Uma Crosses the Inu's Path

[Souma Isuzu]

((Title sucks, gomen~! ^^;))

Boots made a rhythmic clicking sound against the stone path leading to Souma Shigure's abode, and the wearer almost regretted wearing them as the heel once again caught in a small cluster of stones. Cursing, Souma Isuzu unce again bent down to free herself. How on Earth does Gure-nii live here? The uma thought irritably, beginning her walk again. A tight black mini skirt only covered her upper thigh, leaving the milky skin from the knee up bare. A white vest top was all that covered her upper half, neck line plunging low enough to show off her impressive cleavage.

Finally, she was here. Taking off her boots, the raven haired woman walked inside without so much of a knock. "Gure-nii...?" She called, voice little more than a seductive puur. He had information on the curse, and she was going to get it out of him by any means possible...

[Arakawa Chiyou]

Shigure had walked through the front door just five minutes before Rin had. The inu had been out on a walk during an attempt to terrorize his editor, who, unfortunately for him, hadn't shown up during his short absence. Still going over his meeting with Akito from the day before in his head, the dog dropped onto a chair just as Rin's voice rang through the house.

"Ah," Shigure said as he stood up to see the uma standing in front of him. "Rin-san." A smirk slowly crossed his face as he looked at her, crossing his arms. "You're looking stunning today. And to what exactly do I owe the honor of having you grace me with your presence?"

[Souma Isuzu]

"You're looking stunning today. And to what exactly do I owe the honor of having you grace me with your presence?" Isuzu's anger kicked up a notch at this, but she surpressed it, stepping closer so that their noses were almost touching over the wtiter's desk. "Arigatou, Gure-nii... and I'm here to place my offer back on the table," She said softly, kneeling on the desk as the words left her lips. I've never felt like such a whore... The uma thought unhappily, disgused with herself. But it was all for Haru... and that, she could live with.

"My body to use as you wish, for as long as I live. In turn... I only want what you know about the curse..." She purred, breath ghosting over Shigure's features.

[Arakawa Chiyou]

A twisted smile lingered on the inu's face as Rin spoke, his eyes glimmering with secrets. "My body to use as you wish, for as long as I live. In turn... I only want what you know about the curse..."

Placing two fingers under Rin's chin, Shigure said, "What a very tempting offer, Rin... I'm almost inclined to accept. But tell me... does our Hatsuharu know about your visit here today?"

[Souma Isuzu]

"What a very tempting offer, Rin... I'm almost inclined to accept. But tell me... does our Hatsuharu know about your visit here today?" Fury flashed through the uma's eyes, soon disappearing as she surpressed it. She couldn't -- wouldn't -- explode at the inu... Haru's future all depended on this. She looked the writer dead in the eye, his brown and coniving, her's onyx and hard. "Why should it matter to me what the ushi thinks? We're through. He is nothing to me, I don't need him anymore," Isuzu said coldly, each poisonous word hitting her like a dagger to the heart.

Haru-chan... please forgive me...

[Arakawa Chiyou]

Shigure's smug look broadened at the flash of fury in Rin's eyes. It was true that he had nearly missed it, but he knew the uma too well. "Why should it matter to me what the ushi thinks? We're through. He is nothing to me, I don't need him anymore." The inu's eyebrows rose, giving Rin a quizzical look.

"Let us examine that claim, Rin-san," Shigure said, voice smooth. "I know you two were going out-- would you really suddenly declare him 'nothing' without a reason?"

He had switched the topic away from the curse-- exactly what he had planned.

[Souma Isuzu]

"I know you two were going out-- would you really suddenly declare him 'nothing' without a reason?" Rin's eyes flashed once again, lingering for longer this time. She would have thought Akito would have told hip precious inu every excruciating detail of her fall from that second story window, either he hadn't, or the inu was toying with her. Either way, the uma let out a low growl. "We went out, so what? I never loved that idiot, it was purely physical. If he fell head over heels, it's his problem, not mine!"

Oh how she would just love to wipe that amused look off of his smug face... but that wouldn't bode well with their arrangement. Bastard...

[Arakawa Chiyou]

Shigure had to suppress a laugh at Rin's adamant denial. "'Purely physical,' eh? I hear it was you who seduced him... although somehow I feel that there's more to that story. So, exactly what is it you're hoping to achieve with me, my dear Rin-san?"

He let his fingers drop from beneath her chin to instead play with a lock of the uma's long hair falling over his desk. He knew exactly what she thought of him, and that only made him even more smug.

[Souma Isuzu]

'Purely physical,' eh? I hear it was you who seduced him... although somehow I feel that there's more to that story. So, exactly what is it you're hoping to achieve with me, my dear Rin-san?" Oh yes... that smug look would go one day, and the uma was dearly hoping it would be her to do it. Still, she needed whatever information Shigure had, and although torture would probably be much more fun, this seemed to be more effective... if he'd ever get back to the deal, that is. "Jyuunishi sprit or no, I'm still human, with human needs," She said smoothly, leaning up closer, "And the same goes for you, ne, Gure-nii?"

Rin wasn't vain, but she knew she was enough to get any hot blooded man going. "If you want me, take me. All I ask for is information..." Isuzu whispered, tones like velvet to the ears.

[Arakawa Chiyou]

"Jyuunishi spirit or no, I'm still human, with human needs. And the same goes for you, ne, Gure-nii? If you want me, take me. All I ask for is information..."

Shigure smiled in a self-satisfied sort of way. He also moved closer to Rin, so that their noses actually were touching. "You're irresistible, Rin," he said, voice tinged with amusement, and leaned in to kiss her.

But then something stopped him: flashbacks, memories of nails digging into his skin, of her eyes blazing, of her shaking him and screaming, "How could you look at that woman? How could you?!?"

Shigure drew back. "Who says I know anything?" he asked, hiding the frustration in his voice.

[Souma Isuzu]

Oh, how she hated that conceited smile of his, but it seemed to work to her advantage this time around. "You're irresistible, Rin," And he leaned in, a whisper from her lips before he paused, before finally pulling back completely. "Who says I know anything?" He asked, and Rin easily picked up on the ill disguised frustration. Of course, Akito's ever faithful inu rears his head at last... The uma thought irritably, showing her emotion clearly on her face.

"Gure-nii is one of the closest to Akito... so you have to know something..." She growled, pulling back ever so slightly to look the inu dead in the eyes.

[Arakawa Chiyou]

Rin made no attempt to hide the annoyed expression on her face as she looked straight into Shigure's eyes. Shigure looked away as the uma growled, "Gure-nii is one of the closest to Akito... so you have to know something...", unable to return her gaze.

"Somethimg, maybe," Shigure said, leaning back, "and pieces, yes. But nothing that would interest you, Rin. Akito doesn't trust me quite enough to tell me everything-- can you imagine?"

He adopted an innocent look of hurt.

[Souma Isuzu]

"Somethimg, maybe, and pieces, yes. But nothing that would interest you, Rin. Akito doesn't trust me quite enough to tell me everything-- can you imagine?" Whatever was left of Rin's control of her anger shattered after this statement, and the innocent puppy look only infuriated her futher. Slipping off the desktop, the woman slammed her palms down onto it, glaring daggars at the inu. "Don't lie to me! Akito trusts you, so you have to know! You have to know how to break the curse!"

For Haru-chan's sake, he has to... She thought, eyes softening by the barest of amounts. And I'll find out by any means possible!

[Arakawa Chiyou]

"Don't lie to me! Akito trusts you, so you have to know! You have to know how to break the curse!"

"Careful you don't break my desk, Rin-san," Shigure said, voice pleasant. "And I am not lying. It hurts that you don't trust me." He placed his hands behind his head. "And why would Akito-san ever bother discussing the curse with his precious Juunishi? Akito may trust me, but at the same time, he doesn't trust me at all."

Which is my fault, Shigure admitted to himself. After using Ren in an attempt to make Akito jealous, the god would probably never trust Shigure in the same way she used to.

[Souma Isuzu]

"Careful you don't break my desk, Rin-san, and I am not lying. It hurts that you don't trust me. And why would Akito-san ever bother discussing the curse with his precious Juunishi? Akito may trust me, but at the same time, he doesn't trust me at all." Her hands balled into fists upon the table top, eyes narrowing dangerously. The uma was frail, and wasn't the strongest of people in their family, but she would have loved to shake the inu then and there, get the real answer from him. As stubborn as the horse was, she knew she was not going to get any answers. Turning her back to him as gracefully as she could, she began a slow walk to the door, the steps almost painful as they took her away from the truth.

A thought coming to her, she paused in the doorway, hand on the frame. "I hear Akito has allowed two siblings to live here, even to know about the curse... keep them away from me," Rin said venomously, before finally exiting, pulling on her boots at the door and stepping out onto the porch.