/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>45301329
It's okay! If we work together, we can make the solstice dream come true!

(1/4)
“How did she find us?!” The Kappa yelled.
“It doesn’t matter! Just move!” The man answered.
It’s hard to find a private meeting place in Genskyo. The village was full of gossips and silent observers, go just about anywhere else and they were bound to be a Youkai or spirit listening in, maybe if you got permission from someone powerful who held reign over their domain you could work out an arrangement, but those were always strenuous. So, your best bet at remaining undetected was just appearing as part of the normal background noise as possible.
‘Managed attribution’ is what an outside humans called it. You copy the mannerisms and behaviors that were the norm wherever you wanted to stay hidden. On Youkai Mountain you danced like an awkward tengu, in old hell you got cocky and tried to out drink Oni, with the animal spirit gangs you spouted off your favorite things about whoever’s boss you were pretending to be under, and if, like these folks, you wanted to exchange information on Youkai trail and not be noticed, you pretended it was a lover’s rendezvous.
It was a good ploy, but it had one huge flaw, it wouldn’t work if someone was playing chaperone on every perspective couple. Eventually you’d get found out unless you really committed to the bit.
We’d be in real trouble if they had looked all ashamed and clingy like the real lovers we’d ambushed. I was disappointed.
“Scatter scatter! Break line of sight!” A fox Youkai voice yelled.
She was about 2 minutes late to saying that, for all the good it would do them. Did they do any preparation? Thankfully, we did.
Like a river I could see the paths they took, how they we’re bending around the tree lines and trying to disappear into the brush. With a few waves of my finger, they’re relative position appeared, each like a flare in the night and all the sudden the occlusion of the tree line meant nothing.
Flip, flip, flip. The Kappa found herself upside down in a tree, the man rolled sideways into a ditch, the fox made a valiant effort to compensate for the disorientation but found herself on her back before long. Seems flipping along directions perpendicular to gravity was a success.
Before long, our quarry was tied up on their backs in all manner of restraints, seven of them in total. Three of them got away, but they were probably just mules, we’d pick up the packs they dropped later.
“Well, well, well, what are you naughty children doing here at this time of night?” Seija asked enthusiastically.
“Leave us alone you creatin! We’re just minding our own business!” The Kappa yelled.
Ughh, strike three. Shut up while your captors in a good mood and let them feed you all the info they please. Making a fuss only works in a social setting after all.
“Ehh?” Seija began, squatting next to the Kappa. “You mean to tell me you were trying to make off with a sweetheart in the dead of night like the other horny girls who come around here? Oh, my mistake! I’d never get between such a beautiful, subversive covenant!” Seija apologized.
“Unless of course, you aren’t here to make passionate love to your secret lover and are just piggy backing on other desperate hearts to do some black-market dealings. That’s the sort of besmirching I won’t allow!” She valiantly declared.
I was never sure how serious she was about that. Although she had said ‘they’ll just elope out of excitement’ when we’d ambushed actual couples and let them off.
“Goro! Goro, I know you’re around! Come out! I’m not dealing with your lovesick lapdog!” The Kappa yelled.
From behind them I walked around to Seija and shrugged. “You called?”
“I can’t believe it. You of all people working with that Yakumo devil. Did Seija steal your skin and give it to some youkai to wear?” She sneered.
Seija snicked at this, and I felt none to happy about the Kappa giving her ideas nor was I pleased that she was losing her cool like this after getting caught.
I sighed and waved my hand over to Seija who grabbed the Kappa by the collar and tore off her clothing, revealing her back. On the small of it, a tiny ornate door was embedded. The door was closed.
“See, I’m annoyed. I thought the last time we dealt over dill seasoning I’d imparted on your how important it was NOT to deal through intermediaries when you couldn’t verify their accountability.” I told her, rubbing my face.
“Did you even meet with Okina when getting that thing?”

>>45042952
My thought is that she's a little more powerful since being feared by all of Gensokyou as a fugitive, still probably one of the weakest 5th stage bosses though.
That aside, like I talked about the concept of 'wealth buoyancy' I do plan on keeping her ability somewhat grounded since IT IS more interesting that way. For the mess, my idea is that a stain is easily removed when it first occurs, but she couldn't have flipped it if it had time to set. There's a few other details I wrote with that in mind, even relating to other Youkai since I believe most of them, especially Yukari, are lying about their abilities if not by omission. Seija is the only honest one after all!