| [Dec. 17th, 2017|02:47 am] |
“Hold on a damn minute,” Raidou said.
“Do you want to come up, too?” Himself asked. “That’s fine, bring him here. In fact, bring the sneaky one as well. I don’t want her feeling left out.” His eyes twinkled at Raidou and Kurenai in a grandfatherly way. “But you’ll have to wait your turn. I just want to have a word with these two first.”
Raidou opened his mouth, but a swarm of descending tanuki flattened whatever protest he might have made. The next minute was a jumble of hot little paws and heavy fur. He surfaced with his wrists still tied, his feet free, and the pole-turned-twig lost in the shuffle. Kurenai, held between two kimono-wearing tanuki on his right, appeared composed, but her lips were pale.
Ryouma and Kakashi had been hauled to Himself’s feet. The immense tanuki leaned in and grinned at them with his very sharp teeth.
“You both have very good aim,” he told them. “And you,” he reached out and folded a paw over Ryouma’s dark head, patting him, “are respectful. You, however…” He squinted into Kakashi’s face, studying the uncovered grey eye. “You have issues. It’s not polite to aim for the eyes.” Himself glanced up at Raidou. “Aiming for the testicles is just lazy.”
This was so entirely not what Raidou had expected, that it took him a moment to track the meaning. The bun-throwing festival. When they’d joined the locals hurling tribute at the tanuki statue. Ryouma had dropped his one bun neatly into the statue’s bowl. The rest of them…
Kakashi angled his head at the silver tanuki, and said in a voice like leaden ice, “Take your hand off him.”
Ryouma was rigid under Himself’s large paw. He flicked a glance at Kakashi, and said quickly, “We didn’t realize the statue was you. And we were trying not to let the town know we all have good aim.”
“Hmmm?” said Himself. “Oh, the statue isn’t me. Except for the festival, of course.” He tousled Ryouma’s hair, claws raking briefly through dark strands, and let go, attention returning to Kakashi. A thoughtful puff on the long-stemmed pipe made the air haze. “You’re the connection to the fleabags, aren’t you. You’re just as possessive as they are. And definitely not respectful.” He shook his head, as if Kakashi had disappointed him. “You’re practically still a kit, though, so I’ll overlook it.”
If Raidou’s hands had been free, he might have covered his eyes.
Kakashi inhaled, let it out through his nose. A fraction of tension slid away from his spine. “What do you want, elder?”
“Hmm, good food, some fine sake, a pleasant evening under the stars…” Himself scratched his chin with a lazy grin, and then turned serious. “Also to know why the Wolves have sent human soldiers through a hole in our sky. With a senior citizen, a momma with a belly full of whelps, a half-grown puppy, and…” He regarded Pakkun. “And a mouthy bastard with a face only a mother could love. I’d like to know that.”
Pakkun made a trodden-on sound of outrage.
Raidou sighed, and prepared for yet another go round. “That would be the part where your people kidnapped Genma.” |
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