“Sit, I’ll have the tea ready in a moment.” The elderly man said, waving towards a small coffee table in the center of the room. As he turned to step out of the small living room, the glamour disguising the old Kappa as a human faded.
Unsure what to do, Eva simply did as he asked and sat down on her haunches. She put the pack of cucumbers down before wrapping her tails around her flank. She then used them as a cushion to rest her head on as she waited. The Kitsune pondered how to phrase the questions she was going to ask while the Kappa was away. After all, if he is truly as old as he seems, he might remember some things about that river when it hadn’t been built over that that fishing Kami hadn’t.
“I do hope you don’t mind.” The Kappa began as he came back from the kitchen. “But they don’t have a large selection, so I hope green tea is fine.” He put two cups of tea down on the table. “I also thought you would take a more human shape to drink.”
“Oh, right.” Eva said before transforming. She tried her best to take a more native looking shape while conjuring Miko robes around herself. Seeing no surprise on the elderly Youkai’s face, she assumed she got it close enough. Unfurling the tails that now took up her lap, Eva moved a bit closer to the table to pick up her cup. Taking a sip of the tea, she looked up to her host sitting on a small cushion.
With a nervous flick of her furry ear, she sat the cup down again. “So I’ve been looking for a Kappa in hopes to learn something about this river.” Eva said, unfolding the old map of Edo. Dragging her finger along the river in question, she stopped roughly where they had divined her destination to be. “Specifically around here.”
“Hm.” The old Kappa leaned forward while adjusting his glasses. “Yes, that's Sunadori’s river isn’t it.” He said as he took out one of the cucumbers.
“Do you remember anyone living there?” Eva inquired before taking another sip of tea, seeing the fact he referred to it by the old Kami’s name as a good sign.
“Yes. I don’t know if they didn’t move by now though.” He said, a smile spreading across his lips as his gaze slowly drifted towards the ceiling. “It’s been a long, looong time since I met the friends I played with there.”
“It would probably still help to know their names.” Eva replied between sips of tea.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
“Well then let’s see. Who I can remember for you Miss Zenko.” The old Kappa said as he leaned back, pressing a hand against his back. “Obviously there’s Sunadori. Grumpy old fishing Kami, not sure if humans have kept his shrine around though. If that’s gone he’s probably moved somewhere else, probably some family shrine of the descendants of the fishermen catching the fish of the river.
“Then there’s Yuki, he was kinda annoying. But if that Tanuki’s pranks were quite entertaining whenever they weren’t aimed at you.” He continued, a bit of moisture gathering around his eyes. “Ayami the Nekomata was the only girl that could stand to be around us. She was quite the looker in our teens.” He continued as a faint blush reached his cheeks. “And she always got scolded for doing something as unlady-like as playing in the river.
“Oh, and of course there was Tatsugawa. He was kinda weird though.” The old Kappa said as he brought a hand up to his temple as if to rub away a past headache. “I don’t think we ever learned where he lived. He was always just there at the river banks when we came to play. Never came the days we ended up playing in the Forests nearby. And never came to visit Ayami at home, or went with her to the inn for some food. No matter how she asked or pleaded with him.” Finishing counting off his friends, he quickly gobbled up the rest of the cucumber he was holding before taking the next. “Thank you so much for these. My wife never increased my cucumber money, even though prices keep rising decade after decade.[1]”
“Ah, you’re welcome.” Eva said with a unsure smile. “Any settlements you can remember that might still be around, hidden underneath Tokyo?”
“No.” The Kappa informed her. “I wasn’t one to explore caves back in the day. But Ayami always stuck her nose where she shouldn’t so she might know something more about that.”
“I will if I find her.” The Kitsune said after finishing her tea. “Do you know the Mumeikitsunemori shrine?”
“Ah I think so, yes. That where your Inari resides?”
“More or less.” Eva confirmed with a nod. “If you do end up remembering anything else helpful, I would appreciate it if you send us a message.”
“Of course, dear.” He said before quickly eating the last cucumber. “For such a friendly fox I’ll gladly do that much.”
“Thank you. I will be on my way then.” Eva said as she got up. When she turned to leave through the garden, the elderly Youkai called out to her.
“Wait. Wouldn’t you rather just use the front door?”
Blinking once, then twice, Eva turned around as she quickly turned her ears into human ones and hid her tails. “Ah yes, that would be great. The pond was rather cold.”
As he led her to the mentioned exit, she transformed her clothes into something more modern to quickly blend in with people on the streets after leaving.