Eitsu's Nine Lives (永津の九生) [yuri/GL yokai reincarnation story]

39 - Bunshyo

“Have you found him yet?” Eitsu asked by way of greeting.

Izanami closed her eyes, offended by Eitsu's rudeness. “No. Not yet.”

“Then why did you call me over?” Eitsu grumbled. “I ask for one thing...”

Izanami tapped the arm of her throne with unseen fingers. “Lady Eitsu, why exactly did you come to me for assistance seeking Shinigami Rei? Why not search for him yourself?”

The kaibyou stretched. “Why don't you go looking for your husband yourself?”

Crash!

Eitsu writhed and struggled under a sudden seething mass that had her crushed against the stone floor. Innumerable hands clawed away her cat-facade, and pinned down each part of her that tried to squirm away. Izanami stood before her throne, strange glowing white patterns shooting across the cloth that hid her face.

“Do you wish for me to make your stay here more painful, Eitsubyou no Mikoto?”

Eitsu ceased struggling. “That was a serious answer,” she hissed. “You can't, can you? So what am I supposed to do, roam the world for millennia looking for him? He's a fox spirit! They run and hide better than anyone else! But not only that, he's one of your shinigami. If anyone will find him, it's you.”

The pressure of the dead hands slowly began to lessen, until finally it was only Eitsu and Izanami in the throne room. The Queen of the Dead fell back into her chair. Eitsu continued to grumble, ostentatiously stretching to demonstrate how grievously she had been wronged.

An empty silence fell on the scene. Eitsu sincerely hoped this was not going to be a regular occurrence, but judging by their last meeting, perhaps she had to get used to it.

“Is that all?” she asked irritably. “Did you just call me over because you were bored or something?”

Izanami shuffled, perhaps preparing to say something sarcastic in return, but instead she said, “Yes.”

The silence returned with a distinctly different flavour.

Seriously?

“Well, I am stuck down here all the time,” Izanami said airily. “I could do with some entertainment.”

Eitsu recognised that tone of voice, the tone of someone who has been caught out and has decided the only way out is through. She was very familiar with it. “What do you think I am? A pet?”

“A pet... That might be good.”

Eitsu smiled with rage. “This pet bites.”

“I rather like that.”

“So you're a pervert. I guess that'll happen if you're stuck down here too long.”

“I should punish you for your insolence.”

“Is that a promise?”

“I can make it so.”

“Are you threatening me or flirting with me?”

“Why did you assist Mitsui Toi to move on?”

“Have you been spying on me?”

“Why did you speak with Tanchozuru no Taro?”

“Just so you know, this isn't how you flirt with people.”

"And Yamada no Ino?"

Eitsu clicked her tongue irritably.

“You are, in fact, a good being. I have learnt this,” Izanami said, so triumphantly that Eitsu was tempted to clap.

“Tell me you're blind without telling me you're blind, why don't you?”