Rinu Amaya's Story

The soft but moist grass felt refreshing under her extended body lying down on the bare ground. Maya stretched her arms and rolled to her side, letting her eyes rest on the action going on by the creek that ran through the woods. Even tho the sun had set, her glowing red eyes was able to clear out every detail of the late night nature. Not that she felt the need to see. Closing her eyes, she relied only on her hearing. Water pouring, making a flowing sound so familiar to her ears that one could think she'd be immune to it by now - even so she did not seized to be amazed. The miniature waterfall splashed on to the leaves of the nearest bushes - making the drops caught on the leaves fall down to the surface once again with uneven dripping noises. "drip drip drop drip".

She sighted with a smile and rolled over to her back again, looking up to the starry night sky. For the moment she was satisfied - earlier today she'd "blessed" the forest with a friendly spring shower. Giving life and energy to the plants and flowers. A part of her hoped that Sanja of the Mountain would be happy with her work (even if he was very well capable of doing it himself), maybe even give her a compliment, as she truly felt a bit proud over her tender rain for a change. To her - the rain was emotions. And sure - she could cause a monsoon if she wanted - but this peaceful smattering rain she'd created earlier was a work of art.

In her eyes, she deserved some rest and peace for a moment. Huh what was that? The calm and relaxed sensation did not stay for long. Rustling in the leaves, footsteps and unfamiliar voices echoed in the raindrops still lingering in the grass, as dew. Maya stood up and licked her hand slowly.. thinking... They where at least 2 - maybe 3. Familiar creatures whom she'd once belonged to herself. "Humans, you say.." she mumbled - and if there'd been an audience present, they'd probably believed she was crazy and talking with the raindrops... Of course that was not the case - but Maya still though of all kind of water to be precious friends of her - so she treated them no different.

She corrected her black dress and took a deep breath. Her hair was long and as straight as could be, with the traditional japanese fringe swinging once she started moving. Sadly she had this "code" saying she would not go after humans when they where in company. Amaya only played with lonely humans, a group would be hard to enchant and drown. But even so - what would be the harm in teasing them a bit. It was not like they could see her anyways. Starting to follow the sounds out of curiouslity, she began to suspect them of heading for Sanjas shrine. At this time? Very well, guess prayers where welcome any time.

She was not exactly shy - following the humans with straight posture and her chin high - but still kept her distance. That did not stop her from opening her mouth and start singing, maybe in a try to lure them to the shrine. She was being helpful right? Showing them to the right location so they could deliver their prayers. All clueless about what was going on in village and the whole "humans can see youkai-situation"...She went ahead of them and kept singing, leading them to the shrine...

"Come little children
I’ll take thee away
Into a land of enchantment
Come little children
The time’s come to play
Here in my garden of shadows"~~~

She made sure to arrive to Sanjas mountain shrine before the humans tho. Bouncing up and down as she hurried across the front yard. There she came across the "feeling" of a previous chaos- making her open her mouth in a surprised expression. Maybe it was the dew in the grass speaking to her. Or it was just her relationship with "bad luck" that told her there's been some turbulence here. Sanja himself where sitting on a large purple cushion and looked rather... happy? The familiar faces of Ki, Rita and Shohei where there as well.. And her favorite dragon, making her wink and putting on a mysterious smirk as she trotted the last bit. Greeting them all with a playful pirouette, making her black dress spin around her legs. As she stopped, she raised one eyebrow and shocked her head - automatically looking at Rita with an amused expression, almost miming "well done".

"Feels like you suffered bad luck in my absence.. how interesting" she said in a distant voice and moved her finger to her mouth. Tapping her lower lip a few times. "Oh right! There was a group of 3 humans coming this way. I presumed they where on their way to the shrine to present their prayers.. So i made sure to sing them on the right trail.. But it's rather late for a shrine visit - don't you think?.." She tilted her head to the side in a questioning but innocent expression - making her fringe fall over and almost hide one of her "glowing" red eyes..

Ki sat next to Rika, listing very intently to her tangent. There were several times when Ki wondered if they should comment on something that had been said, but as it was they didn't even have enough time to open their mouth before the energetic girl would begin talking once more. Not that they minded. Nodding every once in a while to show that they were listening, Ki let the cat continue until sudden chaos broke out through the shrine.

Everything seemed to happen all at once. The sudden sound of the front doors flying open causing even Ki to jump a little. Turning, they gazed curiously at Sanja as he entered the room. It wasn't until the man began to yell that they realized just how angry he was. It would be a lie to say that Ki understood quite what the man was angry about, but it was obvious enough that the heart of his annoyance was the girl that had now jumped up from her seated position in shock.

Ki stood slowly from their seated position, watching in shock as Sanja bounded over and grabbed Rika by the back of their neck. It was even more shocking as they watched him allow her to just drop to the ground afterwards. Ki had never seen Sanjakubo so angry before. He had taken care of them their entire life. In fact, he had been protecting their host tree even before they turned into a spirit. Ki had never thought that they would ever actually feel scared of him.

Yet, as they watched the genuine terror that Rika seemed to be feeling due to Sanja's illusions, they couldn't help the small trickle of fear that appeared in their stomach.

Realizing what they were just thinking, Ki shook their head in order to rid their self of those thoughts. 'Don't let your mind get ahead of itself, Ki. Sanja would never actually hurt anybody... I just need to figure out what is going on.'

They were brought out of their thoughts by Hakuryuu and Shohei now entering the shrine. A comment made by Haku caused a bit of confusion inside Ki's head. He had called Rika stupid, but why? It was then that everything seemed to sort of fall into place, causing Ki to release a startled gasp. 'Rika hadn't been meaning to return those items?' They suddenly felt very guilty. That meant that this whole mess was their fault. If Ki had just realized what Rika was trying to do, Sanja wouldn't have got so angry. Not to mention that Rika wouldn't be getting yelled at if they had known, Ki would have to apologize to her later.

Looking up, Ki was surprised to see Shohei come stand in between them and Sanja. He seemed to be trying to get his boss to take it easy on them. It was a bit of an unusual thing for the crow to do, and it did indeed warm their heart, but it also served to make them feel even guiltier. Ki deserved to be punished just as much as Rika did.

Feeling this way, Ki began to move to help Rika and Shohei put everything back, but was stopped by Sanja coming over to apologize for startling them. This caused Ki to shake their head a bit franticly as they rushed to tell him that there was absolutely nothing for him to be sorry about. A small smile tugged at their lips as he walked away to help with putting everything back. It seemed that he had truly calmed down now.

A sudden crash echoed throughout the shrine, interrupting Ki's relief. Turning, they inwardly sighed as they saw the vase and tea set shattered on the floor, with a very nervous Rika standing in the middle of it. Peeking over in Sanja's direction, Ki wondered if he would get angry again. Yet, surprisingly, he just burst out laughing.

Staring curiously at the violet eyed man, Ki let out a confused chuckle of their own. Yet, as Sanja explained how much fun all of this had brought him, Ki couldn't help but grin happily. It was great that this whole chaotic mess had actually seemed to do something good. Although they still felt guilty, they were at least happy that Sanja was happy. He deserved to have fun every once in a while to.

Ki smiled and followed Sanjakubo, sitting next to him as he seated himself on a large cushion near the back of the room. Watching curiously as Haku came over to whisper something in his ear. They could have sworn that they heard something about humans being in the village, but they shook the thought away instantly. 'I must have misheard...'

Their attention was brought back to the matter at hand as Sanja thanked Hakuryuu for helping to calm him down. A smile once again graced their lips as Ki bowed deeply in the water dragon's direction before speaking up themselves. "I would like to thank you as well. Sanja would have surely been upset with himself is his anger had grown any larger." Turning their head to give the white haired man a small smile, they added, "Not that they would have done anything too drastic, I'm sure."

Next, they shifted their body slightly so that they could have a better view of Shohei. They then once again bowed low to the ground from their seated position. "I would also like to thank you, Shohei, for standing up for me. You are indeed a great friend. Although, in this case I am not sure if I deserved to be stood up for." Sitting up once more, they threw a wary smile at the others. It was obvious that they still felt very guilty about what had happened.

Gazing at everybody in the room now, they respectfully inclined their head as they stated, "I am very sorry for what happened here today. I did not understand what I was doing wrong at the time, but it is now clear to me. I promise that nothing like this will ever happen again. I understand if you have lost your trust for me." This last statement was obviously directed towards Sanja, as they tentatively peered at him from the corner of their eye.

It wasn't very long after this that Amaya happened to stroll into the shrine. At the mention of humans, Ki's eyes widened slightly. 'It seems that I didn't mishear earlier.' Turning to the man sitting on the cushion next to them, Ki reached out and gently tugged on one of his sleeves in order to gain his attention. Tilting their head in slight confusion, they then softly asked, "Sanja... What is all of this talk about humans?"

Were humans really on their way to the shrine at this very moment? The thought caused both feelings of nervousness and excitement to run through Ki all at once.

"What's the matter? I.. don't see anything. But who else do you think it could be?"

When he mentioned that it had to be the other two of the group, it eased Yukiko's mind, but she couldn't let go of the possibility that they may not have been the only ones in the forest and shrine. Yukiko could have exploded from embarrassment then and there when Satogi smiled at her and gave her hand a squeeze. However, there were more pressing matters, so she shook it off, quite literally shaking her head when he wasn't looking. Get a grip! Yukiko scolded herself, reminding herself that this was not a Shōjo manga, that there was possibly real danger ahead.

"Oh man, I think I hear Izumi! We should check it out!"

Unable to keep herself composed, Yukiko cupped her free hand over her mouth to muffle her laughter. She truly hoped that they would be able to get revenge, especially if Nao and Kyosuke were attempting to scare them for being enthusiastic about the Youkai legends. She didn't think it was fair to tease or judge others based on their beliefs. Wasn't the world so much more fun with a few extra ounces of faith and hope?

"I bet they beat us there already and got bored enough to try this. But, if we hurry around Sanae's route we can beat them back and prank them instead."

With a nod, Yukiko adjusted the bag on her shoulders before taking a deep breath. The fact that Satogi was excited enough to actually bounce in place like a child waiting for their ice cream made her excited to turn the tables on the others as well. Being in Satogi's and Sanae's company was infectious. Their energy managed to brighten her mood, even in a dangerous situation like this, "I don't see how they could get bored so quickly... Did they even attempt to look for Youkai..?" Before she could say anything else, her arms were suddenly intertwined with Sanae's and Yukiko blinked in surprise, but couldn't stop her lips from curling into a smile.

❝C'mon, guys! Up to the shrine we go! Follow that eerie singin', 'cause it definitely can't be Nao-chan or Kyosuke-kun, riiiight?❞

Yukiko felt her body freeze at the sound of the crying, normally she would not have investigated such a thing, but for some reason, she felt obligated to look for the person. Sanae freed herself from Satogi and Yukiko, and as the crying continued, Yukiko could not help but feel overwhelmed with sadness. The crying was so painful to listen to, the woman sounded so overwhelmed with grief... What on Earth could make someone cry like that... Yukiko thought to herself, almost completely forgetting about their search for Nao and Kyosuke. She even felt tears slipping down her own cheeks.

❝Heard somethin' over here, guys! Come along if ya like, but if not, I'll meetcha up at the top where the shrine is!❞

"Orokawru-Senpai, go with Sanae-chan in case the woman needs help... Sanae-chan can't carry her I'm sure..." Yukiko softly stated, before looking up the steps of the shrine. She had to see what those voices were. She HAD to investigate the song that the woman was singing in case it was Nao and Kyosuke. The fact that Sanae took off brought Yukiko back to reality a little, reminding her of Nao and Kyosuke not long before. If they all three went, it would do nothing for their quest for revenge, nor would it help them meet up with the rest of the group, "I'm just going to check out the shrine... We should regroup there, especially if the woman crying is injured." She felt her words held enough logic, so with just a smile toward Satogi, Yukiko ran up the steps that led to the shrine without another word. As she grew closer to the top, Yukiko grew nervous, letting out a soft sigh before looking around. The traditional setting was beautiful, that much was certain, "Izumi-Senpai? Andoh-san? Not funny." Yukiko called out as she began to look for life. Anything really. The voices, plus the singing? Someone was certainly there.

"It's not we who are trying to hold an audience here - but rather you who are trying to distract us from leaving - right?"

Tsuyari tightened her lips, attempting to bite back the grin that was trying to form. This girl wasn't as dumb as most, and that alone made her interesting. There was also the fact that Susumu was interested in those of the male variety, so this one was completely unclaimed, she could have all the fun she wanted with her, for a while at least. Perhaps it would teach the kids a lesson about roaming where children were not supposed to tread? "Oh? Why would we ever try to do that?" Tsuyari asked with a quirked brow, her blue tails swaying playfully as she spoke. Her tone was innocent enough, but the mischief could not be hidden from her blue eyes.

❝Aren't you the smart one? Let me guess—you wear the pants in this relationship, then? Well, in that case, why doesn't he answer this one?❞

Susumu turning the riddles on the male gave Tsuyari the chance that she needed to have her own fun, especially as the human girl stepped forward daringly. The smile she had been holding back finally spread across Tsuyari's pale lips. Susumu-sama to the rescue~ Tsuyari chimed mentally, thrilled that her fellow Youkai was on the same page without either of them speaking a word to each other. Perhaps as Kitsune they had a bit more in common than she thought?

"Why is that?"

At the brown haired human's question, Tsuyari giggled a bit, stepping forward as well, closing the gap between them rather quickly, almost as if her feet had never even touched the ground at all. They, of course, did not, but unless Nao chose to look down, it wasn't exceedingly obvious, "Perhaps you two are interesting? Is it wrong to strike up conversations with tourists?" Seeing as the two girls were of similar height when Tsuyari was in her adult form, Tsuyari met her gaze easily and cupped the human's cheeks within her pale hands. She had no intention of actually committing to a full blown kiss, as it could drain the poor human if Tsuyari wasn't careful. She knew that the human was unaware of that fact and her reactions would be priceless, which was enough motivation for Tsuyari.

Slowly Tsuyari leaned in towards the brunette, her lips growing dangerously close to Nao's. The blue haired girl took in the brown eyes, could sense the nervousness she felt, it was almost like Tsuyari was hunting a deer in the woods. The human's brown hair and eyes reminded her of the skittish animal, and the girl was certainly adorable like a young fawn, "Let's get to know each other better, hm?" Tsuyari practically cooed as her lips barely brushed Nao's between her words. With a soft chuckle escaping her lips, Tsuyari let her slender fingers caress the human's cheek, gazing into her innocent brown eyes. Always a fan of taking things slow, Tsuyari's right hand trailed down Nao's cheek to her neck, admiring the girl's soft skin for a moment. Her blue eyes became half lidded as her fingertips trickled down Nao's arm, then snaked around the girl's waist to keep her from escaping...

Now that she had set the mood, she decided she wanted to go in for the kiss after all, as it would definitely bring out the strongest reaction from the girl she had in her clutches. Tsuyari licked her soft pale lips, then her lips claimed Nao's without warning. The fox had to remain calm, she did not wish to harm the human, only to stir her up a little. Her brave behavior was fun, and she looked forward to how the young girl would react to being kissed by another girl. That was still less common in human society, was it not? Tsuyari withdrew before she could lose control, giving Nao's bottom lip a soft lick with the tip of her tongue. Releasing her from her grip, Tsuyari licked her own lips, as if to only savor the taste of Nao's, "I'm Tsuyari, what might your name be? I'm pleased to make your acquaintance~" The blue haired girl stated softly, gauging the reaction of both Nao and Kyosuke.

Once again, Kyo found himself stopped in his tracks, this time by the azure-haired beauty as she cut into their path. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say they were being shepherded. Maybe that wasn’t the right word - More akin to vultures or sharks circling prey. Still, he much preferred this one to that odd man from before; at least she was good to look at. With her half-bobbed stance, it certainly put some features on display more than others, and he couldn’t help but have his eyes drift a little downward from her face. She had some confidence wearing an outfit like that.

"How about you show how it's done then? Lead by example, no?" The woman’s ear twitched as she cocked her head, looking to him with a mildly sceptical expression. Huh, neat. That costume was really fancy. Still, Kyo wasn’t about to take a challenge like that lying down. Narrowing his eyes to glare back at her, he wracked his brain for either a badass unsolvable riddle, or a witty retort. I’m not about to give you jokers free material? No, no, that wasn’t edgy enough…As Kyo was thinking, Susumu slipped in behind them again, clapping both of them on the shoulder to box them in before launching into another riddle. Kyo briefly showed restraint, but when the man started playing with his hair, he snapped. Swinging round, his arm went out wide and forced Susumu to step back and give some space if he didn’t want to be clubbed. “What’s your problem?!” Kyo demanded, clenching his fists and prepping for a throwdown.

"It's not we who are trying to hold an audience here - but rather you who are trying to distract us from leaving - right? Why is that?" Nao stepped in, possibly seeing that Kyo was about to do something reckless and attempting to diffuse the situation. Kyo simply glared at the two costumed weirdoes, before folding his arms to stop himself lashing out again. These two hadn’t specifically threatened them yet, but it was certainly trying his patience, and unnerving him with their shifty actions.

“Aren't you the smart one? Let me guess—you wear the pants in this relationship, then? Well, in that case, why doesn't he answer this one? Be a good boy and answer me, please~” The two foxes were dividing them, if only slightly as Susumu and Tsuyari began moving between Kyo and Nao. Kyosuke kept his arms folded as he looked at Susumu with a death stare. It took all of his restraint not to bite on the insult that Nao was in charge, or that ‘boy’ line. Bah, he shouldn’t let it piss him off, but everything about this guy was infuriating. Particularly since this riddle seemed remarkably harder than the previous one. Kyosuke wasn’t that dumb, but he certainly wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. He was blunt, but still got the job done. Most of the time at least.

“I haven’t got time for any more of your bullshit you freak. My friend and I are leaving, and unless you want to end up face first in the dirt, you’ll stop bugging us and scram.” Shoving Susumu out of the way, he looked to grab Nao and get out of there. What he saw stopped him dead in his tracks. The blue-haired woman was cupping Nao’s cheeks softly, the gentle embrace drawing the two in closer together. There were centimetres between them, so small was the gap that they’d be able to feel the warmth of the other. An arm found its way to the small of Nao’s back, tugging her in that tiny bit closer. The intensity in the air seemed to crackle briefly, time hanging on a knife’s edge, before the girl plunged forward, locking lips with Nao in a passionate kiss. Kyo watched in silent amazement, unblinking as that moment seemed to last for an age. Slowly, the azure-temptress withdrew, though not without tasting Nao’s delicate lips one last time.

"I'm Tsuyari, what might your name be? I'm pleased to make your acquaintance~" The woman finally identified herself, though that was the least of Kyo’s concerns right now. He wasn’t sure why, but for some reason, he was fuming. He’d seen more than enough. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed hold of Nao’s hand, pulling her away from Tsuyari and taking a few steps back to be clear of the two strangers. “Whatever you two creeps are after, step off! Get back under whatever rock you crawled out of!” Somewhat roughly pulling Nao by the arm, he dragged her off, briefly glancing behind him to see if they were being followed.

“What the hell was that back there?! Is that your idea of ‘handling’ it?!” He demanded once he believed they were out of earshot, releasing her from his grip as he looked at her incredulously. “Why in the world would you let her do that to you?!” Kyo asked with genuine disbelief, though he wasn’t sure why that would be important to him in any respect. As they sat in silence briefly, he caught his breath a bit and started regaining some composure. “I mean… Ugh, look. I don’t care what your feelings are, but you just met that girl! Not to mention the creep vibes those guys were giving us… I don’t know about you, but my guts tell me that this place isn’t safe…” Kyosuke glanced around again, having not really paid any attention where he’d taken Nao, other than getting some seclusion. Seemed they were still in the abandoned village, though off the main street at least.

Restless still, though unable to pick why, he shoved his hands into his pockets, looking down the street. “Whatever, I don’t even care. None of my business. Let’s just find those dweebs before they get abducted and get out of here. I’ve seen more than enough today.” Striding off, as he needed to burn off this energy and clear his head he glanced back to Nao. “Don’t worry Prez, your secret’s safe with me. Not that anyone would believe me.”



Rika was dead. There was no way she was getting out of this one. Stepping back towards the door, she gave a soft ‘Oof’ as she felt her path obstructed, very briefly turning to look behind her to see the vines covering the doorway. Eep. Turning back to face Sanja, Rika felt her ears droop, and instinctually raised her arms above herself to brace for impact. But the feeling never came. Instead she heard… Laughter? “Mew..?” Rika opened her eyes again, hoping this wasn’t just one big sadistic trick from Sanja. As she noticed him now doubled over in humour, she slowly found herself laughing as well, hoping that this was perhaps a good omen as her tails swished about.

"You crazy cat, in your complete disregard for my home, my rules and wishes, and me personally. You have brought me some joy that I haven't felt in a long time." Sanja finally managed through his jovial mood, placing a hand atop Rika’s head and ruffling it about. She pouted slightly, as she liked to have her hair neat and pretty, but this was a small price to pay comparative to what could have happened, and she instead purred a little on instinct as he scratched her ears soothingly. “Oooo… Rika do good…?” She asked, not quite understanding how lucky she’d been, nor the fact that the items were simply replicas. She wasn’t sure Sanja heard her as he sat up, clearing the vines and instead having them clear the way, and the mess she’d just made.

"Rika, I shall forgive you for your crimes today. Though, mark my words, Shohei and Hakuryuu shall not be able to save you next time you think to rob me and break my belongings." Sanja calmly and clearly conveyed his warning, Rika eyes lighting up a little as she processed that meant she was in the clear. A quick arm went to her head in a salute. “Yes sir! I promise that next time I won’t even think about it, and you won’t even notice they’re gone! Thank you Sanya!” Perhaps a little too honest for her own good, Rika was a bit of a goofball that way as she completely misunderstood how she’d managed to avoid punishment, assuming that Sanja wanted her to simply perform her ‘job’ better next time.

As Sanja made his way back to his spot atop- Oooo, the comfy cushion! Rika so wanted to nap on the comfy cushion, it even smelled good… Shaking off her desire and slapping her cheeks a couple of times, Rika reminded herself she needed to be on best behaviour. But… Now she wasn’t sure what to do… Since Sanja was in a good mood, maybe she’d get to stay in the shrine..? Tentatively, she took a seat, wondering if the birdie would say anything to her as she spent some time fixing her hair and better appraising the damage that her kimono had undergone in her panic.

"I am very sorry for what happened here today. I did not understand what I was doing wrong at the time, but it is now clear to me. I promise that nothing like this will ever happen again. I understand if you have lost your trust for me." Rika smiled as Ki launched into her apologies to the group, flashing a big cat grin their way. As far as Rika was concerned, her friend had done nothing wrong, nor should they get in trouble for helping out the feline. After all, that was good manners! Sanja had a big soft spot for Ki, so she doubted he minded much at all. If he had, Rika would certainly not have forgiven him at all, and would have done her best to protect them. Well, if she managed to protect herself first…

“…Rest now dear children,
For soon we'll away,
Into the calm and the quiet…”

Rika’s fur instantly rippled through her body as she felt a shudder cross her whole body, pivoting around rapidly to find the source of the noise echoing amongst the temple. “Y-you know, maybe I will le-eek~!” Rika immediately changed expression as she saw Amaya actually make her way into the Shrine, meeting her eyes and reading her lips as she passed a non-audible message to the feline. "Feels like you suffered bad luck in my absence… How interesting." Rika nodded as she scampered over to Amaya’s side, wanting in no way to upset the woman that controlled the weather. She still hadn’t fixed up the hole in her tent, and did not want to end up half-drowned during the night.

“Amaya~! Such a surprise! Yes, yes, what are you doing here? Hmm?” Rika queried, having no intention to make it known that she’d planned to leave before Amaya got here. "Oh right! There was a group of 3 humans coming this way. I presumed they were on their way to the shrine to present their prayers... So I made sure to sing them on the right trail... But it's rather late for a shrine visit - don't you think..?" Rika blinked a bit at hearing Amaya’s comment. Humans? At this time? Ooo, she so liked humans! They were so interesting and cool and… “Nuuu~! Humans can’t come here, I’m a mess!” Rika still wasn’t fully sure when humans could or could not see the Youkai, but the idea that they’d see a perfect feline like her in such a poor state… Well, that would be the absolute worst luck! Scampering back over to the nearby mirror, Rika took the time to start preening herself, hoping she could at least look presentable before the human’s arrived, barely noticing the soft voice of Yukiko drifting into the temple.

"Izumi-Senpai? Andoh-san? Not funny." The voice came from the doorway, a young girl peering inside. Oh! She was cute! Ooo, and was that a bag? Rika would have to see what was in the bag. Slipping through the shrine over to Sanja, she began lightly nudging him, whispering in his ear. “Can I stay and watch the human? Please please please? If she makes an offering can I have it? Sanya, Sanya, Sanya! Puh-leaasseee?~” Rika began to tug and jostle on his arm like a child demanding attention, which is practically what she was. Of course, she had no idea that the ‘human’ could easily see and hear her.

Maya was not pleased with Sanjas reaction. "I suppose I should thank you for leading them the right way, now be on your way." Did he not want to thank her? Was she not welcomed to his shrine? Sure, she did not like shrines very much but at least she should not be chased away like pest. Amaya was bad luck (not always tho), but after that rain earlier.. Was a imsy whimsy compliment too much to ask for? Apparently. Maybe his "superior position" had gotten to his head, like with Ryuu. Uhg those people thinking they are better than others. A needle in the ass - that's what they need. She scoffed in a "humph", now tapping the cold tip of her nose in a mysterious way - while thinking about maybe creating some hail just by the mountain tomorrow. But Amaya was not the one to share her devious plans. Instead she just smiled and bowed in a ironic way - narrow eyes glowing with mischief and the wrinkles surrounding them looked evil as usual. Her face softened a bit, noticing how Rika had made her way to Mayas side. Also remembering the cat's words "Amaya~! Such a surprise!".. Surprises was a good thing, right? So at least the thief knew how to behave around this purple haired ameonna. Sure, it was mainly because of her fear for rain (getting wet) - but even so Amaya was pleased and gave the pink haired feline a few strokes between the ears.

She straightened her posture again and glanced around the group. Smiling when meeting Ki's crimson red eyes. Maya liked them. Ki treated everyone with respect and was a really good listener. Too bad they where occupied / imprisoned by Sanja most of the time. "Oh Ki, how i miss them. They should join me for a talk sometime soon" She flickered her thick eyelashes and tilted her head to the left, making her fringe fall to the side, now looking at Haku. "And my favorite dragon has neglected his nighly swims lately. Are we too lazy?" what she really was saying, was how she missed their company. But ofc, Maya was not the one to express that. Now when thinking about it, it had been kind of dull last couple of days.. Amaya had been bored.. And lonely. No one around to torture, tease or have fun with. She sighted at the realization she even missed Ryuu's stuck up face. Maybe she wished for some drama.. and some company! But for the time being, she was unwanted.

"Well well, looks like im on my way. We don't want to upset dear Sanja any further.. I'll save the teasing for Ryuu" she winked in a teasing way and held up the lower skirt of her black dress just to clear her knees when turning around. Waving happily towards the group. She was an actress indeed, inside her heart was aching and she truly felt unwanted. As always she was thinking about the worst and turned negative and gloomy. Was bad luck and rain truly that terrible? Walking away, she heard an unfamiliar voice. Finally making her mind think of something other than pain and death. "Izumi-Senpai? Andoh-san? Not funny." Passing the corner of the shrine on her way out, Maya caught a glimpse of the ginger girl from the forest earlier. The source of the unfamiliar voice was one of the 3 humans. But where were the other two??? They most have been separated? Weird.. It had only been a few hundred yards to the shrine when she left them. Maybe they'd stumbled across something.. or someone.

"I sense there's something in the wind.. That feels like tragedy's at hand..." she sang quiet as she walked...

Maybe it was because of her boredom lately, but Maya suddenly felt a strong curiosity. She had to find out what happened to the other 2... No rush tho, simply just walking with determined steps through the woods and towards where she'd seem them last time. It had grown late now and the forest was really no place for humans to be at night - which made her only more curious. Suddenly she heard the weeping. Someone crying with an enchanting and sad magnetizing power.

"Natsumi..." she mumbled and changed direction - now heading for the crying mu-onna. Because where she was, the other 2 humans where going to be. No doubt. Amaya sighted when she reached the gathering, and saw the scene clearly. Natsumi was sitting on the ground weeping and the two children standing there... The girl holding out her hand... "Don't touch her! And get away from her!" Mayas voice was not charming or compelling in any way, not like Natsumis crying echo that still lingered, tho her words were the ones of honesty and was sharp against the now cold and calm late evening air. "She is not hurt nor more depressed than usual.." Situation was quite ironic. Was Amaya helping the humans? Trying to save them from getting absorbed? She kept telling herself that Sanja would get mad if these humans "disappeared".. But then, Sanja had not been very welcoming towards her earlier... So why should she care for his precious shrine visitors... Naaah...

She sighted and meet the eyes of Natsumi. "It's a pity my power over tears only work on their kind... well well.. " she nodded towards the girl and the boy. When suddenly another thought hit her. It was the fact that the humans should not be able to see her right now.. Amaya was standing on the "right side" of the boundary. The little wall of bushes and trees at the edge of the village should go through here.. The line dividing the youkai world from the humans, keeping them hidden and safe from the eyes of the outside world. The boundry both protecting the humans as well as the youkai. This was strange, but she decided not to fixate on it. Now the question was whether she should save them, let them get absorbed or harm them herself.

"You two.. Tell me, have you ever prayed for rain?" She decided to settle her scattered mind with a question. Her actions would differ depending on what answer they gave her. Walking up to their side she brought a lock of purple hair behind her ear as she let her red eyes investigate the two strangers. What a pair of lovely faces, soft skin and emotional human eyes.. Their expressions looked so tempting. If she could just dig her nails into those juicy cheeks and watch the pain in their faces.. Naaah. Maya was going to play fair and wait for their answers. "So. Who wished for rain once? Don't be shy" She continued, now her face was softer and her pale skin was lit up by the moonlight while her plum purple hair almost melted in to the pitch black night.

speech: #ebd212 || thoughts: #d6c969
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Ugh. Just his luck. While he was trying to have a nice conversation with Miyako and his much loved Servant, Takumi had just happened to wander into the bar and spot him. When Takumi tries to get too cozy with him, he attempts to slide away, but Takumi catches him just in time. He grunts softly, not bothering to look over at Takumi. ❝ Had you bothered to look around you, you would have been able to discern that 'what our prince is having' is right in front of you. Would you kindly care to release us, you damned snake? ❞

The prince had come to have fun, but that seems like too much of a pipe dream now that Takumi is here. He may as well just find any happiness he can glean from this unfortunate occurrence as well as possible. He keeps still for a few moments while Takumi practically rubs himself all over the prince before he gets tired of it, and he places a hand to the snake God's chest and gives him a shove — much too rough to be considered familiar.

❝ Should you continue to handle us as though We were yours, he may kill you. ❞ A pause. ❝ Oh, on second though, you should continue — We shall attend your funeral, if only to spit on your grave. ❞

Truthfully, there's one way that the prince could rid himself of Takumi — should he pretend to reciprocate the snake's revolting feelings, surely, he would be disinterested. The thought causes Ryuunosuke to shake. He would rather die.

❝ Perhaps, though, that may take too long — if you would let us, We would like to kill you ourself. Ugh, would — you — let — go?! ❞

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speech: #c70000 || thoughts: #7a7676
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Susumu can't hide his disappointment when the teens run away, ears flattening and tail lowering. He feels inclined to follow them, to dance after the boy with pretty eyes and the girl with marvelous teeth. He takes a step, almost in a trance-like daze, to follow after them — wild, predatory instincts are taking over him, and he feels himself growl — before Tsuyari's sweet, girlish voice brings him back to reality. He shakes his head rapidly, like a dog shaking off water, and looks down at her, eyes wide and less predatory than they were mere moments ago.

❝ A stamp! Think of sending a letter, Tsuyari. You might send a letter all around the world — you could send one to America or Europe, or anywhere! — but the stamp always stays in the corner of the letter. Isn't that clever? ❞

Though the humans, for one reason or another, did not appreciate the riddle in the slightest, Susumu is confident that Tsuyari will like it. He watches after the humans that ran and spot a... curiously familiar old woman chatting them up, and he narrows his eyes. Ah, what an unlucky folly these humans are. Instead of taking my bait, they took Tanuki-chan's. They'd be much happier with the likes of me — little miss's teeth would be put to good use, and I would treat the boy right. I wouldn't mind taking care of a blind plaything...

Susumu looks back towards Tsuyari and gives a gentle smile. ❝ Do you see obaa-san over there? Does she look familiar to you? She's the vile Tanuki-chan who hates us — isn't she cruel for stealing our prey... ah, pardon me, our friends away? ❞ He laughs afterwards, but it stops abruptly.

Susumu's prey... was taken... by another Youkai...? That doesn't sound quite right. Doesn't that mean... they can be seen? It seems that it's taken watching someone else to realize the flaw. ❝ ... Tsuyari. ❞

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speech: #d10000 || thoughts: #f55858
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As they were attracting quite the crowd, Sanae steps backwards, closer to Satogi, and holds out her hand towards him, indicating she wants him to hold it. To say she was scared would be an understatement — two innocent teenagers, out in the woods at night, approaching a strange, crying woman and being approached by a totally different strange woman? This is like... scary movie stuff! Oh, God... me n' Satogi could die here! This could be it!

She feels a whine squeeze its way out of her throat, but she swallows her fear down bravely. The nice, crying lady wants to leave the other lady, it seems — so there's no way that she was here to set them up. Sanae looks from one woman to the other, clearly fearful and confused. ❝ Uh — have I ever prayed for the rain? Well... sometimes, I don't wanna go to school, so I pray for snow, but I dunno if I ever prayed for the rain? I do a lotta prayin', though! I'm a shrine maiden, y'see, so I pray a lot, an' I take care of the shrines, too! We were on our way up to one a second ago, actually, but this nice lady here's been cryin' up a storm since she got hurt... ❞ She pauses to remember what Amaya had said about the lady. ❝ Ya want us to get away from her? But... she don't really seem that bad? I think... if you will excuse us... we should get goin' to find our friends. We'll just take the lady along with us... ❞

She takes another step back, hitting Satogi's chest with her back, and nudges him with her elbow to indicate for him to step back, as well.

❝ I dunno yer name, lady, but... d'ya wanna come with us? I'll make sure ya aren't sad anymore! ❞ She gestures hurriedly to Natsumi.