The Yokai looks around, confused. Everyone continues to stare as they await her response. Some demons nod with encouragement, others glare through narrowed eyes. The minimal light from the moon gives her just enough detail to see the crowd, some no higher than her knee, like the dragon, some as big as cars, like the cat. Slowly she begins to understand they are not ordinary creatures, nor are they to be trifled with. Something about the yellow eyes, the too-long claws and fangs, and the scent of blood in the air churns her empty stomach. She can only think of one thing she wants. “I want to go home.”

Half the group throws up their hands, arms, tentacles, and similar appendages in disdain.

“I knew she wouldn’t pick human.”

“Told you so!”

“I didn’t hear. Did she say scales? Please tell me she picked scales!”

“She didn’t choose!” a massive pond turtle in the crowd shouts. “I nominate her! Her skin already looks like it’s been burned to a crisp. So tasty-looking is she …”

The blue yokai silences everyone with another shushing motion of its limbs. “Everyone, please. We’re not here to eat our own. We agreed to meet to come to a consensus?”

As voices rise into another heated debate, something rustles in the grass next to the Yokai’s leg. She feels something wet lick her leg and cries out. “Mmm, just like honey! Or caramel!” the fan squeals. “Try it, try it!”

“What does it taste like? Human, or something else?”

“Oh, please,” the umbrella rolls its eye. “If she were human, she’d have bolted by now.”

“Not necessarily,” the fan pipes up. “Humans can be quite stupid, you know.”

The blue demon shushes the crowd again. “We know, Sensusama. Now, back to business. I get the feeling the majority of us are craving human. You there, Gigantor. You in?”

The Yokai thinks for a moment. “Hmm. I am hungry.”

“Good. What would you like?”

“… Something to eat?”

“Well, duh. What else do you call human skin? Decoration?”

“Oh,” the dragon sighs, “that reminds me of a beautiful story. Quite lovely a tale.”

“A story!” The other yokai all cheer and get comfortable on the grass. “Let’s hear it!”

“Certainly. You’ll love it; it’s all about skin.” The dragon makes a throat-clearing sound as it lies prostrate on the ground. The fins on its back start to shiver, playing a light suspenseful accompaniment: