Hatched Plans

[gman]

"Oh the forest decor was exactly that. Fun and games. You have to find enjoyment in the little things out here or you'll die of boredom, and i will not perish in such a way." He said smugly What could she even say in the face of such a intellectual powerhouse like himself. His smug demeanour dropped when she mentioned the word freeloader. "I am not a freeloader! Well. Not everyday im not. Besides look at me!" He didn't particularly like her pointing out that she was making his food. Well she could, but that should be allowed! He was a guest here and granny never said anything like that before. "Do you need some eyedrops, i sure as hell dont look like a shrine keeper do i? Hell im missing your get up for one, and for two i don't think i could fit in that outfit, what is that extra small?" He asked as he mused her words before getting smug again. "Well Granny never had a problem with yokai. You aint even been here a month and you've had heaps of trouble. She also didn't have to deal with idiots with guns neither, What??" Eiji was appalled at her demand he be a caretaker. "What are you stu...." He was going to follow that up with an insult to her intelligence but again, she was making his breakfast as of now. He could live without it, but he had gotten used to having a full belly every morning. "Hmm a care taker. I have demands then!" Eiji said as he held out his hand aggressively counting his demands. "I want breakfast every morning. Two don't touch my shit near my camp, those are my terms."

[Ram]

How different could the old lady have been to the way things are now? Mika gave Orochi a dead expression for his arguments of not being a single provider to the shrine. Must have been peaceful times back then. Just Orochi squatting on the mountain and the old lady being kind to him. Mika had to consider the experiences thus far and the questionable leave of demons that one day. That simply cannot be a onetime occurrence. Being nice to him and maintaining a sacred space Ise has tasked her with were a frustrating line to balance. Let alone meeting a former teacher of hers as a link to gain more funds… it’s not as though the shrine in its current state warrants any. The girl scratched her brain on another method before brokering down a share of the profits when this fool surprised her with his simple request. A basic number of terms of meal and leaving his space alone. He… can’t be that simple? And yet here his aura was, lapping what could pass as snake lips on the porridge before him. “As caretaker then, you will have your share of shrine duties to up hold so you don’t go scaring off future visitors.Understood? No. Scarring. People.” Mika spelled out as the largest demarit on her shrine was this escentric vagabond who won’t leave over some agreement or another.

[gman]

Well the terms of the contract was set bare. He huffed and gruffed as he mulled over the terms and conditions she set forth. No scaring people, well that one should be easy at least. Every one liked talking to him! Well they did if they knew what was good for em that is. "You say that like im scary! Im nice!" The bandaged, deranged, feral said. Thinking more on it the people in the small town close to here did not scream when they saw him sulking about anymore. If anything he was a loveable scamp, in his eyes anyway. "But you have to cook. I can't use the oven. Or well im not supposed too." He called back to a memory of him and a uncontrolled fire, and burnt bandages. "Though you really think about what you ask me for help with." He was already a bit mad he wouldn't be able to laze around and still get fed, so he thought to temper her expectations of what she wanted him to to. While he was incredibly smart and talented in all things there were to do, that did not mean he wanted to do so.

[Ram]

The main task of what she wanted him to do. Given his talents and unusual strength with the local...issues, the short of it was doing muscle work on demons but did she really want to sum it up that loosely? It wouldn't be much of an agreement to have him go about his usual ways. How on earth did the former keeper have everything so peaceful before her arrival? Mika hated to think that showing up here disturbed some kind of balance, but Ise wanted to shrine to be manned. Having this lout here doesn't fulfil that as he'd probably get mouthy with other Ise agents. She needed to get this shrine organized going forward to make it a place that her master would appreciate than some run-down place after the previous keeper had left. Her eyes regrettably looked at Orochi and took a brief measure of his size. "I can see about making some kind of uniform you can throw over your current clothes. That way the next 'guest' with a youkai problem appears can get the point right away that you're an aid to this shrine," she pointed at what could be loosely defined as clothing over his bandages. To have lived around this mountain long enough that the nearby stores would be used to him... how vexing to think he managed to fit in so well. "As for what you can assist me with, I'll...rely on what you know of the land and knowing of the unusually enormous demons. I understand that this is about as out in the wilds as most for the animalistic types to roam. I take it times were far more peaceful under the previous keeper, is that correct?"

[gman]

"Uniform?" He joked earlier but she sounded serious about it. New clothes wouldn't be. . . terrible. The only clothes he owned were the threads he was currently wearing. Not a bad idea at all. "Okay. not a bad idea." Is all the input he could add to the clothes situation. He never made or bought his own. His dad handled that, he didn't even know what size of clothes he wore. He did know the wilds like the back of his hand. Exploring around for the years he was camping out here really helped his sense of direction. Looking at the Miko when she asked about the past he enthusiastically nodded along with her statement. "It was not peaceful at all!" The tone and inflection in his voice either made it seem like he was being sarcastic, or just plain dumb. "Lotsa Yokai wandered around or into the shrine when granny was here. Big ones! Nasty ones! They were fun to fight and smash. Just about the same now from then i think." He reminisced fondly on both smash and slashing yokai, along with himself was thrown around and thrashed up quite a few times himself. "Though she never fought em. She always said those paper things would stop em from coming in, but when they did she just did that magic trick to make em disappear. Kinda like you do." He said still shaking his head nodding. Suddenly it would make a bit more sense for the Miko. It wasn't that there was a influx recently, it was just Orochi was doing most of the heavy lifting with his 'games' and the previous Miko would just do away with the remains, After all already dead yokai hardly qualify for a good report to ise.
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Meanwhile in the road to the shine, large hoards of birds would be taking flight as they were disturbed by something big moving quickly through the under brush. Other smaller Yokai would also feel something coming and take heed to move or hide. A larger Jorogumo was following the trail that car left behind. That smaller spider yokai must have left a trail of ethereal thread to be found by something else. Hearing the car on the old forest road the demon could sense that the other jorogumo's Essense was not there anymore.   No sense in messing with the car when the thread led elsewhere. The demon would jump across the road as the car passed her. Letting herself be seen by the humans driving it before continuing on her way to find where her little sister went off too. 

[Ram]

"Yes. A uniform," Mika nodded to affirm she was being serious on that. Course some clothing material would be gained later when affording the time to but it was a start. Hopefully he's not too picky on the choice selections. Mika had zero intention for anything utterly gaudy and fancy for the meager sums of money they have now for repairs and upkeep. Though she was taken aback that the previous days were not peaceful at all. For all of Orochi's complaining that she was under the impression that none of this was recent at all. To know that this was an ongoing problem that Orochi has been taking care of on his own with the previous keeper was oddly reassuring in its own way. Reassuring and concerning. "That being so... I'll see to it on reporting in on these creatures as they are disposed." Mika nodded as this knowledge as a new form of revenue. She heard of a group of people that would pay for youkai parts to improve their outfitted slayer gear as well as a market for it. If Mika can get some connections going that way, then it would raise the credibility of her shrine with Ise and add more profit from whatever they happen to erase. "So that was what was going on back then. The previous keeper must have been talented with her talismans." Another standard Mika would have to meet now with her own barrier skills. She ate some of her porridge and tried to consider other loose ends in their agreement. So far it sounded like things are fairly set up between the two of them. "In that case, I'll extend more efforts in accepting jobs around the area. It will help build the shrine's renown and give the people some ease to whatever demons ails them. Jobs that would have us both be outside the shrine grounds. What do you say to that?" Mika offered as a means of giving Orochi a bit of exposure and incentive of less demons brought to their gates. Transportation would be tricky though if he's up to it. He didn't look the type to have motion sickness.

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With the large shadow passing in front of the car, the two yakuza members in the vehicle paled at the sight. "The hell was that!? A bear?" The younger one panicked and checked the rearview mirrors for any further sightings. An empty road behind them with a flicker of the light poles scattered along the mountain trail. The engine rumbled with extra gas thrown into fire, speeding further away from the shrine. "We've done what the boss wanted and our proof." An ill feeling in the air lingered behind his words with the streak of the red taillights zipping away.

[gman]

Thinking about something granny said awhile ago Orochi held out a finger to point at the small Miko as he recounted what she said. "Only report the ones who wander too close or onto the property of the shrine. Anymore is just more meddlesome work. So said the old woman." He recounted with pride. Truely his ability to remember words was unparalleled. "She was good. Or i think she was. She was pretty quick to do all that magic mumbo jumbo Come to think of it i still have a bunch of those old papers she used. They are kind of like the ones you throw around." His brow furrowed a bit remembering her little stint when she first showed up. "Course hers didn't hurt to touch." He said with a dash of venom. Of course they would hurt to touch but he never went out of his way to touch them. "I could find em if you wanted to take a look at em, but only look! I don't want you stealing them." He said accusingly, only because he stole them in the first place. He really couldn't remember why he took them, he just did. Her next offer did sound attractive. Though he had one hang up. "Hmm Go outside. What do i get out of it?" He asked the real question that came to him first. "Though should i accept i can't be away for too long. Im waiting for dad to come back, and id be pissed of he came around and i was away. He did tell me to stay put until he came back." Though as long as they were not away too long it shouldn't be too bad, and should he return he could wait a little while for Orochi to come back. Though his head turned to the sky as he watched a flock of birds take to the sky. It was starting to get darker. 

[Ram]

The Miko held back from thinking ill on the previous keeper by savoring the porridge a bit longer than usual. Only caring about those that get too close or on the property!? What about the larger ones that live on the mountain before Orochi killed it!? Mika wasn't sure on ignoring lingering factors simply because they were avoiding the shrine just for the sake of paperwork. Her eyes then moved to a glare on that remark of hurting to touch. Not her fault he was an ill demon and shouldn't be touching things a barrier is meant to keep out. Orochi carried on saying something about old papers to look at but she nearly spat out her spoon on the idea of stealing them. Stealing!? The nerve! The audacity of this snake! Mika made a move to sit up and try to feel around for the nearest thing to throw at him but couldn't find anything than her own seat cushion, so the girl sat down again.

"What do I get out of it?"

He asked this so naturally that it surprised Mika that it didn't matter to him much on leaving the shrine. Guess he has no real desire to leave. Something about saying put to wait for his Dad. Her expression softened from the anger she had at the young man to think on that term. She assumed he would have embraced wanted to leave the shrine but guess it takes a bit more to convince him for that. Waiting for his Dad to be there at the ready on just the off chance they'd miss each other by a second would be odd. There's really the one major roadway to get to the shrine and one hell of a hike to go through the mountain wilderness. She removed the spoon and set it down to give some plausible suggestions. "I put it out there because you showed interest in fighting stronger youkai and the like. Your stay on the mountain would mean that eventually there won't be anything left to fight. There's also that food. The one that came from the red box? That comes from outside the shrine." Fighting and food seemed like the most likely of reasons. Simple and short trips to leave the shrine for and return. To think he'd be this obedient for his Dad made her wonder about her own Father. Out there appeasing youkai rather than opposing them. She looked outside to note the birds and wondered what that man is doing right now while idly tossing open ideas out there between her and Orochi. "If your own Father is still out there roaming around, do you wonder what he could be doing out there? Does he even mail you a letter?" Mika asked since Orochi sounded much closer to their parents than hers. The girl wondered if any of that was true while also becoming curious to this stranger Father figure who left a wild child like Orochi to live out here in this remote mountain till his return.

[gman]

She made an interesting case. Leaving for a bit could prove entertaining. Not to mention the food. Perhaps he could get enough to hoard back at his camp, or at the least enough to keep around the shrine. His attention was piqued when she brought up his father. "No clue honestly!" He said with an unwavering enthusiasm. "All he said was to wait here and that he would be back soon. So ive been waiting! and camping! Its pretty fun! Though he ain't sent any letters or nothing." Orochi said as he grabbed at her sleeve as he stood up. "Hey you wanna see those old slips of paper? I bet granny did em better than you." Tugging at her sleeves he attempted to drag her out of the abode. "C'mon! Maybe you can do some tricks or something with them. I knew i kept em for a reason." It was getting late yes, but the prospect of getting some entertainment after his meal was a great motivator. "Itll be a quick trip out and back! You wanna see them dont you?" Orochi said as he looked at the expression Mika wore, it seemed to worsen so he thought of a way to sweeten the deal to get the light show those Paper talismans often gave. "Ill even carry you if your feet hurt, Youre not gonna get a better deal than that one!" He said as his snakes seemed to coil around his arms, attempting to help orochi in the task of pulling Mika outside. 

[Ram]

No--no clue? No clue!? Her palm smacked the table as he cheerfully displayed no concerns or worry if the man was coming back! Just waiting and camping and waiting. Not even a letter if the man is alive or not!? Mika couldn't believe it that it sounded like the man dumped the boy with the previous miko. It can't have been that simple. That's just too hard to believe. While stunned by this, her arm was grabbed and that wide eyed enthusiasm of his wanted to go see these paper slips. "What? Right now?" The corners of her eye began to twitch as he continued his tugging antics like an eager child. What in the world was he trying to prove this time!? The remark about the previous miko being better than her did sting a little but what ate at her more was the phantom snakes she could see getting in on the act. Them slivering around her arm and tugging just as well. Course, they were only aura visions in her eyes and didn't have a physical sense to them but the way they taunted and mimicked Orochi continued to fuel the suspicion that they're up to no good.

"Fine fine! Let me get up before you start dragging me there!" Mika demanded and tried to shake off the snakes and Orochi to get up and get her sandals back on. With his crazy strength, it'd be easy to but she didn't want to give him any crazy ideas. The girl patted her arm self-consciously. Just when she thought she put a stop to that thought, she turned and quickened her pace out of the shrine house. "I didn't mean that literally! If you're that eager, then hurry up then!" Mika climbed down the steps and waited for Orochi to lead the way. "So where are these slips? They're not that far... are they?" She asked with a sinking thought that the slips were at his cadaver covered camp. Assuming that was the case, she began to walk in that direction first.