This is a multi-muse RP sideblog that uses my OC's. My main OC is Kari Himura. I'd like to say that my oc's descriptions vary a bit with each rp/verse, but are kept pretty similar so the general bios should help you get a better understanding of them, especially in terms of their appearances. Sorry if that is weird. Keep in mind that I can be very descriptive at times since I want to be a writer as a permanent career later in life, so basically I write my rp's as if I'm telling a story. Main blog is Karikitdemon.
found yourself getting blocked for seemingly no reason?
does your profile look like this:
you're getting blocked because people think you're a bot
do yourself a favour and change your profile images to literally anything except the defaults. give your blog a name, give yourself a bio even if it simply says "new, figuring this out" or something. please, just do ANYTHING that shows everyone you're a human. then you wont get blocked anymore and you'll have a lot more fun here!
oh and while we're here, another hot tip: reblog things. likes do nothing here, there's no algorithm
okay happy tumblring tumblrinos, tumblrinas and tumblrinehs!
i think the post may be exploding bc someone pointed out that new users can't change their profile pic until they follow at least 3 ppl...???
IF that is the case, regardless if you are or are not following at least 3 ppl, that shouldn't stop you from making a post, like bee said, that says "new here, still figuring everything out!" we don't WANT to block actual ppl who are trying to get into tumblr and figure out how this site works, we just want to block bots.
Kohaku smiled gently and rested a hand on Kari's shoulder.
"You didn't wake me on purpose, so don't apologize." His expression softened as he listened to her.
"I know you'd do anything for the people you love. It's a good trait and very admirable." He gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "But I am sure that they don't want you to lose an arm for them, Kari. They want you to come home." He smiled warmly. "Core definitely doesn't want that. I know him well enough to say that."
"The people who care about you aren't counting how much you sacrifice. They're just grateful you're still here with them. So you need to protect them, yes...but promise me you'll protect yourself too. You're family now, and that means you're worth protecting just as much as everyone else."
The demi-goddess blinked, her smile slowly faltering as Kohaku spoke. She sighed, letting a silence settle between them for a moment as she processed what the demon slayer said.
"I... I know that..." Her voice was low as she spoke. "But the thing is... I can't help it... I have to protect them cuz if I don't and something goes wrong... If something happened, something I could've stopped." Kari took a deep breath. "I dunno what I'd do."
Another silence settled as Kari moved to hug herself. She kept her gaze off of Kohaku, mostly thinking to her self over a few minutes before speaking again. "Kohaku..." She muttered softly. "You're kinda lucky... You have a sister, you have my cousin... You have lost a lot but still, you had something... You have a place." Sher informed, a bit of envy in her tone. "A dad, a mom... A village who cared about you from a young age. Me? I had one person when I was really young, who passed away when I was STILL really young and left alone. Then I learned I shouldn't exist..." She grumbled softly, moving to rub the bridge of her nose then kept going while looking up at the sky, arms crossed loosely across her chest while she leaned against a tree. "I was born in this time, raised in another, and I'm half deity, half youkai."
Kari's head leaned to the side as looked at Kohaku dead in the eyes, her eyes dull. "I belong no where. Not with humans, not with youkai, not with deities. Not in this time, not in the next. No where is a perfect fit. I had to fight tooth and nail and then some to have what I have now and I hated every minute of that struggle. It was so confusing and painful and I wanted to just find something normal. But there was no where normal for me. So I had to make it." Kari rubbed her eyes to try and dry the building tears, taking a deep breath, trying to calm down. But the tremble in her voice gave away how she felt.
"So... Even though I know I shouldn't push myself too hard... If I stop pushing myself then I'll lose everything I had to fight so hard to get... And I don't wanna lose anyone so long as I can help it."
Hawks gave the cashier a small wave over his shoulder.
"You too. Thanks for the help."
As Kari tugged him toward the engraving station, he let himself be led again with an amused shake of his head. "Seems like I'm just here to reach the tall stuff today."
He took the tag, entered Hiro's name and their contact information into the machine, waiting as it buzzed softly before popping the finished tag back out.
Hawks clipped it onto the new collar, giving it a small tap with his finger. "There." He looked down at Hiro. "You're officially part of the family now, big guy." Hawks smiled before looking back at Kari.
"So…What's next?" A grin crossed the Pro's face. "I've got a feeling somebody's ready to check out his new home."
The child watched as the dog tag was engraved with the information Hawks entered into the machine. Her eyes shimmering softly with that childish curiosity while she felt her anxiety melt away.
"Now if something happens and Hiro gets lost, people know who to call if they find him." A sense of relief washed over Kari who took the collar and moved to put it on Hiro after the dog tags were attached. It looked a bit funny now that he was wearing two, but the new one kind of overlapped with the quirk suppression collar so it wasnt too bad. Kari hoped one day Hiro would be trained well enough to not need the suppression collar, but for now it was needed.
Hiro huffed, standing proud with his new collar and dog tags, tail wagging happily. Kari giggled and moved to pat the dog's head. "I think we should show Hiro his new home and set things up for him." She chirped, relaxing more now that everything was bought. "That way he can get to know the place better before dinner time." Kari grinned, looking up at Hawks. There was still a slight worry on her face, but she was calming down and processing things over time. "That and we can all get to know each other better too. Maybe even Core can meet Hiro sometime! I think they'd get along." Kari grinned at the thought only to frown as she recalled what happened the other day.
"Hey... what happened between you two? Is Core okay?" She asked in a worried tone, moving to hold Hawks' hand gently while looking up at him. Her voice was soft so only Hawks and Hiro could hear.
Hawks barely glanced at the total before pulling out his card. "Card," he answered simply, tapping it against the reader. While it processed, he looked over at Kari, who was still stubbornly facing away from the register with Hiro trying his best to keep her calm.
A small smile tugged at Hawks' lips. "Kiddo. You know what's funny?" He nodded toward Hiro.
"The only one in this store worried about the bill is you." He gestured a wing towards the giant Leonberger. "He's over there thinking, 'Pretty good day. Got a family. Got toys. Got snacks.'"
The payment approved with a soft chime and he picked up the receipt without looking at it for more than a second and slipped it into his pocket.
Kari sighed. "I-I know... I just can't stop thinking about it." She muttered softly. "And it's hard to not feel bad about it."
Hiro huffed, nuzzling into Kari a bit more, causing Kari to chuckle softly.
"I know, I know. This is a good day for you. I'll try to stop feeling bad." She pat Hiro's head then looked around. "Gotta get our information on Hiro's new tag." She chirped then pointed to the engraving station towards the exit. "C'mon, you gotta do it." The child informed, too short to reach the buttons to do it herself. However, she did lead the way after grabbing Hawks' hand and gently tugging him along. Hiro trotted by with a slight bounce to his step. He stayed near Kari with a happy huff, tail swaying the whole time.
The cashier smiled and watched the small family. "Have a nice day." She called as they left the register.
"I'm a light sleeper," he admitted with a light chuckle. "The moment I heard you get up, I woke up." He smiled warmly, crossing his arms. "I wasn't following you to keep you out of trouble." He paused, then added with a knowing look, "Well… not only that. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. You pushed yourself hard today, and I know what it's like to say you're fine when you're really just trying not to worry everyone else."
Kari sighed softly. "I didn't mean t' wake ya. Sorry." She muttered, rubbing the back of her head, clearly embarrassed. "But I wasn't gonna do anything, I promise... I know I'm a bit over the top at times, but I know when to stop too." She moved to pinch the bridge of her nose and let out a sharp sigh.
"Even though I still really wanna do something. I won't." She looked up, relaxing slowly. The thought of people hurting the only blood relative she acknowledged as her family pissed her off to no end. And not doing anything clearly pissed her off earlier, evident by how quick she was to react to the news.
However, her muscles relaxed when Kohaku mentioned he was just checking on her. "I... I did... And I promise I've rested enough... Honestly, not doing anything... Sitting still and such, feels wrong in a way." Kari snorted softly. "Inuyasha gets on me about over working sometimes. In his own way of course." She shrugged softly and looked down, thinking. "I'm... Really grateful to have people like him and Sango in my life... I don't want anything bad to happen to them ya know, so I'm willing to work hard to help and protect them where I can." She informed softly with a heavy sigh then looked up with a grin. "So I'm willing to potentially lose an arm for them ya know? I try not to cuz I don't wanna worry them but still. I'd give my all for them!" She was being a bit over the top bubbly, clearly hiding something that she didn't know how to put into words.
Kohaku had woken up a little while before, careful not to disturb anyone. After seeing Core and Kari resting peacefully, he stepped outside for some fresh air, letting his thoughts settle.
When he noticed Kari quietly leaving the hut, he followed after a short moment, keeping a respectful distance until she noticed him.
"Kari," he called softly, offering her a gentle smile. "Is everything alright?" He glanced back toward the hut before looking at her again. "Trouble sleeping?"
When Kohaku called out to her, Kari froze and perked up. She sighed and turned to the demon slayer and nodded. "Yeh." She replied softly while looking up at him. "I got plenty of sleep, but now I'm awake and can't sit still. So I thought I'd just walk around near by." She informed and went to him. "But everything is fine aside from that." With that said, Kari stretched slightly with a soft purr echoing from her throat.
She was sure not to stretch too much though so she wouldn't hurt anything. She was still healing after all. "What about you? Why are you out here? Thought you'd be inside making sure myself and my cousin would stay out of trouble." She hummed with a slight smirk, clearly teasing the demon slayer but not being malicious.
Hawks returned the hug without hesitation, resting a hand on the back of Kari's head for a second. "No more apologizing, alright?" he said quietly with a small smile.
When they reached the register and Kari whispered her request, he gave her shoulder a reassuring pat. "I've got it." He looked up at the cashier with his usual easy grin.
"Hey. We found everything." As she started scanning the mountain of supplies, Hawks leaned in just enough for only the cashier to hear.
"Mind doing me a favor?" he asked quietly. "I'm paying, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't say the total out loud."
The cashier glanced at Kari, then looked back to Hawks after his request and smiled with a kind nod. "Of course." She hummed and began ringing everything up, occasionally glancing and seeing how Hiro did his best to comfort Kari who kept her gaze off of the cashier but the beeping of each item bugged her a bit. Each beep was another chunk of money being spent.
Once all the items were rung up the cashier grinned, adjusting the monitor so Hawks could see the price. "This is your total. Will you be paying cash or card?" She asked, seeing how Kari covered her eyes and kept her back to the register. "It's not too expensive honey, I promise." She tried to sooth the child, but Kari wasn't having it and just refused to look at the price. Hiro huffed and nuzzled Kari.
Kohaku blinked and rubbed the back of his neck. "You two really don't leave me much room to argue, do you?" He smiled warmly before kneeling beside Core, gently stroking the kitsune's hair.
"Of course I'm coming." He leaned down to kiss Core's forehead, then looked over at Sango with a fond grin. "And you're welcome too, sister. It's been a long time since we all had a quiet moment like this."
Settling in beside Core, Kohaku carefully wrapped an arm around him, making sure not to disturb Kari where she slept. "Let's just all get some sleep."
Sango chuckled and relaxed while moving to lean on Kohaku. "No, we don't." She replied softly, just enjoying the moment.
The moment was peaceful, the small family just cuddling with each other like that for a while. Sango eventually ended up passing out not long after Core, who passed out moments after Kohaku joined.
---
After a few hours, Kari woke up with a soft groan, stretching out slightly then relaxing again and looking up. She blinked and stared up at Core with a soft sigh, content that she was safe as well as the others. Core grumbled and adjusted his position due to Kari moving, but he didn't fully wake up and just went back to resting.
Kari glanced down at Core's tails and hummed softly. The split was still healthy, still slightly irritated but not as red as before. The demi-god frowned and moved and hover her hand over the split as best as she could and began to heal it slightly. It didn't take her long, she was mostly numbing the pain and trying to keep the swelling down as much as possible. But it was clear she was pushing herself still, granted not as bad as earlier.
"There." She muttered after about a minute. "That should help you rest better." She muttered softly, noticing how Core relaxed more after Kari's action. With that she stood slowly and stretched. "I'm gonna go check around the area. Just in case... I also need a walk." With that whispered out, just loud enough for anyone who was awake to hear, Kari left the hut to go walk around outside. Not going too far, she mainly wanted to check the area.
Not because he didn't have an answer, but instead he wanted to make sure she heard the right one. He rested a hand gently on top of her head as they stood in line.
"Kari." His voice was calm, steady. "You know what changed for me the day I found you?" The hero smiled a little. "My grocery bill. And that's about it." His thumb brushed lightly through her hair.
"You didn't make my life worse. You made my home fuller." His eyes drifted down to Hiro, who was faithfully glued to Kari's side.
"Looks like you just did it again." When Hiro confidently chose the star-shaped tag, Hawks chuckled as he took the tag from Kari and looked it over. "Red bandana, star collar, star tag…" He glanced at the Leonberger. "You've got a whole theme going now, big guy."
"And yeah," he nodded toward the engraving machine. "We'll get his name and our contact info on it before we leave." Then, just before they reached the register, he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Kiddo, you've spent this whole trip worrying about being a burden."
The child listened to Hawks and blinked in thought. She then looked down at Hiro and noticed how the dog began to light up. Her gaze drifted slowly in random directions as Hawks continued to speak, she was paying attention but couldn't stay looking in one single direction for the whole time.
Then the pro hero spoke about how Kari's been worrying about being a burden. She looked down, a bit ashamed, but also thinking about everything. Sure she was fine during the aquarium, but then came the shelter which made her think about the price. That's when everything went down hill.
"I don't think either of us sees it that way."
Hawks' words cut through Kari's thoughts like a hot knife. Not painful, more enlightening. Hiro barked after Hawks spoke, as if agreeing with the pro hero, moving to lean on the girl with a huff. Kari sniffled and rubbed her eyes, trying her best not to cry. She had been thinking too much, dwelling on the fact that she ran away literally the day before.
She was still hurting from a lot, not just that she ran away and hurt others but also because of everything else behind it. "I-I'm sorry." She squeaked, moving to hug Hawks. "B-but thank you." She muttered, letting out a heavy and shaky sigh. "I never thought I'd be here... With a found family, a new home, and eventually even getting a dog." She muttered, taking a step back. "It feels too good to be real and it also feels like too much for me." She sighed, releasing stress and moving to pet Hiro, who happily leaned on Kari's side a bit and the girl giggled softly.
Eventually it was the small family's turn to check out and Kari gulped. "D-don't let me hear the price. Please." She whispered loud enough for Hawks to hear, though Hiro heard as well.
The cashier lady grinned and waved. "Hello, did you find everything okay?" She asked, clearly a bit stunned that the number two hero was checking out in her line along side with the little girl he had taken in according to the news and a new dog. Though the cashier tried her best to hide her surprise.
Kagome smiled when she heard Inuyasha, but didn't say anything. She was just happy to hear him admit he liked it.
Not long after that, Kari returned with Shippo, both smiling wide and panting. "I win." Shippo huffed triumphantly.
"I let you win." Kari wheezed only to sniff the air. "Ooooh. Lunch smells really good." She chirped, moving to sit where Kagome had set up an area for the group to eat. They were just outside the village, they didn't plan on staying so it made no sense to get a room or anything like that.
Shippo moved to sit on the blanket not long after Kari and laid down with a huff. "You think we can rest after we eat? For just a moment?"
"What? You tired or somethin'?" Kari teased, though she also looked a bit winded. "The longer we take, the longer we gotta wait to get stuff done." Kari puffed out her cheeks a bit. "And I'm not a fan of waiting."
Kagome rolled her eyes, scooping some rice into bowls then getting the vegetables and fish on their own plates. She then brought Kari and Shippo their helpings. "You need to be patient Kari." She said then went to grab her own, letting Inuyasha get his at his leisure.
"But---"
"No buts, eat your food. You'll get your answers soon enough." Kagome informed and moved to take a bite of her food, reading Kari like a book with ease, much to Kari's annoyance.
"Why are you reading me like a book? Stop that!"
Kagome snorted, seeing a similarity to the child and Inuyasha, knowing the hanyou also hated being called out like that. "Because you're very easy to read and because if I didn't you'd end up doing something dumb." She informed, seeing Kari had begun to quickly eat her food, practically inhaling it. "Something stupid like eating too fast. Slow down or you'll choke."
Kari froze and exhaled through her nose then began to chew a bit slower, actually starting to enjoy the food now. A purr began to echo from her throat, and not long after that Shippo began to purr too.
Kohaku smiled at the sight of Core and Kari both drifting toward sleep before turning to Sango. He stepped over and wrapped his sister in a warm, gentle hug, resting his head against her shoulder for a moment.
"You should get some sleep too, sister," he said quietly. "You've earned the rest just as much as they have." He pulled back with a soft smile.
"As for lunch… we can worry about that after everyone's had a nap. I'll make something simple when you all wake up. Right now, I think the best thing for this family is a little peace."
Sango looked at Kohaku and sighed, wrapping her arms around him gently. "I will. Just promise while we are sleeping, you rest too." She hummed softly. "Knowing you, you'll probably push yourself a bit too much to keep us from doing anything while we rest." She sighed, letting Kohaku go and moving to get comfortable.
Core yawned, rubbing his eyes a little. "Kohaku?" He purred, not having fallen asleep fully just yet. "You coming over here?" He asked softly, clearly wanting to cuddle while he slept. Sango chuckled softly.
"Why don't we both go?" She suggested. "Since Kari is there and all. I don't want to be alone either." She mostly teased, but the thought of cuddling with Kohaku like they used to sounded like a relaxing time. That and it kind of forced Kohaku to stay put and rest for now too. Win-win in her eyes.
Hawks listened quietly while Kari listed everything out, every new expense piling up in her head until she started getting wound tighter and tighter again.
Then Hiro stepped in. Emotional support activated.
Hawks watched Kari practically melt into the giant dog and let out a small breath through his nose. “Okay,” he muttered, looking at Hiro, “I’m starting to think this guy’s got a degree.” He smiled softly as Hiro just sat there and let her hold onto him.
Good dog.
Then came the leash aisle and the look Kari gave him. Hawks stared back for a moment and then slowly raised one eyebrow.
“Oh my god.” He pointed dramatically at Hiro. “That is your face.” His grin immediately widened. “The exact same face.” Then he watched Hiro make his choice and gave a small nod. “Black leash. Practical. Sturdy.” He looked at Hiro and gave a thumb's up. “Big guy keeps making solid calls.”
Then his eyes shifted back to Kari, softening again.
“And hey.” He reached over and lightly bumped her shoulder. “Stop trying to calculate everything by yourself. Today I got to watch you laugh at stingrays, play fetch with a penguin, and find your dog.”
Hiro perked up slightly when Hawks mentioned Hiro having a "degree" as a joke. Even though Hawks intended it as a joke, Hiro looked happy with wide sparkling, knowing eyes as he panted happily while Kari calmed down. His tail wagging a little as he felt the girl relax. He knew he was a good dog, he was helping his new little human after all.
---
Kari stayed close to Hawks as he spoke, only to sigh softly. "It's hard not to think about now... Before it was easy since it was mostly food and such I needed to be healthy, with an few things here and there I wanted. I tried not to ask for much outside of what I needed so I wasn't a bother... You took me in suddenly and all so it didn't feel right to ask for a lot until a bit leter on, but I still tried to keep things at least a bit reasonable b-but now." The child looked down at Hiro. "Now it's a lot more to worry about. There's so much more money you're gonna spend cuz of this. I'm still getting used to living like this." She muttered, looking down at her gut, squishing it in her hands then squeezing it slightly with her left hand a little with a sigh.
The child had gained a healthy amount of weight since moving in with Hawks. She was no longer practically skin and bones anymore. "I'm still getting used to eating well too... Feels kinda weird to not have to worry about where I'll get food next. I can just go and grab a snack whenever I want. It's not bad, but weird."
Kari brought up a good point. She hadn't asked for a lot while living with Hawks. Sure on occasion she'd request a specific food or maybe a fun trip, but nothing too expensive and she didn't ask often. So this was something she wasn't used to, asking for something so expensive. Multiple things that were very expensive all within the span of about two days. It was jarring in a way. But weirdly enough, it meant she was starting to get really comfortable to simply ask for something so big. To Kari, that was one of the hardest things to do along side asking for help and other similar things.
Hiro perked at Kari's words, seeing the expression her eyes held. Not sad, but not happy. More reflective. He huffed and moved to be closer to Kari to remind her that he was there. Kari looked at the dog and grinned, moving to pat his head. "I'm okay Hiro." She chirped, letting out a heavy breath.
Hiro huffed, not fully believing her but stayed close. Kari hummed.
"I... I just really know that things really changed for you when you just... Picked me up off the street. You took me in without much thought one day and now I'm your kid. I didn't wanna be a bother and I wanted to just... Try and be as little of a problem as I could." She informed, moving to put a hand on Hiro's head, petting the dog.
After a bit of walking Kari spotted the tags right by the register. She hummed softly and looked at the dog tags, picking out a big one that was blue and shaped like a bone and another that was also blue and shaped like a star. "I think the star goes well with your new collar, but the bone is cute too." Kari chirped, looking to Hiro and showing him. "What do you think?"
Hiro huffed and poked the star tag with his noes after a small amount of thought. He was quicker than the last few times so he must have really liked the star shaped tag. Kari giggled and nodded, handing the tag to Hawks while looking away from the price tag. She did note the sign that said; "Free engraving with purchase of tag at engraving machine. Bring receipt and scan code to use." She then looked behind the rack with the tags and noted the machine by the automatic doors.
"Once we check out we gotta get the tag en.. ingr... We gotta get Hiro's name on the tag as well as info incase he gets lost or something." She informed while pointing at the machine and looking at Hawks. "B-but first. We gotta check out." Kari gulped and moved to get in line with Hiro and her papa.
Kari looked up at Inuyasha and snorted after swallowing the bite of food in her mouth. "Yeh, maybe." She shrugged then went to look at the fish from earlier that day to make sure it was okay.
Kagome watched as Inuyasha ate the bite of food. "Is that a good "Hmph" or a bad one?" She asked, scanning his face with a slightly worried expression.
"Well, he hasn't spit it out so he must at least like it a bit." Kari piped up while looking over her shoulder. Her purring had gone quiet since she was no longer chewing on food.
Kagome glanced at Kari then looked at Inuyasha and grinned softly, hoping that was the case. She sighed, still grinning, and went to tend to the food. "Lunch should be ready soon. Kari, do you mind going to get Shippo please?"
Kari looked up at Kagome's words and nodded. "Ok!" With that Kari was off to get the kitsune and bring him back.
Kohaku quietly moved closer again, resting a hand over Core’s and giving it a gentle squeeze.
“I think Sango’s right,” he said softly, eyes warm as he looked at him. “Kari never got the chance to know her mother… but you did.” His thumb brushed lightly over Core’s hand. “And from the way you talk about your aunt, it sounds like those memories are precious.”
He smiled gently.
“When Kari wakes up, maybe you can give her a piece of her mother back.”
Core nodded after a moment. "Y-yea..." He muttered softly, moving to lean on Kohaku for a moment. "I'll do that." He yawned, moving to rub his eyes. The comforting atmosphere was starting to make him a little groggy.
"That was a pretty big yawn." Sango chuckled and Core hummed.
"Yea, I think a nap should help with that." He said then moved to relax a bit. Sango grinned, a nap sounded pretty good to her now too. She was still pretty drained after traveling and fighting like Kari, though to a slightly lesser extent. "When should we have lunch and what should we have?" He asked, slowly sitting up a bit more straight so Kohaku could get up and set up a sleeping area for a nap. Though he did lean back onto the wall behind him.
Kari, meanwhile, was still passed out and using Core as a pillow. She looked content, just laying there peacefully.
Hawks watched Hiro inspect beds with the same serious concentration he'd used for food and toys.
Sniff. Paw. Reject. Move on.
He folded his arms and stared. “I can't believe it. I’m watching a dog comparison shop.” The absolute seriousness of it nearly got him.
When Hiro completely dismissed one of Kari’s suggestions and turned away, Hawks snorted. “Oof.” He looked at Kari sympathetically. “Rejected.”
Once Hiro finally settled on a bed and Kari brought over the price tag looking like she was about to faint, Hawks glanced at it.
Then glanced at her. Then at Hiro proudly sitting beside his choice.
“Kid.” His voice softened a little. “You've spent this whole trip worrying more about me than yourself.” He reached out and gently ruffled her hair. “And for the record?” A small smile tugged at his mouth. “You don't get punished for coming home.”
"You've just... Spent so much money on me is all... The aquarium today, all the snacks yesterday, and now you're paying for not only Hiro but all his stuff too! And that's not including vet stuff a-and baths and other stuff too." Kari looked down. "Then there's training and-and we gotta keep buying him food and---" Hiro stepped in as Kari spoke, moving to lean on her with a heavy huff. "and..." Kari's focus shifted to the large dog now applying a heavy weight to her side. She stared for a moment then took a heavy breath, moving to lean down and wrap her arms around the dog and lay over him.
Hiro just let her, moving to gently nuzzle her while his tail swayed. He didn't mind the fact the Kari was occasionally gripping his fur then letting go then gripping again. Her grip wasn't at all rough to him, and he kind of enjoyed the feeling. Not painful, more soothing.
After a moment Kari let go of the dog and sighed, rubbing her eyes. "Good boy." She muttered softly, moving to pat Hiro's head. "Ok, you've picked your bed... Now we need... Oh a leash and maybe a harness and--" Hiro huffed at the word "harness" and gave a disapproving grumble. "Oh, no harness then. But we still need a leash and a dog tag." Kari sounded a bit calmer now, not fully together, but better than before.
The child hummed and led everyone down the next aisle with all the dog leashes and hummed, finding two that she liked. "Hiro, you're a good walker but you might need to wear a harness at some point. At least a cape thing. If we need a service dog then you need patches, right?" Kari muttered and Hiro perked a bit at the word "service" almost understanding the word in a way given his expression.
"But we can worry about that later. You gotta be trained for that." Kari chirped then grabbed the two leashes. "Ok, I like these two, what do you think big guy?" She held the leashes out to Hiro who glared inquisitively at the two things in front of him. He sniffed each one, then went back to glaring at the two. Kari looked at Hawks, not saying a thing but her expression said it all; "is that how I looked to you when I was making choices?" without a sound. One eyebrow raised, head slightly tilted, and eyes ever so slightly squinting as her gaze flicked from Hiro to Hawks a few times.
Eventually the dog made his choice, grabbing the black leash from Kari. It was long and was rather sturdy. It had a metal ring closer to where Kari would hold it to hook on a baggie holder and maybe even a small flashlight too if needed. Kari hummed, doing her best to NOT look at the price as she put the other one away. "R-right. Now we can head to check out. I think the tags are near there anyway so we can choose that once we're there then check out." She informed, dreading the final amount of all the items.
Hiro, on the other hand, was happy. Excited even. He got all these new things and a new family to match! It was honestly his best day ever!
Inuyasha watched Kari run ahead after finally letting go of him, his expression softening for a brief second before he huffed.
“Keh.” He shoved his hands back into his sleeves and followed after her.
At her quiet “thanks” earlier, of course he’d heard it.
He just hadn’t said anything.
—
When Kagome waved him over, he glanced down at the food.
“Vegetables?” His face twisted immediately. “…You’re askin’ the wrong person.” Still, he walked over anyway and crouched beside them.
He glanced at Kari for a second, noticing how she looked lighter now, even if she was still trying to hide whatever she was feeling and a tiny smirk tugged at his mouth.
“Fine.” Then he pointed at Kari. “But if it tastes weird, she goes first.”
A snort escaped from Kagome and she held out a small bite of a cooked and seasoned daikon radish for Kari to try. Kari chirped and took the bite, after a moment of chewing a soft purr came from the child's throat. "It'sh good." The child said still with food in her mouth. Kagome hummed.
"Finish the food in your mouth before you speak." She lightly scolded then went back to cooking. "Do you mind making sure the fish is still okay, Kari?"
Kari nodded. "Kay!" She called then went to Kagome's bag and pulled out the containers with the fish. "I'm surprised you had these."
"For a while I forgot I did. But now we can keep food for a bit so it doesn't go to waste. Can't say it'll keep for long but it's good for travel." Kagome shrugged and moved to get another small bite of the cooked and seasoned daikon radish for Inuyasha to try. "I tried to not season it too much." She hummed, holding the bite close for Inuyasha to try.
Kohaku glanced at Core, catching that brief shadow in his expression before his features softened. He leaned over and gently brushed his fingers through Core’s hair.
“You don’t have to carry every thought by yourself,” he said quietly, just for him, before smiling a little. “But we don’t have to rush it either.”
Then he looked at the sleeping Kari and chuckled softly.
“For now, I think our mission is simple.” He crossed his arms dramatically. “Protect the exhausted foxes and let them rest.”
Core sighed, looking down at Kari and gently running his fingers through her hair. "I... I'll explain later ok?" He glanced at Kohaku. "I promise I won't hold it in." He reassured with a smile.
"Maybe getting it off your chest could help you relax?" Sango suggested. "I'm okay with also listening. I'm aware of a few things because Kari has talked to me, wanting advice." Sango hummed softly, noting the slight tension in Core's shoulders.
The fox blinked, looking at Sango then down at Kari only to let out another, heavier, sigh. "Well, if you're okay with it."
Sango nodded, giving a grin. "I am. I promise." She said, gesturing for Kohaku to sit down next to her so her younger brother could let Core have some space, but not be too far away.
The kitsune took a breath then opened his mouth. "Mother and Aunt Mikomi weren't exactly on the best of terms. Their parents raised them to be very competitive, even to each other. Wanting the two of them to constantly strive to get better, to be as perfect as they could. It wasn't the best for their relationship... They never had much of a relationship now that I think about it." Core glanced up at the demon slayers. "When I was born, Aunt Mikomi was different... According to mother at least. She mellowed out I guess. I'm not sure." Core looked down to Kari. "Mother hated seeing Auntie like that. Gentler, kinder, and more helpful. I remember Auntie being one of the kindest people I've met besides Kohaku. She still had a firmness to her but... It wasn't like how mother described Auntie used used to be."
Sango frowned slightly, feeling a bitterness in Core's words.
Core continued. "Eventually, the two had a fight over something. I don't remember what was said or what it was about, but I remember it was the last time I saw Auntie. After that, mother became even worse... Really over bearing, very strict with her training, even trying to keep an eye on me as much as she could. It felt suffocating." Core sighed. "I think it's cuz Auntie was pregnant with Kari, the timing lines up." The fox glanced to Kari's scarf then back to Kari's face. "I just... Wish mother didn't turn out that way. She wasn't much of a mother after that."
Sango moved to sit next to Kohaku and pat his head. "Have you thought to talk to Kari about her mother?" She asked quietly. "I'm sure she'd like to hear it. She never knew her after all." Core widened his eyes a little, slightly shocked at the suggestion. He hadn't thought about it that way. He had knowledge Kari didn't, some very important knowledge at that. "Maybe you should... It could help you both." Sango shrugged.
