuyasha smirks when he places one on the ground and takes the other in his hands.
“What wrong?” He asks as he stabs his chopsticks into the food, withdrawing many long things, ramen, from the cup.
Sesshomaru watches with deceivingly uncaring eyes, “In regards to what?” He replies softly, golden eyes tracing the ramen up from the cup to Inuyasha’s now moist, fire highlighted lips.
Inuyasha licks them, “You’ve been eyeing my ramen more than usual lately.” Sesshomaru realises that this ramen puts Inuyasha in a much better mood than he usually is; his eyebrows are relaxed, his eyes shining happily. It is as though he is a child that has received a toy he has wanted for some time.
“I wish to taste some.” Sesshomaru states bluntly.
Inuyasha blinks, his ramen hanging from his mouth. He hurriedly sucks it up and stares openly at Sesshomaru, “You want to try some? As in, you want to try human food?”
Sesshomaru doesn’t appreciate his brother’s reaction and frowns, “I am curious as to what you find so,” His eyes flicker to the still steaming cup in Inuyasha’s hand, then back up to his brother’s shocked face, “Appealing. It smells vile.”
“No, it doesn’t!”
“It does.”
Inuyasha scowls and replies stubbornly, “It does not.”
“Inuyasha, I am simply requesting a bite. If I am right and it is vile, I will leave you and your ramen,” He says the word as if tasting it himself, “Be.”
The half-breed hitches an eyebrow and stares down at his meal as though mourning the food he will not be eating. Then, Sesshomaru watches as Inuyasha carefully takes some between his chopsticks and leans over Sesshomaru’s lap, “Well,” He says huffily, “Are you going to take it?”
Sesshomaru knows his brother is annoyed and leans gracefully down so his nose is level with Inuyasha’s hand. Inuyasha shifts it so that the chopsticks are poised at Sesshomaru’s lips. Carefully, all the while attempting to not scrunch up his elegantly built nose from the putrid scent of the stuff he is about to eat, opens his mouth and closes it over the chopsticks. The taste is instantaneous and makes Sesshomaru want to wince. It tastes fake, as though there isn’t a single organic product in it. He cuts the long strands reaching from the cup with his teeth, and Inuyasha is careful to catch every one of them as Sesshomaru swallows.
The demon Lord is somewhat disappointed as he forces himself to swallow and licks the roof of his mouth in order to get the taste off his tongue; this does not allow him to understand Inuyasha’s love of ramen at all, just confuses him more.
Inuyasha is watching him expectantly, “Nice?”
Sesshomaru waits a moment, lathing the top of his tongue on the roof of his mouth once again. He answers blandly, “No.”
He is amused to find Inuyasha scowling darkly again, “Yeah, well, more for me then!” Inuyasha sucks in a few more strands before he spits out a rude, “And you eating human food looked funny. You don’t look right behind a ramen cup.”
Sesshomaru supposes Inuyasha is right as the half breed inhales the rest of his meal and slurps down every last drop of it.
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A week later, after Sesshomaru’s first taste of human food, the demon Lord is exposed to another type of human food. However, unlike with Inuyasha’s ramen, Sesshomaru finds the scent of Shippo’s pockies strangely appealing. He finds that his curiosity is once again spiked and that he wishes to calm it.
The demon Lord stares at the small, grinning fox demon devours the said food happily. Sesshomaru doesn’t blink as Shippo does, straight at him. The fox demon leaps over to him, falling on his bum beside Sesshomaru’s left knee.
Shippo smiles slyly, “If you let me sleep in your fur and in your hair, I’ll share these with you.”
Sesshomaru inclines his head, thoroughly amused by the fox demon’s attempt at a deal, despite the demon Lord’s obvious superior power. He chooses to humour the demon though; it would not do well to crush Shippo’s large spirit, not when it looks to make him grow up promising, “You may, if I am able to taste one.”
Shippo arches an orange brow, “Just one?”
“One.” Sesshomaru agrees.
The fox demon immediately raises the box with a rattle, a pleased expression on his child-like face. Sesshomaru cautiously takes one, with his thumb and index finger, finding the brown, mud-like substance covering the food melting and sticking to said appendages. After staring at it for a moment, he allows himself to take a bite.
Sesshomaru’s eyes widen as his tongue is assaulted with a rich, sweet flavour, unlike anything he has ever tasted. He can’t seem to make himself chew, his jaw isn’t working, but his tongue is as he swipes it up and down the stick inside his mouth, sucking the brown substance off it. Only when he cannot taste anymore does he bite into it and finish off the rest of the pocky in his hand.
As he finishes, he finds Shippo staring up at him smugly as though he had been expecting his reaction, “Nice aren’t they?”
“Yes.”
Sesshomaru swipes his tongue over and around each and every one of his sharp, white teeth, gaining the last remnants of the sweet substance. Sesshomaru finds himself craving another as he stills. He blinks slowly, then he stares down at the fox demon expectantly.
“I will allow you to ride upon my shoulder should you share the remaining amount of your sweets with me.” He bargains, softly, so Inuyasha and Jaken will not hear. Shippo grins and hops onto his shoulder, then offers the box again.