proofed14

(Reminder to self: The tools that Yukari sent in on first post on first thread is outsider's tool, while the tools that she sent in on human village are Kappa's. He can't use their tool fully even though they looks similar because Nobu didn't know how to operate it.)

You point out to the goddesses that the letter doesn't specify that you have to come alone, so you could bring someone along with you for the discussion, since the idea of discussing with a writing pad and having to pass it to each person is... Time wasting. Someone has to speak for you. You suggest that Sanae should go with you to the tengu village.

“Huh? Me?” Sanae looks confused. “Nobu, I think Lady Kanako would be more suited when talking to the lord than me...”

“Sanae, be brave! Nobu's already comfortable with you. Besides, I doubt Kanako is willing to act as his voice if she goes to the tengu palace...”

“His job there is to represent us, his 'voice' is [i]our[/i] voice,” She takes a deep breath then turns to Sanae. “I doubt Tenma will be happy with me anyway, so the idea of you going with him is not bad. Unless you have something else to do for tomorrow.”

“... Okay, I'll do it. I want to see tengu's village with my own eyes anyway,” She drinks her tea, but quickly stops and looks into it. “It tastes weird.”

“Oh, I'm using aspecial herb that I collected earlier, you know, to add more variety to the tea...” Suwako drinks her own. “Tastes good, doesn't it?”

“Uhm, kind of bitter, but it's fine,” Sanae gulps down the rest of the tea.

“Anywaaaay, time for our daily alcoholic beverage!” Suwako puts some sake bottles on the table. “This is your training for tomorrow too Nobu, who knows what the tengu will serve you. You don't want to get wasted while talking to the Tengu Lord, do you? You too Sanae, since you're coming with him tomorrow!”

She puts a small sake cup in front of each person, then pour the sake from the bottle into each cup.

“Cheers!”

Suwako raises her cup. You along with the other goddesses follow her and drink it...

*Glup!*

“Uhmm, can I go take a bath now?” Sanae excuses herself.

“You haven't take a bath yet?”

“Lady Suwako pulled me and Nobu here immediately after we got home...”

“Go ahead then,” Kanako nods, then Sanae stands up and walks awa-

*Buk!*

She stumbles and hits the door.

“Sanae!”

“Sorry...”

She rubs her head and walks out. You can see her face is really red before she gets out from the room. Is she sick?

“Nobu, here, come closer,” Kanako calls. You obey her, then she grabs your head with her right hand. What does she-

“Okay Kanako, that's enough. Let him have some of that,”

“...Huff.”

Kanako releases her grip. You ask her what was that for.

“Oh, nothing harmful Nobu, she just did some faith transferring,” Suwako answers for her, then pours more sake into your cup. “Here, yesterday you drank one cup of sake, so you need to drink two cups now. Remember, tengu's sake will be much, [i]much[/i] stronger than normal human's sake, so don't-”

Yeah, yeah. Don't drink more than one cup, politely reject her offer when asked, it's in your head now. You gulp down the next cup and put it in the center of the table, signaling her that you won't drink more than that.

“Now, while waiting for Sanae, do you have any question for tomorrow's discussion?” Suwako pours some tea into a different glass and put it in front of you. Well, for starter, what should you tell to the tengu. Could you deny the bath house's existance, since it's been buried by Suwako now?

“No, don't deny it,” Kanako says. “Unlike humans, those tengu trust their crow reporter, and they also have several photographs of it. You'll get more trouble if you say that to them.”

Okay... You drink the tea while listening Kanako explaining the 'battle' plan for tomorrow. Hmm, tastes familiar...

“Hear what the great tengu says first. Ask them what they want to do with us.”

Ugh... Your head feels really light...

“For example, if they tell you to demolish the building, tell them that we already did it, since it's buried in a secret place- hey, are you listeni-”

*Duk!*

---

“He half-awake Suwako.” Kanako says afer she finishes checking the man's condition. “Spiking the tea with tengu sake. Did you really think this is a good idea?”

“Nobu or Sanae will refuse if I serve tengu's sake to them without disguising it with something else. I have to mix it with the tea so he-”

“No, I mean this whole 'get them drunk and let them mate' thing. Do you think that this could backfire? Instead of getting them closer it'll make her hate him? Or if she finds out that this is all your plan-”

“We know Sanae, she won't hate him for that. If anything, she would blame herself for letting her drink that sake. We just need to tell them some story if they ask what happened this night since they won't remember it, ” Kanako is still staring at her. “Look, if anything goes really, [i]really[/i] wrong, I'll take responsibility.”

“One question. Why didn't you let me take all the faith that he collected before? It's not like he's able to use it or anything.”

“I'll teach him how to use it, so we don't have to ask the Kappa for building our stuff.”

She takes out a tiny spray and sprays something into the man's nose.

“What's that?”

“Aphrodisiac. Just in case if Nobu won't do it to her even if he's drunk. I'm kind of grateful that he didn't take your sake yesterday, else I wouldn't have had time to prepare this. I'll spray it at Sanae too,” Suwako puts the man's body to her shoulder. “Will be back soon.”

*Srrrrkk!*

“Going this far just to make them mate... If this backfires and Sanae hates him I can openly exile him from the shrine. Suwako can't defend him if Sanae also wants him to leave.”

She pours the spiked tea into her glass and drinks it.

“At least this tea tastes good.”