~Hakurei Shrine~ > Kosuzu's Grand Bookstore
Mystia Lorelei vs. The Hunger (NSFW?!)
HakureiSM:
I'm quite enjoying this, but you'd best make the ending be Reimu kicking everyone's ass through the face like it always should be.
Dizzy H. "Muffin" Muffin:
Don't be silly, the endings are all Reimu drinking tea with the people whose asses she just kicked.
Esifex:
Well, yeah, that's how they end. Normally.
How they should end, though... /gg
HakureiSM:
--- Quote from: KimikoMuffin on June 07, 2010, 12:38:49 AM ---Don't be silly, the endings are all Reimu drinking tea with the people whose asses she just kicked.
--- End quote ---
Good point, but that's after her going 'fuck it' and kicking those asses, thus solving the incident.
Hello Purvis:
(Feel free to make requests. Even if I don't use 'em, they may give me good ideas. Also there's a recurring theme, can you find it!?)
It hasn't been a bad week, Mystia decides while cleaning the grill in the wake of the lunch rush. Business has dropped off a little, but that was to be expected. Other customers came with numerous questions. It has gotten a little monotonous, repeatedly explaining that no she wasn't coming after them, no she wasn't going to force no one into it, and no she didn't want to buy the remains of aunt Yuki who died ten years ago even if they did they digging. Many have proven at least mildly disgusted by the prospect; seldom were they reassured when she told them it was impossible to make lamprey taste like human and the reverse was probably true. Others are curious about it to the point that it is a little unnerving. But humans were slowly coming back in larger numbers as they got used to the idea, and there had yet to be any mobs. If they didn't make a mob, it means they'd learn to live with it.
Among Youkai, the word has spread less quickly. The few who had heard of it never had much an interest in eating people to begin with. This is a conundrum. Were the other youkai simply not interested in the whole thing? That would make life so much easier. Or were they up to something, and doing their best to hide it? Mystia shakes her head to clear away such thoughts. It'll be alright. The major competitor has already been bought out, and she should be more than able to keep any rogues in line.
The front curtain swishes open. Mystia looks up, having been so absorbed in the her cleaning and her thoughts that she hadn't heard the customer approach. "Welcome," she says, "What'll you have to-"
"Oh, nothing much," says Aya as she sits down in at the counter and opens her notepad, "Just some facts and a few statements." She smiles and begins to scratch some things down. "So, when did you give into the hunger?"
Mystia frowns, and restrains herself from making a reply that would involve accusing Aya of bestiality. This could be a perfect opportunity, but it would take some careful presentation, given Aya... "I haven't, seriously," she says after a moment. "I mean, it's just so hard to put it off, you know, so I've just made some arrangements. That's all. There's nothing sinister about it at all."
"Well, I wouldn't know," says Aya, scratching away with her pen, "We never engage in that kind of thing. But anyways, how do you intend to murder that poor herb gatherer? She has a spouse, you know!"
Mystia puts her fingers to her forehead, as if to ward off the coming headache. "For the last time, I'm not going to murder her. It's a contract that states when she meets her natural end, I get her remains. That's all. If I arranged for her to be killed, the Red White wouldn't let me last more than five minutes."
More pen scratching. Mystia notices that Aya isn't even looking at the pad; instead keeping eye contact and a smile. "Of course, of course. This would, of course, mean that the rumors that you hired Utsuho as an assassin, and perhaps pre-cooker, are somewhat off base?"
"Of course they are!" Mystia says, fighting off the urge to throw down spatula at the ground. "I did hire Utsuho to help me out with a few things, and so she wouldn't go haring off on her own and causing problems with the contracts. There's nothing sinister like you were saying about it! I'm just trying to find a way to make things work out so everyone can be happy. So, do you have any more questions?"
"There's always more questions," says Aya, chuckling. "For instance, how does the contract actually work?"
"Oh, it's rather simple, really," Mystia says, brightening now that Aya seems to have calmed down. She proceeds to outline the agreement she made with Thea, emphasizing her intention to allow for funerary services and to return the woman's bones afterward. Having summarized it a few times already, Mystia is confident in her explanation, hitting all the pertinent points and downplaying common misgivings that people have about it. Aya nods along, writing away on her pad and periodically asking for clarification.
"I think that you've told me plenty to make a proper story on it," says Aya. "But, would you like to give me a closing statement and sum up your thoughts on the issue?"
"Certainly," says Mystia. "What I am trying to do is to find a way for us youkai to get something we want without it being a problem for humans, just to come to a mutual sort of agreement we can both be happy with. I know some people are going to be a little worried about it, but I think when a little time passes and everyone gets used to the idea, it won't be a problem at all."
Aya nods, putting her pen away and closing her pad. "Thank you for your time, Mystia. I should be able to write a great article with everything you told me." She nods her head into a small bow.
"Just try to keep it accurate," says Mystia, as the tengu leaves the stand.
****
"How bad is it?" Mystia asks, as she closes the front door behind her and notices Yuyuko curled up in a chair, mostly obscured by the newspaper. There was a time when Mystia would had been taken aback to randomly find someone else in her house, but Yuyuko has long since adapted her to such things. She merely walks over and has a seat opposite of the ghost princess.
"You'll be quite pleased," says Yuyuko, not bothering to lower the paper. "It's a a front page story! I must say, she's done an excellent job of making you look rather savage. I don't imagine anyone would want to try to face you after reading this. Did you honestly say it was so hard to resist, when asked when you gave into the hunger?"
"Oh damn it," Mystia says, leaning her head back and staring at the ceiling. "I was hoping Aya would be a little nice about it. Maybe I should have given her a free skewer?"
"I don't think it would have done anything," Yuyuko says. "But I must know, my Riboflavin, did you really say, 'It's a contract that states when she meets her natural end, I get her remains.' when asked about murdering that herb gatherer?"
Mystia frowns. What did she say, exactly? After a moment, she gives up trying to remember. "Maybe. But I'm pretty sure I would have started by saying no, then cleared it up."
"I assumed there was some creative quotation involved," Yuyuko replies. "I must say, I do like how she juxtaposed that with your hiring Utsuho. It makes everything sound so very sinister. If I didn't know any better, my Niacin, I would think you quite the mastermind."
Groaning, Mystia looks back toward Yuyuko, still hidden behind the paper. "I hate that stupid tengu. Did she at least portray the contracts accurately?"
"Well, she did," Yuyuko says, "But one does note she points out that the signer's demise need only pass as natural. But I imagine everyone was thinking that already, so no real harm there."
"I need something to drink," Mystia mutters, as she stands and heads for the kitchen. A moment later, she returns with some cold tea left over from this morning. While not exactly a hard, nerves-calming drink, at least it would do something to massage the lump in her throat. She sits down again and sighs. "Yuyuko, I don't suppose I could convince you to send your gardener over to set Aya straight for me?"
"If you're really disappointed about this," says Yuyuko, "Perhaps you could go to Hatate's newspaper instead? I'm sure she'd love to get the real story."
Mystia frowns, searching her memories. After a moment she says, "Whotate?"
"Yes, that would be the problem," Yuyuko replies.
Giving Yuyuko a confused look, Mystia says, "What?"
Yuyuko shakes her head; her cap's motion just barely visible over the edge of the newspaper. "Don't worry about it."
"Okay," Mystia replies after sipping her cold tea, "So, no deal with the gardener?"
"Would that really achieve anything, my Folic Acid?"
Mysita shakes her head. "No, but it'd make me feel a lot better."
"Oh, I don't need to involve Youmu to make you feel better," says Yuyuko, setting the paper aside.
Mystia pauses from taking a drink. "Damn it, I just got done with the stand! Can you at least let me rest up a bit before using me?"
"Don't worry," Yuyuko replies as she stands and stalks toward Mystia. "You'll be relaxed beyond the limits of your vocabulary when I'm through..."