"Training is what they're doing right now," Aura pointed out. "And will be for a while, as I understand it." She sighed softly. "I didn't realize how much I would be left out of once Katsuro grew out of the stage where he wanted cuddles all the time."

Kris shrugged. "Well, we only train until nightfall," she said. "And we take breaks. It's not like it's all we do. So you could start teaching the kids other things."

"There's nothing I can teach them that you three can't teach just as well," Aura pointed out. It wasn't the same, and Kris knew it.

"Reading," Kris shot back. "Writing. Driving. Just because there are still demons doesn't mean human skills are any less valuable."

Aura didn't reply. It just wasn't the same, and Kris didn't seem to get it. Sess and Hisoka could both read, write, and drive as well. It wasn't as if those skills were unique to her. Kris could read and write, too, even if she didn't like cars much.

Kris sighed. She could tell she wasn't really doing any good. "Well. If you want any more ideas, I can come up with a few, I'm sure. Just... try not to let it get to you, okay? At least try?"

"I'll try," Aura replied, although there wasn't much feeling behind the words.

Kris sighed and moved away after a few more moments. She'd have to go bug Sesshomaru about this so they could see what they could do.

Aura ended up sitting there with a book for a while. It was all she could do while the children were all preoccupied with training. She didn't end up reading much, though.

Kris went and talked to Sesshomaru quietly for several moments before taking over training for the moment. Sesshomaru made his way over to Aura, sitting quietly next to her for a while and just watching. He expected they'd only be training for another half an hour or so.

Aura leaned against him a little when he sat down, and she looked up at him.

"I didn't think you would be done so early," she commented. "Not that I'm complaining."

"They're getting tired out," Sesshomaru said quietly, pulling her closer. "They are improving, but they have a long ways to go. As is normal." He glanced down at her.

Aura cuddled into his side, being careful of her bandaged arm.

"I'm glad they're improving," she said. "It's good to hear."

"What's bothering you, Aura?" Sesshomaru asked quietly, keeping her close. He didn't like seeing her unhappy.

"It's not important," Aura automatically replied, cuddling a bit closer. At least this time she didn't deny anything was wrong.

"Aura," Sesshomaru said, his voice quiet. "Something's wrong. It's important to me." He dipped his head a little to look at her.

Aura bit her lip. She couldn't refuse to talk to him, not when he cared so much for her.

"I don't like feeling so left out," she murmured, looking down a bit. "The kids are all too strong now for me to play with them anymore, and there's nothing I can teach them that they can't learn just as easily from you."

Sesshomaru frowned, his arm tightening around her as he tried to think of a way to fix that. While it was true she couldn't help with training directly, he might be able to think of a way to get her involved.

"Perhaps you would enjoy a different kind of training, then."

That caught Aura's interest.

"Like what?" she asked, curious.

"There is something my father did with me... only once in a while, but it was enjoyable. It was... something of a game, you could say." Sesshomaru spoke slowly, trying to remember all the rules. "If you wish, I could see about implementing something like that and you could be a... referee, if you will. You'd be in charge of keeping track of them and making sure they don't cheat."

Aura thought about that for a moment and then nodded, smiling a bit.

"I'd like that," she replied, cuddling closer to him.

Sesshomaru nodded, pleased with his solution, and pulled her over into his lap. There. Much better.

Aura got comfortable in his lap and leaned back against him, nuzzling him a little. Now the only thing missing in this little picture was their son.

Sesshomaru kept track of the training and watched as the kids were all dismissed to go get washed up for dinner. He half-expected Katsuro to see them and decide he wanted in, too. Because children didn't really grow out of cuddling for quite some time, they just had other things to do too.

Once Katsuro was washed up from training, he did indeed go looking for his parents. It didn't take him long to find them, especially with his nose, and he grinned when he saw them. He ran over and climbed up onto the couch, snuggling in with them.

Aura smiled and wrapped her arms around him, letting him snuggle in.