Momiji had to admit, this place had class.
Even if the outside was as generic as it got, the inside had been tended to meticulously. Patchouli had gone all out with this. More than likely she didn?t put any work in with her hands making this manor - it was all spellcraft and summoning and all that. Regardless, she?d done a great job of it - every wall was painted, every floor carpeted, and every room furnished. For a house that had seen no residents, it had seen a lot of attention and love.
The furniture had been especially prepared, as well. There were no floating chairs or flapping rugs. Whether by weight or by magic, everything in the building acted as if gravity was still as strong a force as on the surface. She?d have forgotten she was underwater if it weren?t for the ambience that flooded her ears.
?Looks like they didn?t take anything,? she noted, talking to herself more than anything. The youkai Jozu was looking for had come to this manor, and they?d claimed it for themselves. But why? What was the motive? Some of these furnishings would fetch incredible prices at the kappa market, but they?d made no effort to take anything. So they weren?t after money.
Were they trying to make a statement? Did they want to win themselves some respect by taking down the Scarlet Devil Mansion? Rosalind had said the Rippling World was a group of highly dangerous water youkai - but then why were these rooms just about deserted? Something wasn?t quite adding up here.
To add to the confusion, Momiji?s eyes caught something peculiar in the distance.
?Huh??
She sped up, trying to keep her movements fluid and graceful. She managed to just break away from the leisurely pace her aquatic companions were keeping. Jozu seemed distracted, looking with interest at every little furnishing she came across. Momiji heard her asking Sango to explain exactly what a ?rug? was as she broke forward.
?Uh, guys?? Momiji said as she scratched her head. ?What?s with this??
Sango and Jozu turned in her direction, following her eyes. Sango seemed to get the idea very quickly, while Jozu just shrugged.
?That?s a...scroll, right? What?s wrong with that??
?Look at the rest of the building,? Momiji replied bluntly. ?Everything up until now has been very Western, the sort of style the Scarlet Devil Mansion uses all the time. But this...? She pulled the scroll off the wall, unfolding it. ?It?s definitely Japanese.?
She squinted. The wording of this scroll was old, verging on archaic. The crow tengu would have been able to read it in a heartbeat - they prided themselves on their calligraphy - but the white wolves had always been a little more pragmatic. Momiji picked up one or two of these outdated kanji, but the rest were beyond her.
?...Something about...waves? And, uh...is that worship? I think so.?
Jozu and Sango were peering over Momiji?s shoulders at the scroll. Neither of them seemed to have a better idea than Momiji did.
?Why does language have to be so hard, anyway?? Jozu asked, frowning. ?Why couldn?t we just draw pictures instead??
?Wouldn?t a bad artist be harder to understand than a bad speller?? Sango replied. Jozu didn?t have an answer to that, and eventually the trio swam further within. Momiji handed Sango the scroll so she could keep her hands free for her weapons.
It was there again in the next room - the same scroll, hung on both sides of the wall. And again in that room, and again over there - the further in Momiji went, the more prominent the scrolls became. These couldn?t have been part of the original design. The youkai from the Crystal Waters had been putting them up. But why?
Momiji was on the verge of asking herself out loud when her ears twitched.
?...So, I start with saying ?I never get a moment to rest...?? spoke a voice from deeper inside.
Momiji pulled Jozu and Sango to one side, pinning herself against the wall.
?Hey, Momi-? Jozu hadn?t even finished the word before Momiji had clamped a hand over the shark?s mouth. Jozu glared at her, but as Momiji put a finger to her lips she just about got the point.
A pair of double doors stood between her and the source of the voice. Creaking it open ever so slightly, she could hear the faint sound of someone kicking through the water.
?...And then I tell them the punchline. Of course I am never getting a break! I am always Russian around!?
The girl inside giggled to herself. Where Rosalind?s laugh had been low and gravelly, this laugh sounded like it had the potential to shatter glass if it went on for too long. She laughed for a good five, ten seconds before finally coming to rest.
?Oh, that is a classic. Rosa will want to hear that one a thousand times, I am sure!?
Momiji furrowed her brow. Rosa? Maybe this was the apprentice that Rosalind had been boasting about. Sounded like a good reason to be cautious.
Momiji stepped towards the door, pulling it open just far enough for her to peer inside. They had happened upon the manor?s dining room, a fully-laid table running its length. At the far end, a young-looking youkai was strolling around, walking to and fro while deep in thought. Her hair was a straw-like yellow, running to her waist unkempt. From this distance, Momiji could just make out a pair of fins behind her ears that twitched every time the girl so much as laughed. Her clothes were curious - beginning with what seemed like a foreign folk dress, but coming to a point at her lower regions as if it was a leotard.
Just who were these Rippling World characters? Momiji stared at the girl for a few moments longer than necessary, then thought better of it and pulled back.
?So?? Jozu asked. ?Can we take her??
Momiji grit her teeth. ?I don?t see why not, but if the youkai at the door figured this girl was a threat than she probably is. Rosalind was blunt, rough and rather tasteless, but I don?t think she was a liar.?
?Right. So do we go for something a little stealthier??
Momiji peeked back in. There was ample room under the table for someone to crawl. She considered it for a moment, but the sword and shield were probably going to kill any chance she had at subtlety. She didn?t really just Jozu to be discrete, either - it had just never struck her as part of her character.
?Sango,? Momiji said, turning to her side. ?You move in under the table. We?ll distract her.?
Sango nodded, moving over to the other side of the door. Momiji looked in, following the youkai?s movements, waiting for the moment when her attention was furthest away from them.
?I am hoping that the boss will let me perform my standup routine when we are done renovating,? the youkai continued, talking to herself. ?The youkai at the Crystal Waters would not know comedy if it grabbed them by the tail and stroked them by the gills! When the boss has built a following, I will hopefully find an audience with more taste...?
Momiji pointed inside. Sango took the cue, slipping in and crawling under the dining table. Momiji waited for a moment, letting the dolphin get some distance, before motioning for Jozu to stand beside the other door.
?On three. Got it??
?Got it,? Jozu answered, an eager grin on her face.
Momiji held up three fingers. Then two. Then one. Then, in unison, the pair of them kicked their doors aside and stomped into the dining room. The only way they could have been less subtle was to scream their arrival across the room.
?Hey, you!? Jozu yelled, doing exactly that. Momiji shrugged. Whatever worked.
The youkai turned to the commotion right away, her eyes falling right onto the pair. Her eyes glistened, and she waved from the other side of the room.
?Good day! Welcome to the Comedy Extravaganza of Inna Tymanov Petrosyan!? She abruptly put a hand to her chest, letting out a long, exaggerated pant. ?You will have to give me a moment. I have been working very hard here. I never get a moment to rest-?
?Because you?re always Russian around?? Momiji answered, trying not to groan.
Inna frowned. ?It is in bad sport to cut a joke short. Have you never witnessed a comedian before??
?I?m not a fan of comedy.?
She was buying time. Occasionally her eyes drifted to the table, checking Sango?s progress. She was about halfway across the room, but she?d still need a little more time before she could catch Inna by surprise.
?So, what?re you doing out here?? Momiji asked. It would buy time, and at the same time it would give them a peek into the mindset of the enemy. Inna thought about it for a moment, then smirked before starting on her answer.
?We are simply moving into a new home, no? The salesman said a lot about it, but I understand now why he was warning us about the dampness!? She laughed again, ear-fins twitching. Momiji caught Sango clutching at her ears, the laugh grinding into her brain. It looked almost painful, and she slowed down as she crawled further along.
?All joking aside,? Inna continued with a shrug of her shoulders, ?we are creating a new base for the Rippling World. This manor is only a temporary measure, though. We are needing an impressive building to win over the youkai of Gensokyo, and the mansion at the surface is very well built.?
Momiji grit her teeth. Now she understood why Jozu was so intent on stopping these youkai.
?You realise that house is occupied, right? Vampires, youkai, who knows how many maids.?
?Oh, we are very aware of this,? Inna said with a devilish smirk. ?But if the mansion were to tragically slide into the lake there would be no problem, yes? They would leave, and we would have our base! Everyone is happy.? She paused, looking away for just a moment too long before speaking up again.
?Except for the estate agents, that is.?
Inna collapsed into laughter. No-one else joined in - even if her joke had been funny, her delivery couldn?t have been any worse. Momiji was seriously wondering to herself if she could tell a joke that poorly if she tried.
Wait a minute-
Momiji?s grip on her weapon tightened as Inna fell to her knees, clutching at her stomach and laughing uncontrollably. She kicked wildly, eyes looking across the floor-and came to an abrupt stop as she saw what was crawling beneath the table.
?Oh. Why are you trying to trick a trickster, little girl??
Sango stopped in place, staring Inna down. Momiji saw her fiddling through her pockets, reaching for a spellcard, but Inna got there first.
?Comic Twist [Hidden Punchline]!?
The youkai held one arm out, aiming it under the table. There was nowhere enough room for Sango to crawl out the sides, and Momiji watched a single bullet fly out and straight for her eyes-
Only to break away entirely at the last moment.
?Whoa!?
Momiji saw the change in direction just in time. The attack barely nicked Sango?s cheek as it burst out from under the table, aiming for Momiji?s heart. She brought her shield up, deflecting it, wincing as she felt the force behind the shot. When the attack only released a single bullet, of course there would be a lot of power behind it. She caught her breath, starting on her advance forwards.
?Jozu, you take the other side!?
?Got it!? Jozu broke to the left of the table, Momiji heading to the right. Inna seemed unimpressed, leaping onto the table with a graceful pirouette as she held out an arm at both of her opponents. This time a wave of bullets emerged from each, charging straight towards them.
Momiji resisted the urge to dodge. These bullets weren?t a threat to her. It was the wave aimed at Jozu she had to worry about. Sure enough, at the last minute, both waves coiled to the side and gained incredible speed as they charged towards the other target.
Where Momiji had to block the bullets and bear the recoil, Jozu simply dodged the barrage, twirling around every attack as the bullets lodged harmlessly into the wall. She was making it across the room twice as quickly as Momiji was, and the tengu cheered her on in her head.
That was until Jozu stopped on the spot.
Eh? What?s she doing?
The shark looked confused for a moment, looking around the room, sniffing at the water. Next to her, Sango was finally crawling out from under the table, still rubbing at her cheek where the first bullet had caught her.
?Owwie, that really smarts...?
Jozu?s eyes were on Sango?s hand. She pulled her head closer to the dolphin?s cheek, until their faces were only inches apart.
When Momiji saw the first few droplets of blood rising from the wound, her heart skipped a beat.
Oh, shit.
Sango looked on, confused, seeing the desire build up in Jozu?s eyes. The shark blinked once, and her eyes went jet-black as her lips parted, showing a monstrous grin.
Momiji screamed without even meaning to.
?RUN!?
Sango flinched as the word hit her. She shoved Jozu away and turned on the spot, swimming out of the room as quickly as her legs could carry her. Jozu was caught off guard, but was back on the chase in an instant, knocking the table over as she blazed past Inna out of the doorway. Momiji could only watch them leave.
There was an awkward silence for a few moments.
?So,? Inna said with a smug grin. ?It is just the two of us now. It is a relief - jokes are much easier to understand when there are fewer characters to remember.?
Momiji?s arms grew tight at her sides. She tightened her grip on her sword.
?You knew, didn?t you? That the blood would send Jozu wild.?
?Of course I knew,? Inna said with a shrug. ?We have been doing research on the youkai of the Crystal Waters for our plans. A good comedian always thinks of her source material. You are a mystery, however.? She smiled, her grin just wide enough to get on Momiji?s nerves. ?I like mysteries.?
?Well, a girl always needs to keep a veil of secrecy.? Momiji hauled her blade forward. ?Which is why I?m not going to talk, and get back to beating you back to that puddle you call home.?
Momiji wasn?t up for talking. She had to take this girl down fast. She wasn?t sure how long Sango could keep running for, but Momiji couldn?t help her if this youkai was in the way. She started on her approach again, deliberately keeping her shield at her side. If she didn?t look vulnerable her opponent would run, and there was no way Momiji could keep pace with a water youkai in her natural environment.
?Well, if you are giving me such an easy target...? Inna pulled out a second card, and held both of them up in the air at once.
?Fool Me Twice [Double Bluff]!?
The cards faded into Inna?s hands, and her palms shone. She aimed both of them at Momiji, blasting out another pair of bullets straight at her. Momiji ignored them. This girl had already shown her trick. Neither of these would hit-
?!
If it hadn?t been for her keen eyes, she would have lost right there. One of the bullets was straying away as she?d predicted, but the other continued right on its path. Her shield rose up, nicking the bullet away from her chest, but it caught her in the arm instead.
?Gyaah!?
Momiji dropped the shield, and it fell with a clang to the floor. Inna grinned at her all the while, laughing with that unbearable voice of hers.
?Oh, so you were thinking you were clever, no? I am not all about tricks, you know. Sometimes a joke must be played straight if the audience expects a subversion.?
Momiji winced. Her arm hurt. Nothing that wouldn?t heal given a few minutes, but she assumed Inna wasn?t going to give her that. She?d knock her out and leave her floating around the lakebed until she woke up - or the water-breathing charm ran out. She really hoped it would be the former. In fact, she really hoped it would be neither.
?Well...congrats, I guess. But you?re playing in front of a tough crowd.? Momiji hefted her sword upwards again, pointing it straight at Inna. ?Think you can do it again??
Inna puffed up her chest. ?I was not wanting to be too hard on you, but if you will not leave I will have to go all the way!?
Her palms shone again, and the bullets burst forward in the dozens. Momiji knew now they would come in two types - one sort that would break to the side at the last minute, and one sort that flew straight onward. She didn?t have time to pick up the shield, so she barged straight in and hoped her eyes weren?t going rusty.
The bullets only swung left or right. They never went straight up, or straight down. That guided Momiji slightly, let her find weak spots in the oncoming bullet waves that required less dodging. Still, those weak spots would have two or three bullets in her direction, and she?d only have a few split-seconds to figure out which ones were turning and which ones were straight shooters. Then it was about twisting her body at just the right angle so they would harmlessly pass by her.
The first few waves were difficult, but with each passing wave her eyes grew more attuned to the sight. She started picking up all the little nuances, the little twists in the bullets? trajectories. She started turning even before she had to, knowing already where she was safe. She saw the first signs of frustration on Inna?s face as she pushed her hands further forward.
?This is not funny! And if I do not think it is funny, it is not funny!?
More waves blasted outwards from her palms, the bullets trebling in frequency. Now Momiji?s eyes were challenged again just by their sheer numbers, unable to keep all of them in mind at once. She barely dodged some, and others outright cut along her arms. More blood streamed outwards into the water as she started using her sword as a makeshift barrier, slowing down as she moved further forward.
Inna grew more and more nervous with every inch Momiji gained. She had put too much into this attack, Momiji could see. It would take too much out of her to dismiss both cards at once, and that would give Momiji all the time she needed to wail on her. All she could do was blast at Momiji and hope she went down first.
Momiji?s arms hurt from the cuts the attack had made. Her legs hurt from kicking so fiercely. Her eyes hurt from trying to follow all of these bullets at once. But she had to persevere - if she didn?t intervene, Jozu was going to make a terrible mistake.
?H-How are you-?!? Inna?s voice trembled as Momiji descended on her. Her arms bent, falling to her sides and going limp. Momiji?s sword hung above her, ready to smack right into her face, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
?Looks like the joke?s on you-!?
As Momiji smacked the blunt end of her sword into the youkai?s cheek, she felt an immense feeling of satisfaction.
Inna was knocked to the side by the hit, smacking into the wall beside her. She slid downwards - conscious, but in no condition to fight. Momiji fell to her knees, the adrenaline fading, the pain killing off her momentum for now. She needed a second to regain herself, and then she?d start on the chase.
?Has anyone told you...you?re not funny? At all?? Momiji grumbled as she clutched her wounds, waiting for them to knit. Inna shuffled from her spot at the wall, looking barely conscious.
?Many...many people. Ever since I start, people tell me I am not a comedian. I say to them ?everyone is a comedian. Some people do not have an audience that appreciates them yet?.? She laughed again - a deeper laugh, a normal one that didn?t make Momiji want to rip her own ears off. ?The Rippling World is my audience. Rosa laughs at all my jokes. No-one else does.? She smiled, but without the malice her smiles had carried up until now. She seemed almost to be looking through Momiji rather than at her.
Momiji frowned. ?...The Rippling World isn?t really some army of super-powerful water youkai, is it??
Inna smiled, laughed, and weakly shook her head. ?Perhaps we are not the strongest like she said we were. But our bonds are strong. We have been through much together, and I would never have met Rosa if it was not for her...?
?Who is ?her??? Momiji asked.
Inna?s eyes widened. ?You mean...you do not know??
Was this a game? Momiji shook her head, feeling frustration well up inside her again. Inna?s grin widened, and she let out the strongest laugh she could manage.
?She...is the leader of the Rippling World. Its founder, and its strongest member, at last returning to her homeland to receive the praise she so deserves. But this manor is not large enough to be her shrine...?
Shrine?! That word alone was enough to start ringing alarm bells. Inna caught that moment of understanding in her eyes, and a childish smirk rose to her face again.
?Bow when you see her...? Inna?s voice weakened as she sank into unconsciousness at last. ?...I would not want to make a god angry.? She slumped backwards, passed out, leaving Momiji to herself.
The tengu had to gulp. Youkai were one thing, but a god? She wasn?t sure if they could handle that. Either way, there was another problem that she needed to take care of. Her strength was coming back to her, and she ran back to the table to collect her shield. Then she was out the door, running through the corridors, trying to follow the sounds of the chase.
She just hoped Sango wasn?t fish food by the time she got there.
-----
Sango could hear her heart pounding in her chest as she swam for dear life. The walls were blurs at her sides. She?d already learned that hiding was useless. She?d tried, but Jozu was too fast and too attentive to lose. She?d picked up on Sango?s scent, and nothing was going to distract her from it.
The shark was only a few feet behind her, growling as her hands lashed out. More than once Sango had seen her actually take on her shark form, but it was too cumbersome for these small chambers. Her human form was better for the tight spaces, and it also meant she could grab at Sango?s wrists if she came close enough. Sango?s plan was to make sure this never happened.
But how?
Already she could feel her chest burning, her legs aching from exertion. In comparison, Jozu looked as fresh as she?d been when she started. There was only so long she could keep the shark away, and then it would all be over. She had to come up with a plan before then, but what?
Sango wasn?t thinking about which way she was turning when the corridor split into junctions. Left, right, forward, whatever came to mind first. She?d probably passed through these same corridors half a dozen times already, but she didn?t care. As long as it kept Jozu away, she was happy.
Unfortunately, this worked up until the corridor was a dead end.
?Phweeee?!?
Sango beat at the wall, hoping there was a door behind it in some last-gasp chance to escape. Fate did not grant her wish. As she turned around she found that Jozu was already on her, arms held out, raring to rip and tear at her.
The dolphin?s arms whipped out, grabbing Jozu by the wrists in a desperate move. Jozu?s arms jerked about, her fingers digging into Sango?s palms as her face contorted into a look of fury. Her mouth clattered open and shut, her head leaning as far forward as it could manage, almost biting Sango?s nose off.
Already Sango could feel her strength weakening. Her arms bent back crucial inches, bringing Jozu that much closer. Her heart beat faster, screaming at her to find a way out, to find an escape, but nothing came to mind. Her arms felt like they were made of lead, and the pain as Jozu?s nails dove into her wasn?t helping. The smell of fresh blood was only making it worse, further fuelling Jozu?s lust for Sango?s flesh.
Sango couldn?t hold her off for much longer. She needed help, and she needed it right now-
?Sango!?
A voice from the other end of the corridor. Momiji?s? Yes, it had to be. Too far to help her before it was too late, though.
?Her nose, Sango! Go for the nose!?
Sango gasped. Was that her weak point? Of course- if she couldn?t smell Sango, she?d lose the urge to eat her. Her arms were held up, though, and her legs were too far away to reach. How was she supposed to get a hit in?
Unless-
This had better work!
Sango let go of Jozu?s arms, letting the shark charge in, her mouth opening wide as it made to sink into the dolphin?s neck.
That was Sango?s moment to charge forward, ramming into Jozu?s face with a powerful headbutt.
?Haaaauuu!?
Jozu clutched at her nose, whining as she fell backwards. Sango rubbed at her forehead, her eyes clenched shut. She?d hit harder than she expected to, and she was sure she?d managed to smack against Jozu?s mouth as she whacked her-
?Good work, Sango! We can use this!? Momiji had made it to them by now, pushing past the still-wincing Jozu. Sango squinted, seeing the tengu pick something out from the water, then swimming towards her. She knelt down, her hand rummaged at Sango?s belt.
?P-Phwee!? Sango screamed. ?What are you doing?!?
?Just gimme a second!? Momiji said, her words snappy. Sango felt her belt loosen slightly. She didn?t want to look down, and without even thinking about it her hands grabbed at the sides of her skirt, holding it up.
?What sort of pervert do you think I am?!? Momiji cried when she saw that. Sango didn?t offer her an answer, closing her eyes again until she felt her belt tighten. ?There,? the tengu said, rising to her feet again. ?That wasn?t so bad, was it??
Sango mustered the courage to open one eye, looking down. Her belt was still on. So was her skirt. In fact, Momiji hadn?t even tried to do anything perverse while she was down there. The only change Sango could see was something hastily added to her arsenal, the belt hurriedly wrapped around it. It was long, white, and jagged, with the feel of bone.
?Is this...a tooth?? Sango asked, opening her eyes fully.
?You knocked it out of her mouth with that smack of yours,? Momiji explained. ?It should stop your blood from setting her off. I?ve got one myself, see?? She held forward the necklace she was wearing, showing that she had a similar trophy.
?Uu...?
Jozu was starting to come to her senses. She sniffed at the water, undoubtedly catching trails of Sango?s blood, but she didn?t lunge in for another murderous rush. Rather, she leaned forward, opening her eyes sluggishly like she was rising from a long sleep.
?Unn...sorry, did I miss anythin?? My mouth feels kinda weird...?
Sango wasn?t aware her heart was still racing until she felt it come to rest. A wave of relief crashed over her, and she very nearly hugged Momiji out of gratitude. The unimpressed look the tengu gave her made her reconsider that idea.
?Did we beat that crappy joke teller?? Jozu stretched her arms and legs, yawning as she spoke. ?I really wanted to sock her one for all that crap she was spewing.?
?You were distracted,? Momiji said with a completely straight face as she wrapped one arm around Sango. ?You were trying to catch yourself a snack, if you know what I mean.?
Jozu didn?t know what Momiji meant - at least, not at first. Her eyes jumped from Momiji, to Sango, then back to Momiji, one eyebrow raised in puzzlement. When the realisation hit, it struck her almost as hard as Sango?s headbutt had.
?Oh. Ohhhh. ...Oh, crap, I did it again?!?
Jozu sank to the floor, hands clasped together, looking up at Sango with pleading eyes. The dolphin froze, not sure quite how to react to this.
?I?m really really sorry about this! It?s just so natural for me, and when I smell blood I don?t know how to resist it, and...I just lose control, okay?! Surely you know what it feels like to go into a bloodthirsty rage and try to kill someone who?s on your side rather than the enemy, right?!?
She looked up into Sango?s eyes, hoping for some form of understanding. The blank stare she got in return said it all.
?...No? Just me? Okay.?
Jozu looked away, wrapping her arms around herself.
?Man, I am a really lousy guardian when it comes down to it. That?s the second time today I?ve nearly eaten someone. Guardians aren?t supposed to do that, right? Can?t really protect anyone if they?re goin? through your digestive system.?
Sango looked down at Jozu with a sigh. She didn?t look like the zesty, outgoing youkai that had come to the Scarlet Devil Mansion earlier today. This girl looked vulnerable, emotional, almost lost. Sango reached a hand out, trying to say something helpful, but nothing was coming to mind.
Much to her relief, Momiji stepped in.
?You?re an idiot. Give yourself some credit, alright??
The tengu swam around behind Jozu, abruptly wrapping one arm around her neck and using the other to rub at Jozu?s scalp. The shark squirmed around, grumbling and kicking.
?H-Hey, quit it! Not in front of anyone, okay?!?
?You realise how much you?ve managed to do today?? Momiji asked, continuing before Jozu had a chance to actually answer. ?You?ve convinced both a friend and a random stranger to come with you on some chase to stop a group of powerful youkai from causing some big incident, and you?re one fight away from saving a whole bunch of strangers you?ve never met. Now, what part of that doesn?t sound like what a guardian would do??
Jozu?s grumbles slowly turned to laughs, and she managed to fight Momiji off. She rubbed at her head, still giggling a little. Sango could see her cheeks going a little red again. At that moment, Sango felt all her frustrations, all her disagreements fall to the side - and for an instant, the sight of Jozu cheering up warmed her heart.
?Dammit, Momi,? Jozu muttered with a smile. ?You?re getting me all mushy in front of the fin-face here.?
?Then you?d better harden up, because we still have one fight to go,? Momiji replied, swimming back down the corridor. Jozu paused for a second before following, Sango following after. ?And I?m going to guess our opponent is waiting for us right behind here.?
Sango?s mouth formed an o. She?d passed this door, hadn?t she? She must not have been looking while Jozu was chasing her. Now that they?d stopped, it immediately caught her eye - while the door was still of the same make and design as every door in the manner, it had been painted over to resemble something more Oriental. The paper door was so well drawn on the door?s surface that Sango almost tried to pull it aside at first. More pressing, though, was the declaration spelt on the door in large, simple letters that all three of them could understand.
SHRINE OF TIDES
ALL SHALL WORSHIP THE CHILD OF THE WAVES
-----
Stage 5 Boss
Forgotten Student of Vaganova
Inna Tymanov Petrosyan
Species: Rusalka
Power: Manipulation of humour
A former human from Russia, who died in an accident and became a youkai thanks to her dying grudges.
Nowadays, however, she sees the comedy in her own demise, and frequently uses it in her routine.
Rusalka, like kelpies, are meant to fool humans and lure them into lakes to kill them.
Inna, however, is a very inexperienced youkai who has yet to claim a victim.
Her habit of bursting into laughter may be responsible for this.
She remained in her little lake until Rosalind happened to travel by. Then Inna learned of the Rippling World, and its meetings in Lake Baikal.
The pair made the journey together, and at last Inna had a companion who appreciated her comedy.
She still remembers her time training to be a ballerina fondly, and when swimming insists on pirouetting as she goes. Fortunately, she seems immune to dizziness.
She has not grasped the Japanese tongue as quickly as Rosalind, and while she can express herself it is with clunky wording and overly long sentences.
This may explain why her jokes fail to come across.
(That, or they?re just bad. Inna insists it?s the former - everyone else disagrees.)
To her, Rosalind is more like a sister than a companion. The two are very close.
Even now, as the last remnants of the Rippling World venture into Gensokyo,
she is at ease knowing that she will always have Rosalind by her side.
But she will always yearn for a larger audience.
Like in the olden days, when youkai from all angles of life would listen to her routines.
Where are they all now...?
It looks like the tides have turned!
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w88/KimikoMuffin/miami-yeah.jpg) (http://people.rit.edu/~bss6378/instantCSI/)
Also, Kaiko = incompetence-moe.