Rikou sat in his room with Kiyostuga, Shima, Kana, Natsumi, Saori and Yura around him. They were talking about yokai (like always) when a knock interrupted them. The group looked to the door confused then watched as a male dressed in black with black hair came walking in. He bowed to the group of friends before kneeling beside Rikou.
"We have a small problem. Come with me," Rikou could hear the worry in the mans voice and followed him to the garden that was outside his room. He pointed to the pond that Kappa normally rested in but Kappa sat on the rocks at the side, staring at his pond.
"What's the matter?" He asked kneeling down beside Kaapa who looked very sad.
"It's poisoned. The water has toxins in it," Rikou looked in Kappa's hand to see the wife fish yokai that was now dead. He gasped and pulled Kappa away from the side of the water. "She was screaming for help so I went in and got her. My body aches," Rikou grabbed Kappa by the arm and led him into the main house. He rushed him into the bathtub and turned on the hot water and cold water.
"Strip. I'll get your clothes clean," Kappa looked to his webbed hands and shook his head.
"My hands don't allow me to undo my clothes," he said calmly. Rikou took the fish and plopped her into the water hoping that it would miraculously save her. Rikou undid the water child's scarf before taking of his ninja outfit and his boots. He helped the naked yokai into the bath and watched as he snuggled into the dead fish.
"Do you need anything?"
"My pond to be cleaned. I can't float in here, as well as my clothes to be returned as soon as possible. No point in drying them," Rikou nodded then went to find Tsurara who was in the utility room, doing the washing.
"Can you wash these quickly. Kappa is naked in the bath. The wife fish yokai was killed due to poison in the pond. Kappa's washing any poison off of him," Tsurara nodded her head and took the clothes that Kappa wore and put them in a hot soapy tub.
"You should return to your friends," Rikou nodded and made his way back to his room, passing Kappa who was continuing to hold his fallen friend. Rikou walked in quickly to see that he was sleeping peacefully. Kappa always slept. If he wasn't helping, he was sleeping.
Rikou pulled the shower head down from the holder and turned the water on for the water to dribble from the nozzle. He held the shower head above Kappa and heard him make happy gurgling noises as he slept. He loved water being poured on his head. Always had, always will.
He put the shower head on the holder and directed the water so that it would land on his head before walking back to his bedroom where all his friends waited and also Kurotabou was sitting cross legged on the ground talking to the girls happily.
"What are you doing here?" He asked in shock.
"Master," The monk stood up and walked over to the 3rd heir.
"The pond was poisoned. The wife died. Kappa is in the tub," Rikou explained to the male who had to bend down to be whispered to. Kuro nodded his head then wrapped his arms around Rikou. He hated having a death in the family. Even if it was just a fish yokai.
"We'll have a ceremony and bury her next to the husband," Rikou nodded sniffling softly. He really did hate death in the family.
"Nura, what's wrong?" Shima asked walking over to his friend.
"One of his relatives had just died. All of us are pretty shook up," Kurotabo explained to the blonde haired child who nodded slowly. Kuro ruffled his masters soft brown hair that was slowly moving behind him, like his yokai style.
Rikou sat on the ground with the rest of his friends and watched as they played the yokai card game. He didn't feel like playing. It felt weird mourning for the wife. She was apart of the main household but she wasn't like Kubinashi or Tsurura where she protected him but he still felt the same amount of hurt, like if one of the former were to die. In a sense, he was happy to know that the gutting feeling of a smaller yokai still hurt him so much. He was glad that he felt the distress and didn't dismiss her life. She lost her husband and even then he was to busy to truly mourn the death of husband. He was too busy dealing with Inugami to mourn one of his fallen household members. How incompetent of him.
While Rikou sat and remembered his good times of wife and husband, Natsumi had to go to the toilet. She walked into the bathroom to see Kappa in the tub with bubble all over him and was watching tv on a miniature tv that hung on the wall. He was watching a cooking show and couldn't change the channel over to something he'd like.
"Gahh!" She screamed. Kappa jumped out of the bath, thankfully covered with bubbles and gave her the remote. She stopped screaming for a second and looked to his hand.
"Y-yokai?"
"Can you change the channel? I don't want to watch fish be cut up and fried," Natsumi nodded, realizing he had ignored her question. Well she could tell that he probably was. He had a white plate on his head, funny little squints eyes with webbed hands. She turned the remote over and watched as he shook his head. She skipped the channel once again and he shook his head once again.
"What do you want to watch?" She asked, staring at how relaxed he was. Natsumi stared at him. He seemed familiar, but she knew that this was the first time they were meeting.
"Anime," he spoke softly. His voice was slightly angelic as well.
Natsumi nodded and turned it over to the anime channel. A show called "My bride is a mermaid" was playing. The yokai in the bathtub seemed very contempt with the show, so she decided to head back.
"You needed the toilet right?" The yokai asked. Natsumi nodded slowly, "Go then," he grabbed the shower curtain and pulled it closed before turning the TV up so that she could have her privacy. Natsumi walked over to the toilet and did her business. She closed the toilet seat before watching the Yokai open the curtains again and turn the volume down.
"Can...Can I flush?" She was certain she had never felt so embarrassed before. She didn't know the yokai, but she just used to the toilet with him in the same room. She wouldn't even allow Saori to be in the same room.
"Yeah. Don't worry. Cold water doesn't bother me," Natsumi flushed then went to the sink to wash her hands but the yokai stopped her and summoned her over. He grabbed her hands and washed them in the clean bath water. "No need to waste the water," Natsumi dried her hands on a towel before stepping out of the bathroom to see Rikou looking worried.
She put a finger to her lip before walking back into Rikou's bedroom. Rikou quickly poked his head round to see a happy Kappa before he ran after Natsumi, "Guys, for those who don't know my bathroom is broken. So if you need you have to go to the one further along,"
Everyone nodded their heads and they continued to beat Kiyotsuga at the yokai game where he could only ever get Natto Kuzo. Natsumi got Kappa. She looked to the picture and smiled softly at the cute water child she had encountered.
...
Told ya I'll be writing a lot more of these. I love Kappa. I love the noises he makes when water is poured on his head.
Please enjoy.
