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Chapter Nine |
It was
opening time at the Bistro, and Pete was taking inventory.
Bottles need to be replaced on the shelves behind the bar.
Pete also makes it a point to clean those shelves at least
once a week, because dust tends to collect.
As does cat hair. In between cleaning, there are always the
one or two patrons who lived on a different time cycle than normal
people, who would wander into the bar to start drinking, where
everyone else was still asleep.
Allow BarCat to warn you that Daytime TV will rot your brain. Really. What is so scary about these Japanese foxes. They were actually kinda cute, thought Barcat. They appeared to be smaller than he was, and that put them in the range of potential snacks. Obviously he needs to write the shows. Nothing like a resurrected corpse wandering around looking for its master to clear the room. Most patrons of the Bistro would be more inclined to leave simply because of the smell, but humans… now there is where the scent of fear will really fill the room, stronger than the smell of the corpse.
He turned his attention back to the TV. The commercial for human stuff was over, and the story continued.
Kudagitsune tend to have a wicked side effect. They propagate at an amazing rate. You could try to give them away, but being as how they steal from people, you put your own goods at risk. And I doubt they would let you fix them. BarCat laughed. They never got around to "fixing" him. Something about his little finger razors that deterred them. But if these little critters are actual magic, some human might find themselves fixed for their effort.
As he
continued to watch, two men plopped down at the bar and ordered
beers. One of them
shoved BarCat almost to the point of falling off the bar!
BarCat turned around and looked at him. The two men,
however, were talking.
Pete brought them beers. The one next to Barcat tried to shove him again. Pete shook his head. BarCat could hear him thinking - finger razors. But BarCat just stood his ground and moved back into his place.
Pete brought them their orders. The one closest to BarCat asked Pete to please move the cat. Pete shook his head. He told the guy that the cat lives here, this is his place, and that if they wanted to eat without the cat, they would have to move. The guy gave Pete a nasty look and started eating.
BarCat waited. He settled back into his space.
The two were trying to decide what to invoke. Seems they could not make up their minds what they wanted to do. The guy continued to elbow BarCat. BarCat stood his ground. The other guy said he wished he had some idea of the best kind of spirit to invoke for their first attempt. BarCat smiled. He then granted his wish.
The guy was looking at the TV, and the host was wrapping up the show. The host mentioned once again the great magic that the Japanese attributed to Kudagitsune, that they brought prosperity to the families who housed them, and these spirits were respected by those who knew of them. The one guy nudged the other and pointed to the TV. They both listened to the summary of the magic powers attributed to the Kudagitsune, At that point, BarCat made sure Pete changed the channel.
The two
guys were looking at each other with greed in their eyes.
Yea, said one, Kudagitsune.
The other shoved the end of his sandwich into his mouth,
nodding his head. They
agreed they would write a ritual up to invoke a Kudagitsune.
Boy, they would be rich, so very rich.
They couldn't be more pleased with each other. Pete came over and scratched his head. He apologized for the asshole trying to push him around. He cleaned off the remains of the meal, and brought BarCat a drink in a shot glass. Scratching him again on the head, Pete told him he was amazed the guy left in one piece after pushing him around. Pete figured the guy would leave shredded.
Barcat smiled. Possession has a few meanings. He wondered if it would be the police who would end up busting the two guys for stolen merchandise, or if the Kudagitsune would end up "fixing" them good the first time they tried to contain the population.
Either way, the drink felt good going down. It was going to be a good day at the Bistro.
Inspiration Source: Kudagitsune by Kokai.com |
Copyright © 2019 Boudica Foster and Tales from the
Zodiac Bistro
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