"Tadamasa?" Meioshi responded, popping up from her position on Ah-Un's back.
The pallbearer was dressed in a thick gray and white fur coat that was being orbited by a snowball of great power. Sesshomaru had no positive feelings to spare for pallbearers. His experiences with them have always been less than favorable, but he was interested in Meioshi's association with such a creature. They knew each other by name and seemed to be on relatively friendly towards each other. Meioshi showed no fear towards this Tadamasa fellow. Then again, his rival showed fear to none of her enemies. That fear seemed to be reserved for her deceased family members. It was a shame that he couldn't learn more about Kirameku Ha and his taisho, Arimasa, but the old man seemed to be emotionally distressed from having to say his goodbyes to his close friend. Sesshomaru did appreciate meeting Eikichi, however. Though the man looked like Kirameku Ha, he seemed a bit gentler and more caring. That air of respect that his father commanded just by being in the room didn't seem to pass down to Eikichi. Sesshomaru wondered if the sensei's youngest son had more of that quality in him. Tadamasa huffed, gaining Sesshomaru's attention again, and shifted in place for a moment to get comfortable.
"You've sided with some fascinating allies, doctor," Tadamasa said, smiling toothily. He looked at Sesshomaru then at Jaken and the dragon before returning his sights to Meioshi. He then said, "How did you get yourself strung up on that saddleback?"
"Ha! Why don't you ask his lordship there? Can't you see how concerned he is for my safety?" Meioshi asked sarcastically, making Tadamasa laugh.
"Never a dull moment with you, doctor!" Tadamasa cheered, clapping his large claws together. "If this so-called 'lordship' isn't taking you for a mate, I've some business to engage in with you, my dear."
Eyes glowing, Tadamasa lifted a singular finger to activate his powers. Moko Moko dulled to an ashen gray and laid limp on Meioshi's back before he lowered his finger and waited for the doctor to lift herself up. Sesshomaru, however, was displeased with this and summoned his whip to get Tadamasa away from his group. The pallbearer simply ignored the poison strike and watched Meioshi dismount from Ah-Un, exposing her long legs in the process. She straightened herself up, held a hand up to stop the western lord from agitating the pallbearer of the arctic, and kneeled down before Tadamasa to show respect.
"Could this possibly wait 'til later?" Meioshi asked, rolling her eyes and knowing the answer.
"Well, it would, but you've an outstanding balance on your transactional account, my dear," Tadamasa answered, taking out a box from a pocket in his coat.
He walked around the doctor and undid her mussed hair. Unbraiding the doctor's locks, Meioshi remained still as Tadamasa went to work on inspecting the health of her warm black hair. Not wavy like her father's or straight like her mother's but a perfect blend in the middle. The luxury of its softness was a treat for Tadamasa to play with much like a young tot would enjoy playing with a doll's hair. Opening the box, he revealed a comb first and started working Meioshi's hair from the ends to the scalp. Feeling dry and/or tangled spots, he took out a bottle of citrus oil and rose water to soften the doctor's locks for his detangling treatment and to pamper her hair. It was an odd pastime of his that sort of developed when Meioshi became acquainted with Tadamasa. Of all the pallbearers, the doctor could admit that Tadamasa was probably the kindest and oddly more nurturing than the rest. She didn't mind, however. Her hair probably needed the special care, and Tadamasa was the only Netherworld she trusted with some measure of her person. She hadn't been doing right for herself as of late. Busy, busy! Letting her eyes flutter close, she simply let Tadamasa work and relaxed into the beauty care session. She started to remember her time as Biancheng's servant. Tadamasa would request to care for her and kept her company often. That's how he became interested in her. Though he will say that he offers information to her out of pity, Meioshi hardly believed that excuse. While farfetched, she found great solace in believing that Tadamasa was the closest thing she had to a friend in the Netherworld. Those was impossible to come by.
Sesshomaru watched the exchange between his rival and the pallbearer with even greater curiosity than before and some disbelief. Pallbearers weren't known for such gentle treatment of humans, especially when it came to their souls. Why was this one so intimate and kind to his rival? Does being a hell traveler entail being a comrade to the pallbearers? What did it all mean? Worse yet, his lordship couldn't help but feel... a bit angry at the pampering. Hair was such a sacred thing on a person, especially for a woman! It was a symbol of beauty, youth, good health, and sometimes power. No one should be allowed to touch an unmarried woman's locks, least of all Meioshi's hair. Hers... well, it... it was different! Her hair is symbolic of good will, growth, nobility, and... well, it shouldn't be touched by anyone other than a mate! This witch was supposed to be enduring a punishment for her earlier words anyway! This was no time to be vain! Worst of all, this pallbearer was disrespectful. How dare he ignore his warnings to stay away! Why would his rival stop him from keeping their distance from this creature?
"When was the last time you conditioned? Your locks aren't usually this stringy," Tadamasa remarked, placing his comb down in exchange for a small brush.
"I hadn't done your regimen since I came back to the living world," Meioshi commented, laughing bitterly. "I cut my hair off, remember?"
"Tch! That's no hairstyle for a young lady or a princess from legacy," Tadamasa scoffed. "You're lucky you have the right head shape and facial features for such short haircuts."
"I took pride in my haircuts! Always did," Meioshi said, smiling at some of the memories of when she changed hairstyles. The more traditional ladies didn't like her choice of haircuts, but she was the talk of the town for a while. Shishou and Liuxian liked her shorter hairstyles, and Chiyumi cut and kept her own hair shorter for similar reasons. It was more freeing and didn't make a woman any less beautiful. In Chiyumi's case, it just made her more elegant looking. The doctor then said, "I do the minimum washing and combing whenever I've a moment to spare. I might cut it again. I liked the freedom."
"Your hair is beautiful as is. You should leave it," Tadamasa commented, tossing her locks up and down to make the waves bounce in his hands.
"Hmph! I'm not particularly fond of long, flowing hairstyles. I'm not that little girl anymore," Meioshi said with remorse.
You were a beautiful girl, though... Sesshomaru thought.
Though he wanted to be offended at her dislike of long hair, it didn't sound like it was a personal jab at him. She was referencing herself from the sounds of it. Truth be told, he sort of missed seeing Meioshi as a small princess. She didn't wear purples or indigoes as a child when she was in Arimasa's arms, but she seemed to wear hair accessories the most. What he saw in that moment was what the Green Pheasant had explained to him. She was a little adventurer. Her yukata was flowy but form-fitting for ease of movement and her little booties were precious! The only thing missing was her fabled bag that the Green Pheasant had mentioned, but Sesshomaru had a doubt that she would need it to be any cuter. If anything, it just would've visually completed her ensemble. He did wonder about his rival's childhood more often since discovering that Old Heiwa was her property by inheritance, and that the people living there were strictly people that the hell travelers knew.
The youkai district seemed to be newer than he thought. Demons didn't start off coexisting with humans once Unmei came into power. It seemed to be something that happened generations after him. The reason Meioshi probably had little to no fear of demons was probably a result of this coexistence. Lord Aka, an older demon, was very close to Arimasa. Mizu Hoseki was Meioshi's babysitter and a close friend to her mother. Moeru and those kappa guardians seemed to be closest to the doctor aside from Tadamasa. He supposed whoever she was truly close to would be seen at the Youkai March this evening... Though loathe to admit his curiosity in seeing the rest of the heritage festival, Kirameku Ha brought up something of great interest and of possible use.
"Giving you your eyes back to see your grandfather was not enough?" Tadamasa asked, complete with styling Meioshi's hair and walking around her to see her reaction.
Tadamasa...! You... you weakened Biancheng's binds? Meioshi thought, eyes widened from shock.
The pallbearer let out a laugh before saying, "Ho ho! A priceless face! You should know by now that pallbearers look after each other, Justice Warden. If I hadn't broken the bind when I did, you would've wreaked havoc on this wretched world. A worthy show! My men have been loosed on this world already, however. I would suggest you hurry in your investigation if you want to stop all of the pallbearers from decimating the realms. My kind aren't picky eaters. You, unlike some humans I could name, actually love the three worlds your family was assigned to protect. I allowed your sight to return so that you could forgive yourself and move on to more important things. Alas, your blindness will return until you make your payments to the hell king."
King? So, that black wall demon was right? Jaken thought, cleverly keeping his mouth closed. He wasn't sure about Tadamasa's power, but he could feel that he was hiding it in favor of speaking to Meioshi. Dealing with him without the Tenseiga would be foolish, and it was highly likely that Tadamasa was immune to most weapons as a creature of the Netherworld. He was already changing his surrounding atmosphere to match whatever climate he was used to. Seemed to be wintry landscapes. There truly is no singular ruler of all of the Netherworld. Me lord killed an imposter!
Meioshi leaped onto Tadamasa's shoulders to embrace him and said sweetly, "Thank you so much, Tadamasa. You may remove your nullifier if you wish."
"In due time, my dear," Tadamasa replied, not returning the embrace but speaking softly. "Why is this inu prince displaying a mating ritual on you anyway? It's too old-fashioned for you."
"Oh, I'm not his mate. I'm just his rival. We're headed to the Century Wasteland, you see, and - "
"That old junkyard! Ho ho! You're headed in an awfully strange direction then! Just ahead is the backdoor to it," Tadamasa informed, pointing to the horizon where sea and sky met. Sesshomaru, Meioshi, and Jaken all looked ahead to where the pallbearer was pointing and saw a maelstrom forming in the waters. Tadamasa then said, "I best warn you, though, Justice Warden. The filter beast has made itself ill with some nasty little bugs. You'll need to find a way inside of it to treat its condition."
"Ugh! Of course, I do!" Meioshi responded, letting out an aggravated sigh.
"I'll be your assistant today. Good deeds can be converted into kurogane sometimes," Tadamasa said, nodding his head to the direction of the door. "Come along, dear."
"Right then," Meioshi said, rising to stand. She flipped her hair back then turned to Sesshomaru to continue, "Well, your favorite servant has a small job to do. Would his lordship like for her to obtain information on whatever it is you're looking for at the wasteland?"
"... Is that what the hell travelers are? Pallbearers?" Sesshomaru asked.
"Only the women," Meioshi answered, smirking a bit. "We're a special case in the holy warrior business. You can boil it down to being a pallbearer for simplicity's sake, if you wish. I'm afraid there's more details to it than what time will allow me to explain. I've a festival to attend tonight. Your new mission and that sass will have to wait if it's not done by a certain time. Feel how you feel about that. I am not disappointing my little ones with my absence because of you."
"You agreed to serve me in exchange for my missing stone, witch. These festivities have nothing to do with the Meido Stone. I'm losing my patience!" Sesshomaru replied, practically hissing.
"As I said before, if his lordship knew anything about the damn stone, I would've been able to find better clues much faster! What else is the stone capable of that I can use to help you?" Meioshi argued. "Help me help you, Sesshomaru!"
"Meido Stone?" Tadamasa questioned under his breath, narrowing his eyes. His toothy grin stretched to an ominous curve before he said, "Interesting..."
"How dare you speak to Lord Sesshomaru that way!" Jaken argued. "Know your place, witch!"
"My place is set as his rival!" Meioshi snapped. "That's the only thing he seems to be sure about! Since he's so well-versed in bitter rivalries, when I thought he was at least a potential friend not long ago, I'll do as promised from the beginning and consult with who I know to go on this wild goose chase for a beacon that might be able to at least call out to the stupid rock hooked to a chain that he wants back so damn bad! I've a beast to deal with. I beg your leave!"
The doctor said with a frustrated huff before stomping off ahead of Tadamasa. The pallbearer said nothing of the argument, but he did follow the doctor. He supposed the two were separating for now. Calling his snowball to his claw, Tadamasa took a piece of snow out of the perfected ball and threw it at the doctor. The snow formed into simple armor and leather bits like leggings and a cap to make her hair into a ponytail. Making a quizzical sound, the doctor looked down at her hands and feet to see shingled gauntlets and wraps around her ankles. Her trademark talisman anklet was replaced with a bone and crystal anklet. She appreciated the pallbearer's aid at least. With no formal weapon on her person since Sesshomaru decided to kidnap her during breakfast, she had no idea how she was going to make this work.
The door to the Century Wasteland was quite beautiful actually. It was jade, yes, but it looked like lichen and/or moss was growing in places to give the door a gradient of different greens. Oddly, the door wasn't formally attached to a structured wall. Reaching out to tap on the air next to the door, Meioshi pulled her hand back when she felt the wall cave in like a bag of water and pulsate until the wall was firm again. It didn't feel like reiki or yoki was making this wall. It was a result of something else. But what? She then inspected the door for a knob, handle, or string to pull since it didn't seem like the door opened like a shoji screen. This was almost like a palace door. Tadamasa couldn't help her with this. He knew nothing of the worlds in-between, so he simply watched the doctor figure it out until she spotted something. The lichen could move! It was as thin and mobile as a cleaning cloth on a table! Experimentally using the lichen as a cleaning cloth, Meioshi worked on wiping off the moss from the jade door. That seemed to work. Once she heard a click, however, she was picked up from the ground within an instant.
"Shit!" Meioshi yelped.
She clung to the door in a panic as it spun around with her on it a couple of times before flinging her inside of the place. Tadamasa merely laughed and clapped his hands at the folly. Slapstick comedy was a favorite of his. Pushing the door lightly, he walked around Meioshi's flopped over body as she rubbed her head. Inside of the building were stone floors and a dark vat that was sucking in air. The room was fairly dark with only a few torches lighting the area. It looked like pipes or tubes were in the middle of the walls, but there was no clear direction of where they were coming or going. They seemed to form unclear circles or paths straight back into the walls. It was an unsensible design at best. The doctor lifted herself off the ground and walked over to the vat to inspect it first. No guards or anything were present at the moment. Tadamasa took a small snuff of fur from his coat and dropped it into the vat to see how deep the vat went, but it didn't take long for it to find more solid ground; in fact, the fur found an incline. Meioshi very cautiously took slow steps down the vat and noticed that it wasn't a traditional open-cauldron type of vat at all. It was actually an entryway to an underground area. Still no signs of life in this area, but it was lit a bit better than the entryway.
There was water just in front of the doctor as she inspected her new surroundings. The pipes or tubes from earlier opened up to this place, but there were others that opened to another spot. More than likely, whatever was passed the water.
"You didn't check for poison," Sesshomaru said in the back of Meioshi's neck.
"AAAHHHH!" the doctor yelped. She punched him multiple times in his arm, making Tadamasa laugh, and said, "Don't sneak up on me like that!"
"Don't go swimming in waters that might be poisoned, fool," Sesshomaru said, walking passed the doctor. He kneeled down to sniff the water and touched it to inspect it. "Jaken, see if what we're looking for is down there."
"Yes, me lord!" Jaken replied, lifting Nintojo. Seisuiki, the male head, screamed in place of Umebayashi. The female head knew Meioshi was there. The water flushed in a bit higher in level and Jaken said, "The male head seems to think it's further inside, Lord Sesshomaru. He... actually, it looks like he's smiling a little."
"Is the water too deep or too toxic?" Meioshi asked.
"It smells fine," Sesshomaru answered.
"Right then," Meioshi said.
Before Sesshomaru could stop her, she dove in...