/jp/ - Otaku Culture

(1/3) Continuing the Yamashiro sub-plot
The morning mists still hadn’t settled when I arrived at our meeting place. As expected, he was already here, in fact, I wouldn’t have been surprised if he spent the whole night scoping this place out beforehand.
Goro stood facing away from the tree line, wearing a dark green and brown travel robe tied with a bright orange cord. The current object of his interest was the smoldering rock cracked in half with the ropes that used to contain it frayed and burned on either side. At his feet, a tired looking pup with flappy skin sat.
“RUOOOOOOOOOOH!” The small hound threw back its head, letting out a roaring bay and in response, the man turned around.
“I’d say that was about 2 points Futatsuiwa-kun.” He smiled.
“Ah, young people today are so stingy.” I replied, rubbing my head as I departed the tree line.
The pup immediately made for me and let out another bay “Ruooooooh!” a little smaller then the first. After which he pawed in the air in front of me, soliciting something. I obliged, kneeling over to rub him behind the ears, affection which he readily accepted and leaned into.
“You don’t have a very good guard dog.” I remarked.
“The gods sent me a tracker, not a killer.” He answered, clicking his tongue to command the pup back to his side.
“So, how’re things at the temple?” He asked.
“Unfortunate.” I smile and shrug. “You’re probably well aware of the new generation, but our Idol’s servant is getting replaced with a rat.”
It really was so unpleasant. The Myouren Temple had prospered much in the past decade, and it felt like real progress had been made. I had been skeptical, being the old soul I am, but the equilibrium had slowly started to shift and even some Youkai had made earnest efforts to change. It would all be for naught though if Bishamonten’s new appointee or the New Generation Crisis upends the whole Temple, if not all Gensokyo.
He nods in agreement to this “You all had quite the thing going since I was but a lad, can’t imagine Things’ll be the same for you with this new hire.”
“That’s why I’m here” I reach for my pipe, lit it with a snap of my fingers, and take a short drag, exhaling, I try to see how much of the morning mist I can displace with my own. The man waits patiently for me to finish.
“Goro-kun, I need you to help the Myouren Temple rescue anon from the HSE.”
At this, Goro crosses his arms but says nothing.
“I know your have an in, you were talking with Yamashiro at the temple, you made a ‘deal’ with her, didn’t you?” I say, crossing one arm against my waist and lightly bouncing my pipe all the while.
“How’d you figure that out? She told me Yamawaro disguises were perfect, unlike the Kappa’s faulty designs.” He asks, miming his hand like a puppet as he does so.
“She brought Kuma along, didn’t she? I keep track of all my lovelies dear.”
Goro chuckles. “And she told me bringing her Tanuki subordinate along to our rendezvous was ‘needless’, glad to see you got the message.”
So, it WAS a lure. I smirk, it’s good to work with someone with some tact for once.
“Before we address that little request, I’ve got ask, why here at the Hakurei Shrine?” He gestures to the rock.
“Why, a little courtesy gift before we begin negotiations! I hear your parent’s generation had quite the trouble with the one sealed inside that rock and figured none of you would come check on the shrine in the meantime.” I answer.
He studies the rock for another moment and rubs his face in contemplation.
Goro was probably tallying the current factions in the conflict, yes, I could see the young mind piecing things together like a game board with known pieces and behaviors, but half the positions were hidden. A normal or small-minded person might think ‘what a hassle’, but business is always like this, no assurances or guarantees just a thrilling game of grasping in the dark.
“Who asked you to do this? Byakuren?”
Ah. He knows I wouldn’t step in if someone hadn’t asked me. Although he had to assume someone would if he went fishing for me like that…
“No.” I reply.
“Shou? Ichirin? Minamistu? Kyouko?”
I shake my head four times.
“Unzan, please tell me it was Unzan.”
“Of course not.”
He sighs, rubbing his face. “On three then, one, two, three.” He begins.
“Who else but a Nue?” We say in unison.
The pup gives a suspicious glance at both of us, frozen in dramatic poses.