(A/N) Nothing to say now, maybe there will be after I write this.
((Finished)) I loved writing this chapter. Writing the way people talk online can be a pain, but it's fun. Especially the L33T5P34K. Oh, and Atsuko's views on l33tness and stuff? Not mine. Don't assume because a character feels a certain way, I do.
Atsuko
Gin is my partner for most things. School things anyway. And in groups of three, Yukiko joins in. We are the same in that we are all part of the very small percentage of school population that is shunned by Haruko. Sadly, I have to live with her. Haruko is my twin sister, even if we look nothing alike. She controls most of the student body, either with charisma or bullying. I'm unaffected because I've lived with her my whole life, and Gin… Well, Gin has headphones.
He's a DJ. No, really. He DJs for small places, so when a new café opens he's the first to know. It was no different for the Koneko Kissaten.
"Hey!" Called Gin as he walked into the classroom. The three of us like to get there early in the morning. It gives us some time to talk to each other without Haruko's stooges hanging over us. "There's a new place down by Ueno Park. We should go there to work on our Mythology project." Yukiko looked up from the fic she was reading on her laptop. "What, the one on the differences between Chinese and Japanese mythology?" Gin nodded. "We can go, try the food, plug in the laptops and research the Chinese stuff. Try the food."
Yukiko sighed. "Okay, we'll go after school today."
After school the three of us walked over to the new Kissaten. Outside the doors was a little girl, not much older than seven, maybe eight. She had bright red hair and orange bunny ears. She smiled up at us and handed us a pamphlet.
Yukiko set her laptop on the table and plugged it into the wall, talking quietly to herself. A short dude with a weird pointy hat walked over, wearing a bright green apron. His nametag said Taikoubou, but somebody had scratched it out and written FICUS FOR BRAINS! "How can I- WHOA! YUUKYOU-SAN!" The green-eyed kid looked at Yukiko, shocked.
"Um, sorry, my name is Yukiko, not Yuukyou." The kid was still staring at her with wide eyes. "S… Sorry, mistook you for someone…" He shook his head and brightened up. "Anyways! What can I get you people?" Gin looked up from the cheap paper menu. "I'll have one order of Oyaku Don please." Gin looked at me. I scanned the menu quickly. "Yeah, one for me too, please." Yukiko looked at the two of us and shook her head. "Fried rice and a bubble tea for me, thanks." Ficus for brains stuck his head in a door near the main entrance, presumably leading to the kitchen. "OY! REIKI-SAN! TWO OYAKU DON, ONE FRIED RICE AND A BUBBLE TEA!" A large metal spoon went whizzing by his head. He grinned and yelled "Love you too!" before going to get the orders of another customer.
Gin, Yukiko and I sat and chatted quietly about the Mythology project. We were just moving on from Kirin and starting to delve into Sendou when the green-eyed kid with the ugly hat came back with our food. Digging into her rice, Yukiko started to explain the difference between youkai and youkai sennin. Projects are easy when your best friend is a mythology buff.
"Youkai sennin are animals or objects that take human form after absorbing the chi of sunlight and moonlight. Youkai first originated from youkai sennin of the same animal species breeding when in semi-human form. Pure youkai have no animal or object affiliation, they simply are. They're like sendou, but… Not. And sendou are just humans that achieved a higher level of being both physically and mentally through study."
Listening to us as he put our food down, the Ficus-for-brains laughed at this. "Study? Who did any studying? I never-"
At this, a girl with long black hair and dark grey, pointy ears hit him over the head with a chair and dragged his unconscious form away, whistling what sounded like a DDR song. Another girl, this one with very short brown hair and a silver ribbon tied in it, bowed and said "We apologize. We are experiencing technical difficulties." I stared at the girl who was dragging Ficus for Brains away. She had a dark grey tail that matched the ears, and…
It was moving back and forth. On it's own. No wind, nothing.
"Um…" I started. "Why does she have ears and a tail?" The short haired girl (I looked closely at the nametag; it said Maku in square, purple letters.) looked over her shoulder and smiled sheepishly. "Uh… Gimme a minute… Cosplaying freak?" She offered, grinning. Then she went after them, presumably to help revive poor Ficus for Brains.
…………………….
The scene was familiar. My room, dark except for the blue-white illumination of my computer screen.
Ah, trolling the forums. Is there any pastime more enjoyable? Gather information, teasing Noobs, laughing hysterically at the people who write it as N003Z…
Tonight, though, I was looking for data. Three windows up. Google, ICQ, and Gaia. Hey, who better to help me with something out of an anime than pathetic otakus?
………………….
http/ keyword: Sendou
enter
Search results:
The list was short. I muttered to myself. Nothing but fansites. Time to check ICQ. I opened the window and looked at the stream of the conversation.
PIUeda36: Can anybody give me info on Sendou or Youkai?
Pimpin princess: Um, r u anoder anime freek?
Quaker999: J0, D4T5 54D, M4N. 4LL D4 CH1X0R5 1NT0 D4 4N1M3…
PIUeda36: My good sir, are you aware that your name implies that you are Amish?
Quaker999: …J0, WH4T?
PIUeda36: I thought so.
PercytheVampire has logged in!
Quaker999: H3Y, S4Y D4T T0 M4H F4C3!
PIUeda36: I cannot. I am communicating to you via written comments. Perhaps if you posess a webcam?
Pimpin princess: ur lik such a ho.
PIUeda36: Well, my condescending tone annoys you, and your total disdain for written grammar disgusts me. I'd say we're even.
Hisoka05: has logged in!
Hisoka05: woah, i read the convo. whyre you all tearing each other to bits?
Quaker999: D00D, 5H3 C4LL3D M3 4M15H! W4T D4 H3LL 15 4M15H?
ARIdrinkwine has logged in!
PIUeda36: It means you have no technology available to you and most like likely live on a farm. Since you are most obviously using a computer right now, your name is somewhat of a contradiction.
Quaker999: L1K3, D00D, 4H JU5T L1K3 QU4K3. QU4K3 0WN20R!
Kitsurei has logged in!
ARIdrinkwine: Dude where's my goat! XD!
Kitsurei: Next to the soft, unripened cheese. XD
Pimpin princess: lik, wtf
Hisoka05: -.-;;
PercytheVampire: I want shares in that goat!
Quaker999: L1K3, D00D, J00 MU5T B3 DRUNK.
PIUeda36: Why must you capitalize everything?
Quaker999: D4 L33T, 1T R34D5 B3TT3R, J0.
PercytheVampire: stop tryin to be largo, wannabe.
Kitsurei: Largo-sensei teaches us how to properly dispatch the undead with kitchen appliances.
PercytheVampire: Yeah, I bet you can't do that.
ARIdrinkwine: OO ZOMBIES!
PercytheVampire: Emo zombies!
Kitsurei: EMOaaaaaan!
Hisoka05: what was the point of this convo?
PercytheVampire: makin fun of peeps
ARIdrinkwine: GOOOOOAAAAT! And peeps? WTF?
Quaker999: P1CK UP D4 CH1X0R, M4N!
Pimpin princess: lik, a/s/l?
PIUeda36: Well, this has been about as useful as, oh, I don't know, a dead duck on… Oh, for kami's sake, make up your own paradox.
Quaker999: D00D, W4TS 4 P4R4D0X?
PIUeda36 has logged out!
I shook my head. I'd think about the pathetic downward spiral of our society later, Now I wanted to find somebody who could tell me about sendou. So, I opened the Gaia window. Clicking on the Chatterbox button, then the Create New Thread button. Since Gaia is a forum, not a chat room, it took a few minutes for people to respond.
DetectiveUeda says:
Hello, I'm looking for somebody to give me information on Chinese mythology, notably Sendou, youkai and youkai sendou. If you know anything please post.
WindyAngel says:
Sure. Sennin are immortals, youkai are demons originating from youkai sennin, and youkai sennin are animals that absorb the positive energy of astral light to take human forms. According to myth, the sennin world was made up of Kunlun Shan with sendou, and Kingou Rettou with youkai sennin. Youkai had no real loyalties. In Kunlun there was a social structure based on power and responsibility. Doushi were still in training, sennin were more powerful and trained doushi, and at the top were the Juunisen and Genshitenson, the leader and his council. Kingou had a similar system. Since all of these entities are immortal, they might still be around. Never know.
Wannabejedi says:
Yeah, those immortals, you know? Still around probably. They walk among us!
Yeraloser says:
lik r u stupid why r u askin this stuff
ThePhantomBitch says:
DetectiveUeda, if you need help with your homework go to a freakin library. Reading? Remember that? Godammit you people piss me off.
DetectiveUeda says:
Actually, this is pure curiosity, and I don't know where you live but where I am it's eleven o'clock. My friend knows practically everything about mythology and even she can't tell me if the name Taikoubou is a reference to something.
WindyAngel:
Did you say Taikoubou?
DetectiveUeda:
Yes.
WindyAngel says:
That's easy. Taikoubou was an advisor to a Zhou emperor, in the late eleventh century.
DetectiveUeda says:
Eleventh century?
Wannabejedi says:
Watch it, Windy!
WindyAngel says:
What harm can it be? Anyways, that's only according to history. According to legend, he was a doushi. He and the rest of the sennin world brought down the In empire and help install the Zhou. Well, that's the widely accepted version. Another says the more important thing that they did was rid the world of the Guidepost of History, a goddess who controlled destiny and had already destroyed many 'rough' drafts of the world.
DetectiveUeda says:
Eleventh century?
Wannabejedi says:
B.C.
DetectiveUeda says:
Is it… Common for people to name their kids Taikoubou?
WindyAngel says:
No. I do not believe anyone names their children Taikoubou.
Yeraloser says:
i cant stand u ppl
Wannabejedi says:
Nobody said you had to like us.
WindyAngel says:
Why do you want to know?
DetectiveUeda says:
I found somebody with that name and he said something strange when my friend was talking about Sendou.
WindyAngel says:
…… What did he look like?
DetectiveUeda says:
Green eyes, messy black hair, stupid hat. Why?
Wannabejedi says:
Oh god…
WindyAngel says:
Would you please tell me where he is located?
DetectiveUeda says:
Japan, in a café near Ueno Park. Uh, why?
WindyAngel:
Thank you. I'll be logging off then.
DetectiveUeda:
Uuuuuuum…..
……………………..
I leaned back in my chair, stretching. Eleventh century BC?
That was one old waiter.
((Chi)) Energy.
((Cosplay)) Oh, come on. Don't tell me you don't know this one.
((Gaia forums)) I'm never on anymore, but hey, I thought it'd be fun to stick that in here. XP
Rei's handy-dandy translate-o-matic from l33t to human!
J0, D4T5 54D, M4N. 4LL D4 CH1X0R5 1NT0 D4 4N1M3… - Ah, I am morose good chums, all of the fine women, interested only in animation from the land of the rising sun…
…J0, WH4T? - I'm sorry, I did not quite understand your last statement.
H3Y, S4Y D4T T0 M4H F4C3! - Please, drop all subtleties good friend, and repeat that quite clearly.
D00D, 5H3 C4LL3D M3 4M15H! W4T D4 H3LL 15 4M15H? - New acquaintance, the kind woman I am conversing with referred to me as Amish. Would you happen to know what this means, as I currently do not?
L1K3, D00D, 4H JU5T L1K3 QU4K3. QU4K3 0WN20R! - My friend, I like the video game known to many as Quake. It is a wonderful game.
L1K3, D00D, J00 MU5T B3 DRUNK. - My friend, I do believe you have ingested vast quantities of alcohol.
D4 L33T, 1T R34D5 B3TT3R, J0. - The language in which I speak to you reads with far more ease this way.
P1CK UP D4 CH1X0R, M4N! - I wish to converse with and possibly woo women!
D00D, W4TS 4 P4R4D0X? - I apologize for my ignorance, but I do not happen to know the term paradox. Would you be so kind as to explain it to me right now?
GASP! Who are Windy and Jedi? Do they know each other? What is their connection? How do they know about Taikoubou? What does Atsuko plan to do? Will Percy ever get her shares in the goat?
The answers to these and more, next time on Koneko Kissaten!
(points downward on webpage) Now review, tomodachi!