/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>45933636
"So this is a vent." I pointed to the opening to the metal tunnel with the coin I'd just used to take off it's covering.

"We're going to crawl into it and use it to follow Seija and Goro undetected!"

Flandre raised her eyebrows. "Couldn't we just follow them normally, like this?" She said, jumping side to side at such a speed that I could barely see her.

"I think they'll be expecting that. But nobody looks up at the vents, Ran told me not to play in them after all, so nobody we'll be the wiser." I say, beckoning her inside the tunnel.

"Are you sure it's not just because you're a cat?" Flandre asked, tilting her head.

"We'll lose them like this! Come on!" I yelled, ignoring her and batting at the entrance.

Eventually she followed me, snuggled side-by-side, we carefully crawled through the ventilation, peering through each vent to track our progress through the dark, metal, tunnel. Looking through one, we saw a locker room where two naked white wolves sat, the Captain Goro-san had threatened and one of her subordinates.

"The nerve of those two! Throwing out threats and ordering us around-" The subordinate growled, before receiving a quick slap to the neck.

"We were the ones who stepped out of line. We've been charged with serving the Yakumo and they answer to the Yukari-sama directly, they're above us." The captain stated plainly.

The subordinates ears drooped and she mewed quietly "But they're clearly up to something with that strange aura and Humans and Amanojaku are apt to misbehave..."

The captain simply glared at her, unmoving. "I understand Captain." She relented. "Even if our betters act unreasonable, if we besmirch our honor, the fault is ours."

The captain nodded approvingly. "You're mostly correct, but your outlook is still immature. A good master is not nessecarily a fair or kind one."

"Oh?" The subordinate asked, tail wagging in anticipation of some interesting fact.

"It may take you, a wolf with less then a hundred years, a little more time to understand, but a 'reasonable' master spoils their subordinates and, in just a few decades, they become weak and meager. A true lord, will sharpen their charge's skill against a whetstone of adversity, acting within their station and with a firm hand and giving praise where it's due, but still, never flattering their underling's accomplishments. It is the highest honor of any white wolf to receive even a nod of praise from such a lord." The captain said, ears slightly flicking as she did so.

"Even so Senapi! That man seemed so ready to attack you, I could hardly call that a firm hand!" The subordinate protested.

The captain waved her finger and flicked her tail, "And who did that man have at his side? An Amanaojaku."

The subordinate tilted her head, confused, until she realized something and her face and pale skin went red, complimenting her snow white fur. "Ah! So their actions had the opposite feelings and...oh, oh dear." She murmured, fidgeting side-to-side.

"I have a feeling we shouldn't be listening to this." I whisphered to Flandre, who's eyes closely followed the swaying white wolves tails.

"Do you think Sis will let me keep one?" She asked.

"Maybe if you ask nicely? Come on, we gotta catch up to those two!"

For some time we squirmed in the vent, going as fast as we could without making too much noise, until finally we arrived at another slit and I saw the familiar black and red-flower embroidered robes as well as the girlish skirt with a reverse-bow, facing off with the scary Oni-looking swords man. Oh no, they've run into Konngara.

The two parties were silent as they faced each other in the hall, both sizing up the other, before, thankfully, Goro stepped to one side. But Konngara didn't walk past them, instead, she turned to Seija.

"So, I see Yukari brands just about any feeble Youkai who'll serve here with those symbols, How dissapointing. And I even paused my sword craft in the hopes whatever commotion would provide some entertainment." The woman said, clicking her tongue.

"Forgive me if we don't meet your expectations, Konngara-San. please, you needn't waste any time on us, the way is open." Goro said, gesturing down the hall. Seija said nothing.

"I don't recall addressing your tool whelp, and yet, it addresses me anyway? How strange." Konngara stated.

For a moment, Goro's eyes widened in surprise, until a relaxed smile grew on his face. "How pleasantly old-fashioned of you! I wondered why such a, allegedly, powerful and ancient Youkai wasn't more well-known, but I suppose it's no wonder. You're so spiteful and narrow-minded."

Konngara's expression didn't change.

"Are you mad because you can't stand being under the same roof at us? Or is it because Yukari-Sama can't rely on unsociable brutes like yourself?" Goro asked, taking a step forward.