#inu-spiration 6: a tanabata bang

[inu-spiration]

Written in the Stars: A Tanabata Inu-spiration Bang: July 7, 2024

Mark Your Calendars: Sign-Ups Begin March 15th

Hi everyone! We are very pleased to announce that our first inu-spiration event of 2024 will be a Tanabata bang!

Tanabata, or, "evening of the seventh," is a star festival held yearly in Japan. It celebrates the meeting of the dieties Orihime and Hikoboshi, whose stars are kept separate in the skies, and can only meet once per year. While the festivities can take place in July and August (often overlapping with Obon), the start of the festival is July 7. In honor of the festival, we hope you will join us for our sixth (!) Inu-spiration bang!

Sign-ups for the bang will begin March 15th and run through April 1st. It will be a traditional bang, meaning that artists will either draw to the story that a writer conceives, or the two will collaborate on the concept.

For more information, and to learn more about the schedule, check out our FAQ page!

[nartistadigital]

My @inu-spiration piece: Sesshomaru and Sango

Not my usual pairing but this was definitely very fun to try, especially following @serial-doubters-club fic idea! I hope you like it <3

[sereia1313]

Afterglow

@inu-spiration always comes up with such great themes! I had the privilge of working with @stardust414 and she created a stunning piece of art to go with our idea!

Read it on Ao3 and FFnet.

See (and swoon) over Stardust's art here!

Summary: Usually, Sesshoumaru paid the mortals no mind. They’d built him a splendid temple, and offerings littered the steps daily, but the gifts had begun to wane, and the murmurs of a goddess taking human form had begun to get louder.

Sneak Peek

A creak of the cottage door had him bounding back into the trees, unwilling to give up his cover even with his glamour firmly intact. He watched with wide eyes as a woman clad in pale robes and a determined glare stepped outside of the safety of her enclosure.

"Who's there?" she demanded. Sesshoumaru kept still, not wanting to relinquish his position even as her eyes flickered in his direction.

Breath stilled in his lungs as he was engulfed in an oceanic tempest, waves crashing upon his psyche as she held him captivated. The flush of her cheeks was nothing compared to the ferocity in her eyes, and it was a wonder he hadn't been burned on the spot.

She was stunning.

Raven curls fell around her shoulders, slightly tangled, as if she'd been pulled from a deep sleep. Chin raised defiantly, she scanned the area, hands gripping the door. She looked nothing like any goddess he had seen before, but he wished her to be one all the same. If he were a lesser being, he'd have grovelled at her feet—if only to get a better view.

"I do not fear you," she called out. "And you will find no solace here. Be gone before you meet the same end as your brothers." She was steadfast, like a warrior ready for battle, and Sesshoumaru remained still until well after she'd disappeared back inside.

Perhaps he'd been too hasty. Any female would've felt threatened if they'd heard noises outside their home so late at night. To his credit, he hadn't expected anything, let alone her, but he'd covered his tracks, his aura and presence hidden, so the fact she'd sensed anything piqued his curiosity.

Leaning back against the tree, intent on keeping an eye on her until she was willing to answer his questions, he rested one arm upon a bent knee, casting his gaze upward to the darkened sky. There must have been candles lit from within, as she'd glowed when she'd opened the door. But even as that thought crossed his mind, his brow pinched into a frown.

She'd felt human.

[fawn-eyed-girl]

An Auspicious Fortune:

an @inu-spiration collaboration with @stardust414

Hi everyone! I'm very pleased to share my contribution to @inu-spiration: "An Auspicious Fortune" (Rated T), features a pining Inuyasha, a Sango who gets a troublesome fortune, and a Miroku who's trying to keep it all together.

I was very inspired by @stardust414's gorgeous art; please be sure to give them all of the love!! And please enjoy our little art and story 💖

Sneak peek under the cut!

Inuyasha’s scowl deepened. “Don’t fuckin’ joke with me, Miroku,” he grumbled, and turned his head away.

“Come, come now,” Miroku cajoled him, patting his friend on the shoulder. “You can tell me, Inuyasha. We’ve been friends a long time; we’re business partners now, right?” He dropped from a squat to his knees. “What’s troubling you, old friend?”

Inuyasha grouched, and pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. Miroku recognized it immediately; it was a small red omikuji, just like the one Sango and the children were waiting in line for. Miroku held out his hand. “May I?” he asked, kindly.

“Keh.” Inuyasha shoved it at him. “Don’t fuckin’ matter, anyway.”

“I’m sure that it does.” Miroku took the omikuji and opened it. His eyes grew wide at the fortune. “Why, Inuyasha, it’s…”

“A dai-kichi,” Inuyasha muttered. “Yeah, I know.”

Miroku tried to keep his composure. Why would a great blessing irritate his friend so?

“But, Inuyasha,” Miroku began, trying to see the reason, “isn’t this what you’ve wanted? What you’ve been waiting for?”

Inuyasha whipped around to face Miroku, who was stunned to see Inuyasha’s eyes wet with tears. “What I’ve been waiting for, you damn monk,” he hissed, “is for Kagome to fuckin’ come back through that well, not for some stupid, shitty fortune promising that some vague great thing’s gonna happen! Who knows what that’ll be!”

“Maybe it will be her,” Miroku reasoned.

“Yeah,” Inuyasha scoffed, “or maybe my brother will finally eat shit and die.”

Miroku choked back a laugh. 

[inuyashaeienni]

I didn't realize today was posting day!! I read the instructions wrong!! 😆😆😆

Take 2!! I am taking part in the Tanabata Inu-spiration Bang as a writer with the lovely @mayarab!

Ahem! So Without further ado!!

Here is: @inu-spiration

Shikon Cafe!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kikyou

“Hey Inuyasha. I tried calling you but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you didn’t answer.”

12:00 pm JST

“We need to talk. Call me when you get this message”

12:01 pm JST

“This bitch is going to drive me crazy,” Inuyasha muttered with a sigh as he leaned his head back on his sofa with deep annoyance as he took his eyes away from a text he received an hour ago. His long silver hair softly cascading over his sofa, he stared at the ceiling with deep thought and a frown on his face. It is a beautiful Tuesday afternoon in Tokyo, with high sunny clouds, but not even the bright, warm summer day can change this dog boy’s sour increasing mood. It's like a kettle pot ever so slightly tipping over by the minute.

His sharp, dog-like ears started twitching in irritation as flashbacks from his last interaction with her 6 months ago didn’t go so well. Now a random text from his ex-girlfriend Kikyou had put him in a foul mood, and his usual scowl had deepened to a near-permanent fixture.

"Man, you've got to let it go," Miroku sighed, leaning back in his chair opposite Inuyasha. He could practically feel his growing irritation from a mile away. He ran a hand through his dark hair, the prayer beads around his wrist clinking softly. "It's been months. You need to move on."

"Easy for you to say," Inuyasha growled, sitting up from his sofa, his fingers tightening around his phone. "She just texted me out of nowhere, acting like nothing happened. She says she wants to talk. What's there to talk about? She already made her choice."

Miroku raised an eyebrow, used to Inuyasha’s outbursts, wondering how that phone was still intact. That is one tight grip. "Perhaps she's regretting her decision. Maybe she wants closure." He leaned his head back against the chair, letting the AC freeze away the heat radiating off his body.

"Closure, my ass," Inuyasha muttered. "She just wants to mess with my head. And why should I give her the satisfaction?"

"Inuyasha, demanding an explanation isn't going to help. Just hear her out. It might be good for the both of you," Miroku advised, his eyes still closed, though his tone suggested he knew his words would fall on deaf ears.

"Whatever," Inuyasha snapped, shoving his phone into his pocket. "If she thinks she can just waltz back into my life, she's got another thing coming."

Miroku sighed, standing up and stretching, hearing a bone crack or two in satisfaction. "You know what? Let's get out of here. We've been cooped up in this apartment for too long. There's a new café down the street, Shikon Café. Let's check it out. A change of scenery might do you some good."

Inuyasha grumbled but reluctantly agreed. "Fine, but if I see one more message from Kikyou, I'm gonna lose it."

Miroku chuckled softly. "I'll keep that in mind. Come on, let's go."

—-----

6 hours earlier

"And here's the final touch for a scrumptious Mocha Chai Latte!" Ashira exclaimed with excitement as she whipped up a drool-worthy dollop of whipped cream on top, finishing up the steps to make the drink. Kagome, wide-eyed yet determined, nodded her head to show she was listening, but she couldn't help but wonder if she had been caught daydreaming during Coffee number 52.

“So any questions?” her co-worker asked without losing a beat. So much energy for 6 am. Kagome shook her head, “No, Thank you for your help! I think everything will just come with practice,” She chuckled awkwardly. ‘I don’t know how these people remember all of these coffee combinations.’ Kagome thought to herself.

Ashira smiled and chuckled alongside her, her bright attitude shining through, “Absolutely! Not to worry, in time, everything will just come naturally. Now we should be having customers soon. If you need help, I’ll be right over there if you have any questions!” With that, she bounced off to the back of the cafe, leaving Kagome to take care of the front counter. They just opened up, so there wasn’t any foot traffic yet, surprisingly.

Arriving home for Summer break after a long junior year at Asthan College, Kagome didn’t want to lay around at the Shrine all day. She loved her family, but one more history lesson would drive her insane. She groaned as she mentally relived the agony of her grandfather’s stories. The jingling of the bell jolted Kagome out of her moment of flashback, and right into action, “Welcome in!”

About mid-day afternoon, The two friends made their way to the Shikon Café, the warm summer air doing little to improve Inuyasha's mood. As they approached the café, the scent of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods wafted through the air, momentarily distracting Inuyasha from his anger.

After finishing her first morning rush, Kagome was busy arranging pastries in the display case. She had to call Ashira for help once or twice, spilled coffee, and dropped a few muffins on the ground from touching them with her hand after pulling them out of the oven, but she felt pretty confident in her newly acquired skills. She was determined to make a good impression despite Ashira assuring her that it was ok to make mistakes on her first day. With her back turned to the entrance, she didn't see the newcomers but called out automatically, "Welcome in!"

Inuyasha, not paying much attention, saw a sudden glance of long black hair and he immediately saw red, assuming the greeting came from someone he knew all too well. "Kikyou, what the hell do you want now?" he barked, his voice loud enough to turn a few heads.

Kagome straightened up, startled by the outburst. She turned around, her brown eyes wide with surprise. "Excuse me?”

Inuyasha blinked, momentarily thrown off by the unfamiliar voice. He looked up and his eyes met Kagome's fiery gaze. The resemblance to Kikyou was uncanny, but there was something different about this girl—something warmer, more vibrant.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded, his tone still rough but less certain.

‘Oh Kami give me strength.’ she prayed inwardly, trying not to make a scene. "Excuse me?” She repeated. “Who wants to know," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

“The one asking, wench” Inuyasha replied his stubbornness getting the best out of him not willing to admit his mistake.

Her eyes narrowed harder, matching his stubbornness and attitude, manners begone. “The name’s Kagome,” She leaves her previous position and approaches the counter, pressing her palms down on the counter and leaning towards him in a boastful voice. “And who the hell do you think you are, coming in here and yelling at people? If you want service in this cafe, you better watch your attitude, mister." Gold meets brown in an even-matched eye contact.

Miroku, ever the mediator, stepped in with a charming smile. "Hi there! Kagome, is it? Please forgive my friend, he's having a bit of a rough day."

Kagome's expression softened slightly at Miroku's polite demeanor, but she wasn't ready to let Inuyasha off the hook just yet. "A rough day doesn't give him the right to be a jerk," she retorted, turning her glare back to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha's scowl deepened. "Look wench, I thought you were someone else, alright? Just drop it."

Kagome huffed and laughed in disbelief, clearly unimpressed. "It's Kagome. Ka-go-me! Not wench and Maybe you should think about that before you speak next time."

Before the situation could escalate further, another customer walked in, diverting Kagome's attention. She gave Inuyasha one last pointed look before walking towards them to take the new customer's order.

Miroku chuckled softly. "Well, that was interesting. She’d definitely put you in your place."

Inuyasha grumbled something under his breath but didn't argue. Instead, he watched Kagome from the corner of his eye as she interacted with the customers, her smile warm and genuine. It was a stark contrast to Kikyou's often aloof demeanor and from their previous interaction just 2 minutes ago.

As the café settled back into its usual rhythm, Inuyasha found himself unable to focus on anything other than the strange, fiery girl who had just told him off. He didn't know why, but something about her intrigued him.

When the café quieted down again, Kagome took a deep breath and blew out the tension in her body. Her eyes zoned in on the table of two that occupied Inuyasha and Miroku. She initially procrastinated approaching their table due to another random rush of customers, but it was her job after all. With a hint of curiosity in her eyes, she walked over. "So, are you two going to order something, or just take up space?"

Miroku smiled. "We'll have two coffees, please. And maybe a slice of that strawberry cake."

Kagome nodded, jotting down the order. "Coming right up."

As she walked away, Inuyasha couldn't help but watch her, his mind a whirl of confusion and curiosity. He didn't know what it was about Kagome, but he had a feeling this wasn't the last time their paths would cross.

Minutes later, Kagome returned with their order, setting the coffee and cake down on the table. "Here you go," she said, her tone more neutral but still holding a hint of the earlier annoyance.

"Thanks," Miroku said warmly. Inuyasha muttered a gruff thanks as well, still feeling slightly off-balance.

Kagome gave him a brief nod before heading back to the counter. As she worked, she found herself sneaking glances at the silver-haired, brash-talking customer. There was something about him that piqued her curiosity despite his rough demeanor.

As the day wore on, the café began to empty, and Kagome found herself with another moment to breathe. She glanced over at Inuyasha and Miroku's table, noticing that they were still there, talking quietly.

‘He was rude, loud, and disrespectful. She thought to herself with renewed annoyance, and then with a sigh, she proclaimed to herself, ‘Well my behavior wasn’t a 5-star either no matter how much I felt he deserved it.’ She concluded, always one for leading by example. Taking a deep inhale and exhale breath, she decided to approach them once more. She saw his ear twitch the closer she got to their table, signaling that he was aware of her approaching presence. Her fingers twitched in a sudden desire to feel them and pet them. Odd. Arriving she took a beat and spoke, “Listen," she said, standing by their table, drawing their attention. "I know we got off on the wrong foot earlier. And I'm sorry if I was a bit….harsh."

Inuyasha looked up, his expression softening just a fraction. "Yeah, well, I shouldn't have assumed you were Kikyou. Sorry about that."

Kagome smiled slightly, her earlier irritation fading. "Apology accepted.” Curiosity getting the best of her since he did ruin her afternoon, after all. ” So, you had a fight with an ex?"

Inuyasha sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, something like that. It's complicated."

Kagome nodded, understanding the sentiment. "Breakups are never easy. But maybe a fresh start isn't such a bad thing."

They locked eye contact for a moment and the air slightly shifted. He can't explain it; he’s not sure what it is, but this feels…different. Inuyasha glanced at her once more, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Maybe you're right."

Miroku watched the exchange with a knowing smile, glad to see his friend finally opening up a little. "Well, it's a start," he murmured.

As Kagome returned to her duties, Inuyasha found himself feeling a bit lighter. Maybe, just maybe, this summer would turn out better than he expected. And perhaps the fiery girl at the Shikon Café would have something to do with that.

[inu-spiration]

Written in the Stars: A Tanabata Inu-spiration Bang

Sign-Ups are now open!

Hi everyone! The inu-spiration mods are very excited to announce that sign-ups for our sixth Inu-spiration event, called "Written in the Stars: A Tanabata Inu-spiration Bang", are now open!

The sign-up form can be found here. The form is the same for artists, writers, and betas, and we've included an option for pinch hitting, as well.

Sign-ups will be open until April 1st 📝

Questions? Check out our FAQs or send us an ask 💌

We hope you will join us, and can't wait to see all the new creations this event will bring!

[inu-spiration]

Written in the Stars: A Tanabata Inu-Spiration Bang: COMING SOON

Hello everyone! We here at inu-spiration are so pleased to share that our event is now just one week away! Our creators are very excited to share what they have been working on diligently the last few months!

This week will be our WiP Week, meaning that our writers and artists will be sharing previews of the work that they will be posting one week from today. We can't wait to see what they have in store for us!

For our writers and artists: feel free to use the banner posted below for your WiP. Also be sure to tag us @inu-spiration so we know to reblog you 🩵

[inu-spiration]

Written in the Stars: A Tanabata Inu-spiration Bang

Three Days Until Sign-Ups Open!

Hi there everyone! Just three more days until sign-ups open for "Written in the Stars": A Tanabata Inu-spiration Bang! We hope you will be able to join us!

For the schedule, and more information, check out our FAQs. To peruse creations from previous events, check out our past Ao3 collections. If you have questions, please let us know with an ask! 💌

[sereia1313]

Can't WAIT to share my final piece for @inu-spiration's Tanabata event! But until then, enjoy a little snippet of God-Sesshoumaru!

Sneak Peek

He'd never been gone this long before. The humans were starting to worry, rumours of incoming plagues and other such petty disasters stirring their fear, but it was said rumours that had caused his descent from the sky in the first place.

Usually, he paid them no mind. They'd built him a splendid temple, and offerings littered the steps daily, but the gifts had begun to wane, and the murmurs of a goddess taking human form had begun to get louder.

He snorted. No one was more beautiful than him, no female for that matter, and none would dare invade his territory. There had been peace amongst the deities for centuries; it was the humans who enjoyed bloodshed and drama. Some of the demi-gods, his brother included, enjoyed spurring them on, but Sesshoumaru had better things to do than engage in their squabbles for entertainment.

He was only down here in the first place because he was bored.

He didn't have anything against them—they worshiped him well enough—but there was something earthy about them that had him thankful he had so little contact with them in the first place. It was his job to guide them throughout the night, to give them hope during long voyages, and perhaps entrance a pair of lovers now and then.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his dark hair. This was another reason he didn't enjoy his time in the mortal realm. Scents were stronger, the ground harder, and he was forced to wear a guise in order to fit in. Others of his breed traipsed around in their true form while among the humans, but his markings tended to frighten rather than fascinate, so it was less of a headache to pretend to be one of them.

Keeping to himself, he strode purposely toward the heart of the village. It wasn't spectacular by any means, but there was a constant buzz of activity, patrons chatting amongst each other as they bought food for dinner or trinkets for loved ones.

Sesshoumaru bypassed all of it, shadows scampering away as he flared his power. The crowds eventually tapered off, leaving him on a single road headed north. Small stone statues carrying candles lit his way as the sun began to set, twilight darkening the sky.

He passed an old woman headed in the opposite direction, and she smirked, tapping his leg with her cane. "Ye are too late to witness her glory, young pup. Perhaps she will grace you with her presence tomorrow." He gave her a questioning look, and she had the audacity to laugh at him. "There is no other reason to be headed down this road."

"Perhaps I am simply taking in the sights," he said, hands hidden within his sleeves.

"Ah, but what a particular sight to behold." She turned toward him, squinting at him with her one good eye. "They say she is descended from Kisshouten-sama or is even the goddess herself in human form. But she is elusive, hiding away in her garden while she gathers power to fight the spirits that haunt us."

He kicked a stone at the thought, the so-called spirits hissing before disappearing from the path he'd been taking. There were certainly more than the usual amount within the village, but nothing he needed to be worried about.

They culminated in darkness, festering on nights of the new moon, and he supposed he could understand the woman's worry, considering how long he'd been absent from the sky. He needed to put this rumour to rest so he could return to his duties. "Has she been here long?"

The woman hummed, giving him a knowing smile. "As long as necessary. The spirits come with their teeth bared, but she will have none of it." She thumped the ground with her cane. "They wouldn't dare attack us with her present."

He raised an eyebrow at that. The spirits gave him a wide berth, but few others commanded their attention enough to keep them away from humans. He took another step in the so-called goddess' direction, but the woman caught his foot with her cane. "If ye seek the take advantage, you will find yourself banished."

He was tempted to show his true colours, but he could sense no taint within her soul, so he inclined his head. "I merely wish to pay tribute to the one protecting the village."

She eyed him up and down, then shrugged. "Try as you might, she will not venture out of her garden at night."

"I will keep that in mind," he replied.

"See that you do." She finally released his foot and then carried on her way. Sesshoumaru found it curious that she had given such a stern warning yet never once looked back, but she was not his concern that night.

He had confirmed, at least to a point, the existence of someone impersonating a god, and regardless of the creature's intentions, it was a crime punishable by death.

[inu-spiration]

Written in the Stars: A Tanabata Inu-spiration Bang

Sign-ups open TOMORROW!

Hi there everyone! Sign-ups for "Written in the Stars": A Tanabata Inu-spiration Bang will open tomorrow, March 15th! Mark your calendars; we hope you will be able to join us!

For information regarding the event, including the schedule, check out our FAQs.

For a look at previous event creations, visit our Ao3 collections page.

Have other questions? Reach out to us with an ask!