#and then she became human started asking me trivia questions. and petting me. and telling me about i thiiiiink public transport?

[puppetmastery]

had a dream about a beautiful and demanding trans woman who could turn into a massive black dragon petting my head in her lap and infodumping while I tried not to fall asleep from the comfort of it all. um. um. 🙏🤲

[pear-otter]

Food Therapy

After the blow-up at the caves, Ai invites Etsuko and Ines for some food therapy in the cooking club. They talk yokai.

Katie:

Ok well, Ai is in the clubroom because she was looking around for Gabe but upon being told Gabe is missing, Ai decided to go comfort cook or whatever

Her new haircut is on display out of hat and she nervously pets it constantly, and she's out of uniform in one of the skirts she got from Emi. There is rice in the ricecooker and tofu and broccoli and almonds in the pan

Devon:

Etsuko was invited by Ai (obviously) and is grateful for the distraction because she's worried about approaching Clea, and stressed about the Val thing because she's official WEB(tm) now and feels like she needs to be doing something to help the situation even though it's mostly between people that aren't her. Also, she thinks Ai's hair looks really great, and would rather be doing eating than cooking.

Katie:

"Hi Etsuko!" Ai smiles at Etsuko when she comes in, turning away from the stove briefly and smoothing her worn old yellow apron over her skirt. She finds that she is actually, genuinely happy to see her, which is odd because Ai hasn't decided whether she Likes Etsuko or not. "I already have a stir fry going, so I'm afraid there won't be much for you to do, but we can just talk? Tell me more about your father! It's funny that he doesn't even believe in any of the folklore."

Hannah:

Dumb. Stupid. Shitty. Dumb. Shitty.

Her inner dialogue is less than friendly despite following through with an invitation. A generous invitation. To be invited by Ai surprises Ines, but she takes it. It's an opportunity to smooth over her suspicions. Not that she' thinks Ai is a total nasty bitch. She's just shady.

Her steps click against the the tile leading to the cooking room, announcing her arrival long before she can. Ines tugs at the collar of her uniform, stifled by the stiff fabric. "Shit."

Devon:

Etsuko returns the smile, and makes her way over to Ai's side in order to catch a whiff of whatever delicious thing she's got going on the stovetop. She's momentarily grateful for both Ai's company and the comforting smell of food after a long day of fretting over things she can't change. She stiffens when Ai mentions her father, but tries to hide it with a small eye roll. "Yes he, really doesn't seem to care much for Japanese culture in general. I was born in America, so naturally I was curious about where he came from, but it seemed to make him angry when I brought it up." she sighs, regretting having brought him up, then continues, "But, you sure seem to know your way around yokai trivia!"

Katie:

"Oh well, when you grow up in a certain community, y'know... Do you like broccoli and tofu? I can throw in some other ingredients if you have any favourites?"

Etsuko didn't mention Ai's hair and it puts Ai out a bit but really, they only just met each other after all. Ai feels safe and secure in the familiar warmth of a kitchen, the smell of food in the air.

When Ines comes in, Ai doesn't turn around to see her, busy with the food, but calls over her shoulder, "Hiya Ines! Etsuko, I hope you don't mind I invited Ines too! We could all do with some food therapy I think!"

Hannah:

Ines' hands fiddle with the buttons until she has undone the first four. Snakes slither against her skin, cool and familiar. A sigh of exhaustion escapes her mouth that she didn't even realize she had been holding.

Formalities don't mean much to her with Ai anymore. Living in a room together will sort of kind of do that to you. "Food therapy, ha! Don't say the T word or someone will pop out of the wall to call you insensitive," she says to Ai's back. Her eyes roll back so far into her head she swears she sees her brain. The counter makes a good backrest as Ines props herself against it.

Devon:

Etsuko pulls her gaze away from Ai's cooking in time to see Ines lean against to counter. She wonders briefly how such casualty and elegance could possibly exist in one being simultaneously. A little off put by Ines' almost biting comment, she decides against responding to it. She opts to return her attention to Ai. "Of course I don't mind. And, if your cooking isn't perfect therapy, I don't know what is!" She gets the urge to ask how long it will be before it's ready to eat, but holds her tongue. Ai probably wouldn't appreciate the prodding.

Katie:

Ai purses her lips into a little frown at Ines comment about therapy. Of course it's true, and it irritates Ai that some people are too prideful to ask for help when they need it. After a small pause to consider whether she falls into that category of people, Ai brushes the thoughts aside.

"Well, either way, it's ready!" Ai says cheerily.

Ai turns off the burner and moves over to the ricecooker, popping the top off and pulling some bowls out from under the counter. She uses the paddle to heap sticky rice into each bowl, and places two by the stove.

Help yourself to the stir fry! It's just broccoli, tofu, and almonds in shoyu! Do you guys want forks, spoons, or chopsticks?"

Devon:

"Considering I have no clue how to use chopsticks, I will take a spoon," both her mouths are watering and she almost forgets her manners, "please." she adds.

Katie:

Ai pauses to shoot a quick frown of displeasure down at the utensil drawer. She doesn't even know how to use chopsticks!!! Ridiculous. The situation is more dire than Ai first suspected, Etsuko is obviously desperately in need of guidance.

Hannah:

Ines watches Etsuko with amusement, her mouths grotesque and intriguing. She barely shifts from her position on the counter. Patience isn't her thing, but she has the patience right now. New kids are so funny, especially the younger ones. "I'll take a fork." A hint of a smile plays on her lips.

Katie:

"Spoon, Etsuko, and fork, Ines," Ai announces as she hands each classmate their requested utensil.

Ai motions to the food. "Get stuck in then!"

After a few moments of eating in silence, Ai speaks again. "So Etsuko, what do you know about yokai culture? Or just futakuchi onna? Japan in general?"

Hannah:

A bowl full of stir fry and a fork later, Ines places herself at the counter. Elbows on a tabletop is rude but since this obviously isn't a tabletop, she shouldn't be persecuted for her manners. Mouthfuls of tofu keep her quiet but she's interested in the culture talk. Her eyes flick to Etsuko and Ai and back again as they speak in term. Sweet. Dinner and a show.

Devon:

Etsuko separates a small portion of the rice by scraping it to the left of the bowl, as her prehensile hair stretches over her right shoulder and begins picking at a large piece of broccoli. Moments later it succeeds in grabbing the vegetable, which Etsuko soon tastes as it enters her second mouth. The process must be odd for bystanders to observe, but she's too immersed in the meal to care. She's got two mouthfuls full of rice when Ai asks her questions, and quickly swallows. As she speaks, she tries to ignore Venus' as it continues to gobble up the remainder of the food. It's an unfamiliar feeling, as she is not used to having company while she eats. "Well, Futakuchi-onna have two mouths and eat a lot, yokai are...supernatural anomalies, and Japan is an archipelago located in the East Sea."

Katie:

Very funny. Ai stuffs some rice into her mouth politely to distract herself from the urge to roll her eyes.

"Okay...well then is there anything in particular you're curious about with regards to any of those things? Oh, and did either of you want anything to drink?" Ai gets up again to rummage for cups.

"You know you can sit at the table with us if you want," Ai whispers with an amused smile to Ines where she leans against the counter. "You can also stay there of course, but there are options."

Hannah:

Her mouth forms a tight smile. The kind of smile you try to fight off because your roommate is cute. Ines moves from the counter to the table, taking the time to shove some rice into her mouth. Her cheeks puff out comically. Sue her for biting off more than she can chew.

Every once in a while she sneaks glances towards Etsuko, curious about her- her eating deal. This must be how people feel watching her snakes eat. They wind through her hair, around her neck. Two snakes take an interest in the food and hover in front of Ines’ face. Her eyebrows furrow, “Buzz of!”

Devon:

Etsuko is momentarily distracted by Ines' snakes, and finds herself wishing Venus could be tamed so easily. She has plenty of questions and she's sure Ai has answers, but it's difficult to pick just one. "Well, you've been a Kawauso since birth, yes? I'm curious about where you're from, if that's alright with you..." she trails off, caught between a burning need for answers and potential invasion of Ai's privacy.

Katie:

"Yes, I was born a kawauso! Typically they come into being when a regular river otter lives a very long time, "kawauso" really just means river otter, after all. That's how my mother became a yokai. My father is a human though, like I said, he's not too fond of all things supernatural," Ai explains seriously, hoping to impart some wisdom onto Etsuko. Very aware that she has been going on about herself, Ai scrambles for a question to redirect focus.

"Um, what are some other yokai you've heard of Etsuko? Ines, even? Most yokai would be educated within their own community or not at all, but there were probably some that came through Wollstonecraft over the years?"

Hannah:

“Oh girl don’t look at me,” Ines shakes her head and looks into her depleting bowl. “I’m just the bitch who makes the biscuits.” And with that she continues to eat, food therapy working it’s magic. Ines pauses to look at the bowl suspiciously. This thing better not have magic in it. She shrugs it off quickly, vague comment forgotten. She should start passing out print versions of urban dictionary. This school could learn a thing or two.

Devon:

Etsuko gave a quick scan of her internal archives, keyword: yokai. Nearly everything she knew about Japan had come from the pages of various language workbooks that she had picked up from her local library. The Halloween section of Adventures in Japanese V.III carried the information she needed. "I know of a few! There's Rokurokubi, who are women that can elongate their necks...Yuki-onna, who lives in the snow and might kill you...and an umbrella...that's alive and has an eye..." she looks to AI for approval, unsure if she should keep going or shut up.

Katie:

Ai nods encouragingly. "Yes! I only know one yuki onna and she is very beautiful. And you probably mean karakasa kozō? Or kasa-obake, they're called that too. They're pretty gross but mostly harmless. They're a type of tsukumogami! Those were good, any more? It's interesting to see what are the most popular in America! I've never been!"

Hannah:

All of the terminology goes over her head. Like, flies straight over her head at however fast planes fly. Oh look, there goes another word she doesn’t understand.

Whatever she does catch is interesting. This entire conversation is an entire lecture of geographically specialized creatures and cryptids. Fucking cool. “Not to interrupt or whatever but did you say an umbrella… Cause that’s what I wanna be when I wanna grow up,” she jokes. Is that offensive? She’s not sure.

Devon:

Etsuko giggles at Ines' comment, before returning to her musing as she pieces together Ai's explanations with her limited personal understanding. "I've heard the term tsukumogami...those are kinds of sentient objects, yes? And, obake like karakasa kozo are generally docile, as opposed to Yurei who tend to be angry...but I don't think yokai popularity in America extends beyond anyone who isn't particularly interested in Japan."

Katie:

"Oh, I see," Ai says, sobering slightly, eating a piece of broccoli pensively. She thinks of Emi and raises her head again, swallowing hastily and smiling again. "What about kitsune? They're super popular in Japan, and some people at my old school in England even knew them! Perhaps in America too?"

Hannah:

No one is answering her question. This is fine. Umbrellas and sentient objects are all perfectly normal. Genuinely normal not sarcastic normal. Ines has snakes growing out of her head, she is not one to talk. She throws her braids over one shoulder with her snakes dodging her hand. “I know I’m not like, super well versed in Japanese spirits but I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she breaks in. There’s too many things to keep up with. Everyone please deposit a vocabulary list on her desk tomorrow.

Katie:

"Oh, of course, sorry Ines," Ai says, shaking her hands apologetically. "Well, the umbrella, at least the one Etsuko mentioned is more of a household nuisance really. They're just like regular umbrellas but with a spirit, and an eye, and usually the handle becomes a foot-claw thing they can hop around on. And kitsune function a lot like kawauso, but they're foxes, not otters, and are generally considered more powerful than kawauso, and are therefore more popular, culturally speaking. Emiko is a kitsune, you see! Does that clear things up?"

Hannah:

Eyebrows raise, her eyes get wide. Not that the umbrella is particularly shocking, but it’s more of a knowing look. The “I’ve heard you mention this name before and now every time you mention her I’m looking at you like the eyes emoji” kind of look. It’s like totally whatever, but Ines still gets a kick out of it.

“I guess it clears a thing or two up,” she says reaching for something to take a sip of. “Sounds pretty wild.”

Katie:

Ai purses her lips and puffs out her cheeks in a little pout at Ines' Look, turning to face Etsuko again, rising above the urge to address the look Ines is shooting her. She has no idea what Ines could possibly be getting at.

"I suppose it can seem pretty odd," Ai replies, pausing as she tries to remember what they were talking about. "So...did you know about kitsune, Etsuko? In America?"

Devon:

"Yes, I know about them! They're shapeshifters, like Tanuki. Though, from what I've seen, many people in America seem to confuse them with racoons..." Etsuko looks between Ai and Ines, worried that she is at fault for their exchange of odd expressions. "Is there something I'm missing here...?"

Katie:

"Oh, nothing!" Ai makes an exaggeratedly innocent expression, her eyes wide, that only really serves to make her look more guilty. "Don't worry about it," she mumbles, waving her right hand hastily, chopsticks pinched between her fingers, her bowl nestled in her left palm.

"Um...yes, tanuki are in the same sort of, class, I guess, too!" Ai daintily picks some almonds out of her bowl, at a loss for what to bring up next. She hopes Etsuko doesn't think they were making fun of her or something.

Devon:

"Well, okay..." Etsuko gives the now more-suspicious-than-ever Ai a unqiue eyebrow raise of her own, before deciding to lay the subject to rest. "You mentioned that your Aunt Chiyo was also a Futakuchi-onna, so my next question is: am I...doing this right?"

Katie:

"Oh..."

Ai pauses, putting her bowl back on the table and staring at it thoughtfully.

"I wasn't really expecting such a question..." Ai looks up and fixes Etsuko with what she hopes is an encouraging look, although she can't help a brief role of her eyes as she mentions Chiyoko. "Well, Obasan isn't very forthcoming about life as a futakuchi onna, besides complaining a lot, and nagging, she doesn't share that much about herself. I don't think there's really one right way of being a certain thing, y'know?"

Ai trails off, thinking about what she just said, getting wrapped up in her own thoughts again. There's no one right way of being, huh? She shakes it off, shelving the thought for later, and continues.

"One thing that I do notice is that you eat through your mouth too? Like," Ai gestures to her own face, "this mouth? Obasan only ever eats through this mouth," Ai gestures to the back of her head, "but I don't think what you're doing is wrong, maybe just unnecessary..."

Devon:

"That...makes a lot of sense actually. It's mostly out of habit, but I guess there really is no need. If anything, maybe Venus could learn to use chopsticks, so that I don't have to!" It's only half a joke. If Venus could use utensils it would save her the effort of having to clean her hair after every meal. But, was it even capable of such a feat? Before she had time to ponder, another question found its way off her lips. "Are all the members of your family yokai? Not including your father, of course."

Katie:

"I can teach you, if you like! It's really not that difficult once you know how to use them!" Ai smiles excitedly at the idea of teaching Etsuko how to use chopsticks. Maybe Ines would like to know too!!

"Oh, and, really the only people who are...biologically my family is my mother, who's a kawauso, my father, his brother and his mother. And they're all human. So most of my family really is human! My aunties...oh, did I say Obasan before, sorry!" Ai feels a sting of embarrassment. Her father always impressed upon her the importance of speaking clear, understandable English, not mixing it up with Japanese words. He had always said it would make people in England think she was stupid if she did that. "I... it just means, like auntie, your actual aunt or a woman of that age. Sorry," Ai mumbles, staring down at her food, embarrassed and annoyed with herself.

Devon:

"Whoa. Hey," Etsuko felt her demeanor harden in the presence of Ai's now pink and glowing cheeks. "Your native language is a part of you. Don't be ashamed of who you are." It was strange to see even a hint of insecurity in Ai, and she wanted to assuage it as best she could. "Besides, while my Japanese is admittedly limited, I understood what you meant. So, no harm done! And, I would certainly be honored to learn from you!"

Katie:

"Oh," Ai says, surprised. She feels a distinct sting in the back of her eyes and she tips her head back for a moment to stop her eyes from getting teary, playing it off as an adjustment of her hair.

"Well, um, thank you!" Ai smiles widely at Etsuko, feeling her chest swell with pride a little. "We should get together again to eat and I'll teach you how to use chopsticks! Since you're all finished your food there wouldn't be much point now," Ai laughs. She picks up her bowl again and scoops the last of the rice, now cold, into her mouth.

Devon:

"That would be lovely." Etsuko returns the smile, with a glace at her own bowl. It had long since been emptied, but she had been too engrossed in the coversation to notice. It seemed that Ai's advice was already paying off. She sets the bowl down on the counter, and says with a wink "Gochisousama ne!"