/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>46450857

I couldn't find any images of mob White Wolves so enjoy these pictures of Momiji "not appearing in this chapter"

It may have been a frigid day in winter, but you wouldn't be able to tell looking at the crowd around the HSE. What had started as a few follow-on business and some black-market activity had grown into it's own little corner of the village, where all sorts of commerce was being done between Youkai and humans. And nobody seemed more wistful about it then this man, Goro.

"Hmm, I'm missing out." He murmured in a low tone.

One of my subordinates shot him a look, her White Wolf ears picking up on the whisper. Her gaze quickly met my own, her captains, and she relented. Goro's smile widened by a millimeter, he had been testing if we could hear him.

I understood the other wolves and their distaste of the man. He was casual, lowborn, Buddhist(at least by association), and fornicated with that villainous wrench of an Amanojaku. I had fed my compatriot the old lines about difficult masters being truly worth serving to keep up morale, but even then, I still had doubts.

Why would Yakumo Yukari, who's orders were perfect and never had need of middle managers before, suddenly pick such unworthy agents and given them her colors? The Nine-Tailed Fox was clearly feeling the burden of this place, we all had, and maybe Goro had mediated some incidents a the brothel through his tongue with, 'public relations' as he called it, but something was still amiss with the blonde human.

I turn to the Yamawaro, wishing they'd speed up the door frame repairs and install that heavy, ornate, and ridiculous blanket already so I could return to the routine of my duty and not be plagued by these thoughts.

"You shouldn't stare, they'll not like Kappa who're used to rushing jobs when Tengu are about." Goro remarked.

"Is that so." I said.

Curses, had my impatience shown on my face? I'd have to redouble my meditations tonight.

He exhaled through his nose and shifted his weight a few milligrams to the left, a sure tell of his that this conversation wouldn't end so quickly.

"So, have you made any friends?" he asked.

I squinted at him, "I have not brought anyone into my barracks bed if-" I stop upon seeing his grimace. "- fraternizing with villagers is not looked upon so kindly in Tengu society." I saved face.

"Hmm, I wonder if that hasn't changed in the last season? Even without this whole Revolution business it seems as though the waters aren't as tepid between Human and Youkai, hells, Seija couldn't resist teasing and playing with the local children, although she insists it's to lull them into a false sense of security..." he remarked.

Ah, the whole business with the local school teacher and her feud with the Heida family. Nothing but a slight ripple in the history of the village, a few low-class Youkai would integrate, lose their status entirely, and in a few generations it will be as if nothing had changed. At least it meant agitator attention was elsewhere in the village.

As for the Amanojaku's affinity for children, it had been a surprise at first, but that creature's nature was that of an eternal, petulant teenager that children often find endearing, so it's no real surprise after all. At the very least, I suppose we were glad to have one more bulwark against the Scarlet Sister.

"The truth remains." I simply state, not wishing to voice my opinion out of turn.

He frowns and relents, going back to scanning the crowd and the stalls.

With a jolt my senses activate. Within a second my ears have located the oddity, within a millisecond my eyes catch up and spot him. A lone man, walking strangely, gazing directly at Goro through the crowd. I utter a sub-vocal command to my kin, we'd have him absconded before our 'lord' even had time to notice, such is a White Wolf's pride.

"HmmMm?" Goro murmured, looking in the man's direction and stroking his chin with that bony hand. A wait signal.

"And there he is! Another little traitor to human kind everywhere, although they're so many now aren't there Goro!" The man shouts.

The hustle and bustle of the market quiet's down a tad, people move away from the man and duck into buildings or tents, but the interested continue watching.

"Beg you pardon sir?" Goro asks turning to face the belligerent. "If you're here for the brothel, I won't refuse you, but it might cause a bit of a scandal." He joked.

"Hoo, I'd bet you'd know freak! You probably heard about those Myouren devils, who had the good sense to throw you out, had such a good time in there, and went in yourself! And liked it so much you took up residence!" he loudly and viciously jeered.