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An unending gourd of umeshu takes a miracle to make and a miracle to break. So let's go look for a miracle! Enjoy.
Ch. 9: Conditioned reflex
"So… Why are we heading up Youkai Mountain again?" Hoshiguma Yuugi asked. The two had finally set out on a journey to look for a means of repairing Suika's infinitely umeshu spewing gourd, after Suika had agonizingly tolerated three sake-free days.
"To look for a miracle," Suika answered.
"We're going to the Moriya shrine for a miracle?" Yuugi asked sceptically. "Since when can those gods help?"
"The girl, the girl," Suika replied. "Not the gods, the girl." Suika was referring to Moriya shrine's resident miko, Kochiya Sanae. The green haired miko was a distant direct descendent of Moriya Suwako, a curse goddess. Although young and sometimes a little silly, she had a knack for performing miracles during emergencies. And seeing as this is an emergency, Suika figured the soft-spoken miko could do something about it.
"You honestly think…" Yuugi began slowly, "That they are going to help you fix your gourd? Why? Why should they help you?"
"I offer them faith," Suika said reverently.
"Yah, right… Oh… Who's that up ahead?" the Oni duo stopped. They were midway up the mountain, and before them was a wooden Torii, a Japanese-styled archway, under which stood a small girl with a huge shield and sword, and a pair of dog's ears protruding from her white, short hair. It was apparent that she had been resting, for next to the archway was a small table and stool with steaming tea and buns.
"Who goes there?" the white wolf-tengu asked in a soft and high, but oddly commanding voice.
"Inubashiri Momiji…?" Suika squinted. "Is that you?"
"Oh… Ibuki Suika?" Momiji lowered her raised sword. "You used to live here, don't you?" the leader of the patrol guard of Youkai Mountain recalled.
"For a short while… but I had to pay for my own expenses…" Suika said. "Hey! How's it been-"
Suika stopped short her advance towards Momiji. Momiji had raised her sword again. "Wh-What? Don't tell me you don't welcome me?" Suika asked.
"No," Momiji said. "I've got nothing against party animals, but you're just too much," she said, vividly remembering the kind of societal and collateral damage Suika can do when drunk. "From here on is honourable tengu grounds, and I will not let you desecrate it further," she declared.
"Hahahaha!" Yuugi laughed at Momiji's statement. "Oh, poor Suika, ever so popular!"
"T'ch, this world's got its priorities wrong, I tell you," Suika complained. "Marginalising the people who actually know how to have fun…" she pointedly said to try to persuade Momiji to relax.
"There is a limitation to how much fun, however," Momiji said, her sword still pointed, "And at what cost."
Yuugi shook her head at Suika's success, and muttered to her, "Let me handle this." She then confidently swaggered over to Momji's side. "Hey there," Yuugi said with a generous smile.
"What?" Momiji did not lower her guard.
"Must be tiring for you to have to guard the mountain all the time," Yuugi said, maintaining her smile. "How about you relax for a bit, you know, just this once. Treat yourself," she continued smiling, "If you want, you could even ask me for a favour to help you, if I feel like dispensing one…" she said confidently, as if she were the one who held all the chips.
"Huh! Ask you for a favour? You and your sweet-tongued, swindling kind," Momiji immediately denounced Yuugi's attempt to appeal to her. "Always think you're so charming huh?" she said with loathing and irritation, her thoughts turning to a certain crow-tengu she did not exactly get along well with.
Behind them, it was Suika's turned to laugh at Yuugi's success. But Yuugi was far more experienced then she let on, considering Parsee was her unofficial girlfriend… Inubashiri Momiji… An apparently uptight, stringent, rule following but otherwise not unfriendly person…This was the exact sort of response she was looking for.
"I'm terribly sorry…" Yuugi said, voice suddenly sounding genuinely defeated and dejected, "I guess you're a harder girl to chase after than I thought."
"Yah… you got that right- wait…" Momiji paused unsurely. Did Yuugi just call her… hard to get?
"She's seen right through me Suika," Yuugi turned sorrowfully to her now face-palming partner.
"Y-You bet I did!" Momiji gloated, blushing slightly. Behind them, Suika was shaking her head at the terribly inexperienced wolf-tengu. Her lips were already on the bait…
…Time to reel in the line. "So…" Yuugi turned back to Momiji. "Um, we're just passing through, to visit the Moriya shrine, we mean no harm. With your permission…"
"Oh… well… why didn't you just say so?" Momiji said immediately, an additional layer of blush of embarrassment being applied on top of her cheeks. These Oni were for once just going about their business, not actually breaking any rules, and she unnecessarily kicked up a fuss… How unprofessional and embarrassing of me... "Please, go on," Momiji flourished her sword towards the Tojii as a sign of welcome.
"Thank you very much, Momiji-san," Yuugi dragged a now eye-rolling Suika up with her along the mountain path. After some distance however, Momiji called them back.
"Hey, wait," her voice rang out.
"Yes?" Yuugi turned around. Suika looked expectant.
"Um… sorry for the misunderstanding," Momiji apologised, bunching her skirt in her hands.
"No problem," Yuugi smiled, and headed back up the path with Suika, whose expectations were fulfilled.
" 'Sorry for the misunderstanding' she says," Suika said with slight disgust, referring to their encounter with Momiji moments ago. "Wow… you actually got that guard dog to apologise and make up with you," she turned to her taller partner.
"It's all in a day's work," Yuugi dismissed casually.
"Parsee's going to scream green if she ever hears of this," Suika said. "You know, society has a way of looking down on flirtatious people…" she muttered.
"Oh, don't get jealous just because I'm better than you in this regard," Yuugi said. "And since when did you care so much about societal norms and beliefs, anyway?"
"Never did," Suika admitted. "Never had to. I'm practically invincible!" she exclaimed proudly.
"Even when sober you still manage to be drunk…" Yuugi smirked.
"Well, it's true!" Suika insisted. "Ever tried charming me before, beautiful?" she goaded her partner.
"…" Yuugi looked long and hard at Suika, then sincerely gave up. "You're right. You're a whole different ball game."
"Hah! Told you so…" Suika taunted happily as she put her arms behind her head and smiled at the sky.
"But that's not because you're 'hard-to-get', it's because of your lack of sanity or possession of normal behaviour…" Yuugi commented quietly.
"Whatever… Hey, look sharp, we're here," Suika said as they arrived at the first steps leading to the Moriya shrine. "We're about to ask the priestess and her gods for a favour."
"Right," Yuugi said, and the two started the long climb up the mountain face.
"Oh, by the way Suika, do you… do you think I should go back immediately and apologise to Parsee?"
"For what, Yuugi?"
"My uh… my previous behaviour…"
"Now you're feeling all loyal and devoted? Come on, this is not the right time…"
Is it just me, or am I painting Yuugi more and more like a pimp?
Also, my exams are very close now, the day after tomorrow in fact. So I'm just getting all these chapters out first.