Alright, time for the next update! A hasty update without much checking on how the formatting was changed by . If there are errors, let me know.
Chapter 4 - The Welcome Wagon part 2
Onozuka-san and young Alibus-san flew down into the forest below.
They talked about ignorable things. Things about the trees and the forest, and what seemed to be around here. He seemed like this was all alien to him.
Hmm, he hadn't seen mushrooms before? That's strange.
Note that before I forget.
Onozuka-san continued on the path. She noticed a firefly buzzing in place, and it seemed he did too.
"Sempai? What's that?" The young shinigami said, pointing with his scythe at the firefly. It lit up to draw their attention.
"Those are called fireflies Liam."
Oh yes! Liam is his first name. Note before I forget again.
"They're some of the many insects that live here on earth." Onozuka-san said like a teacher. "You uh, do know what insects are, right?"
The boy nodded.
"Phew." She muttered to herself. "They're these cute little bugs that have little lights on their rears."
The boy made a "ahhh" and a "haaa"...and all those learning sounds the kids in Keine-sensei's class make when learning something.
They began to bore me now. Talking about things I didn't need to remember, small little details that had no weight in the long run, all while my bugs keep their eyes and ears on those two...
"So then, what are they talking about now?" She asked me.
But I wasn't listening to whatever she just said to me, all my focus was sucking on the thing that I was sucking prior...
"Wriggle." I heard Yukari Yakumo say to me. which promptly left my mind the moment my tongue tasted the pretzel rod again.
Oh, that wonderful salt, the form of the pretzel just perfect to take each grain of salt off it...how do those humans make this stuff? The village's attempts to make it is nothing compared to this. It's too addicting...
"Earth to Wriggle Nightbug."
Dear god it's been too long since I've had one.
Oh, I love you Rold Gold. I love you I love you.
"Hello. Are you there firefly?"
I felt her touch my shoulder, and my antennas picked up as my attention shifted to the youkai infront of me.
Yukari Yakumo wasn't out of the ordinary, while at the same time was someone completely out of the ordinary.
Unlike me, who had clear features that distinguishes me from humans, such as my antennas, Yukari Yakumo had none. She wore a deep purple cocktail dress, a white mob hat that held her long golden hair, and a parasol used to shield herself from the sun, which now was floating in midair thanks to her powers.
Youkai and human alike say she has a beauty that is unsurpassed. A level of power unrivaled, an alluring aroma, a fantastic and voluptuous body, an pretty and symmetrical face, along with lips red like roses and ivory skin as soft as silk; while I'm not interested in such a youkai like her it is easy to see why so many teenage humans and young youkai are willing to become her useful idiots just out of hormonal lust.
She reminds me of a venus fly trap, in my own opinion. Beautiful on the outside, something fierce on the inside.
Either way, The beauty's arms were crossed, her parasol was floating in the air shading the sun out. She was giving a pout at me, "I'm starting to regret giving you those pretzels." She commented.
With the salt gone, I began the final act of this pretzel and chomped down on half of it, Chewing up and taking it's goodness down my throat.
Holding what was left of it, I spoke to the gap youkai "My friends took my stash and have been forcing me to do what they call "cold turkey"" I said, my hands forming the quotation marks.
With that I chomped down on the pretzel rod again in my possession.
"...And you have that uncanny ability to gather and store anything at whim." I said showing the all powerful youkai the pretzel, before consuming the last little bit of it.
"So, I'm enjoying the moment."
Now out of my wonderful drug, I sighed. I reached into the plastic bag, taking the last one out...
...or not. Damn it, i'm out.
With nothing else in the bag, I placed it alongside the three other plastic bags I had just consumed, next to a safe containing many more plastic bags of pretzels and what the outside humans call "junk food"
It's not often we meet, and I'm glad she's held onto that safe of mine. Granted, I paid that gap youkai to keep it in her gaps, but it's still a nice gesture before we get to business.
Looking at her, I began to see her frown again.
"Can we get back on subject?" She said to me.
Now that my addiction was quenched the emotions of logic and reason returned to me, and I decided that I should.
"Yea" I said "Right now, they're talking about fireflies."
I continued "She's telling him about the forest of magic as they're walking through it, onward to the Yama's home."
"I see, I see. So that's what our replacement shinigami is going to be doing." Spoke the mysterious Yakumo.
"By the way, how did you know that?" I asked her "It makes sense with everything else they're saying, but I haven't heard them flat out saying that. Pretty much everything I've told you about you said you already knew, how'd you do that?"
The gap youkai smiled her smug smile.
I could see her metaphorically stroking her own genius ego in her own mind. "Oh...I have my ways." She said with a grin.
Of course you do. Bah, she's paying me to report on information that she already knows about. Whatever, I'm getting handsomely rewarded for this. So, whatever floats your boat.
"None-the-less, he seems quite naive about things. The shinigami seems not to have any knowledge of mushrooms whatsoever, and from what I gather grasslands like Gensokyo's seem alien to him. He reminds me of a newborn, innocent and all."
"Is that so?" I heard her say.
I smiled.
"Yea, it is so." I replied before continuing.
"He's a unusual shinigami" I told her "Much different from Fukakusa. Fukakusa was an experienced shinigami, this child shinigami isn't. I suppose experience doesn't mean much, figuring Fukakusa's dead and all."
"Actually, Fukakusa's not dead." I heard Yukari tell me.
Now that, that is news to me.
And also a total lie.
"What?" I exclaimed "That shinigami got vaporized. That shinigami's SOUL got vaporized. There was nothing left. There's no way anyone could survive that. "
"From my very good source, Fukakusa's actually not dead, but well...out of commission would be the proper euphuism. Some part of Fukakusa was left from that attack, unlike what we all thought happened. This boy at this point in time is just temporary, not a full replacement. I believe he will be doing Fukakusa's job here until Fukakusa is able to resume the duties of being the reaper of gensokyo." She scratched her head. "Yuyu-chan knows more then me on this stuff. I ought to ask her..."
You're kidding me. That shinigami just dropped off the face of the earth after that incident. That survival...is interesting...
"So, in conclusion, you're telling me that the boy is inexperienced, new, and seems to be very virgin to not just this world, but in general. I suppose when Komachi said "new meat", she really meant it." Yukari said, before grabbing her parasol and folding it up.
"Ahhh, it's good to know what Yuyu-chan couldn't tell me about. I know now, so I believe we won't have that difficulty anymore. I suppose since she doesn't know anything about him, I ought to leave to inform her of the good news."
"Thanks for your services Wriggle, I believe I've learned all that I need to."
"Oh, with what you're doing for me, anytime Yakumo-san." I told her.
I saw her smile.
"Now, I believe it's time for my end of the bargain, no?" She told me.
Yukari snapped her fingers, and with her power a crevice began to appear in the air. A crevice in the world grew and cracked all the way open, this gap in space had decorated bows on each end, and inside of the gap a infinite set of eyes were peering from its abyss, staring into the outside world through the gap Yukari Yakumo had just created. The gap got wider, and out of it floated a egg half my size that was cutely nuzzled in a blanket and basket all fit and snug.
I walked over to the egg and placed my hand on it.
I, Wriggle Nightbug assumed my power of dominance over my fellow insect growing in the egg that I touched. It only took a moment before my power of insects took hold over my new egg, and it became mine.
She could easily see my delightful smile. This is exactly what I was looking for.
"She's a wonderful replacement Yukari. I already have control over her already, everything seems good."
I smiled, picking up my little bundle of joy. "Hello there Betsy Jr." I said to my soon to be hatchling. "I'm gonna be your mommy and master."
From the corner of my eye I could see Yakumo smile at the sight of me hugging my egg, before putting it back in it's basket.
"Now make sure you take good care of her." Yukari told me "Those bugs are quite dangerous, and I do not want those dangerous things messing up Gensokyo. I'm letting you have those bugs because I know you'll be responsible with it."
"Yes mommy dearest, I'll be a good little girl." I said in jest to her.
"As long as you understand. We both know what those things are capable of. If I get a whiff of those bugs spreading out of your control or threatening the balance here, I'm getting rid of them all."
She's always a stickler for that peaceful balance, isn't she?
"I'd expect nothing less. Thank you." I told her.
"Would you mind sending her to that little bug sanctuary of mine? I have some business to attend to right now."
With a little smile I watched Yukari snapped her fingers and the egg was sucked back up into Yukari's gap. With my own power I could tell my little egg was where she belongs, safe and snug.
"So, intending to do what I think you're about to do?" She asked me.
"Of course. You can watch if you'd like, only if you can keep yourself hidden." I demanded to the most powerful youkai of Gensokyo.
It amused her. I saw Yukari give out a little chuckle. "Sounds nice. I'd like to see your little show."
"Good. I've told you a lot already, and soon you should learn everything you need to know about him in a few minutes Yakumo-san"
We both smiled.
My bugs continued their surveillance on the pair of shinigami.
Onozuka-san stopped, reaching a clearing within the forest, a nice circular area.
"Hey, Liam, why don't we take five for a moment?" I heard her say to the young shinigami.
"Um..." He began to say, unnerved. He didn't know what to say.
Flinches.
He'd get eaten fast if he wasn't already dead.
"Ok Sempai" He said, taking a seat down by a large rock.
Ahhh...
"Hey, Liam, do you mind if I head away for a second? I'll only be a minute"
Weird way to put things.
"Um, Sempai, you said we were suppose to go to Shiki-sama's house?"
"We do, I just need a few minutes."
He looked at her with a curious look.
He seemed passive.
"Why?" He inquistioned.
Onozuka-san shrugged. "Bathroom"
His face lit up with an embarrassed expression "Oh, I'm sorry" he said, as if he had to make up for what he just said earlier.
The boy went silent for a moment. I suppose saying ok, now go to the bathroom is too weird for him.
He seems more submissive then I thought. Of course, I'll find out how much in a moment.
Komachi on the other hand, took that moment to find her path away, and turned to the boy before she left. "I'm heading off, I'll be back in a while. See ya kid." She said.
Ahhh. She's giving me the go ahead. I always prefer privacy. Dark room, places where it's just them and m-
And then Onozuka-san suddenly appeared infront of my face, inches from my soft, human-like flesh. My antenna's went stiff and took a step back in naturalistic shock.
Damn, how'd she track me?
After I regained my composure, all Onozuka-san did was glare at me.
I returned the favor inquisivitly.
After a minute she gave up the glare and shrugged in surrender.
"Look, I know you're gonna do your thing you normally do, and it's not gonna matter how much I bitch and moan cause you're gonna do it anyway cause that's what you always do. I'm not gonna fight a losing battle; so I'll leave him to you."
She came around nicely.
"Thank you. This shouldn't take too long Onozuka-san." I said to her back.
"I'd prefer it that way. Wriggle, I won't stop you, but can you be gentle this time? He's not a normal newcomer like the others. He's actually new to pretty much everything." Said Onozuka-san, telling me information that I already had known. "And more importantly, Shiki Eiki and I desperately need him around, so don't go scaring him away. Because he can up and leave if he's pushed too far, and we really need him to stay. Do you understand?"
Her eyes focused on mine, as if she was burning a hole through them. I looked at hers back, unwavering.
Seems like she wasn't gonna budge on this one. "Be gentle, do you understand?"
Eventually, I think I felt myself budging on this. "Alright " I relented.
Or maybe I won't. Why show mercy.
Well, for Onozuka-san...maybe I'll give some leeway on this one
"I'll show some restraint" I told her, may or may not agreeing to do that, at least, to what she considers restraint.
"I'm glad you understand." She said, breaking eye contact and walking past me. "If you excuse me, I really do need to use the bathroom."
Oh. That was the truth? Hmmm... "There's a bushed area behind those tr-"
Onozuka-san interrupted me as she took offense to it. "In the middle of the forest? who do you think I am, a feral brute? No way I'd take a crap there. I'm making a stop at home."
Wouldn't that take a whi-Manipulation of distance. Right. Lucky bastard.
"If you excuse me, I'll be off"
She vanished from my sight, her powers kicking into gear and sending herself far away. Presumably to do nature's business outside of nature. I suppose if I had the luxury of instant high speed travel, I'd probably do that too. At least I have alternative methods.
Whatever. I have time with him all to myself, and it was time to begin.
The mark was sitting all by himself on a broken, fallen tree.
Age had consumed that old tree into being nothing more then a impromptu bench.
He seemed to be doing nothing. He took out his strange, folded up scythe and placed it next to him on the "bench", leaning back to relax.
This was more then the proper time to act. I began to bring some of my insects out, as well as taking control of the native ones around the area and bringing them under my dominion. My absolute control.
The new additions began to rustle the leaves around the forest, grabbing the young shinigami's attention.
He didn't grab his scythe instinctively, and as a matter of fact did not grab it at all.
Still sitting he looked around, trying to see where the sounds came from
"Hello? Sempai?" He said to the open air, thinking maybe it was her.
Hmm...interesting.
"Hello? Komachi-Sempai?"
Nooopppe.
I decided to make it louder. The swirling and whooshing doubled in speed. This got the boy's attention even more, and he finally stood up from the dead tree bench.
I still said nothing, staying at my vantage point, continuing to observe the boy who was unaware of me.
"H...h-hello? Komachi-sempai? Is that you?"
...
"Eiki-sama?"
Guess again.
Looking at him, that soon became apparent to the boy.
At the crypts to his worry and on a whim I stopped my insects.
Upon doing so, the entire forest went dead. Neither I, nor him could hear a single thing. Like my fellow subservient insects, I became perfectly still.
A skill of the insect. Hiding within sight, more silent then anything. Unknown, unseen, and unheard we want to make our presence known.
The sudden silence brought a sense of confusion and unease to him. From being surrounded to being alone. Like being jerked heavily, this becomes very unpleasant very fast.
"What in the..." I heard him mutter, as he now was starting to look around, looking for something familiar to tell him everything is ok.
Of course, it was not ok.
My eyes moved to his weapon. The boy had still not grabbed his weapon.
If he was human, I could swoop down, and with a single blow claim his life. Dropping down, he would notice me far too late. Foot to head, positioning to smash his nose into the brain...My foot would be my prey's last sight before I sent him to the Yama...
But I had no intention of letting murder be his first impression of me.
His eyes continued to scan the thick forest. I think he might finally notice me.
And then he did.
Hmm...hello boy.
For a flash of a single second, he and I locked eyes. I looked directly at his young red eyes, and he glared into aquamarine eyes.
It's time to stir up my insects again.
A second after our eyes made contact, a loud buzzing came from nowhere.
"ACK!" He shouted breaking eye-contact, nearly falling over the tree he once sat on thanks to the sudden noise.
All the insects within my reach began to play their buzzing songs as the native bugs started to swirl through the trees as before, and in addition a group of insects grouped together towards me, making like a giant curtain that I pulled over myself as I jumped back into the forest, letting the curtain of insects come apart and reveal that whatever had stared him in the eyes was now gone.
I had noticed the boy had still not grabbed his weapon.
I could see his breath increase, his eyes darting all around frantically, no longer could he stay still, and he began to turn around once, twice, three times to try to understand the situation. His eyes became desperate to find me again, to find the unknown thing that was watching him. Once, twice, three times, his building frenzy did not stop.
My actions seemed to bring out something I never expected, one nor have ever seen come from a shinigami before...
"Who...who's there?"
Fear.
This boy smelt of fear. He was getting scared. It was building, like a slow drip filling up inside his soul, and his fear was finally rearing it's terrified head.
While it was not much...I have seen fear a thousand times, and this was it. A...
Wait, a shinigami is scared? What the hell?
These people are suppose to be trained not to act this way. Right? They need to go through some sort of training...why the hell is he scared? Maybe he's just unusual...no...
...this kid is different.
What's different?
What's different what's different I need to know.
I need to know.
There must be some reason why he's not like the others...
Or maybe...maybe is this a facad-no...
No, this was fear, genuine fear. It's not fake.
The fear was building, I could sense. His eyes darted around, looking to see me once more.
He hasn't tried exerting his authority as a shinigami. He must know of that "card" to play, and he still hasn't grabbed his weapon. He was still vulnerable...
Hmmm...
I've seen enough. It's time for the next part.
From the storm of insects swarming around him, I jumped out into the open area of the trees.
I jumped out spinning, my cape flapping in the air as I stuck the landing, landing firmly on my two feet as my cape gently flapped down my back. As I did I scattered my bugs and released the control of the natives, the forest going mostly silent as the insects left, leaving just him and I to be the only people in this forest. Heh-heh...
I looked up at my target.
"Hello" I said with my smug smile still stuck to my face.
My blue eyes looked up at him as I moved to stand straight upward. I pushed my teal short hair to the side as I patted down my baggy navy blue frilly shorts, then my white, short frilly sleeved shirt.
I then flapped my cape backwards to add just a little more of a flare.
"Um...hello" He said to me like a child.
"I take it you're the new shinigami here..." I said, walking towards him.
"I am, how did you know that?" Liam asked me.
I could only grin. "Oh, I have ways.".
I wonder...how far must I go to get him to grab that scythe...
I walked towards him, getting closer and sized him up compared to my own.
For insects, I am a titanic creature far larger and intelligent then my fellow insects, but as a humanoid youkai I'm only fairly shorter then the majority of adolescents, and the matured adults still dwarfed me in height
Walking up to him and sizing him up, he definitely is taller then me. Not by much, he seems to be the height of a late adolescent. His stance and posture was shaky, he didn't seem like he was ready to fight. Pity.
His eyes averted mine, before then looking back to me refocused.
"Well, um Hello...I'm Liam-" Liam Albius began to say, before I cut off his premeditated response.
"Nightbug. My name is Wriggle Nightbug." I nonchalantly said, walking up to a few heads away now, my unwavering eyes staring into him.
Let's see, disrespect...
Passive.
He doesn't seem to have many tough bones in his body. I've been rude to him, but his patience seems to be unwavering.
But he's got to have some tough bones, right? I don't seem to be breaking past that shell, there must be something inside that exoskeleton.
The boy robotically tried to return to that which he felt before.
"I-It's nice to meet you Nightbug-san, I am Liam Albius." He made a forced greeting bow. Not of forced by anger, but by other emotions.
His eyes told me what the mind knew. The boy was quivering internally, he wanted to make sure he did this all right.
This child is boring me. Without any sense of power or inner strength to back it up, I felt like I had no need to listen to him any further.
Being so passive, I could probably force myself on him and he'd just submit like betas to alpha males in the animal kingdom.
Wait, he's sentient and humanoid. Those self-aware types usually enjoy mating.
Nevermind.
...He's still talking...
...still not paying attention to it...
...hmm...
I wonder if he mates well.
Heh...maybe that's how he passed. To each and every teacher...heh-heh
Heaven knows the Yama could probably use some.
Ah-hah.
Ah-h-Stop stop, turn away.
Don't let him see you smile Wriggle. It'll break form.
"...and I-I'll be filling in for Fukakusa for a few months." Finished the boy's worthless words.
Luckily, after that there was no more words from him. There was a bit of silence between the beta shinigami and I, the alpha insect.
I had noticed I had taken steps past the beta, and in my own wandering, was between him and the strange, white, folded up scythe on the ground.
Gah, he's still doing nothing to secure his weapon. Dear lord.
I would never approve of a shinigami like this. How in the world could they? This creature is what brings my soul to the next world? Pathetic. Just pathetic. Onozaku and the Yama would be better off if I drove this guy away.
Bah. I'm not going to watch this beta anymore. His power clearly has to be what he passed with.
That rule of incompenticies. Good in one, suck in another. Good at fighting, bad at others. Must be, got to be. Just like Cirno-chan. Must be...
Hmmm...thinking...thinking...
I really need to get Betsy Jr. hatched and start feeding and get her up to speed to repl-
Think something important. How do I see that power...
The scythe!
Yes, the scythe.
Yes, let's use that.
And so I snatched his scythe.
Hmm...
My guess was correct, the scythe was a pure white triple-segmented scythe that was all folded up. My eyes found the blade folded into the top segment of the scythe.
Weird.
"H-Hey." Voiced the boy
What's weirder. The scythe...
...I see. There's something coming from this scythe. The boy might have some power...but so does his weapon. This is the third shinigami scythe I've ever touched...and this one is not like the others...this power combined with his own power...makes a person think...
"For a shinigami, you have a weird scythe." I said to him.
The boy didn't know what to say to it.
Ehh...yea, it is sorta a weird thing to say. Whatever, I don't care.
I extended the weapon to towards him to hand it back.
"You want it back?"
"Yea" He said as he began to relax. The beta shinigami reached out for his own missing weapon.
"Thank you. I don't know what I'd do withou-"
Which I then pulled back. "Nooope" I said, taking the weapon back.
Clearly, this was exactly what he was expecting. His befluttered face said that.
"I think I'll keep it instead." I said teasingly, taking the scythe back and starting to turn away.
"Hey, wait" He said to me. "I really need that. You can't take it"
"Oh really?"
"Yes." He said with a passion. "That scythe was a gift to me. I'm suppose to keep it with me at all times and I have her my word I would."
And there we go, we got something.
Motive, and a girl. Hmmm, he wants to impress her. Maybe a mate? Desired mate?
Nah...his earlier naivety suggests this she isn't a romantic relationship, maybe. So what does that leave?
A mentor? That'd be interesting, and could explain-
"Please, can I have my scythe back."
I looked at the boy. If he is someone's student...then...
I grinned and formed a smug smile. One to send just the right signal to the boy.
"Make me."
He's definitely going to know how to fight then.
"You want it? You're going to have to pry it from these hands of mine" I said to him.
Clearly, violence is what I imply. Now, how long until he chooses that path?
Will he just jump right to it? Find another way? Use intimidation? I won't budge until he uses force. Yes, then I'll cave and then come crawling to him oh so begging for life and an attempt at bribery to save my own skin when he thinks he's in a position of power and I'm in "weakness".
Two, three clashes then I'll take a fall and start that. Alright, that'll be the gameplan.
"You want this right? Come and take it." Taunted I, the small firefly youkai to an immortal reaper of souls.
He stood there, his eyes told me he was conflicted.
I dangled the low hanging fruit called his scythe out for him to see, giving it a little twirl before holding it upside down.
Something was stirring. Anger? Determination?
"Nothing? Better make a choice, or else I'm just gonna walk away."
...
"Hm. I suppose you don't want to keep this after al-"
"STOP." He said. Not shouting, but loud to get my attention. I suppose the most a beta male can do. "Look, I-I don't want to fight, I just want my scythe back."
I wasn't gonna give it to him that easily. "You don't want to fight?" I questioned "What type of shinigami are you who doesn't want to fight? Isn't that what you reapers do for a living?"
"Reaping isn't all about fighting" His response was quick...quicker then previous responses. "It's not just about having to fight dead souls!"
I think I hit a nerve.
...Let's see how far this goes...
"Oh really?" I said. "In your line of work, I don't think you'll have a choice."
"That's only if you don't try to help them." He replied. "They're hurt. W-when you die, it hurts, you're lost, confused, and everything is trying to tear your soul apart. Someone should be there to help those who are hurting, not just cut them to pieces with a scythe. That should be the last resort..."
I faked a demeaning laugh, scoffing at his notion. "I really have trouble believing that." I said "You know what I think? I think if you really think that, you might as well quit right now, because the world don't work like that at all you idiot."
Actually, I'm wrong here. Brute force can only take you so far, and can also backfire and destroy you. Despite how weak he said it the boy speaks a enormous truth, but that's not the point here.
I want to know what you'll say. I mock and defy your worldview and call it foolish, what's your response?
"..."
Looking, I see the response was silence.
And silence speaks volumes.
He didn't like what I just said one bit. He closed his eyes scrunched in annoyance of his words not getting through my proverbial exoskeleton, or... or maybe he took in what I said.
Maybe he was thinking about quitting?
"You're wrong!" He Defiantly exclaimed...but as a defense to his own decision then anything else...I can tell the difference. I kept my gameface, and kept up my act.
"Of course I'm wrong.." I said back. "Even though you keep telling yourself, not a thing is gonna change. If you can't even raise that scythe of yours, if you can't overcome a simple question like mine, and you done either haven't yet, then you don't belong here."
He broke eye contact with me.
Yes, I hit a nerve. One that's been hit before, one that's hurt him before.
Something tells me this wasn't the first time he was told this, which would explain that trigger of sudden verbal defense...Yes...the pieces seem to be falling in place now.
I can't believe this. This is the shinigami that's replacing Fukakusa? Fukakusa was a fine reaper. I might be sullied by Fukakusa's high standards, but this boy has nothing on his predecessor, be it temp or not.
Onozuka-san must be desperate to have someone like this. Or maybe, maybe they don't know. I may not know how they do their business, but do they truly need someone to replace Fukakusa this badly?
"...Please, just give me back my scythe." He said. His voice sound defeated, his voice didn't want me to continue on the path I was taking. He really was like a beaten child.
I've seen enough.
The last thing, his fighting skill. It's time to start it and finish here.
Hmm...fighting...
He really didn't seem he wanted to fight me. I've seen Onozoka-san recall her weapon and pull it to her like a psychic, but...something tells me that boy isn't competent of doing such a basic trick.
"I'm not just gonna hand this back to you. You will have to take it." I told him. "Or you're never getting it back"
He closed his eyes in annoyance, I saw his fist clench.
Anger response, check. Is this depression leading to anger? No...his hand is unclenching now. Not an anger response, moreso thinking then anything else. He's thinking how to get it back.
Being him, he's probably aiming for something nonviolent...
Ok, he's thinking. Let me give him a hint.
"Come on. Take back your scythe." I said "I won't sit here all day, call it back to you or something? A good shinigami can do that, no?"
Because if he can, now he has to. Or else what I said earlier will be justified.
It seems he's resigned himself. He's seem to come to some sort of conclusion, or epiphany in that head of his. His hand is open and he's-
!
My taunt worked. I felt the scythe began to shake in my hands. Like it was slowly starting to wiggle out of my grip and trying to return back to the hand of it's master's.
The pull of the scythe felt much stronger then Onozuka's, maybe he's more competent then-OW!
"OW!"
Owowowowow-owowowowowowowowo-
"Nightbug-san!"
That scythe of... just, just unfolded into me...
"Shit! OW! OW! SHIT!"
...right in the girl's box...ahhhhhhh...
"ahhh...eeee...ahhhh..."
It hurts...ahhh...ah...damn it...this...hurts...
My brain could think for a moment, and told me my mistake. My hand had let go of the scythe, and It left my crotch and fell to the ground and I fell down to my side right beside it...curling up in pain-
"-Nightbug-san!"
-as that idiot makes more and more annoying noise and making my brain hurt.
"Are you ok?!"
...shit...goddamn it...How does...how does getting hit there hurt so much...crap...I thought it only hurt guys...shit...
Why didn't I know this?...ahhh...ooww
"Oh my god. I am so so sorry" Grated in my ears. And it was getting louder. Shit, he's getting closer. I can hear his voice grating in my brain as it's trying to-
"I was just trying to recall my scythe."
Just shut up already.
"I wasn't trying to attack! Honest!"
But No. No he wouldn't.
"I'm Really, I'm really really really sorry." his voice scratched my brain.
...When I get up...I...am...going to .ass!
"I really didn't mean it Nightbug-san."
Gah...stop talking. I can't think!
"I am so so sorry."
Just...just...
"Let me help you-"
"SHUT UP!" I shouted louder then a yamabiko at that damn idiot!
"Ah!" He grates again and-
oh no.
I focus on my vision, and I see the recourse of my actions as my brain slows things down, allowing me to see what I had done. That scythe, yes. He dropped it because I scared him, I see it falling down, getting closer...and f-
"OW! MY HEAD!"
Son of a bitch! OUCH!
I grabbed my head in pain, letting the pain in my crotch go unchecked, no sign of dignity left as rolled left and right, my top and bottom of me throbbing in pain because of that stupid idiot.
I screamed out, finally stopping on my back and mentally suppressing the pain I had just inflicted upon myself.
I still let out a painful hiss, my eyes closed as I try to make the pain go away.
And it went much better this time. I think the idiot finally listened to me. I don't hear his voice at all. I think I hear some other voice, it's faint, but the ruffling trees above us don't deceive.
After a minute, I felt the pain slowly start to go away, I began feeling better as I tried to hear what was above me, because something really, really was there.
"Ahahahahaha" that voice, that wasn't the boy's got louder. It wasn't male, but a female's, seemingly enjoying my-
Oh god it's Onozuka. What the hell is she doing? I thought she said she'd give me time!
"I was trying to be quiet Wriggle, I really was, but that...that little bit pushed me over the edge." I herd her say, before rolling off the tree branch she was loafing on, magically swinging around it, now floating, but looking like she was relaxing on the bottom side of the branch in defiance of gravity. "Seriously Wriggle, what a show. I never thought you were capable of that."
...
The ferrywoman's laugh doubled, nolonger needing to hide it her enjoyment of my pain
"Sempai?" The beta shinigami said to the laughing shinigami. I could see the tension in his body let up, relief and famility has returned to him.
Shit, I'm losing him.
"Yea, it's me kid" She said, flipping upright (giving me a quick peek under her dress as she did, which I couldn't care less about) and floating back down to the ground.
"Decided I'd come back a little early and see how this thing was going down."
What.
"And I gotta say, it's been a interesting little show."
I double-blinked. Don't tell me you're-
"Show?" Said the idiot male shinigami to the older idotic shinigami.
Oh no...oh no.
She's gonna ruin everything! Damn it! I think she's gonna reveal what I'm doing!
I have to stop it!
I hopped up to my feet. Still felt wobbly, I didn't care. I gotta stop this and salvage this mess.
"You! Whoever you are! Get lost!" I pointed shouted towards Onozuka-san. "I'm about to beat this guy's ass. Unless you wanna die too, whoever you are, scram!"
The target took a step back when I made my threat. Onozuka-san did not.
Onozuka-san just stood there between us as I waited for her to scram. She responded to me. "hmmm...nahhhh. I think I'll stay."
WHAT? You're messing up my thing! Get lost! I still haven't fought and gauged him and thrown my fight with him yet! How is he gonna act when I'm at his mercy! If he has a peer is there, if it's not just him and I he's going to act differently! That's important! You're messing this whole thing up!
"Onozuka, get out of here" I said softly enough only she would hear.
Instead of complying Komachi responded by tapping my sore head with the top of her staff.
"OW!" I said, falling back down on my rear, the pain in my head reignited.
Ouch!
"Onozuka, What the hell!?" I shouted, falling back against a tall tree.
"I told you to be gentle." She said bending over to me not really caring what the boy heard. "What the heck were you doing?"
"I should be asking you that! What the heck are you doing?" I shouted to her, still mostly incapacitated.
"Trying to make sure Liam doesn't quit on day one, no thanks to you. I told you to be gentle and this clearly doesn't look like being gentle."
Your opinion of being gentle is not what I think is being gentle. Yours involves chainsaws, mine involves talking, I think my way's better.
"Komachi-sempai? What's going on?" The beta shinigami asked to us, suspicions nodoubt raising.
He was inching closer, now that Onozuka-san played protector for him.
"It's quite simple."
Oh crap. You better not-
"Wriggle here was testing you. She wanted to find your limits, know all about you, how you react to things, all that good stuff."
!
She told him! She freaking told him! Damn it! You big breasted ginger jackass! My thing! You ruined my thing!
I flailed "You jackass!"
"She was testing me?"
"Yep. But don't worry, she does this to everyone. It's kinda her thing."
"Jackass! Stop telling him stuff!" I exclaimed.
Instead of doing what I like, she turned around. "Come on, you were pretty much done anyway, weren't you? From your MO, all you had left was just to fight him, right?"
That is true.
I immediately stopped, and I calmed down.
"Fine. I'll concede that." I said-
WAIT! But then how am I suppose to know what happens when someone he doesn't like is at his mercy? Maybe he'd enjoy it and take advantage of it. Maybe he'd kill me, maybe he'd make me his slave, or maybe he'd extort me. There's too many what ifs!
"Wait, No!" I shrieked out. Riling back up and hopping back up on my feet.
"How am I suppose to know what happens when someone's at his mercy?! Maybe he'd extort me, take advantage of me, maybe he'd kill me, maybe he's able to be bribed, or worse! But now that he knows we're not gonna know until it happens, are we?"
I saw the beta male take a step back. "I-I'd never do that!"
"Thanks for the concern, but we vet our people well." I herd Onozuka-san say to respond. "We don't just give any smuck a scythe and send them out. I assure you, we don't let bad apples slip through the cracks, and when we do, we clamp down on them quick."
"You're like what, millenniums old?, how do you know? They might have chan-"
"Bonk" Spoke Onozuka-san, crossing distance in a second and giving my throbbing head another tap with the butt of her weapon, sending me back on my bottom filled with pain.
Ow! Again!
She turned around to the beta shinigami. "Liam, here's girls 101, Never call us old, ever. Mortals especially, but us too."
...
"Besides, It's just centuries." I herd Onozuka-san muttered under her breath, before acting like that never happened.
"Anyway Liam, you don't need to fear her. Whenever there's a newcomer she finds worth noting, she does this whole little thing to them, like she's doing to you. But really, after that she's pretty cool to hang around."
The boy just stood and listened.
"Why are you telling him all this?" I groaned, getting back up on my fear.
"So he knows he's not the only person you've done this with? Remember when you did it to me?" Komachi poked to me.
Yes, infact I do.
"She did this to you too? Um...if you don't mind, what happened?" Questioned the boy.
I could see Komachi smile, hearing the beta male say exactly what Onozuka-san wanted him to ask. Onozuka-san began to go in great lengths to detail our first encounter.
Honestly, I don't see much reason to go into such detail as she is.
It was quite simple with her.
Upon finding out a new ferryman shinigami had arrived, I began looking for her and found her on her very first lunch break and all alone by the riverside. This denied me a chance to do what I did to the beta male and open with my insects in the forest (a personal favorite). Instead, I approached and began pestering her, asking her meaningless questions and taunts, and when I realized she wouldn't violently retaliate and despite her constant telling to let her eat in peace, I ruined her food with my bugs.
That...That was my mistake.
Within a second, I had found myself on the ground and my neck a centimeter from Onozuka-san's scythe.
She almost took my head, and very much pointed that fact out to me. Telling me she's not interested in hurting an idiot for, how'd she put it? Not going to hurt a child, especially for no bloody reason?
Yea, I think that's what she said.
She then started chastising me for acting so suicidal and told me how I shouldn't act so foolishly, this wasn't a way to make a name for oneself, all those good things a child shouldn't d...oh yea, she still thought I was a child youkai back then.
The only time I saw any true fury was when she saw the food being eaten by my bugs. After that short moment, she seemed more worried for my own wellbeing then for her own lunch.
I suppose since immortal shinigami nolonger need to worry their own wellbeing, they shift it those who's wellbeing can change. For us mortals grave injury is serious, to them, not even worth batting an eye.
I suppose that's why she seriously freaked out so bad when she thought that Fukakusa had been killed. She wasn't expecting something like that to randomly happen to someone so close to her who's wellbeing is suppose to be constant.
Blindsided, I think is the word.
My own mental process died down as Onozuka-san finished the overly long version of how we met. "...But, in the end she made up for it. She tracked me down later that night to make up for the trouble I caused her, she brought me a bottle of sake, and not just the crap sake, but the good stuff. We talked and drank the night away, and we've been cool ever since."
Yes indeed, and I learned that sake gets you talking quite quickly. It's very helpful.
But it's not that I don't enjoy talking to you or just use you for information. I really do enjoy talking to you. You're one of the few people I know that I can actually have a engaging conversation with. It's not like Cirno-chan understands philosophy or economics, Dai-chan and Sensei are too wholesome to have some discussions about, and Mysty well, looks to me about these things. I feel weird talking to them about things I can talk to you about without judging me.
I can talk to you of anything about anything, and you're ok with it. You're a valuable ally for many reasons, but more importantly Onozuka-san, you're a very good friend.
My annoyance towards her, I noticed, were long gone.
"Indeed. She's been a very good friend to me." I added onto the tail of Onozuka-san's story.
The boy seemed relaxed, and well I suppose... I wll let it slide after all...
"So, now that we got all that out of the way, what do you say we find out what this kid's made of, eh Wriggle? I'd like to see if the academy's been keeping up to task with what it's been throwing out lately."
The boy showed some resistance to it. "Wh-wait, you want to fight me?"
"Oh no, I wouldn't deny Wriggle that honor. She'd love to be the one who gets to break you in, figuratively and possibly literally too. And quite frankly, I really wanna see what you got too"
You know me well.
Judging from the boy's reactions, he seems like he's not gonna say no to his sempai.
Perfect.
Thank you Onozuka-san.
"I wanna see how you handle Wriggle-san. She fights nothing like anything the academy throws at you, and I wanna see if you can take it. I won't spoil anything, but she is a strange opponent so you better get ready."
The boy really didn't seem to know what to say. I think that intimidated him, like what I was doing to him before.
Yep, Totally a beta male.
"You're worried that you're gonna hurt me?" I questioned. Hahaha, how cute.
"Um, actually yes." he said comfortably "Should we use some safeguards, or something to keep me from hurting you? I mean, I heal from things but you won't and-
"Ah-hahahaha" I laughed a soft, pleasant laugh "You're worried about that? Trust me, you don't need to do all. There's no need for any of us to hold back for any reason at all."
He looked to his sempai to get the permission to use deadly force. "Like she said, you don't need to hold back Liam, I'll explain later. Go give her everything you got."
I now spoke up. "You're immortal, you can't die right? So go ahead, use lethal force, and I'll just be fine. Besides"
I hopped off my feet and floated, flapping my cape and landing opposite him in this forest, the perfect location to our duel.
As I landed, I took my stance with a very wide grin. "Besides, it's not like you'll be able to hit me anyway."
Chapter 4 - The Welcome Wagon part 2- End
Author's Notes: My Wriggle is not like your Wriggle. She's a...interesting fellow, as you see. It's quite interesting to see other people's takes on the same characters. A wonder of Touhou I suppose, how we can all have such varied versions of the same characters.
If that's not the Black Tewi rule in full effect, I don't know what is.
Anyway, now we know a whole lot more about our hero then before. Hints and things to come from her "exam" of Liam, as well as some other things. I honestly wasn't going to make Komachi and Wriggle friends at first...but the more I think about it, Komachi does strike me as the type who easily makes friends with everyone she meets. It's probably harder not to be her friend.
I'd love to be her friend too. Maybe she could help whip me into shape too (hmmm...or maybe Eiki would)
Currently, at chapter 7 with 44,300 words. Sigh, chapter 6 was a bother. More about that when I get to it.
Not much else to say here I think. Give me your thoughts and opinions, I always appreciate C+C and reviews.
See you next chapter!