She merely gritted her teeth and etched every word deep into her consciousness.
After he finished speaking, Yongye drew back half an inch and tilted his head, studying her face and its tangled emotions. The smile at the corner of his mouth deepened slightly.
"Understood?"
Kikyo fell silent for two seconds.
Then she nodded firmly.
"Understood."
Her voice was steady and clear, every word seemingly squeezed from between her bones.
"You're ruthless! That trick is downright vicious!"
A little later, Tamamo-no-Mae returned in an extravagant kimono and makeup, only to discover, to her surprise, that the young shrine maiden Kikyo had become much more proactive.
But that suited her perfectly.
She could not only seduce men, but seduce women to please men, too...
Another day passed.
The pile of takeout containers on the coffee table had been cleared away, and the clothes scattered across the dark gray carpet had been put back where they belonged. The mingled scent of eucalyptus, musk, and cloying sweetness had mostly faded, leaving only a faint, lingering trace.
Yongye reclined against the back of the couch with both legs propped on the edge of the coffee table, a glass of iced Coke in his hand. His gaze passed through the floor-to-ceiling windows to the buildings of Jersey City across the East River, washed pale by the morning sunlight.
Even the finest delicacies grew tiresome eventually. At that moment, he was a true sage; not even Wonder Woman could tempt him.
Tamamo-no-Mae had changed into a dark red, Sengoku-era... respectable kimono. Gold-thread maple leaves embroidered its broad sleeves, and a wide, dark green sash cinched her waist.
Her silver-white hair was piled atop her head and secured with a plain white jade hairpin. Nine tails emerged behind the hem of her kimono, slowly unfurling like