I was born to a family of middle to low status, emphasis on the "was". Now, I'm a woman of the age of 24 by myself. My parents has passed away when I was 15, thus making me an orphan. I'm an only child, but I was well loved by my parents before their passing. I have an easy going personality, I want to help others as much as I can, but I will not stand by and watch things happen that I see as wrong. I was taken in by an orphanage, but now that I am of age, I decided to go out and live my own life. When my parents were still here, I learned a lot about life from them. Not to mention both of my parents are artists, and being their child, they taught me how to draw. My father also taught me how to make things such as bracelets, necklaces and so on. My mother taught me how to draw people, and because of their teaching I have become an artist myself. With their artistic legacy existing within me, I now use my artistic skills for a living. It's enough for me to get by, I'm able to live a decent life with clothes on my back and food to eat. I have a specialty of drawing a person by feeling their facial features just once, I don't need to look at them as I draw afterwards. It's a practice that I have to have if I want to continue in this field of artistry, it's a bit sad to be honest. You see, I have a genetic trait inherited from my father's side. As I get older, I will start to lose my eyesight, my father lost his eyesight at the age of 36. The funny thing is, I can draw other people perfectly, but I can't draw myself. It's really difficult, I can never get my own features accurately. It's a mystery but it's not like I draw myself all the time or have the need to draw myself. I'm 24 now but my eyesight is starting to lose its clarity, things are becoming fuzzy bit by bit. The doctor said that I will lose my sight by 26, it's devastating but it shouldn't stop me from doing what I love and need to do. There are many people out there in the world with blindness and born with handicaps but they are still living life to the fullest. I should too. A long time ago, there was a battle over a magical orb called the "Sacred Jewel" that was said to be very powerful. Demons fought over it, but eventually the battle ended and the land was peaceful once again, I'm not quite familiar with the legend because that was way before my time, about 50 years ago to be precise. An event that happened 50 years ago has made the land as it is now, I'm thankful that things turned out alright. I'm setting up my sketch corner in a quiet part of the street on my village one morning, I usually draw till late afternoon or evening. I can still see so I have to take the time to live out my life with colors as much as I can, the people in the village knows me as the "Blindfolded Artistic Butterfly" it's a nickname that I feel is a bit much for me but I can't stop a village of people from thinking of something. I like to talk to my clients as I sketch, it helps me complete the missing aspect of the portrait, the personality aspect of the still picture. They say a picture tells a story, and I love that quote.

"Can you make a drawing for my son_____________?" One of the mother of the village that comes twice every year asks me.

"Of course, it's that time of year again, a start of a new year and your son has aged another year. I remember when he first came here 6 years ago, now look at him." I say giving her now 14 year son a good look.

"Indeed, having a picture of him every passing year has become a ritual now for me, it gives me the opportunity to relive the moment when he was younger." She says with a smile.

"I understand what you mean, a nice memory to look back on. Shall we start?" I ask the boy.

He nods and I can see a slightly fuzzy smile. I clean my hands with a wet towel and then I gently touch his facial features, from his hairline, to his forehead, his brow bone and down his face to his chin, I study his face carefully at the same time. After about a minute or so I finally step back and sit down in my chair, I turn around so my back is facing them. I set up my clean white rice paper and my charcoal stick, I then start to sketch out the boy's features one at a time. It takes me about 10 minutes to finish one drawing, it's not long but I make sure that the result will satisfy my client.

"So what have you been doing lately?" I ask the boy.

"I've been helping out my family with chores and things, been playing with friends and stuff as well." I hear him reply back to me from behind.

"You must be a very considerate boy aren't you? Making sure to help out as much as you can around the house." I ask him again with a chuckle.

"Haha, I guess so?" He replies with a soft laugh.

"Shy isn't he?" I ask the mother.

"He is, hope he will become more confident in the years to come." She replies.

"I'm sure he will." I say to her with a smile.

A few more minutes goes by and I finally finish, I sign my name and turn to look at the boy. I'm pretty satisfied, everything looks just right, since I've been drawing him every year for the past 6 years I should know every feature on his face by now.

"It looks just like him_________, I've always believed in your talent. Thank you so much for another year of your work." She says handing me the coins.

"And thank you for your years of patronage. I'm happy that my work can make my clients happy and satisfied. It makes everything more worthwhile." I reply back to her.

"It will always, how is your eyesight lately?" She asks me.

"Well, it seems to be deteriorating slowly bit by bit, things are becoming fuzzy but I can still see. Thank you for your concern." I say to her with a smile.

"I see, if I can help out with anything please let me know." She says holding my hand.

"Please, you don't have to. Just knowing that you appreciate my work is more than enough. Thank you." I say with a bow.

"Alright, but still don't hesitate to ask." She says.

I give her a nod. I bid them goodbye and they leave for home. The sun is starting to set, I have sketched about 4 people today since late morning. It's not much but even one is more than enough.

"I should probably start packing." I think to myself.

I start to put away my charcoal stick, and proceed to fold up my chair.

"Hmm, if you don't mind me asking, are you the talented "Blindfolded Artistic Butterfly?" A voice asks me from behind.

I stop what I'm doing to see who has asked me that. It's a man, he looks about late 60's or early 70's. He's wearing a dark blue and purple monk outfit, he has dark grayish hair tied in a short ponytail in the back. He carries a staff with gold rings, he has a friendly smile with a few crows feet on the edge of his eyes. He also has a slight beard on his fair skin.

"I always feel that nickname is a bit over the top for me but yes, I am. Can I help you?" I reply him with a light chuckle.

"Ah, a friend and I are from out of town, we wanted to look around the village and I happened to see a young woman holding a drawing with her son beside her. I asked who drew such lovely picture and she told me about you. He answers me.

"Oh, I see, nice to meet you. Please, call me___________, and you are?" I introduce myself with a bow.

"__________ lovely name. I'm Miroku, I am a monk. You are lovely as aspected of a butterfly. Tell me, why are you called the "Blindfolded Butterfly?" He asks me.

"Ah you see, I specialize in portraits. When I draw though, I don't look at the person that I'm drawing, I turn my back towards them. Almost like I'm blindfolded." I explain to him.

"I see, but how would you draw them then? Do you look at them once and it is etched into your memory?" He goes on.

"Something like that, I touch the person's face and make sure that I have all the features down accurately. While giving the person a proper look at the same time." I say.

"Now I understand. A very special talent indeed, but if you don't mind me asking. If it offends you, then you do not need to reply. Is your vision perhaps failing you slightly?" He asks me.

My eyes goes wide slightly at his pinpoint guess, I find my composure and give a slight nod.

"Quite an accurate guess, yes, my vision is failing me bit by bit. How did you know?" I ask him curious.

"It's not difficult to see, you're eyes squints occasionally. Something that a person with normal vision would not do. How old are you to be having sight problems." He sighs.

"Ah, I guess nothing slips pass a person like yourself. I'm 24, and it's a genetic trait. My father passed it down to me, it can't be helped." I say reply with a soft smile.

"Such a shame, but sometimes, you gain something despite losing something. You have a beautiful talent that will follow you to the end of time, it's something that will never leave you." He says with a nod of his head.

I smile and nod in agreement, he is right. I guess I always knew but his words enlightened it in my mind once again.

"There you are Miroku, you ran off without telling me where you were going." A sudden voice says out of nowhere.

It surprised me slightly, it sounds a bit rash, sharp, deep and somehow lifeless sounding. We both look around, and then from the side a figure walks towards us, immediately the figure stands out from everything else. It's a young man with peculiar features, he has fair skin, hip length silver white hair, golden amber eyes, sharp canine teeth and two protrusions on either side of his head like dog ears. He is wearing a fire red kimono outfit with a sword on his hip, although peculiar but he looks celestial. I'm immersed in his appearance and aura.

"Sorry about that,_____________ this is my friend, Inuyasha, he is a half demon. Inuyasha, this is an artist that I happen to come upon, her name is_______________. Also known as "The Blindfolded Artistic Butterfly." Miroku introduces us to each other.

"Nice to meet you," I say with a bow.

"Blindfolded Artistic Butterfly?" A bit of an exaggerated nickname don't you think?" Inuyasha says with a slight furrow in his brows.

I feel my mind going blank and I'm dumbstruck, he is straightforward isn't he? I'm at a lost for words, he's a piece of work I can tell. I'm taken aback by his words upon first meeting, it ticked me off slightly but I try to keep my calm. How rude of him. He looks celestial but his personality sure says otherwise, I bite the inside of my mouth to keep myself from saying my mind.

"I suppose it is slightly, but it's what everyone knows me as so there's nothing that I can do about it. I can't stop a whole town from thinking of something, surely you know that feeling. " I answer him.

Talking to Inuyasha may seem like an obstacle, he's like the exact opposite of Miroku. Inuyasha seems inpatient and quite angry. He seems irrational and arrogant, but somehow you want to talk to him, not because you want to, but because you want to argue with him and see who will come out victorious.

"Sorry about my friend Inuyasha here, you see he has gone through a lot in the past few years. My apologies if he offended you." Miroku says stepping in.

"Shut up Miroku." Inuyasha says.

I look at Inuyasha with wide eyes, does he talk to everyone like that? Miroku looks old but I'm assuming Inuyasha is older than he looks if he can talk to Miroku like that, then again, he's a demon so it shouldn't be surprising if he's 600 years old but looks 30.

"No not at all, uhm, so conversation aside, did you want me to do a sketch for you or?" I ask Miroku.

"Oh, well I don't need one, I just wanted to see who the talented artist is, but I think a portrait for Inuyasha will be nice since we're here." Miroku says turning to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha glares at Miroku and then looks back at me. His golden amber eyes are like molten gold as he looks at me.

"I don't necessarily need one, but I like to see just how good you are if they say that you are an "Artistic Butterfly." Inuyasha says.

"Is it a challenge?" I ask him in return.

"Does it sound like a challenge to you? If it sounds like a challenge then let it be. With this, I'll decide if the title fits you or not. Are you willing to take this challenge?" Inuyasha asks me with a huff.

It's like he's pushing me into a corner, it feels a bit uncomfortable, but being an artist I have to hold on to my pride. I look right back at Inuyasha. Confidence filling my heart.

"I am" I respond back to him not wanting to back down.

Inuyasha lets out a hmph, and folds his arms across his chest. His dog ears folding back slightly. I take out my charcoal stick and a clean piece of paper, I clean my hand on my towel and walk up to Inuyasha. He looks at me slightly surprised, his eyes looks at me as his ears twitches.

"What are you doing?" He asks me with alert in his voice.

"I need to get a feel of your facial features so that I can sketch you." I explain to him.

"I don't want you to touch me." He tells me stepping back with a furrow in his brows.

"Then how am I going to prove to you that the nickname fits me? My hands aren't dirty, I cleaned them if that's what you're worried about." I say to him slightly irritated at his evasive personality. 

We just glared at each other for a while, then I hear someone clearing their throat beside us.

"Sorry________, Inuyasha is the type to speak before thinking. Inuyasha here isn't a bad or scary demon, he's just impulsive." Miroku says stepping in for him again.

Scared of Inuyasha? Never had that thought crossed my mind, he's not scary, he just kind of ticks me off that's all with how he talks. I kind of forgot that he's a demon to be honest, his personality aspect erased everything else.

"You don't need to stand up for him good sir, I have a good grasp on what type of person or in his case, type of demon this Inuyasha is by now." I say to Miroku as I glare at this demon with eyes of gold.

"Well since you don't want one Inuyasha, then how about for someone else. You can choose." Miroku says turning to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha side glances at Miroku and then back at me with his cold glare, he clicks his tongue and then lets out a loud exhale.

"Fine. Can you draw a person by a person's description?" He asks me flatly.

"Yes." I reply just as flat.

"Then get ready." He tells me.

He is so rude, but I oblige regardless since it's a challenge. I sit down across from him, he sits down on a chair with his arms crossed. Miroku sits down beside us, I have my easel in front of me with my charcoal stick in my hand and my blank rice paper in front of me.

"Go ahead." I say signalling him that I'm ready whenever he is.

I look at Inuyasha, he is looking slightly downwards. He looks deep in thought, his facial expression is blank as he stares out in front of him. He looks like a completely different person.

"Inuyasha sir?" I say his name trying to get his attention.

"Inuyasha, you alright?" Miroku asks his friend.

"Huh? Oh." Inuyasha responds with a jolt as he finally seem to come back to reality.

His eyes falls back onto me, this time he doesn't look menacing like it was a few minutes ago. He looks slightly nostalgic.

"I'm ready. You can start telling me about this person." I say to him.

Inuyasha let's out an exhale and his ears droops slightly, I realize that he's just like a dog, his ears expresses his feelings.

"She has long black shoulder length hair with fluffy bangs, she has fair skin and big brown eyes that are close to black in occasion. A beautiful smile and a pointed chin." He describes bit by bit.

I start to sketch out exactly how he describes this person as accurately as I can. As I listen to him describe this person, his arrogant filled voice seem to have vanished, it is calm and filled with a sorrowful tone. As I sketch and do my thing, I feel my pant up irritation towards Inuyasha easing slowly bit by bit. I glance at him once in a while, his expression looks lost and slightly melancholic. How can a person so brash change into a completely different person in just seconds?

"She was annoying and somewhat stubborn, but deep down she is someone filled with compassion and strength. We didn't start out on a good note but eventually we have come to understand each other. I use to find her irritating but eventually everything about her has become so important to me... even now." Inuyasha continues to describe this girl.

I shade in her dark hair and the shadows on her face. She has beautiful big round eyes filled with life, a high nose and nice shaped mouth. Her bangs are full and fluffy while the majority of her hair is long and sleek, I gave her the pointed chin and slim figure that he told me. After 10 minutes or so, I finally finish.

"Wow, it looks just like her." Miroku says from the side.

I step back to look at my piece, indeed it's a beautiful piece. I have incorporated her personality into my as I sketched her, she seem to jump out with her kind smile.

"I'm done Inuyasha." I say turning to the drawing for Inuyasha to see.

Inuyasha lifts his head and looks at the sketch, his golden eyes widens slightly but softens. His ears sticks up as he looks at the drawing. A gentle smile shows on his face as he gazes at the sketch, he doesn't say anything.

"How is it? Is it close to how you described her?" I ask him.

"Very." He responds quietly.

"Who is it if you don't mind me asking?" I ask him.

"It's someone dear to him, that's all that we can tell you. Sorry_________." Miroku says.

"No need to apologize, I understand. Didn't mean to pry. Here you go Inuyasha, hope I passed the challenge." I say to him handing the sketch to him.

Inuyasha takes it and glazes his eyes over the drawing. He then sighs and looks back at me, his eyes seem to hold a different feeling as he looks at me.

"I guess I approve of your nickname, butterfly." He says with a smirk.

"How much for your work?" Miroku asks.

I look at him and then back at Inuyasha, he is still gazing at the drawing with a tint of longing in his eyes. I realize that this drawing means a lot more than just an image on a paper. To me, it was a simple everyday drawing, but to him, it seem to mean so much more, a memory perhaps?

"Since you're just passing through this town, I'll give it to you as a gift and souvenir. As long as it satisfies the client, it's enough for me." I tell him declining the payment.

"Are you sure? We weren't exactly respectful clients to begin with." Miroku says with surprise in his voice.

"It's fine. Hey Inuyasha." I say turning to him.

Inuyasha looks up from the sketch back at me, his eyes landing on mine slightly surprised.

"Make sure to treasure that sketch, I put my pride on the line for it you know." I say to him with a teasing smile.

"Don't push it...Thanks though". He says with an annoyed expression but ending with a slight upward tug on the edge of his lips.

"We will be going then, it was nice meeting such a talented young artist, wish you a future filled with beauty." Miroku says.

"Thank you for the blessing Monk Miroku." I reply with a bow.

I give Inuyasha one final look, he is still gazing at the drawing. The two of them then walk away into the distance. The evening sun is starting to set by the second, Inuyasha's fire red kimono sways as he walks, his white hair shifts side to side accompanying each of his step. Inuyasha is brash and impulsive, his words may make you feel uncomfortable, but I think there's more to him than what you can see on the surface. Everyone has a facade, and upon meeting someone like Inuyasha, I want to uncover that facade of his. None of my clients has looked at their drawing like Inuyasha looked at his, he's different from everyone else. I don't think it's because he's a demon , there's something in his eyes that tells me, that he has carried a lot of unspoken feelings. Deep feelings that are kept in the dark. Who is the woman in the drawing? A dear friend or perhaps a lover? Whoever it is, it seem to keep him chained and preventing him from moving forward. Inuyasha gave a very bad first impression, he was arrogant, brash, impulsive, rude, but I caught a glimpse of a different side of him. I don't know when I'll see him again, or if I'll ever see him again. Then again, if I see him in the future, will I be able to see his face before my vision completely fades away? Not to mention, his rude behaviour is making me rethink that thought, it seem to be who he is for the majority of the time. I don't know how much I can tolerate his brash personality again before I lose my own self control. I suppose time will tell. If we meet, then let it be, if we don't it doesn't matter. I think meeting him once was enough for the time being, I wonder how the people around him tolerate him. It's a wonder. I finish packing up my things and head back to my small house that I reside in alone. The moon is slowly rising as the sky is laced in fiery orange and brown with tints of violet.