Categories > Anime/Manga > Yami no Matsuei > The Imaginary World
When they reached the ground, they saw that an enormous wooden table had been set up in a clearing between the circle of trees. The din of little voices grew louder, and fleeting glimpses of pixie-like little faces seemed to dart from behind the tall trunks that towered above them. Kokopelli stood on the edge of the table with a grand posture, gesturing to the tree stumps that served as seats around the banquet. Tsuzuki had already settled on the one to the right of his host, gazing eagerly at the covered dishes that lined the table.
"Sit down already!" Kokopelli demanded irritably, stomping his foot like a spoiled child.
"Why did you bring us here? What do you want from us, Kokopelli?" Jarrett asked, refusing to budge.
"I only wanted someone to play with," the little god said with a pout. "I so rarely see new faces in this realm. Can't you at least enjoy my hospitality for just a little while?" His voice seemed to have a hypnotic, soothing quality, drawing the men to sit at the table despite their better judgment, except for Byakko, who just shrugged and joined the others.
Kokopelli giggled happily upon getting his way, and began to dance and sing in a rather lewd and suggestive matter that Watari appeared to enjoy and the others were more than a little unsettled by. The forest seemed to hum enthusiastically around them, and a curious doe and buck wandered to the edge of the clearing, seeming drawn to the proceedings. Tsuzuki caught a glimpse of faerie-like creatures buzzing about the buck's antlers, and was transfixed by them until the music stopped. Kokepelli jumped off the table and took his seat at its head with a satisfied grin, while Watari clapped enthusiastically, and the others joined politely, all still feeling a bit dazed and unusually docile.
Several small figures timidly emerged from behind the trees.
"There's nothing to fear children. They're just mortals, silly," Kokopelli said invitingly to the child-like little people who each seemed to have different animal characteristics and wore elaborate head dresses fashioned from plants and twigs.
"See? I told you they were cute," Byakko said defensively to no one in particular. The god at the table's head sighed impatiently.
"Get on with it! I'm hungry!" Kokopelli demanded. The wood fairies scrambled to the table nervously, while Tsuzuki rubbed his hands in anticipation.
"Oooh! Something smells good!" Tsuzuki cried happily. Hisoka went completely pale, as a fairy resembling a squirrel uncovered a large platter of fried mushrooms.
"Yes, the smell -- I think I'm going to be sick," Hisoka murmured softly, placing a hand to his forehead and slumping forward weakly. Watari pat him on the back with concern and looked toward their host.
"Interesting, all this fainting and getting ill from Hisoka. You're also the god of fertility, aren't you? You haven't placed a bun in our little 'Soka-chan's oven have you?" Watari asked with a giggle. This time it was Tsuzuki that went a bit pale. Hisoka bolted upright.
"That's completely ridiculous!" Hisoka yelped. "I don't have an oven in the first place! What kind of scientist are you? He can't do that!" Hisoka's eyes widened slightly as they rolled towards the smirking god of lust. "Um, you can't, can you?" he asked in a tiny, worried voice.
"Of course not! Here, have something to drink. I dare say, I've never seen anyone react so strangely to my feast. It's rather rude, really. Have you no self control?" Kokopelli asked disdainfully, as a possum-like creature poured the boy a glass of water. Hisoka's expression was a mix of relief and irritation as he greatfully downed the contents of the wooden chalice.
"Hisoka's empathy makes him susceptible to being overwhelmed by thoughts and feelings of course, but what kind of emotion could he be reading from a vegetable?" Watari asked curiously, holding up a slice of mushroom and looking at it.
"Oh, he's an empath? How fascinating," Kokopelli said, leaning on his elbows and staring at Hisoka with interest. "I hear empaths have highly acute senses that greatly enhance sensual pleasures. Lucky boy. That will explain his being overwhelmed then. These mushrooms feed upon the lust and desire of humans," Kokopelli said, as Tsuzuki was taking a huge bite of the fleshy plant.
"No, no, it's not like it sounds," Kokopelli said, patting the choking Tsuzuki on the back and rolling his rose colored eyes. "It's more spiritual than literal."
The remaining dishes revealed fish, steamed crawdads, corn, and little cakes made form cornmeal and honey. Everyone kept an eye on Tsuzuki's reaction to various foods before sampling any themselves, and found it to be a pleasingly poison free meal.
"Have you heard any word on the invasion?" Jarrett asked the fertility deity.
"Oh, yes! I assumed you were the invaders! There are more? How exciting! I do hope they come this way!" Kokopelli chirped excitedly. Jarrett shook his head and sighed.
"Do you know where Hohoq is, then?" Jarrett inquired. Kokopelli scowled.
"Oh, so you're that stick in the mud's master? I should have known. He's in Tenochtitlan probably, making sure no one messes with the King. I offered to help the King, you know, and he wouldn't have me! He said what I do is too important to be distracted from," Kokopelli said, with a smug expression.
"Have you seen a rabbit god by the name of Mat-gwas?" Tsuzuki asked.
"Not since I saw you and the pretty boy going at it last night," Kokopelli said with a dreamy sigh. "Pity the little bastard distracted you. I usually have to use all my wiles to inspire that kind of wanton lust." Hisoka and Tsuzuki looked away uncomfortably.
"Do tell!" Watari said eagerly.
"Oh, it was nice," Kokopelli said coyly without elaborating. "Anyway, the forest fae tell me all. I will make inquiries for you if you'll agree to stay as my guests for the night."
"I don't know about that. We'll be losing time we should be spending trying to find Muraki," Hisoka said with a frown.
"You will stay!" Kokopelli demanded angrily, making the forest folk tremble. The god laughed, breaking into a sweet smile. "That is, I think it will be in your best interests in the long run. You can blindly pursue your prey without my assistance, or you can allow a master hunter to save you time in your pursuit."
"I suppose he has a point," Watari said, and the others reluctantly agreed.
"Very good," Kokopelli said, eyeing the gathered men as if they were puppets for his potential amusement.
"Sit down already!" Kokopelli demanded irritably, stomping his foot like a spoiled child.
"Why did you bring us here? What do you want from us, Kokopelli?" Jarrett asked, refusing to budge.
"I only wanted someone to play with," the little god said with a pout. "I so rarely see new faces in this realm. Can't you at least enjoy my hospitality for just a little while?" His voice seemed to have a hypnotic, soothing quality, drawing the men to sit at the table despite their better judgment, except for Byakko, who just shrugged and joined the others.
Kokopelli giggled happily upon getting his way, and began to dance and sing in a rather lewd and suggestive matter that Watari appeared to enjoy and the others were more than a little unsettled by. The forest seemed to hum enthusiastically around them, and a curious doe and buck wandered to the edge of the clearing, seeming drawn to the proceedings. Tsuzuki caught a glimpse of faerie-like creatures buzzing about the buck's antlers, and was transfixed by them until the music stopped. Kokepelli jumped off the table and took his seat at its head with a satisfied grin, while Watari clapped enthusiastically, and the others joined politely, all still feeling a bit dazed and unusually docile.
Several small figures timidly emerged from behind the trees.
"There's nothing to fear children. They're just mortals, silly," Kokopelli said invitingly to the child-like little people who each seemed to have different animal characteristics and wore elaborate head dresses fashioned from plants and twigs.
"See? I told you they were cute," Byakko said defensively to no one in particular. The god at the table's head sighed impatiently.
"Get on with it! I'm hungry!" Kokopelli demanded. The wood fairies scrambled to the table nervously, while Tsuzuki rubbed his hands in anticipation.
"Oooh! Something smells good!" Tsuzuki cried happily. Hisoka went completely pale, as a fairy resembling a squirrel uncovered a large platter of fried mushrooms.
"Yes, the smell -- I think I'm going to be sick," Hisoka murmured softly, placing a hand to his forehead and slumping forward weakly. Watari pat him on the back with concern and looked toward their host.
"Interesting, all this fainting and getting ill from Hisoka. You're also the god of fertility, aren't you? You haven't placed a bun in our little 'Soka-chan's oven have you?" Watari asked with a giggle. This time it was Tsuzuki that went a bit pale. Hisoka bolted upright.
"That's completely ridiculous!" Hisoka yelped. "I don't have an oven in the first place! What kind of scientist are you? He can't do that!" Hisoka's eyes widened slightly as they rolled towards the smirking god of lust. "Um, you can't, can you?" he asked in a tiny, worried voice.
"Of course not! Here, have something to drink. I dare say, I've never seen anyone react so strangely to my feast. It's rather rude, really. Have you no self control?" Kokopelli asked disdainfully, as a possum-like creature poured the boy a glass of water. Hisoka's expression was a mix of relief and irritation as he greatfully downed the contents of the wooden chalice.
"Hisoka's empathy makes him susceptible to being overwhelmed by thoughts and feelings of course, but what kind of emotion could he be reading from a vegetable?" Watari asked curiously, holding up a slice of mushroom and looking at it.
"Oh, he's an empath? How fascinating," Kokopelli said, leaning on his elbows and staring at Hisoka with interest. "I hear empaths have highly acute senses that greatly enhance sensual pleasures. Lucky boy. That will explain his being overwhelmed then. These mushrooms feed upon the lust and desire of humans," Kokopelli said, as Tsuzuki was taking a huge bite of the fleshy plant.
"No, no, it's not like it sounds," Kokopelli said, patting the choking Tsuzuki on the back and rolling his rose colored eyes. "It's more spiritual than literal."
The remaining dishes revealed fish, steamed crawdads, corn, and little cakes made form cornmeal and honey. Everyone kept an eye on Tsuzuki's reaction to various foods before sampling any themselves, and found it to be a pleasingly poison free meal.
"Have you heard any word on the invasion?" Jarrett asked the fertility deity.
"Oh, yes! I assumed you were the invaders! There are more? How exciting! I do hope they come this way!" Kokopelli chirped excitedly. Jarrett shook his head and sighed.
"Do you know where Hohoq is, then?" Jarrett inquired. Kokopelli scowled.
"Oh, so you're that stick in the mud's master? I should have known. He's in Tenochtitlan probably, making sure no one messes with the King. I offered to help the King, you know, and he wouldn't have me! He said what I do is too important to be distracted from," Kokopelli said, with a smug expression.
"Have you seen a rabbit god by the name of Mat-gwas?" Tsuzuki asked.
"Not since I saw you and the pretty boy going at it last night," Kokopelli said with a dreamy sigh. "Pity the little bastard distracted you. I usually have to use all my wiles to inspire that kind of wanton lust." Hisoka and Tsuzuki looked away uncomfortably.
"Do tell!" Watari said eagerly.
"Oh, it was nice," Kokopelli said coyly without elaborating. "Anyway, the forest fae tell me all. I will make inquiries for you if you'll agree to stay as my guests for the night."
"I don't know about that. We'll be losing time we should be spending trying to find Muraki," Hisoka said with a frown.
"You will stay!" Kokopelli demanded angrily, making the forest folk tremble. The god laughed, breaking into a sweet smile. "That is, I think it will be in your best interests in the long run. You can blindly pursue your prey without my assistance, or you can allow a master hunter to save you time in your pursuit."
"I suppose he has a point," Watari said, and the others reluctantly agreed.
"Very good," Kokopelli said, eyeing the gathered men as if they were puppets for his potential amusement.
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