T^T

My heart is pounding with suspense...this is the most interesting chapter I've read.

:3

ouch!! Cliffy?? poor,poor Kagome.. that must be hurt too much like hell !!

Don't stay too long,hurry up,UPDATE !! i CAN'T WAIT TO KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT .

I really hope this doesn't come across as a flame since I truly don't mean it to be. But, implying sex in the Gion quarter? Really, really bad idea. You could get away with saying Miyagawa-cho since they did have a murkier reputation in the past. But Gion Kobu ESPECAILLY had the HIGHEST regard of all the hanamachi in Japan. If you've heard the name Iwasaki Mineko, and the controversy that followed Memoirs of a Geisha, that is EXACTLY WHY. Gion,and its ochaya where patrons frequented such as the famed Ichiriki teahouse, are all famous for being first-class.

Also, in the ochaya, there is no place for a male to have sex with a female geisha. They have banquet rooms. Sake (and as of these days, beer) is served. Snacks and small meals from delivery establishments are served. The geisha's primary job was to keep a party going by dance, jokes, games, and getting patrons smashed. An ozashiki by one's self would be a very lonely ozashiki indeed!

As to allowing abuse, I say: To outfit a single geisha came at a GREAT expense, of which a debt would take years to pay off. Would an okaasan really allow her girls to be violated in such a brutal manner, only to toss them aside? The answer is NO. Yes, there was abuse in hanamachi throughout Japan. Yes there were hot spring and country geisha where rules were far harsher. Yes there were incidents and I'm not denying that, but if a single patron continued to cause more trouble and expense then it was worth, he would be denied access to the geisha world.

So...while I did appreciate that you used terminology like "maiko"...to me I think you missed the bigger, overall picture. The reality you have set this against as this fiction's backdrop simply did not happen. I do hope you consider reading the following texts I have listed below. The story is well-written, but as an intermediate-level historian on the matter I am a bit upset to read your descriptions and hope others understand this is fiction, and do not think it is a true perception of geisha culture. Again, I do not mean to be taking this out on you- a comparative circumstance would be the damaged caused by Author Golden's fictional novel, "Memoirs of a Geisha" which has cause MUCH hurt to the kimono industry, Kyoto, and even geisha getting accosted on the street by tourists. A simple fiction based on a historical reference as sensitive as such causes greater harm then the author may have realised, and by this, I hope perhaps you will become aware.

Geisha - Liza Dalby

Geisha, A Life - Mineko Iwasaki

An Autobiography of a Geisha - Matsuda Sayo

Nightless City - de Becker

My Life as a Kyoto Apprentice - by geiko Konomo

Eep, yes I think you would.

in any case, I'm rather fearing for the poor guy who is gonna face one very pissed off dog demon.

very evil...nd very totured :( poor kagome. geez kumano is so brutal stop hurting kagome. nd those finger traps sound horrible but the snap oh geez i hope her fingers aren't broken. how i wish her pristess power worked. she could really use them at the moment. nd seeshoumaru reaction to no news on kagome priceless. but he is defiantly now being all protective. nd extremely pissed i hope he figures out the puzzle soon to help kagome.

nd congrats on the nominations. your story is amazing. nd good luck with school. we all understand and deal with it ourselves. i had an exam today :S

update soon!!!! gr8t chpter as always

yay i'm so glad to see your updates to your story. i love it so much. i've drawn four pictures so far for your story, but i have yet to put them on the website. my copier is scan them to light so i have to darken and shade them more. nd the angst and blood scenes don't bother me. just as long as kagome doesn't die or be close to near death. i knew it was kumano that abducted her. but i'm guessing he isn't the one who stole the jewel if he is asking for it. plus i hope ah un is okay. p.s. omg i'm just glad you updated. :)

*cries* I hate evil cliffies! Shame on you for letting the chapter end like that! So evil! Part of me wants Sesshoumaru to save her....but the other part wants Kagome to do this herself! Keep up the wonderful job....and....UPDATE QUICKLY! hehe

Excellent as always. It's definitely dark, but it leaves me on the edge of my seat for more. 

I wonder if Kagome will ever be the same after this hellish torture. Will she be able to salvage the use of her fingers? And will she blame Sesshou for her suffering? When will you allow Sesshou to tear Kumano to pieces for hurting Kagome? And what sources led Kumano to Kagome? Keep up the good work and update soon :P

Yes you are evil..... very very very very very evil!! But I still love the story please please keep up the amazing work!! Update as soon as you can!!!! :D

Yesssss!!! New Chapter! I've been waiting for this!! I love it, I really want to see Sess lay into the guys!! Well great job, poor Kags not being able to get her powers working before the torture device. :( Oh well I am loving this story, and can't wait to see what's next!

Great Chapter! =D Do Continue! :)

Oh wow!  I'm just glad there wasn't a rape scene in this chapter.  I hope Sesshoumaru gets to her before that happens.  Poor Kagome.  I wonder how much more she's going to suffer before Sesshoumaru finally gets his act together.  Then again, maybe she could prove that she's strong enough to save herself and leave him in the dust with his pride.  Oooh, sometimes I feel sorry for him and sometimes I don't.  With Kagome suffering so much, I'm not feeling all that sorry for him.  *growls*

Awesome chapter, detailed and graphic.  Great job!  Thank you!  ^_^  I hope school is going well for you.

Evil cliffys >:(

Great chapter tho :)

Poor Kagome :(

Okay, if Sesshoumaru does not move his butt and go after her like he should have done before!! I am going to excercise my powers as an author and write a oneshot where he's the one being tortured and Kagome's the one who sits on her butt waiting for the right time to save him. See how he likes it!

Now that my nonsense is finished, great chapter. I love how you get into Kumano's mind so we can understand him, and hate him all the more. Even if it is gory, you are painting a realistic picture of the Feudal Era, and for that I applaud you. Keep up the excellent work, and please update soon!

~Serephina of the Kamis~

Poor Kagome :(

THANKS for the update. Please hurry with the next chapters. Have to see what happens next. Oh, I don't know who I feel more sorry for at the moment. Sesshoumaru or Kagome. <sighing> Kagome actually, poor woman. Hurry. Please.

awwwwwwwwwwww....you're really aizen :C

gimme a break from your breaks *lol* just a joke...nothing you can do when RL calls...but thanx for the update...i do  wish that the chapter was longer...but i hope you have more time to update really soon C:

Yikes!  Poor Kagome I couldn't even BEGIN to imagine how painful that was!  That some sick, twisted sh!t there, Miss Teak.  You did such a splendid job on it though, I cringed each time!

Man, when Sesshoumaru finds them, Kumano's gonna have his ass handed to him on a silver platter. 

It was so great to see an update!  School started for me too, so I feel your pain.