Dear Papa Archives

I read somewhere on one of your responses that humans and demons go to diffrent places when they die. If that is the case then what will happen to Inuyasha seeing how he is half of both?
Thank You
Sincerely,
Rhonda, a.k.a. Clyde's bitch (just kidding!!!)

Dear Rhonda,
Since Inuyasha walks the line between human and youkai, when he dies, the place he ends up will be affected by which nature has more control over his soul. If he'd died before meeting Kikyou, he would have gone to the youkai graveyard, since he was still letting his youkai instincts control him. But due to his interactions with Kikyou and Kagome, he's allowed his human side to show through more, so at this point, I'd say it would be a safe bet that he'd go wherever humans go. Granted, that means I wouldn't be able to talk to him when he died, but... at least he'd be happy. The youkai graveyard is a fairly unforgiving place.

Well we all know you are a dog youkai but what species of dog?

After some thinking IF inuyasha where to have kids with kagome would that mean they would have less youkai than a hanyou. What are your thoughts on the youkai blood slowly being pushed out of inuyasha side of the family?

At what point did sesshomaru did inherit the Tenseiga?

Sincerely,
dashfox1

Dear dashfox1,
What species of dog? Well, like I said, my father was a wild mountain dog and my mother was domesticated. So... uh... I don't know. Back when I was born, there really wasn't such a thing as "dog breeds". However, I believe some later generations of my father's pack were eventually bred into the Kishu.

As for Inuyasha's children, well, they'd only have a quarter of my blood no matter who he takes, so it's not like I'm picky. If he takes a human, then all the power to him. It doesn't matter what his children are, as long as they respect what they are and the parents who gave them their blood.

Sesshoumaru inherited Tenseiga shortly after I died. He tried to revive me with it, but, of course, it didn't do anything, considering I'm the one powering it. So, he basically figured that it really WAS completely useless and never used it again after that until he met Rin.

P.S. I believe Papi Chulo is spanish for Adorable Papa!
Sincerely,
Lady Sai

Dear Lady Sai,
... Well, at least it wasn't an insult.
Anyway, I still don't understand the whole Sesshoumaru/Kagome business. Yes, I'll admit that Inuyasha does hurt her on occasion with his indecisiveness. And if, heaven forbid, Kagome were to ever get fed up with him and leave him for good... what in the world would prompt her to seek out Sesshoumaru? Not to insult my oldest boy or anything, but... I doubt he would treat her any better. She'd go from being ignored half the time to being ignored all the time. Besides, she's already got that Houjou kid to run home to, not to mention Kouga. I really, really would like to see Sesshoumaru make more friends, but speaking honestly, it's not likely to happen, especially with a human he barely knows and doesn't particularly care for.

Dear rover,
... You're still thinking about this too hard. But in the end, it's all up to interpretation. Here, think about this. Say someone is born under a certain sign, and it is said that this sign means that the person is destined to do some particular thing later in life. The person lives their life, but such a thing never happens. So what does this mean? Did that person defy their destiny, or did their destiny never exist in the first place? Humans have a habit of looking at things that seem bizzarely coincidental and assigning special meaning to them, when perhaps it really is nothing more than a coincidence. Although destiny certainly is a popular dogma of my days, after living my life I became convinced that people shape their own futures, and nothing is "intended" or "chosen" by some unseen force. Life just happens.

P.S. I finally saw the third movie and I find it curious that your face is always obscured somewhat (i.e. either they show your back or only your eyes or there is smoke). Why??
Sincerely,
Fluff fan

Dear Fluff fan,
Naturally, my fluff is much older than Sesshoumaru's, so it's had a lot more time to grow. While it's not a part of my body, it still has its own spirit, enabling it to grow and change. And because it's so big, it would be awkward wearing it on my shoulder. Besides, mine grew wide and flat, eventually branching into two halves when it grew too wide, while Sesshoumaru's simply grew long in a serpentine manner, though lately it's been adding more girth than length.

And why DON'T they show more of my attractive face in the third movie? Well, it's for artistic purposes. Because Inuyasha doesn't have a clear memory of my face, it was made so that you, the viewer, also only got bits and pieces of it. Therefore, they only gave me a full face shot at the end when Inuyasha was able to see me as well. Although... damn the etheral glowies!

If you were in your giant dog form, how big would your wiffle ball have to be?

Also, Who's a good boy? Whozhagoodboy?! You're a good boy! Yesh you are! Treat? Treat?! Therezhagood boy!
Sincerely,
Already embarassed

Dear... dear... deeeeeeeaa.... ,
*pant pant pant pant* Wuff! Wuff! *wag wag wag* Ah, man, I hope it's beef-flavored! Got's ta love mah cow! *pant pant pant* C'mon! C'mon! *pant* Throw the ball, throw the ball! *wag wag* Wuff wuff wuff!

... You'd need a ball roughly 20 meters in diameter. NOW THROW IT!!

I have a big problem, I have too many muscles. Every girls likes my muscles so I have so many mobilenumbers because every girl loves me. Bad people say muscle people don't have feelings, but I feel me sweet, honey and sexy.

Can you help me, Papa-sensei? Only you can help me T_T
Sincerely,
Muscle Marcel

Dear Muscle Marcel,
Er... I guess the easiest way to remedy that is to become a couch potato for a couple of months. Break out the beers, sit back and watch some football, and those pesky muscles will surely evaporate! Then, when you're fat and hairy, girls won't be asking you out anymore! Really, it's good advice.

Hi! I know that being in the youkai graveyard doesn't get you to seeing dead human souls very often, but I figured asking you was worth a shot:

What is Kikyou? Is she dead? Did she actually die? Or is she just poking her finger across that rift between the worlds of the living and the dead?

It seems almost unnatural for her to keep disappearing under the pretense of death, and coming back. Sincerely,
Dee

Dear Dee,
Kikyou is a body of clay infused with the memories of her former life, thanks to her brief use of Kagome's soul. That body then collects the souls of dead girls in order to move itself. The thing that is wandering around right now that looks like Kikyou is just a copy of Kikyou. The Kikyou lithograph. It's a doll that looks like Kikyou, dresses like Kikyou, and has Kikyou's powers and memories, but is, in fact, not Kikyou. So, she's not crossing the rift between worlds or anything, because that body isn't alive in the first place. If you destroyed it, all you'd do is release the dead souls that power it and be left with a lump of clay.

First of all...you rock! Well, so do your boys, but you ARE top dog, after all.

Okay, on to the question. Does Inuyasha have Grandparents? Or did Izayo's parents "disown" her for hooking up with a youkai. How old was Inuyasha when his mom died? Did he have to live on his own alone? *sniff* So sad.

What about Sesshoumaru? Was his mom really a domesticated dog? Umm, did she have parents?

That's all for now, and thank you for your time!
Sincerely,
Laura

Dear Laura,
Well, of course Inuyasha has grandparents! My parents and Izayoi's parents, naturally! Now, did he meet any of them? No. When I met her, Izayoi's father was still alive, but her mother was not. Because her mother was dead, Izayoi's father was especially protective of her and wouldn't let just anyone get close to her. Naturally, he wasn't terribly thrilled about me, but given that I rescued her on a number of occasions, he gradually warmed up to me. A little. He still forbade me from taking her, though. He eventually died of illness, allowing Izayoi and I to be together, though I had to comfort her over his death for quite a while. I don't want to come across as sounding grateful that he was "out of the way", since he truly was simply concerned for his daughter's well-being, and given the unusual nature of the circumstances, I'd give him every right to be. Izayoi herself died when Inuyasha was about eight years old, which did indeed force him to go it alone until adulthood.

Sesshoumaru's mother was not domesticated, but his grandmother was. His mother was a youkai dog like myself. Not a daiyoukai, but still formidable. I'm... sure she had parents as well, but the topic was never really brought up between us. Even my own family tree I can only trace back to my parents.

Dear Kuroshinju,
Hmm... What did I do to two women, indeed...

Dear Peaches,
Youkai do indeed have greater healing abilities than humans do, but even that has its limits. Unfortunately, most normal youkai cannot regrow lost limbs, and Sesshoumaru falls into that category. As for why he didn't look for it when he came back to the grave... Heh, if I had to guess, it's probably either because he didn't want to let Inuyasha know that he was still hung up about it, or that he really was not hung up about it anymore. I doubt he's forgiven Inuyasha for the injury, but he seems to have come to terms with it and hasn't attempted to replace the arm in quite a long time.

Dear Rhonda,
Hmm hmm, looks like you've got a case of puppy love on your hands, my dear. Like I've said, dogs are scent-based animals, and by rubbing against you, he's planting his scent on you, effectively claiming you as his. And, since the scent washes off after bathing, he feels the need to re-apply it every time you get out of the bath. Just be glad he's not marking you in the usual way that dogs claim territory... I guess you can feel honored, though, that your dog is so posessive of you.

Dear Lilith,
Er... what? I only had two children. And I care about them deeply, as I would any child of mine, even if I had more. I admit, I did "fool around" for fun when I was younger, but I made absolutely sure beforehand that doing so would not result in a pregnancy, since I didn't want to have a child before I was certain I could take care of it, and heaven forbid I sire an illegitimate offspring who would grow up without the love of both parents. So, no, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were my only children, and they were planned for well in advance. Besides, as I've said, I don't play favorites, so each child of mine received an equal share of my inheritance. I made two swords. I had two children. That is that.
Izayoi didn't have any other children after I died, either. As the mother of a hanyou, she was sort of shunned from society, and human men wanted little to do with her. Besides, she had her hands full taking care of and protecting Inuyasha, so any further children would merely be a burden.

There is alot of fandom out there as you are well aware. There are alot of interesting fan pairings, as you might know as well.

Now, I'm curious to know, in your honest opinion, why do you suppose alot of fans love pairing your boy, Sesshoumaru with InuYasha's wench, Kagome?
Sincerely,
Atabex

Dear Atabex,
... What did you just call me?
First off, Kagome is not a "wench", as you so lovingly called her. And as for why she's often paired up with Sesshoumaru, that's easy. But to explain, I'll have to step beyond the fourth wall and take the role of someone observing the series rather than someone in it.

Ahem. Kagome, as the main character, is written as someone whom the female fans can identify with. She's always billed as your "average schoolgirl" for this reason. Now take Sesshoumaru, the distant and aloof pretty boy whom I'd wager a good portion of the female fans pine after. So lo and behold, we have a girl who represents them already in the series, so what better way to realize their fantasies than by pairing her up with the guy they're after, so that they can live their desires through her? I assure you, most fanfiction writers don't realize that this is what they're doing and argue that it's a good pairing (which I won't argue against, actually, since Sesshoumaru needs more friends), but for the most part... it's just Kagome cast as the author's avatar.

Who do you love more, Izayoi or Sesshoumaru's mom?
Sincerely,
Piyo

Dear Piyo and everyone else who's asked this question,
I've answered this before, but since it seems to keep coming up, I'll answer it again:

When you tell me which eye you love more, I will answer this question.

Honestly, how can you possibly force me to favor one over the other? The same goes with Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. Or Kagome and Kikyou. Can't I be allowed to care about everyone? They all have their high and low points, and they're all different, so I don't think I'm capable of comparing them.

Dear rover,
Whoa there, I think you're reading into this too much. The only thing Kagome inherited from Kikyou's soul was her spiritual power. Casting Kagome as the "placeholder" for Kikyou's love seems to cheapen their relationship. Kagome grew fond of him all on her own, regardless of whether she was the reincarnation of Kikyou or not. Just remember that Kagome and Kikyou are two distinct and different people, with two distinct and different feelings for Inuyasha that are decidedly their own.

Meow?

Puuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrr!
Sincerely,
Typing with my Tail

Dear Tail-Typer,
... Woof? Bark. Arf-arf ruff.

Grrrr.

Dear Sango-chan,
Well, I figured that Sesshoumaru would still come after it eventually, but I'd hoped that Inuyasha would have grown up enough to defend himself when that time came. As you know, one of Tessaiga's functions was to seal Inuyasha's youkai blood. By having the gateway to Tessaiga within his own body, it acted as a channel for that power, so Inuyasha's blood was still kept in check even without him actually holding the sword.
As for Inuyasha cutting off Sesshoumaru's arm... yeah, I'm kind of upset about that. I don't blame Inuyasha for it, though, I'm just upset that it happened. Inuyasha didn't know the sword had that kind of power, and Sesshoumaru was being careless, so it ended up being an accident, more or less.

Dear Amy,
I am, duh. Okay, I'll amend that. In my prime, I was much stronger than either Inuyasha or Sesshoumaru is right now. However, they both have the potential to surpass me if they set their minds to it. They're also both relatively young, so have a lot of time to do so, should they want to. But, if we're just going for "take the peak strength of each of the three and compare", then, yep, that's me. By a LONG shot. I mean, check out Tessaiga. Able to mow down a hundred youkai in a single swipe. And that's only HALF my power. Check that. That's half the power I gave up for the swords, which would therefore be a little LESS than half my power. Yes, I rock.

How did you come into possession of the fire-rat coat Inuyasha wears? Did you make it, or did someone else? And was it always meant to be for Inuyasha, or was it originally yours?

By the way, what's it like to know that he often uses it to protect Kagome the way you once did for Izayoi?
Sincerely,
Lissa

Dear Lissa,
Actually, the fire rat cloak was a gift to me from a Chinese merchant who I saved from a storm when his boat capsized off the west coast of Japan. I wore it myself a few times when I didn't feel like wandering around in full armor, but I generally kept it stored in my fluff (it doubles as a backpack, by the way). And... actually, the cloak wasn't specifically intended for Inuyasha, but I guess he ended up with it, anyway. See, once Izayoi and I had started going steady for a while, I began having serious thoughts about taking her as my wife, but didn't know the human custom for doing such a thing. Upon studying some of their culture, I came upon the Taketori Monogatari, in which the princess asks her suitors to bring her exotic items, one of which being the cloak of the fire rat. So, figuring it was worth a shot, I presented Izayoi with the cloak of the fire rat and asked her to stay with me. She accepted wholeheartedly and told me she would have stayed with me had I presented her with nothing but my open hand. But, it ended up being a good deal all around.

I am most deeply offended at your insinuation that I would rape your son with my tentacles.

First off, everyone knows that only monsters without the proper anatomy use their tentacles for such things, and for your information, I most certainly do have the proper anatomy.

Secondly, I may be many things, but I am not a rapist. If I wanted your son that way, I would have... convinced him to agree, not taken him by physical force.

Thirdly, your son has a very pretty face, but I don't like showy blondes.
Gimme a demure brunette over a blonde any day. (Oh, Kikyou... maybe I would use my tentacles with you... Ku ku ku!)
Sincerely,
Naraku

Dear Naraku,
You make children out of your own body parts and you're telling me there's nothing unusual about your reproductive habits?! Regardless of what you say, it was definitely unwanted physical contact. "Your perfect youkai body. I want it" is what I believe you said. Now how else am I supposed to interpret that, huh? Plus, at that point, you still had your human half, complete with your Onigumo Kikyou-ogling. Given that you are obviously capable of such perverse thoughts, I'm still accusing you of attempting to at least molest my poor boy.

I was wondering... how is the mating ritual amongst youkai? Is it true that the male bites the female neck - there are so many fanfics saying that. I'd really like to know.

Thank you for you time.

Sincerely,
Edin

Dear Edin,
What's this about biting girls' necks?! I guess if you want to give them an unsightly hickey or something... I don't really know where you got that idea from, but we don't do it that way. At least... I don't. Dogs are scent-based animals, and leaving a visual mark in such an obscure place as the neck isn't terribly useful, and it's not an effective method of planting a scent. No, just being in physical contact for a while is enough for the pair to carry each other's scent, which is proof enough that they're together. And even that isn't much of a "mating ritual". It's just something that naturally happens if two people are together. As far as "rituals" go... I don't know, I guess mutual petting and grooming is part of it. From my experience, it's not that different from how humans go about it. You find a girl you like, you hang out for a while, you make puppies. Granted, dog youkai copulate and give birth in their natural forms, as was the case with Sesshoumaru, so I suppose it's not EXACTLY the same... I admit, Izayoi was my first experience doing such a thing in human form, and my... it was indeed an experience...

How many languages - and which ones - do you speak/bark?
Sincerely,
A curious human

Dear curious,
Huh, good question. Well, I know Japanese, obviously. And given I lived in the West, I learned a fair amount of Chinese as well. My father's pack also had a dog dialect that was specific to the region, so I also learned that from him. But that language was more or less useless if I met a pack from a different area. However, I do not, despite what this column might imply, speak English. I died before there was any real European presence in Japan, so I never did get to encounter the fair-haired human folk.

How did you keep your hair so shiny, and straight? Were did you get the armor, your clothing? Did you inherit your smarts/looks/skills/ect... from both of your parents? Who were your parents? Do you like people making fanarts of you? Where did you get the fluffy? I want one!!!! How does it feel to be a grandfather at last? Do you like Rin? Do you think Sesshoumaru is being a good adoptive parent to Rin, because he keeps on leaving without saying a word and most recently :::pause::: he didn't even leave Jaken with her it's not that I doubt him or anything but still I don't think it's a good idea to leave her alone.
Can I pleeeeease pet your fluff oh pretty please?
Sincerely,
Dazzle

Dear Dazzle,
Ah, the hair is a bit of cheating. You see, when youkai take a human form, we can look however we want, so naturally we make it so our hair looks presentable no matter what happens to it. Since Inuyasha can't change his shape, his hair is a little more on the ruffly side. My armor... Ah, jeez, I don't remember. I've just kind of had it. I know it's nothing spectacular, though, since it's mostly just for show. My parents, as I've said before, were more or less "commoners". My father was a member of a pack of mountain dogs who roamed the lands of the West, and my mother was actually domesticated and lived in a human village, helping them chase off wild animals and thieves. I mean, she was still a wild dog at heart, but I guess I must have inherited my human-friendly side from her. And, naturally, I inherited the fluffy and my fighting ability from my father. Heh, come to think of it, I don't think I ever told Sesshoumaru that his grandmother was a housepet. And now I'm the grandfather of a human. ... My family is just so CUTE! Rin... yeah, Sesshoumaru does leave her alone a lot, but it's typically for her own protection. I mean, what responsible parent brings their children into battles? He always leaves her within scent's reach, anyway, so he's still keeping a nose on her.

And... uh... well, I suppose if I was tangible you could pet the fluff. Be careful, though. I purr.

Dear la co,
... ... ... ... Ow. Somehow, I don't think such a relationship would be beneficial to my Secchan. Naraku would just use him for his body. The guy practically tried to tentacle rape my boy before, and that doesn't exactly scream "loving and caring partner" to me. Not to mention Naraku's already got a bunch of children, one of whom is a little infatuated with Sesshoumaru, so if they were to get together, then Kagura would become Sesshoumaru's adoptive daughter, and... that would just be weird.

I have a problem...could you help me? (screams)AAAAHHHHH SPIDER!!! (sounds of something hitting washing machine)

ok on to the problem...

the guy that i like is 5 years older than I, he likes me too. We've kind of had a little thing going on in somewhat secrecy for almost two years coming in september. he has another girlfriend, but he's somewhat cheating on her and still being "good" friends with me. he has been with his girlfriend for maybe a few months. do you think it could work out between us? i think he the "one" so to say.

Oh i think inuyasha is really cute. i like to draw him whenever i can get a cool picture that i think i have enough talent to draw.
Sincerely,
Clueless Teen

Dear Clueless,
So... let me get this straight. You've been with this guy for two years, then he gets another girlfriend, and somehow this makes him cheating on HER with YOU? Hun, that sounds like the other way around to me. Unless you two broke up somewhere in the interim, he got this new girlfriend, and now you're back in the picture. It just comes down to whether or not you can live with a guy who you know will cheat on you. If you're okay with that, then go for it. If not, I'd say you should stop deluding yourself. The major fallacy in most relationships is that people assume they can ignore all the gripes they have with their partner, but the longer you're together, the harder that is to do. Besides, you mentioned your relationship was "in secrecy". If you can't even have a fling out in the open, how do you expect it to turn into anything serious? Don't let your feminine clinginess get the better of you. Step back and analyze the situation objectively, without all the "OMG he's sooooo hot!!!" clouding your judgement.

And another thing. I think I've finally realized why he's so cranky all the time.

Hell, if I have to drag around a huge piece of fur on one shoulder everywhere I go, you're damn right I'd be homocidal!
Sincerely,
Lady Sai

Dear Lady Sai,
... I pity the foo' who disses the fluffy.

Pffffhhh...!! *chrrmm* ... Sorry, that was me choking on my sake. *hrghhh... chhooghhh...* ... Okay... um.... anyway,
Dear Lania,
Heckno! That Takemaru twerp was just an Izayoi stalker who couldn't take a hint. Think Kouga, except with less fur. I mean, Izayoi was nice to him because she was nice to everybody. But he was just one of those nerdy lonely guys who thought that if a girl ever said anything kind to him, she must dig him or something. And he was all like, "Boo hoo, my hot crush picked the sexy youkai instead of me!" and started making these excuses that I was gonna steal her soul or eat her newborn children or something. Hello?! I'm a DOG, not a GERBIL, I don't EAT CHILDREN! And while I suppose I could have stolen her soul, it's not like that would have done ME any good. Nothing says "I love you" like sucking out a girl's life force and hanging out with her dead body. Riiiiight.

Is there anything I can do? I know I'm just a kid, but i dont want to be helpless.
Something else happened too - person B sort of got a restraining order on person A since she was botherin him a bit, and person A talked to me about it and im not really person A's friend... in fact I don't like person A. And yes, this really happened.
waaah! I need a hug! >.<
Sincerely,
Confused lil' Shippou

Dear Shippou,
Dehhh... What? So... B - A = B + C, meaning C = -A. ... Hmm hmm... I guess it IS difficult when Mr. B's two love interests are equal yet opposite. And, naturally, you would be inclined to take the side of the person you actually know, regardless of whether or not you know the whole story. I hate to tell you this, but you're just a bystander in this relationship. It has nothing to do with you, and I doubt there's anything you can really do about it. Sometimes, you just ARE helpless, regardless of whether you're a kid or not. I mean, I'm the daiyoukai of the West, and I'M helpless to do anything about this situation, so you're not alone, kid. So, c'mere, and Daddy'll give you a hug to make it all better. ... Speaking of whom, do you want me to pass a word along to your dad? He and I chat from time to time.

Dose Sesshomaur-sama eat?

Sincerely,
Rin

Dear Rin,
*Sniff* You hear that? I'm a grandpa! Awww, it makes me feel all warm and bubbly and fuzzy inside...
Er-hem... Anyway, Sesshoumaru's clothing. Basically, there are two types of clothing: magical and non-magical. Non-magical clothing just rips off whenever a youkai transforms into its true form, like with Gatenmaru. However, if a youkai feels a certain attachment to a piece of clothing, he can bind it to his spirit so it practically becomes an extension of his own body. That's how Sesshoumaru's armor keeps getting repaired, too. It becomes an extension of his body and can heal itself the same way his body can. So, too, when he transforms into a dog, his clothes absorb into his body. The same holds true for his swords. When a sword chooses its master, it becomes bound to that person's spirit and follows them everywhere. I mean, how do you think Tessaiga got in my stomach? I certainly didn't eat the thing... The pedestal, on the other hand... Okay, I give, I have no idea where that came from.

So, speaking of eating, of course your "Sesshoumaru-sama" eats! And believe it or not, human blood is one of the things he eats. Heh heh... I've tried to kick him from the habit, but he grew up on the stuff, so it's hard to break. But, I mentioned before that he simply doesn't like to be spoon-fed, so anything he eats, he finds for himself. A youkai's diet can be as varied as a human's, so rest assured that Sesshoumaru is at least capable of eating just about anything.

Dear Austrian Sesshoumaru,
Sara and Sesshoumaru? Sara was just a human fangirl who went a little too far in her obsessions. Sesshoumaru might have felt a little bad for her for ruining her own life for his sake, but I doubt he actually cared for her at all. Sesshoumaru is the type who admires those who are selflessly loyal to him; people who care for him without asking for anything in return. Because you might have noticed... he's not exactly the giving type.

Have you ever seen Rin in where ever you are? She DID die once...
Sincerely,
Lynxzeo

Dear Lynxzeo,
No. I'm in a youkai graveyard, if you remember. Only youkai pass through here, so Rin and all other humans who die pass along a different route. Unfortunately, this also meant Izayoi, so once I died, that was it. I never saw her again.

When did it first strike you that you were in love with Izayoi? When do you think she started to love you as well?

Sincerely,
Leon

Dear Leon,
Well, when you get right down to it, I don't think I realized I was in love with her until she kissed me. I guess I'd at least become fond of her before that, but at that moment, I just thought, "Wow, I like this!" I think Izayoi started eyeing me after I rescued her a second time, which was totally my fault for being stupid and sending the wrong signals. See, after I'd rescued her from the initial kidnapping, one of my enemies thought that my rescuing her meant that she was especially important to me. So, he kidnapped her a while later in order to blackmail me. Naturally, even though she wasn't "especially" important to me, it's not like I could just leave her, so I saved her again. I did make a valiant effort to explain that she was of no importance to me, but in hindsight, I guess that's not something you say to a girl who's just been abducted as an object twice. So, she was naturally upset at me, and to calm her down, I did what any dog would do: I gave her a lick on the cheek. Silly me for not realizing that humans interpret that as something other than an innocent "It's okay, I hope you feel better soon." She wouldn't stop blushing at me the rest of the way home.

P.S. Am I like my sister? O_O

Sincerely,
Fallen Angel's Sister Tammy

Dear Fallen Angel,
Sigh... I'm wise enough to tell that you're the same person who sent me the previous message. Observe your obvious clues. There is no proper new line after the introduction of the letter in both cases. Both of you use ellipses instead of full stops with punctuation. Both of you use asterisks to indicate action. Both of you included a P.S. Both of you ended your letter with "bye!" and an emoticon. But, it's not like it matters, since I never set a limit on how many letters a single person can send. The meaning of life, you ask? That's easy. Sex. ... What? It's the one thing that the living can do that the dead can't! Ergo, it must be the meaning of life! Granted, I guess the dead can't die, either... but that's not as fun!

P.S. There is a reason for my name...but i will never tell! *climbs into tee and sits there*... well bye for now! ^-^
Sincerely,
Fallen Angel

Dear Fallen Angel,
What year was I born in?! Oy... I don't remember that far back. I think it was sometime during the Nara era, but I don't know the specific year. Youkai live so long, we don't keep track of time as much as humans do. And what does this "what's your sign" mean? Like... astrological sign? We didn't do that sort of thing, and like I said, I don't know the year, much less your equivalent of a month, in which I was born, so I couldn't tell you such a thing. And... uh... is my favorite color really that important? ... I like red. As for music... I like percussion. As long as it's not just random noise. Basically, anything big and loud, yet meaningful and not obnoxious (or else I'll just start howling at it).

honestly, i think you look like Tsukuyomaru, Shiori's father...(altho a different species)...or he looks like you...minus the fluff, the stripes, the sword etc. .. whatever.. or is it just the only way Takahashi (no offense! ^-^") knows to draw fathers of hanyous? (ya know, the white hair, showy armour, being dead. etc)
Sincerely,
an innocent bystander who's just curious

Dear innocent bystander,
Yeah, what's up with us hanyou dads? And why are we all dads? Don't female youkai go for human men, or do youkai only go after pretty girls? Hm, come to think of it, I've never met Jinenji's father. I wonder whatever happened to him. But, anyway, Tsukuyomaru. Yes, yes, I know we look alike. But, hey, I guess that means that the youkai who like humans are all in the same class. We're all white-haired, benevolent, and seem to have an issue with untimely deaths... Although, come to think of it, have we ever encountered ANYONE born of youkai who had BOTH parents accounted for? Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru are obviously on their own now, as were Hiten and Manten, as is Shippou now. Jinenji only had his mother, as did Shiori. Kanta only had his father, and Abi-hime only had her mother. ... I really didn't think youkai were THAT easy to kill off but... I guess it has gotten a might bit crowded down here lately.

I've got a question (ok, more than one...) concerning *the* Fluff.
Is it alive ? Has is it's own will ? Does it grow up ? If it's alive, does it eat something ?
I remember Takahashi-sama saying it was a weapon, do I remember right ? If yes, what can of damages can the Fullf inflict ? (and tickling is *not* an attack, right)
And why the heck does Sesshoumaru has one , and Inuyasha *none*?
*whines*
Aaaw, come on, Inyusha with a Fluff... it friggin' rocks !! (rofl)
That's all dear Inu-Papa , take care. ^^
Sincerely,
Kirisame

Dear Kirisame,
The fluff is just a fashion statement! I mean, I suppose it was alive at some point, being made of fur and all... it' about as alive as Inuyasha's Fire Rat cloak is, in that it still holds the spirit and powers of the creature it came from, but isn't "living" per se. See, Inuyasha wasn't old enough before I died to start down the path of fluffyhood. I left a little reminder on the hilt of Tessaiga, but he didn't seem to take the hint.

Dear Tammy,
Act towards her... in what way? Did I verbally abuse her and leave her in the dust to go check on my old girlfriend? No way! Now, I DID care about her enough to put myself in harm's way to ensure her safety. ... Eventually. I suppose our relationship started out a lot like Inuyasha and Kagome's did. We met completely by chance and didn't particularly like each other at first. And unlike Inuyasha and Kagome, we weren't obligated to spend a lot of time together, so it took quite a long time for us to start liking each other enough to WANT to see each other.

Dear Bait,
Heh heeehhh... When I was a kid, I was just as impetuous as Inuyasha was. I had this thing for fetching sticks, and once I got ahold of the stick, I'd go around whacking off tree branches with it until it broke. My parents were sort of low on the pecking order, so the majority of my friends were of the common folk. It was only later that I worked my way up the ranks to conquer the Western Lands for myself. My modest upbringing was probably the reason I ended up so sympathetic towards the weak once I came to power.

Dear Curious,
A subduing spell? Absolutely not! You have to remember that I was about 800 years old when I met her, so I was much more mature and reserved than Inuyasha. Besides, Izayoi was a princess, not a priestess. She didn't have the kind of magical power necessary to create a subduing spell. So... she had to make do with the occasional thrown rock or punch in the face during the occasional times I DID get a little... immature. Hey, it happens to the best of us.

What do dead youkai do for fun?
Sincerely,
Living Human Female

Dear Living,
Well, it's kinda cool for the first few decades, but being dead gets old after a while and you run out of things to do. Sure, there's always new people coming in, and you can go meet them if you want to. Hang out, have a drink, play some wiffle ball... I must say that I am one of the best wiffle ball players not alive today. I just see a ball flying through the air and... I've just gotta go get it! Granted, once I do get it, I never want to let it go... Actually, the Yourouzoku vs. Hyakki Koumori game is coming up this weekend. Since Tsukuyomaru's dad coaches the Koumori, he got me season passes, so I'm there every weekend rooting on the bat boys. And it's not only sports we've got down here. When Abi-hime showed up, she decided she could finally pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a diva, and let me tell you, her performances draw quite a crowd. I attended her premiere concert and... wow. That lady's got a voice.

However, before you think it's all fun and games and make plans to join in, there's a definite word of caution. Since the dead don't reproduce, you pretty much... lose your ability to perform. For eternity. Therefore, that old myth about dying and being surrounded by unending virgins is absolutely true, because you can't do anything to NOT be one! Aaah-aah... At least they've still got sake.

Boxers or briefs?
Sincerely,
Curious

Dear Curious,
Neither. Fundoshi are all the rage in the Sengoku Jidai! Do you honestly think we have your types of flashy undergarments? Heck no, loincloths all the way!

Sincerely,
Kagome Higurashi

Dear Higurashi,
Um... wouldn't it be better to ask HIM before coming to me?

This message is to inform you that you have been charged for the following offenses:

1. Taking a material possession, a sword known as Tesaiga, with you to the afterlife. Have you ever heard the phrase 'You can't take it with you when you die'? We let the living know in advance that this is not permitted.

2. Giving a living being, known as Inuyasha, access to the passage between the land of the living and the afterlife. Who do you think you are to give someone that privilege? We run a tight ship here and we don't appreciate things like this. We have an eye out for Housenki too.

3. Giving a living being, known as Sesshoumaru, a weapon, known as Tensaiga, that kills servants of the afterlife. This is a very serious offense! We run a perfectly planned schedule for who comes in and when, and when someone who's supposed to arrive doesn't, well... it seriously upsets us. Not to mention that we are in a shortage of servants as it is without your son killing them just for doing their job.

I would also like to take the opportunity to inform you that you need to relocate your grave. It's current position in the border between both worlds has created unnecessary congestions for the arriving spirits. This was particularly bad with the whole flood of youkai heads fiasco.

We expect a reply on your part stating your defense against these accusations. Failure to do so will result in a group of spirit detectives knocking at your door er... grave.
Sincerely,
Koenma

Dear Koenma-kun,
Sheez, run these accusations by your dad first before you start sending out hate mail! First off, body parts are not considered "material possesions", and since Tessaiga is my fang, Enma-daiou allowed it as a loophole. If the sword had remained unguarded in the world of the living, you guys would have had a LOT more work on your hands, plus since it is a sword of the living world, it would be useless in the graveyard anyway. Still, Enma-daiou wished for there to be a method for the sword to be removed from the premesis, just as an escape clause. That's where accusation number 2 comes in. Given that Housenki creates jewels that connect to the afterlife, naturally he and Enma-daiou have a strong relationship. The jewel was simply made as a way for SOMEONE of the living to be able to retrieve the sword, and giving Inuyasha that ability was simply convenient for my plans, especially since he's one of the only youkai-blooded people who can even touch it. Tenseiga, on the other hand, is a valid complaint, and I have no excuse. If I should be punished for giving my life so that my children could live and learn, then so be it.

Do you have Sesshoumaru's left arm with you? And if so, can I have it? I'll pay good money for it.
Sincerely,
The Arms Dealer

Dear Dealer,
You wouldn't happen to be an arms dealer in a MONKEY SUIT would you?! You're not gypping my kid again! Nope, nope, Sesshoumaru's left arm will forever remain in my safekeeping unless he decides to come back for it at some point. He's had a number of chances, but he didn't seem terribly interested in getting it back. But, it'll always be here just in case. To that end... NO you can't have it! Besides, what the heck could you pay me? I'm DEAD!

Dear Stick,
I wouldn't say a thing. Just being able to see him would be enough. He's already grown into a fine young man on his own, so I'm sure anything he has to say to me would be vastly more important than anything I could tell him. So... I would be silent. And maybe get a hug, if he'd let me.

Dear Koffee,
Why do people keep informing me that my kids are hot?! Are you trying to win my approval or something? I've got nothin! Move along, move along...

Now... as far as I recall, I donated ONE fang in order to make TWO swords. Yes, Tessaiga and Tenseiga were forged from a single fang. See, if I was going to bestow my power on them, the swords' raw materials needed to come from my own body. My nails are too brittle, and like hell I was gonna let Toutousai take one of my ribs, so fang it was. As for the third movie... I like to pretend that never happened. I died by Ryuukossei, I made TWO swords, and I did not randomly slaughter an entire fortress of soldiers. Besides, according to the movie, Sou'unga was A fang, but not MY fang. It was like Toukijin, actually, forged to contain an evil spirit, and I was the only one powerful enough to hold it without going homicidal. ... Even though I was homicidal in the movie already.

Dear Jessie,
Well... yes, he does still have poison breath in his human form, but he's gotten to the point where he can control it. You see... poison is... not normal for inu youkai. To this day, I'm not really sure what caused it, but many other youkai who saw him soon after he was born were convinced it was some sort of curse and that I should do away with him. Naturally, I would do no such thing! Even though... it was likely the cause... of his mother's death... But, um... yes, so... Sesshoumaru does have poison on his breath, but he can control it, same as how he controls the poison in his claws.

Dear Sesshy lover,
Huh? What's wrong with sex? The boys are old enough, and it's a natural part of life. Heck, if I was against it, those two wouldn't be here right now! Besides, if they don't do it, how am I ever gonna expect to have grandkids, huh? Now, I'm not saying they shouldn't exercise a little restraint. There's a time and a place for everything, and considering the quest against Naraku that both are currently pursuing, now would not exactly be an appropriate time to rip off their clothes for nightly rolls in the hay. I mean, I had one son never know his mother and another never know his father. I'd... prefer that their children not have to go through that, so only during a time of peace when they can devote themselves fully to a family do I want them to pursue sexual activity seriously. Although, like with myself and Sesshoumaru's mother, uexpected things do happen... but children should never be one of them.

I am a human not without my charms, how does one such as me attract a sexy inu youkai of my own?

Sincerely,
lookin4luff

Dear lookin4,
Tying a piece of meat around your neck always works. However, then you'd be just as likely to attract a bear or a wolf or something. Hm... I'm always attracted to people who treat me as an individual rather than some big, bad youkai or the Lord of the West or whatever. But, you also have to be honest with your feelings, since a dog always wants the truth. So, you can't go chasing someone down with the intent of making him fall for you, since you'll be forcing your feelings rather than letting them come naturally, which would of course drive someone away. So, my advice? Don't try. If it was meant to happen, it'll happen on it's own. You always find things when you're not looking for them.

How the heck did you get out? I guess I need to fire the staff again. Sincerely,
Satan, Mephistopheles, etc.

Dear Enma-daiou,
I dunno where you think I'm supposed to be, but I've been sitting around in the boundary between this world and the next the entire time. Better have your oni check their records again. Now, if you want to invite me down to Hell for a while, as long as you provide the transportation, I wouldn't mind a visit. Just be warned that I burn easily.

Dear Ryukossei,
Whatever you say, Mister I-Got-Pinned-to-a-Canyon-Wall-by-a-Friggin-TOENAIL.

what do you think of Rin, Sesshoumaru's human 'friend'? Do you think that she might even him out when it comes to him hateing humans to him being able to stand them?

and how do you think Sesshoumaru will think of her when she grows curvs?
Sincerely,
Crazy chicky

Dear Crazy,
Rin is awesome! If I were alive and tangible, I'd go down there and give her a big hug! Ah, and then I would no longer be "Inu-papa" but "Inu-jii-chan". ... Hm, I'm not sure I like the sound of that. But... I'd be a grandpa, so it's okay! Yes, I see Rin as more of Sesshoumaru's adoptive daughter than as a potential love interest. Even when she grows up and, ahem, "grows curves", it's not like her daughter-figure role will change. I mean, my kids grew up to be hot, but do I look at them any differently? While Sesshoumaru has certainly developed a soft spot for Rin, which I heartily approve of, I doubt she will be able to turn him into an ally of humanity in general. That's just too much of a task for one person, and I'd love for her to simply remain a simple source of comfort and contentment in his life.

..... I guess that's it for now, Take care and make sure that the next time Inuyasha-tachi goes to "the other world" your there to meet them.
Sincerely,
Midoriko

Dear Midoriko,
"How does it feel to be the father of two hot boys"?! Um... I don't really care what they look like, I'm proud of them, regardless! Hm... how old WAS I when I died? Somewhere along the lines of 800, I believe. As for peeping on Izayoi, oh please. I never did that. Much. But Inuyasha using the Shikon no Tama to become full youkai, huh? Hm, I would still disapprove. I want him to be proud of his heritage, and becoming full youkai means giving up his mother, while becoming full human means giving up me. And old enemies... well, Ryuukossei did show up after Inuyasha kicked his butt, but... he showed up in a bunch of little pieces, so it didn't matter. I DO, however, often have to deal with some of Inuyasha's vanquished foes, like I mentioned before, and while they're occasionally irritating, it's nothing I can't handle. And why oh why hasn't Sesshoumaru revived me with Tenseiga? Well, he can't. I mean, it's MY vitality powering the thing. It would be like trying to recharge a battery by hooking it to itself. Besides, I pretty much gave up my life for that sword. It wouldn't seem right for it to be able to bring me back.

B-chan here again, with more questions.
Now we all know why you have Tesaiga to Inuyasha and Tensaiga to Sesshoumaru. Now I'd like to know how you came up with such an elaborate plan to get Tesaiga to Inuyasha. How did you manage to get Tesaiga into your grave? How did you get the black pearl in Inuyasha's eye? How did you know he would eventually find it? How did you make it so that youkai couldn't touch it? (An obviously added effect since YOU used it) And how long did it take to plan all of that? I figure Totosai and Housenki helped quite a bit, but it was still a very elaborate plan to pull off.

Oh and how do you feel about Toukijin? I mean it was a way of Sesshoumaru saying, "I don't like the crappy sword dad left me so I'm going to make myself a better one."
Sincerely,
B-chan

Dear B-chan,
Ah, the Tessaiga Operation. So, what was my mindset on leaving the swords? Easy. Basically, I knew I was going to die. Therefore, if I was screwed either way, I figured I might as well leave a good chunk of my energy behind in the world of the living, where it could still be put to use, rather than just letting it get blown to the wind when I died. Therefore, I gave up my vitality for the swords. However, I knew that Sesshoumaru would want to take Tessaiga, and if I left it in the world of the living, with only Izayoi and a year-old Inuyasha to protect it, well... they probably wouldn't fare too well. So, similarly to how Housenki took a jewel shard with him when he died, I took Tessaiga with me when I died. I had personally already put the Black Pearl in Inuyasha's eye earlier, for the pearl was merely a gateway to the grave, not the grave itself. The barrier on Tessaiga was there from the moment it was created by Toutousai. The barrier prevents malicious youkai from touching it, which is why Toutousai and myself were able to hold it.

As for Toukijin... well, I'm kind of irate about that, but not for the reason you mentioned. If he had REPLACED Tenseiga with Toukijin, then, yes, I would have been upset. But since he still carries Tenseiga, I wasn't terribly bothered about him getting another sword. I mean, yeah, I left him a sword, but it's not like I intended for that to be the ONLY sword he would EVER own. My gripe with Toukijin is that it's made out of a man-eating oni created from the guy's own hated enemy and filled with malice and vengeace towards my other kid! I mean, honestly! Of all the things to make a sword out of, you think he could have picked something a LITTLE less obscene...

What do you think about some people thinking Sesshomaru and Kagome being together?
Sincerely,
Bob

Dear Bob,
Sesshoumaru and... Kagome? Well, I'm all for Sesshoumaru finding new friends, but... this is one of those rare cases where I'd have to disapprove. Kagome and Inuyasha already have an attachment and I'd hate to break it. If, for some reason, Kagome and Sesshoumaru were to become friends, I doubt that either of my boys would accept having to "share" her with the other. Kagome would then just get caught in the middle of their quarreling, which should really remain solely a family affair, and in the end, she'd HAVE to give up on one or the other. And if a friendship is going to be made with the inevitable outcome of it being torn apart, perhaps it's best to steer clear of it altogether.

Dear Hime,
You're asking someone who mated a human, remember? Status has absolutely nothing to do with anything. As long as the woman's personality suits his and he can be happy with her, I have absolutely no preference. My social status was self-made, so I am quite convinced that anyone from any background has the capability of being "ideal". However... these are, of course, MY tastes, and have absolutely nothing to do with how Sesshoumaru himself feels, and I'm not exactly privy to what his definition of an "ideal" mate is. Provided he even has one. He doesn't seem terribly interested in that sort of thing.

Dear julie-chan,
It's not really up to me anymore, is it? I gave them a kick-start, but their futures are in their own hands, and I will be supportive of them in whatever they choose to do. I mean, I wish they would live long, healthy lives and make a lot of friends, but it's not like I'll be upset with them if that doesn't happen. They are living. For now, that's all I can ask for.

Dear Curious,
Hm... well, Sesshoumaru was 200 when Inuyasha was born, and Inuyasha was a year old when I died, so... that makes Sesshoumaru 313 and Inuyasha 113. ... Sniff... they grow up so fast! However, youkai aging differs from human aging. Like a normal dog, we mature very quickly, then spend a long time in middle adulthood. So, up until about the age of 13, a youkai's aging process is comparable to a human's. After that, we age physically at about 1/50th the rate of humans. Since Sesshoumaru is 313 years old, that makes him the physical equivalent of... 13 + (313-13)/50 = 19. However, because Inuyasha is only half youkai, he ages twice as quickly, plus 50 of those years were in suspended animation, so he's the physical equivalent of 13 + (113-13-50)/25 = 15.

Yes, yes, Papa is multi-talented. He can fight, fly, make magic swords from his teeth AND do high school algebra.

So this is where you are. Hm. How can you lower yourself to answer such mortals and their foolish questions. Be rid of them.
Sincerely,
Sesshomaru

Dear Secchan,
The only foolish question is the one that is not asked. Besides, if I don't answer their questions, they are doomed to remain fools forever. Now, you can just sit there and complain about it, or you can do something about it. You may choose to ignore or insult them, but I think enlightening them works the best in the long run.

I was woundering what sesshomaru's past was like and what could have happened in it to make him dislike humans so much. as his father i'm sure you might know what it may be.
Sincerely,
Lera star

Dear Lera,
You're asking this question like it's abnormal for a youkai to dislike humans. On the contrary, I freely admit that I'm the abnormal one. Going against the general opinions of youkai society like that is dangerous and generally not worth the risk, so most youkai never bother to even try to have a reason to like humans. And Sesshoumaru isn't nearly as bad as the general populace, who tend to go out of their way to hurt humans. Therefore, it's not that there was anything that made Sesshoumaru hate humans, it's just that he's never been given a reason not to hate them. And because the human-hugging lifestyle is typically frowned upon, I wasn't in any rush to force Sesshoumaru to inherit my ideals. If he learns to like them on his own, that's his choice.

Not to mention how hard it was after mom died! Do you know how much it sucks being a half breed??? Huh???? Do ya??? *pauses to take deep breath like Kagome taught him too* It sucks. But feh. I dealt with it. I'm stronger now thanks to it. I guess I should thank you. Siring me and all.

And yet... Why??? Pops! WHY???

I miss you! And... As much as I hate to admit this... Would like to meet you... Just once... Plus I have a lil' miss to introduce you too... and... Dad? I love you.

P.S.
Thanks for the kick ass sword! Too cool! Beats fluffy ears and deadly claws any time!

P.P.S
Where were you all the times I was in hell??? huh???? Couldn't even give a bark hello, that it? ::crackles knuckles:: Keh!

Sincerely,
Inuyasha

Dear Inuyasha,
....
Yes. I know. I take full responsibility for all of my actions, no matter what you might feel about them. But, I hope you understand that it was for the best. If I hadn't died, you and your mother most certainly would have. All I could do was leave Tessaiga to protect you, and I hope you understand that.

And don't worry. When the time comes, we will meet. But I most certainly don't want you to rush it. Live a long life so you'll have lots to tell me when it's done, okay?

I'd already mentioned where I was the second time you came to the grave (eh heh...). The first time... okay, see, there was this "Yura of the Hair" chick who had just moved in nearby, and she could NOT stop fondling my ponytail, not to mention she made numerous attempts to make off with my fluffy. So, while you were stopping by to pick up your sword, I was out fending off a crazy lady with a comb. However, then Manten showed up and he kept trying to steal HER hair, so I was off the hook.

I know, I know, I'm nothing but bad excuses, but... I tried.

XD
Sincerely,
Sara

Dear Sara,
Okay, so we have this hypothetical woodchuck who is hypothetically able to chuck wood. For what reason is he chucking this wood? Does he feel inadequate in his normal life and has no other outlet for his frustrations? Is he doing it to impress someone? Was he assigned this task by a manager woodchuck? Does he enjoy chucking wood? You see, there are many factors that could determine how much wood this woodchuck chucks, and without sufficient data, I'm afraid I cannot give a reasonable estimate.

Dear Curious,
He was only about a year or so old when I died. No, I did not die before or the day of his birth. I may be smart, but I'm not clairvoyant, and I wouldn't have known about the tendency for his youkai blood to take over without seeing it in action. Needless to say, I had a lot of enemies at the time. Before, a lot of them had gone after Sesshoumaru, but he just wiped the floor with them. So, now that I had wimpy human and wimpy half-breed baby that I was watching out for, my enemies' attention switched to them. Therefore, Inuyasha's life had been put in danger many times while he was still too young to remember. I can't say I ever got to spend much "quality time" with him, though, since I was usuall busy watching his and his mother's backs. Thankfully, when I died, my enemies felt no need to pursue them any longer, so they remained relatively safe.

Dear Sessy Lover,
Kouga? Feh, that wimpy wolf has nothing on Inuyasha, and it's obvious Kagome isn't interested. She's a nice girl who cares about a lot of people, and I really wish that Inuyasha would understand that caring about another person doesn't mean she's abandoning him. Granted, I wish Kagome could figure out the same thing concerning him an Kikyou. Because, honestly, if you're the ONLY person someone cares about and he or she treats the rest of the world like crap, there's something wrong.

And as for hitting Sesshoumaru... Well, yeah. I mean, I trained him to fight, didn't I? It's not like I was just going to give him little love-taps. I have, however, never struck him out of spite or any reason outside of teaching him to protect himself. As for "pure"... well, he's pure youkai, naturally, but I'm under the impression your true meaning was something along the lines of "virginal". If that's the case, then no, he's not. And neither am I, obviously. As a man gets older, he tends to be a little more selective of whom he beds, but in his younger years, it's all about experimentation, and Sesshoumaru has definitely had at least a few occasions to gain experience. However, he seemed to grow up rather quickly and fell out of the habit after only a year or so. So, "experienced", yes, but "recently", no.

I suppose under most circumstances, I wouldn't be so forthcoming, but being that I truthfully admire and respect your opinions and responses, I feel I must at least write this to you, especially in light of Father's Day coming up very soon.

Several years ago, when my father passed away, I'm sure that my well-being was indeed one of his primary concerns. I suppose I came across as very bitter for his efforts, though. To be honest, only recently have I started to recognize exactly what he may have been trying to tell me all along. Some of it may be because of my mother. You see, after my mother passed away, he remarried. It surprised me, to be honest, and I was (and perhaps still am) rather bitter and quite unsupportive of his new relationship.

Yes, I'll be quite honest; I don't know that I'll ever accept it, but perhaps there is something I can do to eventually at least come to terms with it. I just don't know what.

There is another part to this story, as well; my father did have another child as a result of this new marriage. And when my father passed away, he'd left in his will what my brother and I would inherit. I felt that my brother had been given much more than he was entitled to. No, my brother and I don't see eye-to-eye. In fact, for quite a long time, we lost contact with each other; and part of it was probably that we wanted nothing to do with each other. But after some reflection, perhaps it was also a bit of my own pride that tore apart this relationship.

Do you suppose my brother and I are beyond having any kind of relationship? I don't know if it's even something that should be worth trying to mend after all that has passed between us (it hasn't been very pleasant).

I suppose, as the two of us are teh only two children my father had, we should at least try to have some kind of relationship, but I just don't know what...

Sincerely,
Bitter Son

Dear Son,
Hm, I've had some personal experience with something very similar to this, so I think I can give you some advice.
First, concerning the inheritance. Perhaps your brother received more because he NEEDED more. Does he have some sort of disability or is otherwise someone who would require extra support to survive? If that's the case, you should feel honored that your father thought so highly of your personal abilities that he felt you could take care of yourself. Would you be complaining if your brother inherited a pair of crutches and you didn't?

Now, having a new sibling from a second marriage is always rough. I'm not going to berate you for being unsupportive of it, because quite frankly, it's only natural that you would feel that way. You feel he's a person you're supposed to have a relationship with, yet at the same time he feels like he's a stranger. Therefore, my advice for you is to not have any pre-conceived expectations of what this relationship is supposed to be. Especially now that you're all alone, you likely desire at least something familiar to cling to. Find that familiarity within your brother and hold onto it, no questions asked. I think your biggest problem is that you're trying to put him in a position that he's not capable of taking at the moment, so you just need to swallow your pride and accept him for what he is rather than berate him for what he is not.

And since it's almost Father's Day, I expect a card.

Dear Stick,
First off, what the HECK did you just call my kids?! No one calls my Secchan and Inu-kun that and gets away with it! Only I'm allowed to give them cuddly names!
Anyway... I think you're reading too much into Sesshoumaru's actions. He was just blowing something up and it happened to be beneficial to Inuyasha. While I'm glad they've progressed past being at each others' throats whenever they see each other (no matter how much the anime likes to hack that progress back down to square one), I doubt their relationship will improve beyond a mutual indifference. And, really, that's all I can ask for, given the circumstances.

Were you in hell when your youngest son and his group suddenly appeared down in hell?

And if you were, how did you react to the oddness of what was happening? Especially when Kagome was singing "Osuwari" on stage.
Sincerely,
Sora-hime

Dear Sora-hime,
Of course I wasn't there! Don't you know that all dogs go to heaven? Although, I really would like to have a word with that Jakotsu one of these days. A very, very painful word.

Dear Sesshy&Inu-luver,
My favorite food, huh? Does sake count? Most of the time I'm off on my own in the wilderness, so just eat whatever's around, like a rabbit or a fish or whatever. I'd never gotten accustomed to eating things because I liked them, I just ate them because they were there. And while Izayoi did introduce me to sake, which I am ever grateful for, she never had the chance to actually prepare me a meal, so I can't say that I've actually had human food.
As for Sesshoumaru's assertion that he doesn't eat human food... well... he doesn't. He's the same as me; he just eats what he can find for himself. Youkai such as ourselves are in the habit of providing for ourselves rather than accepting handouts. Therefore, while we do indeed occasionally eat the same sorts of things as humans do, we just get them ourselves rather than having them served to us.
And Jaken... what's wrong with Jaken?! He is anything if not loyal. Regardless of what the anime might tell you, Jaken was my retainer, just like Myouga. Therefore, when I died, Myouga became Inuyasha's servant while Jaken became Sesshoumaru's. And do you honestly think he'd give up anything I bestowed upon him?! Feh, he'd sooner give up Tenseiga.

Dear Toboe,
First off, disregard the third movie. It was not one of my finer moments. Killed by Takemaru in a burning building my foot. The anime writers probably needed it to be at least feasable that I would fall to some dumb one-armed human, so threw my perspective totally out of whack. Either that or I got COMPLETELY lost on the way to Takemaru's fortress and ended up in the redwood forests of California. Ryouga... Touga... no relation, I swear. So, to actually answer your question, while I do have some control over my size, it's pretty much relegated to bigass dog and normal-sized dog.

Dear Rafa-kun,
Unfortunately, the boys never did get along, and I never really expected them to. It would be nice if they did, but I have to face reality. They come from two different worlds and have very little in common aside from me. I'd actually think Sesshoumaru would have been lying to himself if he had accepted Inuyasha unconditionally. Sesshoumaru has a very high opinion of himself and dislikes having to associate with humans, but my coupling with a human more or less forced him to do so, by giving him a little brother who was "one of them". Inuyasha had nothing against him; he actually looked up to him as his big brother. I think Sesshoumaru does want to respect Inuyasha as his equal, but Inuyasha is going to have to earn that respect in his eyes. And to me, there's nothing wrong with that. Just as long as they don't kill each other. The swords were a preventative measure, but... they don't always hurt each other with swords...

Dear Sesshy-luver,
Your name leads me to belive you hold a bias towards one of my children...
Anyway... Um... I don't think I can honestly judge my sons' physical attractiveness, because frankly, I don't lean that way, in multiple instances. Yes, Sesshoumaru did inherit more of my physical attributes, and I don't want to sound like a narcissist or anything, but I am good-looking. But that doesn't mean that Inuyasha doesn't have his own physical charm, even though it's different than mine. I don't play favorites and neither should you.
On the topic of Tessaiga... What do you mean Sesshoumaru deserves it?! He's strong enough already! He doesn't have to ward off enemies from both sides of his heritige. He doesn't need to seal his youkai blood. He doesn't need to learn to take care of himself. He's already fine with all that! So he got the sword that gave him what he didn't have: a conscience! Psh... Sesshoumaru deserves Tessaiga... Of all the silly things...

Dear attractive-person-whom-I-don't-actually-like-in-"that-way",
That would be an autobiography, I'd suppose...
Let's see, in the beginning, I was mostly "Waaaah!", but then I learned "Oooh, fluffy!" Then there was a lot of "RAARrraaARRAArrr!" and my parents died. So I did some "RRAArRRAARraaarAARR"-ing of my own and got really strong until I could finally say "PWNED!!" and took over the West. Then I said a whole bunch of things with a lady that I probably shouldn't repeat, but it ended up giving me my own little bundle of "Waaah!" which was also trained in the ways of "Oooh, fluffy!" So, we hung out, which consisted of a lot of "....", until I met Izayoi, where that changed to "...!" So, that eventually lead to more nonsense syllables that I won't repeat, and I got even more "Waaah!", this time with little fuzzy ears. After that, there was some "*clang clang*" and I made some swords for the kids, but shortly thereafter, I said "Ouch!" and died.

Hope that cleared things up.

Dear B-chan,
Man, I've so gotta try that last one some time! Thanks!
Tenseiga is... I suppose you could call it a medium that can be used to channel my will from time to time. I figured that Sesshoumaru would be reluctant to use it without a little coaxing on my behalf, so I had it set up that Tenseiga would be able to respond to my suggestions. I was certainly proud of him when he used it to revive Rin all on his own, though. I admit, I don't give that boy enough credit sometimes. He might just turn out all right after all.

Oh, and how did you feel when Inuyasha beat the dragon youkai that you only managed to seal away...? Jealousy perhaps...? Envy...? Pride...?

Oh, and... Are you my daddy? ::bats lashes:: And if you're not... Would you mind becoming? Pops? 0=)
Sincerely,
Emmie

Dear Emmie,
Naraku, huh? Bastard. After watching him all this time, I've come to the conclusion that his ultimate goal is to get every last person in the world royally pissed off at him. But when you think about it, he's also united everyone against a common foe. If it weren't for him, I doubt my boys would be getting along as well as they do now. As for why I didn't help them when they came back to the graveyard... okay, it's a really stupid story. See, Housenki showed up, and he was all like, "Hey, no problem, I'll watch the house," so I said, "That's cool" and proceeded to head off to go get a drink with Tsukuyomaru. When I come back a few hours later, the skeleton is a mess, and Housenki's all like, "Hey, Boss, your kids were here a bit ago! You just missed 'em!" That friggin'... that's what I get for living (and dying) in an era before pagers. And I'd gone through all that trouble to make Sesshoumaru revive Kanta-papa to get him to come here so I could have a word with him.

Although, I'm not too worried about the boys being able to defeat that Naraku. He's nothing without his barrier. Did you see what happened when Inuyasha Kongousouha-ed his ass? Heckyeah! And as for Inu beating Ryuukossei... eh, I'm not terribly surprised. I wasn't having one of my better days when I fought that thing, not to mention I'd just put most of my power into those two swords. If it wasn't for that, that dragon would've had nothin' on me.

And last of all... ah, what the heck. C'mere and give Daddy a big hug!

I've got a bit of a romantic problem that I hope you can help me with.

A long time ago, I was in a relationship with this guy. It was a real opposites attract kind of thing, but it was going great --We even talked about getting married! But I was too dedicated to my work and couldn't really let my hair down around him, so we never really learned to trust eachother. One day we had this big fight, a huge misunderstanding, and we both did and said some things we shouldn't've. I was offered a transfer right after that, and I took it, and we didn't speak to eachother afterward for years and years. Needless to say, we parted on really bad terms.

I'm back in the area now and I feel like I've been reborn. I understand now that the fight was stupid, and I still love him. We bump into eachother often and I can tell he still feels for me, too. He tells me all the time how he'll never forget me, but whenever I suggest we just screw everything and run away together, he tells me he's too busy with this big work project. Ironic, huh?

I'm afraid he's still hurt and angry over our big fight, and he's just using his work as an excuse to avoid getting close to me again. What can I do to break through his defenses and win back his heart?
Sincerely,
Miserable Miko

Dear Miserable,
First off, you're gonna have to look at this situation from a different angle. So, you had this big argument with your guy, you called everything off, and you proceeded to leave your former life behind to pursue your goals elsewhere. You can assume that your guy did the same. He probably got a new job, got a new girl, got a new life. Regardless of the circumstances that brought it about, you have to understand that his relationship with you was terminated and both of you moved on.

And now you're back in the area, not because you had a strong desire to see your guy again, but because you were forcefully evicted from your prior residence, and now have no one else to turn to but him. I feel bad that this happened to you, I honestly do, but you must realize that this guy of yours still has his new life and job, and he can't be expected to throw it all away to go back to you if you aren't willing to throw everything away for him. I'll bet you just want to drag him back home and keep him for yourself. Tsk tsk. The fact that he seems to have forgiven you so readily for up and leaving him sounds like more than any normal girl in your situation could ask for, so I'd say you should be content with what you have and not live in the past.

You're awesome. XD How about we compromise and I call you Inu-daddy? ;)

So what do you think of Inuyasha's girlfriend....s...? Like many fathers, I'm sure you have some opinion on your son's choice of women.

...and while we're at it, what about Sesshoumaru's current bachelor status. That Kagura woman's been stalking him lately, but would you approve of THAT relationship?
Sincerely,
Papa-stalker

You again? You really are a stalker, aren't you.
Inuyasha's women, huh? Ah, he takes after his old man, having two girls. I just never had them both at once... Anyway, Kikyou and Kagome. As for Kikyou... I think Inuyasha was good for her, but she wasn't good for him. I'm still a little bitter about her proposition that he become human, because that sort of means he gives up MY half of his heritage. I mean, it was all, "If you use the Shikon no Tama to become human, it will be purified and I can quit my day job." That's great for you and all, but how does that help MY boy, huh? Kagome, on the other hand... Well, she's definitely got Inuyasha's best interests in mind, which is a big plus all around. But the rosary... Okay, it was cute the first few times, but she's gonna throw his back out at this rate! The rosary is unnecessary at this point, and it's just degrading to someone of my bloodline. Sigh... Inuyasha really is a kind boy, and ends up in abusive relationships either way.

Sesshoumaru, however... Oh, man, if only Rin was a few years older. She looks out for him WITHOUT damaging his mental or physical well-being in return. She'd be ideal wife material, but the adoptive daughter role she's assumed works just as well. As long as Sesshoumaru is loved by someone who is seriously concerned for his well-being, I have no objections to how the relationship ends up. That Kagura, on the other hand... she's just another Kikyou, really. One of those "I'm going after you because I think you can help me" sorts of women, when he should really be interested in ones who say, "I'm going after you because I think I can help you."

Dear Ayura,
Once you tell me which you love more, your right eye or your left eye, I will answer your second question.

As for the first question... Izayoi was... 15 when I met her, and quite unusually pretty. She was, therefore, the ideal target for lesser youkai who like to kidnap pretty girls and drag them off to be their concubines. I am, of course, not a lesser youkai, and am actually rather averse to such acts of rape and torture. Therefore, when such a youkai crossed my path, carrying a shaken young woman and threatening her with acts I'd rather not repeat here, I did the only thing that seemed logical at the time:
I splattered him all over the forest. So, what was initially me, Izayoi, and random youkai was now just me and Izayoi. The rest is history. ... Sort of. That was simply our initial encounter, and it was hardly love at first sight, but... the rest is for another time.

How did Sesshoumaru handle you finding a human mate, and then having a half-breed son?

And what exactly happened to Sesshoumaru's mommy? ;-;
Sincerely,
Messa

Dear Messa,
Oh, man, he was PISSED. ... I think. You see, Sesshoumaru respects me too much to tell me how he feels to my face, so when the subject came up, it was kind of one of those "awkward silence" situations. See, due to his mother dying in childbirth, Sesshoumaru had required my constant attention for most of his childhood, and I guess he had grown accustomed to me being there for him all the time. I feel guilty for saying this, but I'd been trying to wean myself away from him now that he'd grown up, and focusing those attentions on another person seemed a decent way to do that. Unfortunately, Sesshoumaru likely saw it as an abandonment, though he never told me such a thing outright. The fact that he seems to have inherited his mother's distaste for humans didn't help much. So... yeah, it wasn't pretty. Although, the fact that he didn't kill Inuyasha and Izayoi once I was out of the picture must mean that he came to at least a little bit of an understanding about my position.

Dear Sara,
Yes, I AM the Super Fluffy, and NO ONE can deny it! The fur is quite the fashion statement, is it not? It's actually just some sort of tradition on my side of the family. My dad wore a fluffy, and he told me, "Son, you will wear a fluffy, too." So, I took to sporting a fluffy on my father's request, and I ended up really liking it. It was all soft and comfy, and people really noticed me, saying "Hey, you're wearing a fluffy!", to which I could proudly reply, "Yes, I AM wearing a fluffy!" I think they were ridiculing me about it, now that I think back. They stopped doing that after I took over the Western country.

Dear Angelypoo,
She was a real bitch, I'll give you that much. And I mean that in the most endearing possible way. I admit, she looked better after downing a round or ten of sake. Nah, I kid, she was an okay lady, though a bit rough around the edges. Sesshoumaru most likely inherited his charming disposition from her, since he most certainly didn't get it from me! As for her currently mortality status, I regret to inform you that she is indeed no longer of the world of the living. Unfortunately, neither am I, so she's been hanging over my head nowadays chewing me out about "shacking up with a human". Whaaaat? I was lonely! And Izayoi was so cuuute!

Dear Marie Ann,
That depends on what you mean by "more like you". If you mean my ravishing good looks and impeccable fashion sense, then of course Sesshoumaru is more like me. If you mean my rapier wit and way with the ladies, then of course Inuyasha is more like me. Naturally, while I'm proud of both my boys, they still each only represent half of me: Sesshoumaru in body and Inuyasha in spirit. It seemed only fitting, then, to bestow upon them swords that represented the half of me that they lacked. I wonder what happened to my tolerance, though? Seems like neither of them got that...

Of course, I'm not going to call you anything other than Inu-papa. ;)

And second... what kind of toothpaste DID you use?? o.O
Sincerely,
Papa-stalker

Dear Stalker,
*sniff* Can't you just call me "Daddy"?
In all honesty, though, everyone who's ever encountered me has always called me "Lord" or "sir" or *sniff* "Dad", so I've never had the need to divulge my given name (although I did eventually tell Izayoi after she threatened to call me "Cuddles". Unfortunately, that didn't stop her). I admit, there were those who called me "Touga-ou" in my juvenile years, but I killed them. However, if the great overlord who is Takahashi decrees that that is what I shall be called by the masses, then... well... I can't very well kill all of you. Until that time comes, though, I think "Papa" is good enough.

And what is this "tooth paste" you speak of? I do not glue my teeth! I keep them healthy by taking in lots of calcium, including drinking a hefty amount of milk. Haven't you noticed that the one image of me in the manga depicts me making off with a cow? Huh? HUH? There you have it!

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