"Phew! So many cookies!" Kijiro sighed, smiling happily.
He was covered in red sugar dust on his sleeves and cheeks to make a blush, but he had a bright smile on his face at being able to help bake. Sesshomaru and Reijiro were quite good at teaching children how to cook. Well, Reijiro was. He kneeled down to speak to Kijiro about stirring ingredients in bowls and cleaning them correctly and safely. He must have had some experience with this at home. Sanraku typically distracted the boy with playtime when they were waiting for the cookie doughs to finish baking or cooling during down times. Chiyumi merely watched with a warm smile as the men sort of took to her adoptive son and further inspired him to practice his cooking skills. It was good to see him be so happy. The woman couldn't bear the thought of knowing her little one was once being groomed to be a joro in the future. Meioshi understood and fought hard to ensure his freedom could be gained before it was too late. She didn't get a chance to thank Lord Sesshomaru herself, did she? Looking at Sesshomaru for a moment, Chiyumi wondered about the demon lord. Homugi was right. He was around her sister quite a lot these days. Was something meant to come out of their competitive relationship? Kijiro spun around excitedly before dumping the last bits of red sugar into Sesshomaru's bowl and running into his mother's lap.
"You're doing quite well with helping Lord Sesshomaru, my little silk moth," Chiyumi said, very lightly pinching Kijiro's cheeks to make him giggle. "Now, where are the cookies you tucked away in your pockets while his lordship wasn't looking, hm?"
"You stole Lord Sesshomaru's fine work?" Jaken questioned.
"You have three of the pastries in your pocket, Jaken," Sesshomaru interrupted, making Jaken quiver at the tone of his voice. He shook just enough for the cookies to tumble out and return to the serving trays.
"W-well, that's, um - !"
"Both of you will get none at the march if you steal them now," Sesshomaru threatened, making Jaken and Kijiro cry crocodile tears.
"But Lord Sesshomaru!" they whined in unison.
Sesshomaru, Reijiro, and Sanraku piled the last of their batches of cookies onto cooling stations before going to work on fillings. Some curious eyes watched Sanraku and Sesshomaru make lemon and frothy cream fillings, respectively. Jaken was thoroughly impressed and curious. He had never seen his lord cook a single thing! Much less a cookie! Cooking was either Jaken's responsibility, Rin's voluntary offer, or the task of a royal chef. He thought tasting Milady's cooking was a surprise at her small party, but this was on another level! If his lordship could cook all this time, why didn't he ever show such a skill? Did he think it useless or beneath him? The better question was probably why he wanted to cook, but Jaken knew it was because of a certain, dark-haired woman that his lordship had fallen out with. That witch put some kind of spell on him! As the loyal servant to the master of the Western lands, Jaken promised to - oh! Wait...
Yuko challenged the imp by saying, "Name me three things that Lord Sesshomaru has done for another person that even you thought was romantic. It can't be saving someone's life from danger. We're talking regular, run-of-the-mill gestures of affection. Gifting relatives also doesn't count."
Jaken visibly became silent and watched Sesshomaru work. He knew that Sesshomaru had clear intentions behind making these treats. His lord very clearly stated that he wanted to get information out of the rogue demons living in Heiwa, but a part of him thought back to Meioshi yelling at that crab demon and leaving Sesshomaru alone after retrieving the Gogyo Stone of the waters. He smelled the sweetness that came from the Okuri-inu lake. His lordship didn't want the doctor to be angry at him. While he may never admit it aloud, Jaken knew Sesshomaru for a long time. He would never stoop so low as to try to impress anyone for a festivity or do anything remotely as thoughtful as this for another. He did gift Rin with several kimonos when Kaede agreed to look after her as she grew into an adult, and that could be counted as a romantic gesture but... a father or any other caring adult would do the same for a child. Look at Chiyumi and Kijiro. Jaken had the pleasure of meeting each grapple bear's respective parent, formally, and he learned that Kijiro essentially adopted Chiyumi as his mother. When Meioshi was gone or busy at the clinic, Chiyumi took care of him and bought him things like toys or a yukata. It wasn't a romantic gesture, but it was an act of love from a caretaker or, in this case, a future mother.
Gifting a relative didn't count, according to Yuko. While Jaken wasn't sure if Sesshomaru considered Rin a form of relative, it was obvious that she made him happy and that he cared about her. The royal imp made no fib when he expressed such a thing to Milady when her regalness asked, but... The one thing that he didn't do for Rin was cook. He left such a task for another to do. Jaken had never seen Milady cook either, but she expressed that she lived her life independently before she became the wife of the great Inu no Taisho. She knew how to cook, enjoyed doing such tasks, and her cooking was impressive! Where were all these women when he started his journey with Lord Sesshomaru? He could've been eatin' good this whole time! But... that's what made the imp really consider Yuko's words. Something in his lord had changed, but that change was affecting everyone around him now. It was starting to make sense as to why Sesshomaru abandoned Tenseiga once more, why this unrest within Underworld pushed him to find this peaceful village, why Sesshomaru's family was being disturbed, why suddenly new allies were arising, and... why his lordship might be in trouble... in a different way.
I think... me lord is... performing his first romantic gesture... Jaken thought, folding his arms as Sesshomaru dumped cream filling on top of his cooled cookies. I don't know why saving someone's life isn't an act of love, but Yuko must have said that for a reason. There must be distinguishments between acts of love and acts of generosity. Maybe the ways of the human do have characteristics that are unlike demons. We do not share in their customs or thoughts, but... what we lump together as an act of good will fits into a different category of thought for a human. Should I adopt such thinking when dealing with my lord? Does he know that he's doing an unnecessary thing for information? Homugi could easily ask the other rogues for information about the Yama Oroshi clan and their territory. They actually like her and have adopted her as their own. She wants to be among them. She agreed to aid us of her own volition regarding our mission for the Okuri-inu. Perhaps... that is it. Me lord... is not acting as a lord right now. This might be the closest thing I'll ever see of him just being himself. He is still a quiet lad, but he can perform domestic tasks just as quickly as he can perform sword strikes. He was taught these things by his mother most likely. His grandfather seems to be quiet as well. His temperament must come from him, so me lord was around the elder much of his life to have formed such comfortable silence. Perhaps that's what he's doing now. Acting as an Okuri-inu, someone who hides in plain sight until it is time to kill. Unless the real truth is... he just feels more comfortable not having to be the lord right now. His title and duties are always questioned in his daily life, even his combat skills are challenged at every turn. I can see why he'd steal a chance at being normal just once. His mother dropped her title and duties for a festival she probably hadn't celebrated since the passing of his father, his grandfather did the same to attend the witch's funeral and again for the Green Pheasant's feast. Perhaps... me lord recognizes that there is no immediate threat here. Perhaps... I shouldn't look at this as a romantic gesture but as... his way of saying sorry. Maybe he doesn't want to lose a chance at some normalcy right now. Maybe he misses being normal. Maybe I was wrong. This isn't the first romantic gesture. What if it's the third and the last? We didn't have to stay at the doctor's home while she was out on vacation that time. Would that have been a romantic gesture? One that Kita recognized? Is that why she came up to us that time? What if...? Was defending her honor a romantic gesture? Is that Kirameku Ha invited us to Tsuyoi's funeral in the first place? Then... what's the difference between all of this and what he did in the past with Asa no Sara a-a-and Kagura? Even Rin?
"Me lord is quite good at that," Jaken said absentmindedly. He didn't realize he voiced his thoughts aloud.
"He really is!" Sanraku complimented, smiling brightly. "That cream is practically perfect. Once it cools, it'll melt to a rich thickness."
"Too much lemon juice, bro," Reijiro said, alerting Sanraku to his pouring. He went to sit down for a second.
"Yikes!" Sanraku commented, quickly putting the cup of juice down while sticking his tongue out at his own fumble.
________________________________
Just outside of the doctor's home, Kinzo and Kirameku Ha were simply resting at the deck overlooking the funeral home. Kirameku Ha was curious about Kinzo's interest in the place, but the old man paid special attention to Kinzo's interest in child burials. He must've asked the same question about Meioshi's feelings towards burning children about three times. Every time Kinzo did, his voice seemed so distant. It was like he was trying to confirm something for himself, but he was in denial too strongly to believe that Meioshi had the mercy and kindness and patience with grieving parents to put down a child when necessary. He had to see the urns of the children she burned, had to see their names, their old toys, their old clothes. Anything to prove that she couldn't find it in her heart to do it, but Kirameku Ha couldn't understand why such a thing was important to him other than Kinzo being unable to do it himself. As proof, Kirameku Ha retrieved Meioshi's death records from the funeral home's office space and pulled out each child's record including the signatures of parents who allowed her to be in charge of the funeral proceedings and who were shown the health records of the child relating to the cause and time of death. Kinzo was just staring at those papers. Meioshi only kept a singular doll from one of the couples who lost their daughter. It was staring back at him. Kinzo shook for a moment like the doll had suddenly gained sentience and had become animated to show that the daughter's soul was trapped or something. The doll hadn't moved, though. Neither did Kinzo. Hesitantly, he took the doll into his gloved hands and just held it.
"Why didn't the parents keep all of the ashes?" Kinzo asked quietly.
Kirameku Ha just barely heard him before he answered quite calmly, "Though Heiwa is peaceful, we do still suffer from the occasional attack. It's not always a bold demon. Sometimes, it is a crook or a drunk or someone more sinister than both. In the event that something happens, Meioshi keeps a small percentage of the ashes to replace what was lost. It is a form of insurance to support the parent. Not every mother or father is ready to release the ashes of their young babes. Should they lose the ashes, it feels like they've lost their children for good. My pupil wants to be sure that loved ones no longer among the living are not lost when it's not time. Grievance is not a product with a final deadline. It is a process of choice. You must choose when you are ready to live again without your loved ones present physically. They can't embrace the joys of the afterlife if you keep tethering them to a world they may have suffered in, but this is something that takes time. I and Meioshi have suffered great losses. It is not easy to let anything go, but you do no good service trying to hold on to a loss."
With a light gasp, Kirameku Ha spotted tears plopping on the deck floor and caught Kinzo clutching the doll like it was a person. He even cradled it. Through choked breaths, he then asked, "How can she stand to do this? How do parents move on? She's a doctor, isn't she? Why didn't she help them?"
"The village doctor was incompetent before he had been exiled from here," Kirameku Ha admitted. "All of those children were at Meioshi's doorstep when it was already too late. She did what she could to give those parents more time with their children, but she ultimately had to tell them the truth. You'd be surprised how many scars are hidden behind the doctor's whimsical beauty because a parent wasn't ready to let go or was angry because they didn't go to her sooner."
Kinzo was shaking and rocking back and forth at Kirameku Ha's words. That must have been why Kinzo was so persistent about the child burials. He's preparing to bury one of his own. The sensei went to gather the records, but Kinzo quickly grabbed his hand and took the record belonging to the little girl who once owned the doll in Kinzo's arms. Kinzo then locked eyes with Kirameku Ha and asked, "Why this doll?"
"The child made it for the doctor. She died in Meioshi's arms..." Kirameku Ha admitted, remembering that night very clearly. "But she was smiling. That's how her parents wanted to remember her."
"That demon you were with. The one with the white hair," Kinzo said after a moment of silence. He wouldn't let go of Kirameku Ha's hand. "He took that garnet from the megaliths where my people are trapped. The reason they're so red is 'cause it comes from our blood. It feeds the herbs that grow in that area. When rain falls and it mixes with the wax coating, it makes this layer that holds heat. The garnets form when there's enough heat and pressure during the summer months. By fall, they are perfect crystals. We were forced to mine the area even while young. My child... was injured. She hadn't been well since. I knew that! I couldn't do anything! If she can forgive me..., if Meioshi... can forgive me, will she give me that time with my child?"
"She is the head of medical services here in Old Heiwa. Niji Saku is what our division is called. If your story is true and your child is unwell, she will not refuse you. It is against her oath to deny service to those suffering. Who are you really, Kinzo?" Kirameku Ha asked.
"Kinzo is my name," he replied with his real voice. He was definitely younger than the disguise on him. "I am the last of my clan just like Hasumi if the doctor wasn't lying. They call me onmyoji, holy warriors with the ability to use youkai powers..."