/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>38522532
She looked at the umbrella, expecting a response, but was met with silence. The umbrella wished to reply, for there were many things that she did not know but she did not know how to speak. By now she had pieced together that she herself, and probably this girl too, were ‘yokai’ but she did not know exactly what that was. Not knowing what else to do, she moved her tongue from the side of her mouth it was hanging out of to the other side and bounced up and down once in order to at least acknowledge that she understood what was said to hear. Sekibanki, tilting her head to the side, looked at her with an annoyed face.
‘Can’t speak huh? figures.’ She let out an audible sigh. ‘Just so you know I’m only helping you because I can’t have random yokai waltzing into town and causing trouble. It’s a delicate balance you know.’ She said this as if it were the most basic of facts being explained to a child.
She then fell silent, thinking to herself. While she did this her head began levitating slightly above her shoulders. It spun around in a full circle before she spoke again.
‘Alright. I guess I have no choice. Don’t go anywhere.’
She placed special emphasis on the last part, but the umbrella, thoroughly lost and tired from the day’s events, did not even consider leaving. Sekibanki exited the house, leaving her to stand there in the center of the room balanced on her one foot. After a little while had passed, she closed her eye and fell asleep.
She found herself in a deep dark forest. In front of her was a young human man, seemingly unaware of her. The trees warped and blurred as she advanced on him, seemingly weightless, as a rushing sound filled her mind. He turned in slow motion and put his hands up as he reeled backwards and fell. She towered over him and saw his fear-stricken face. She bent down, getting closer to him, but the sound of something metal clattering stopped her. She looked around. Nothing but the dark silhouettes of trees, shifting and changing form as she looked at them. She looked back down at the human, but it wasn’t him anymore. A young, short haired girl looked up at her, with a blank expression. She opened her mouth but instead of words the sound of splashing water came forth.
‘Ah Kagerou, what are you doing? Don’t touch me there!’
‘Come on Waggy, stop squiring around.’
‘I told you not to call me that!’
‘Cut it out you two, you’re getting water everywhere.’
‘Banki look, look. I think it’s waking up.’
She slowly opened her eye and the first thing she saw was a beautiful woman’s face looking at her quizzically. To her surprise two little fish fins protruded on each side of her head from her dark blue locks of hair and moved up and down slowly. She saw that this was not an ordinary woman, for she sat inside of a large metal washing basin, a shining scaly fish tail spilling out over the side. Standing next to the fish woman, with a hand on her head, was another woman with large dog ears. One ear stood straight up while the other was bent to one side. The dog woman smiled, revealing large and sharp canine teeth in the corners of her mouth, and the scarlet brooch she wore in the middle of her chest twinkled in the candlelight. Floating above the fish woman was Sekibanki absent her body, looking as if she would rather be anywhere else. The wolf girl was the first to speak.
“Heeellooo strange umbrella yokai.’ As she spoke she lifted both hands to her chest and spread them apart as she enunciated each word slowly, as if somehow that would make her better understood. ‘Allow me to introduce us. This is Waggy.’
‘My name is Wagasakihime.’ The fish lady interrupted matter-of-factly, holding up one slender finger.
‘This is Waggy.’ The dog girl continued, unphased. The fish crossed her arms and puffed up her cheeks pouting. ‘You’ve already met Banki. And I am Kagerou Imaizumi.’ She paused for dramatic effect.
‘We’re the Grassroots Yokai Network!’
She said this with clear pride and self-satisfaction, puffing out her chest and holding her head aloft with her eyes closed, trying her best to appear dignified, as if she expected a round of applause. Only Banki’s sigh was heard. Even if the umbrella could speak, she wouldn’t have known what to say.

Fish goes adventuring!