#the way karasu looks so out of place w everyone else (the secret is he still has serotonin)

[m1ckeyb3rry]

i rlly love the karasu kurona reo dynamic that the season 2 op is setting up!!

[ryumikaidan]

Part 5

Kagetsu: Oooh boy. Is she mad.

Aoki: Yup.

(Cut to the five, catching their breath.)

Shigeto: Okay... So, obviously... we just escaped certain death.

Hisaaki: Yeah. Imagine if Akako did touch that hair.

Akako: Well, now I’m glad I didn’t.

(Ryumi, laying flat on her back on the ground, hears a chirping noise and looks up. She slowly gets back on her feet, still staring upwards.)

Ryumi: Guys?

(The others are drawn to attention. Following her gaze, they see a flock of birds overhead.)

Shigeto: Birds?

Maka: Not just birds. Those are sparrows!

Hisaaki: Didn’t Mochiie say something about sparrows?

Ryumi: Of course! “Follow the sparrows”! We’re almost there! C’mon!

(She takes off running in the direction the sparrows are flying. The others follow suit.)

Shigeto: Right behind you!

Maka: Hey, wait!

(After a few minutes, they come to the top of a hill, finding themselves staring down at a beautiful city.)

Ryumi: Kaii Town.

(The group take a moment to view the city before them.)

Akako: What are we waiting for? Let’s go!

Hisaaki: Wait a minute, we can’t just go in and expect them to ignore us!

Maka: The kid’s got a point. How’d you think everybody there’s gonna react to three living human kids waltzing around?

Ryumi: Oh. I never thought about that.

Shigeto: I got it! Why don’t we disguise ourselves as yokai? That way, nobody will suspect a thing!

Maka: ...You know what, actually? That’s the smartest thing you’ve said yet.

Hisaaki: Okay, so, what’ll we use?

Shigeto: Eh, whatever we find there.

(Cue the awkward pause.)

Shigeto: ...Oh.

Maka: I take it back, you’re hopeless.

Shigeto: Ryumi, can’t you use your fox powers to make us invisible, or something?

Ryumi: I don’t even know if I have any actual powers.

Hisaaki: Oh, great.

(Cut to Kaii Town. Various yokai and spirits are going about their business. Maka, with Akako perched on her shoulder, makes her way through the streets. Sneaking through the alleyways unseen, Ryumi, Shigeto and Hisaaki follow close behind. Finally, Maka, fed up with this, walks towards the alley where the three humans are hiding.)

Maka: This is pathetic! We can’t keep doing the stalker act forever!

Hisaaki: She’s right. We gotta find some way to blend in.

(Akako notices something and hops off Maka’s shoulder, to a pile of trash left to become tsukumogami.)

Akako: I think I just found our disguises.

(Cut to the citizens of Kaii Town, as something grabs their attention. The group walk through the streets, the humans having disguised themselves with the bits of trash: Ryumi wears a sedge hood, Shigeto wears an ogre mask and a straw raincoat, and Hisaaki wears a samurai helmet and a cloak. A one-eyed boy, or hitotsume kozo, stares at them. Maka takes notice of this.)

Maka: ...The heck you lookin’ at, kid?

Hitotsume Kozo: Sorry. (looks away)

(The group continue.)

Shigeto: So far, so good. So, how are we gonna find foxy grampa?

Maka: We can start by not saying those last two words again.

Shigeto: What, “foxy grampa”?

Maka: (through clenched teeth) YES.

Ryumi: We’ll ask around, I guess.

(They go up to an iyaya.)

Shigeto: 'Scuse us, ma'am...

(The iyaya turns around, showing them his/her manly face.)

Iyaya: Yeah, waddup?

Shigeto: WHOA! Okay... What should I call you, a man or a woman?

Iyaya: Yes.

Shigeto: Okay... you...

Ryumi: Do you know where we can find a fox named-

(She is interrupted when an okaburo -a yokai crossdressing as an apprentice oiran- shows up.)

Okaburo: Hey! Whaddya doin' with my lover?

Shigeto: Sorry, we didn't know you two were together.

Okaburo: That's okay, just... think about how we feel next time, maybe.

Ryumi: Look, we’re just looking for a fox named Nakaari. Do you know him?

(A new voice chimes in.)

???: What do you want to see him for?

(They turn to see a trio of yokai: an ubume, a karasu tengu and the leader, a hari onago.)

Ryumi: Uh, w-well, we were just wondering if he could...

(She trails off as the hari onago looks down at her.)

Ryumi: ...Uh...

Shigeto: We need his help with a thing!

(Maka double-facepalms.)

Hari Onago: Oh, I see.

(The yokai trio share a laugh.)

Hari Onago: What kind of thing?

(Another awkward pause.)

Shigeto: ...Just. A thing.

Hari Onago: (nods) ...You want to rob him, don’t you?

Ryumi: No!

Shigeto and Hisaaki: NO!

Ryumi: It’s actually a... personal thing.

Hari Onago: Ah. Keeping secrets, huh?

(Her long hair begins to move.)

Hari Onago: If there’s one thing that I can’t stand...

(She shows off the pointy barbs at the end of each strand of hair.)

Hari Onago: ...it’s people who keep secrets from me.

(The three humans nervously back away, but the karasu tengu and ubume are behind them.)

Shigeto: Okay, Ryumi, try getting us outta this one.

Maka: Hey, back off! They’re just kids!

(All attention is drawn to Maka and Akako.)

Akako: Aw, Maka, you do care!

Maka: Shut it.

Akako: Okay.

Hari Onago: Why do you care? Are you their nanny, or something?

Maka: No. Beat it.

Hari Onago: Or else what? You’ll give us a scolding we’ll never forget?

(She and the other two yokai share a haughty laugh.)

Maka: That does it!

(Her head shoots forward at the end of her neck, nailing the hari onago in the gut, to the shock of the ubume and karasu tengu. The hari onago collapses, clutching her gut.)

Hari Onago: Y-You witch...

(Her hair rears up and lunges at Maka’s exposed neck. Thankfully, she manages to dodge at the last second, but the hair keeps coming. Akako cowers at the base of Maka’s neck.)

Shigeto: Okay, we should go now.

Ryumi: No. Not without Maka and Akako.

(Hisaaki notices something, and gets an idea. He leaves the other two.)

Shigeto: Where’re you going?

Hisaaki: I think I got an idea! Trust me on this one!

(He runs over to a nearby kamikiri.)

Hisaaki: Excuse me... Sir? Ma’am? We kinda need your help...

(Meanwhile, Maka is still dodging the flurry of barbed hair. Backing up, she doesn’t notice a cat-sized hamster-like creature -a sunekosuri- sleeping behind her, but Akako does.)

Akako: Maka, behind y-

(Too late: Maka trips on the sunekosuri, who, startled awake, scurries away. She falls backwards onto the ground, taking Akako with her. Both find themselves at the mercy of the hari onago. Just as she’s about to finish Maka off...)

???: Uh, hey! Over here.

(The hari onago turns to see the kamikiri.)

Kamikiri: Ya wanna haircut? (snips their scissor hands)

(The prospect of losing her hair terrifies the hari onago, who screams and runs, the kamikiri giving chase.)

Kamikiri: Hey, lady, c’mon! It’s what I do!

Ubume: Should we help her?

Karasu Tengu: I didn’t really like her that much, but...

(The two yokai take off after them, while the three humans, along with a few yokai, rush over to the fallen Maka and Akako.)

Ryumi: You okay?

Maka: I was doing just fine, y’know!

Akako: That was amazing! 

Shigeto: Yeah, nice one, Hisaaki.

Hisaaki: Just using my head.

(As they help Maka up, a blind man with eyes on his hands -a tenome- sniffs the air, then Shigeto.)

Shigeto: Hey, hey! What’re you doing?

Tenome: Young man... why do you smell like a living human?

(The group freeze. Several other yokai take notice, sniffing at the trio.)

Bakeneko: Yeah, they do smell like live humans. Why...

(The bakeneko reaches for Shigeto’s mask. He jerks away, accidentally bumping into Ryumi. She falls over, and her hood falls off. The yokai gasp. There is yet another awkward silence before...)

Shigeto: RUN!!!

(Ryumi scrambles to her feet, joining the other four as they make a break for it, but the yokai pursue. As they race through the streets, the citizens, seeing them, join in the chase, until seemingly everyone in Kaii Town is after them.)

Shigeto: Guys, ever had that feeling like you’ve done this before?

Maka: SHUT UP AND RUN!

(Meanwhile, an old fox man hears the commotion and looks, seeing the incoming chase. When he sees Ryumi, he also sees a familiar aura around her.)

Fox: (thinking) *That aura... Could it be...?*

(He steps into the street, waving to them.)

Fox: This way! Follow me!

Shigeto: Oh, thank you!

Hisaaki: Wait, how do we know he’s not gonna-

Maka: (grabs the back of Hisaaki’s clothing) MOVE, KID!

(The five follow the fox into an old, abandoned house. The mob closes in.)

Yokai: In there!/We’ve got ‘em cornered!

(A suppon no yurei flings the door open... but all they see is the fox sipping tea.)

Fox: ...I think the ones you’re looking for left town.

(The yokai all look at each other, then leave. The fox smiles.)

Fox: You can come out, now. They’re gone.

From a cabinet, the five tumble out, collapsing in a heap on the floor. They untangle themselves from each other and get up.)

Ryumi: Thanks... Thanks, Grandpa.

(The others all stare at Ryumi, then at the fox.)

Nakaari: You know me?

Ryumi: Yeah, we’ve been looking for you. My mom sent us.

Nakaari: Is she alright?

Ryumi: I... I don’t know.

(There is a moment of silence.)

Shigeto: ...Well, that aside, it’s nice to meet you, foxy gra-

(Maka glares at Shigeto ferociously.)

Shigeto: Uh, I mean, Grandpa Nakaari.

Nakaari: The pleasure’s mine.

Akako: So, you’re Ryumi’s grampa? I’m Akako, her adopted sister. That makes me your granddaughter, too! Anyway, we- Uh... (to the others) W-Why were we looking for him again?

Maka: Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask that, too.

Ryumi: Well, uh... Mom mentioned something about a magic jewel you have, that we need to protect...?

Nakaari: The jewel.

Shigeto: So, you do have a...?

Nakaari: Of course. But, uh...

(He looks around, then beckons the five to come closer, which they do.)

Nakaari: (whispering) This is a private matter. We can discuss this at my home. You never know who might be listening in.

Ryumi: (also whispering) Okay then. (straightens, then speaks at normal volume) We’d be happy to come over to your place, Grandpa. (bows)

Maka: Oh, boy.

Akako: Lead the way, foxy grampa!

Maka: KINOSHITA!!!