bathhouse

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Mei stood in the baths, the water stopping at her belly button and the steam reaching deep into her pores and permeating an exuberant glow about her skin, little droplets resting on different areas of her body, some breaking free and cascading down her flesh and back into the water.

She slicked back her hair, allowing it to cling to her back and wade in the water, peaceful and ignorant to the rest of the world. How she wished she could float around like that.

She took a breath, eyes closed, holding the vial of oil close to her bosom. When her senses calmed down and she was able to wash away her fears for the moment, she felt a small bit of appreciation build in her spirit.

He doesn't seem like the type who gives gifts. Even if it wasn't from him directly.. a gift is a gift.

He didn't have to give it to her.

She removed the cork and was almost hit instantly by the flowery smell, it was so thick and so alluring.. She took one long inhale and she instantly felt relaxed. "Oh my..." like a woman, she couldn't wait to sample the product. Careful not to apply to much, she took a quarter sized amount and rubbed it into her skin, letting the aroma mask every crevice of her body and thicken the room with a clean fragrance.

Thank you.. Naraku Mei grunted at her own mind, but she still had that image of Naraku looking down on her and smiling. She despised him for keeping her hear with not even a fragment of an answer she felt she deserved; but as time grew by she felt a sort of debt to him. Not big, but enough to be noticed.

With a frustrated sigh, she plopped down into the water, smoothing a pea size amount of the oil on the ends of her hair and the root of her scalp, it was so relaxing!

Even though Naraku was her kidnapper, he was still a man. And behind that scowl he was a good - looking man. He had power under his wing, and he ruled with a strong hand and an even sharper tongue.

Just what did he want to do with me besides the sword? If that was the case he could have killed me and had the sword a long time ago.

"I wonder.." Mei's eyes focused on the water, her lashes hanging low over her eyelids as she tried to make sense of it all. Who was Naraku? What did he want from her? Did he have some underlying intention with her? If so, why didn't he say anything?!

The only thing that snapped her back to the present was a shadow growing on the opposite side of the bath. "Narak-!" Mei, with wide eyes looked up to only see Kagura's suspecting face, her eyebrow raised in question to the blush on Mei's face.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but its just me this time." With a sigh, Kagura held the hair brush in her palm with an obligatory wave of the handle. "Turn around, you need your hair brushed."

Without objection, Mei turned around, a little bashful of her sudden intrusion.

"How long have you been standing there?" Mei asked, wincing a bit at how rough Kagura was parting her hair.

"Long enough to see you had something on your mind." Kagura sucked her teeth as she looked at her ends, she was going to be there a while.

"Oh..." Mei didn't want to have Kagura so much in her business, but she had this spark in her gut to just do it. "Kagura.. Is Naraku..." she felt Kagura stiffen, Mei didn't understand that Naraku had eyes and ears everywhere, and the slightest comment that was out of line could cost her. "Is Naraku... attracted to men?"

Kagura tried her hardest not to burst into laughter! Thankfully she just coughed off her bursts of laughter. Repeatedly. "Why would you even think that?"

"Not too sure. But... I just thought that Naraku would have other plans with me instead of just my sword. Does he want a housemaid or something?" Mei could feel Kagura braid the finished side of her hair, securing it with a band off her wrist.

"I..." how was she supposed to answer this question? She didn't want to sound like she knew too much, because she honestly didn't have the answer to that. Instead, she just put on the tough lady act again.

"I don't know, child. You're really just going to have to ask him yourself." deflective of Mei's observatory questions, Kagura neatly fastened the braid with another hair braid, smiling to herself at her accomplishment.

When Mei felt her motions stop, she touched her head rapidly with surprised gasps and an ecstatic squeak. "You're fast! T.. Thank you." The touching slowed down, she even took note of the difference in her tone.

She hasn't been that happy in weeks.

Mei waded to the edge of the baths, leaning her arms over the edge and resting her head on her arms as she looked at Kagura; she didn't even have to say how uncomfortable she was, it was all in her scowl.

"Kagura..." Mei shifted her focus to an imaginary speck on the floor, the droplets of water sliding down the bridge of her nose and to the grey stones underneath her. "You're a woman.. do you think that there's a softer side in Naraku that he isn't letting anyone see?"

Kagura fanned herself a few times, snapping the fan shut with a sigh. "You're still young. Still, so very young." She provided the most generic answer allowed, turning her back to the girl with a sigh as she made her way to the exit. "Its too warm in here, you can leisure about as long as you would like but I'll be out here." She slammed the door, leaning against the opposite side with a huff.

Why all the questions? Naraku is merely my creator and i... his worker. I wouldn't know about his feelings or anything like that.

"So I would wish she would stop asking me." she said aloud this time, but with a somber look on her face.

I'm only his worker......

Meanwhile, Mei continued to linger around the edges of the bath, her cheeks now a reddish hue from blood resting on her cheeks. She took a breath, squinting up at the ceiling as if the answer to her question sat right in her face in the obscure light.

Does... does Naraku like me?

𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘰𝘯  犬夜叉 ♡  ; 𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚔𝚞 𝚡 𝚘𝚌Where stories live. Discover now