With the slight little gasp of Chihiro every creature was now able to smell the scent of us, so I started breathing in air too.
"A human?!" The frog screamed catching almost everyone's attention.
The boy "Master Haku" used some sort of spell to trap the frog into a bubble. Forcefully grabbing my wrist as we slid? Glided? Through the air. Going in between the skirts of the female snail creature.
'I KNEW HE WAS A PERVERT!' I thought as I look at him in disbelief and disgust.
While the females were screaming as they reorganized their skirts 'Master Not So Pure' led us to some bushes. In the fence there was a tiny wooden door which he opened. Waiting for us to go in before he did. I was still judging 'Master Not So Pure', and if I can trust him Chihiro went in. As she went it 'Master Not So Pure' pushed my lower back slightly.
After I looked at him with us scrunched up face I went inside the door. But only because the toad people were coming near us.
Once 'Master Not So Pure' came inside we started running until we arrived to a less crowded place. After Chihiro caught her breath she quietly apologized, "I'm sorry I took a breath!"
"It's-"
"It's okay you did very well." He complemented as he cut me off.
Knowing how our encounter with him has gone so far he won't be too worried about me. 'The whispers, well faint yelling is indicating me and Chihiro.' I thought as I layed back on the fluffy green grass.
I looked at the sky once again zoning off when I felt a hand on my stomach. "Now I'll go to them and calm down the situation-"
"Wait no don't leave us!" Chihiro cried holding his arms again desperately trying to feel relieved and safe. 'How can she have so high faith in everyone?' I looked at her as if she was the weirdest person I ever saw.
It must have been obvious I was zoning out because 'Master Haku' started rubbing my stomach like I would for Chihiro everytime she has a stomachache.
With one hand in Chihiro's shoulder with a firm grip I as politely as I could pushed off his hand off my stomach. He looked at me concerned, but turned his head back to Chihiro with determination. "No I must go, I'll tell you what to do, and your sisters with you." He moved Chihiro's bangs touching her forehead and looked at me before forehead placing two fingers on my forehead.
"Go to the back gate go down the stairs and enter boiler room; there you will find Kamaji the boiler man." I was able to hear 'Master Haku's' voice through my head like it was telepathy.
"The boiler man...?" Chihiro repeated after him.
He nodded "Yeah tell him you want to work here if he declines ignore it and keep asking. If you don't work here Yubaba will turn you into an animal." He leaned closer to Chihiro's face with every word he said.
'Yubaba huh?' I thought as I looked outside staring at the red lights.
"Kamaji will turn you away but only repeat the words I would like to work here." With that he broke my thoughts as he kept talking to Chihiro.
The people inside the bath house called out for "Master Haku." Running back and forth. "I have to go and remember Chihiro, Y/n I'm your friend-"
"No your not." I cut him off as I look at Chihiro who will most definitely ask about how he knows her name. "How do you know my name?"
'Knew it'
"I've known you since you were very young and you I don't clearly remember you, but I know I've met you. My names Haku" he let go of Chihiro's hand standing there. 'Nonsense and does he think what he's saying isn't creepy?'
"What is it I'm here." He said as he walked towards the doors. "Yubaba is searching for you." A toad man's voice was heard as they opened the door. "I know it's probably about my mission." He answered as he walked passed them.
"Chihiro let's go." I say pulling her arm as I stood up hiding behind the tall bush. "Okay." She said as she crawled on the ground.
After a few moments we saw the stairs and I also saw the hesitation in Chihiro or fright. "I'll be going first you can come afterwards." I suggested as I walked down the stairs.
After a while I was wondering if Chihiro even started coming down but I decided to go talk to the Boil Man then come back to get Chihiro.
'I swear these stairs are built for giants' I thought because how far away they were for me.
"Ahh!" I look back at screaming and a sound of a stair breaking. Chihiro was running down crashing in the wall next by me; I shook my head and continued walking down the stairs. When I got there I waited until Chihiro came then I opened the door.
The door was rusty and green we'll mostly green some paint was coming off. As I entered I saw gas tubes? Or water tubes or something. But I also saw a man with six arms working or something.
"Excuse me?" I called walking to him while your sister looked from far away scared. I mean the room looked chill but had some weird stuff like the fluffy balls walking on the floor holding coal, the six armed man, that weird heating machine in front of the six armed man-
"Hmm?" He looked at me and then went back to work "You must be Mr. Kamaji "Master Haku" sent me and my sister here to ask you for a job." You looked at him then at the black fur balls.
Then four colored wooden rectangles connected to strings came out of the ceiling. "Four bath tokens at once?! I am Kamaji the old man working on the boilers. Move you kids." He said as he banged on his hammer I guess signaling the "kids" to work.
"That wasn't apart of my question sir. I asked if we can get a job." I asked again since I already know his name and who he is. "I don't need to give a job I already have enough workers." I rolled my eyes at both the old man and my sister having a hard time with the black furs.
She saw one get practically smushed under a piece of coal and she picked it up eventually throwing it in the fire. Which she was barely able to do. She ran back and all the black furs pretended the got smushed under coal."I have no job for you guys go search for somewhere else." He pointed his hammer at me now frustrated his kids won't work.
"Bell time! Don't tell me you guys are fight again." A girl around 17 walked well kind of scrunched in the small door from the opposite direction where we came from. She handed Kamaji food asking for his other plate nagging him.The girl threw star shaped candy at the fur balls and they happily took it.
She looked towards Chihiro gasping and pointing at her "Human you are the one everyone was looking for!"
"That's me." I glared at the girl.
"They're my granddaughters, they want to work here; I have all the workers I need. Can you take them to Yubaba please." He asked while eating his rice. "Why would I risk my life for that?" She threw candy.
"Not even for a roasted newt?" He stretched his arm like a good 2 yards putting it in her face.
He looked at "If you want a job here you need to make a deal with Yubaba." As she took the newt dumbing the remaining candy on the floor.
"Come, you two. "
We quietly walked and ran to her. "Can't you not even say a yes ma'am or a thank you?" She said glaring at Chihiro.
"Yes ma'am!" Chihiro bowed as I just stared as I followed behind Chihiro. I two took off your socks and I bowed to Kamaji while Chihiro was about leave
"Aren't you going to say thank you to Kamaji?"
"Thank you!" Chihiro bowed bumbing her head on the door frame. "I wish you guys good luck." He gave us a thumbs up I quietly bowed again before I closed the door on my way out
"We have to go to the top floor; that's where Yubaba lives." We walked to a place that looked like old fashioned elevators."Hurry up!" She called for Chihiro who was looking around
We kept sneaking in on each elevator.
"We're half way there." The elevator door opened revealing a big fat white monster(?) he rose his finger upwards signaling he's going up. "The radish spirit! Sorry sir this elevator doesn't go up you'll have to take another." We walked out and he followed us.
"He keeps following." Chihiro whispered "It's fine." The girl said as she hid us from the spirit.
We waited in front of a elevator to open and saw a frogman. Lin step in front of us two covering us.
"Lin?" The frog called as it was walking pass them "What?" Lin pushed Chihiro into the elevator as I quietly walked in as well. "Do you smell that? Human." He sniffed her.
'Creepy'
"Really?" Lin the girl replied pretending nothing happened. "Yes a delicious human! Are you hiding something from me?" He asked as he kept sniffing her.
"No."
"Where is the human." He asked looking around."Do you mean this?" She took out the roasted newt from her front pocket of her uniform. "A roasted newt!" He tried grabbing it as he began spilling his saliva and sweat down his face."Nope." She put it up high.
"Please give a leg?!" He begged jumping up and down attempting to reach it.
"The costumer who wants to go up please pull the lever on the right." Lin said out loud.
I pulled it and the door closed.
Once we got up all three of you all got off but the radish spirit went back in. Probably because he was covering me and Chihiro because how big he is.
In front we saw fancy traditional Japanese styled stuff and two giant red doors. Me and Chihiro walked in front of the room I knocked but she just tried opening the door.
"Do you not know how to knock?! You are so pathetic!" The knocking old fashioned bell thing spoke and you stared at it. It had awfully ugly face.
The door opened and I started walking while Chihiro froze.
"Come in." A voice said. Chihiro got frightened and back away.
"I said come in." Suddenly Chihiro was pulled with a great force and I just stayed there walking. I got quite lost because how many halls there were but eventually found my way to where I heard all the yelling and commotion from.
When I got into the room she was in I saw Chihiro standing there with a pen and paper.
"Could I get a job too?" I put my hands in my pocket. (You have a sweater and sweat pants on I know hot but that's like the clothes I wear so...) "Who are you? I didn't sense another." Yubaba stared at me up and down. "A human that wants a job." I shrugged as I walked in front of her.
"No."
"Why is that?" I lifted an eyebrow as I looked her up and down.
'She's uglier than the other spirits I've seen."
"Here is a high class-"
"So what? Working has nothing to do with it aren't we serving the high class?" I said as I put my right hand on her desk grabbing her attention.
"You are smarter than you're sister might want to educate her like-" "No she should learn it by herself like I did. Now can I get a job." I asked banging my right hand on the table.
"Sure you look like you are worth having. Just sign your name one the same paper." I scoff as I walk towards my sister. "Chihiro give me I'll do it." I extended my hand out. "S-sure!" She gave me it surprised how I got to convince her.
I wrote our names but changed a letter each. So it was read and pronounced our names but they weren't actually out names. She took the paper with magic or something.
"Chihiro and Y/n what pathetic names like you guys are. Now you will be Sen." she pointed at Chihiro "and you are Kim." She looked at me and I stared straight back.
"You called for me?" A voice was heard from now Sens side a familiar one, "Master Haku" "They signed the contract set them up for a job."
"Yes. Names?" He glanced at us. "Chihi-" My sister started speaking and already screwing it of up. "Sen and Kim" I cut her off as I step in front of her.
"Alright follow me." He said as he walked away first. We follow until we see the same red door, same elevator, We rode the elevator in silence for a couple seconds.
"Haku-" My sister started as she turned to head to him. "Don't talk to me and address to me as Master Haku." He cut her off as he didn't even look at her.
After the long elevator rides of silence and awkwardness we walked down the stairs of the bathhouse where ever snail women and frogmen stared at us whispering to each other.
"We are not taking them." The man argued with Haku as everyone gathered giving me and my sister looks of disgust. "They already signed the contract." Haku finally announce and everyone gasped now the women scrunched their faces as they covered their nose.
"I promise we will do our best!" Your sister bowed "Well don't put them in our department they sink."
"Three days of eating our food and the scent will disappear. If they don't work hard you guys can roast them boil them whatever now get back to work. Lin they will become your assistant." Haku called as he looked at Lin who was in the back leaning against the door frame.
I looked at my sister and she looked so hurt. I scoffed and rolled my eyes. 'Did she really think this stranger "Master Haku" will be her friend?' I thought remembering what he said earlier 'Friends? You wish.'
"They are perfect for Lin." The two men laughed at her as other giggled at her. Lin walked out telling us sister to follow. Once we followed her to a hallway no one else was she stopped walking.
"You guys are pretty impressive I thought you guys might not come back! If you guys need anything ask me okay?" Sen quietly replied yes as she shook slightly."You okay?" Lin patted Sen's back "I don't feel well"
We followed Lin to a second place, the department. "This is our room here's your aprons, pants, and the shirt... Kim go next door and get one of the smallest ones we only have one." I nodded and left
Meanwhile
"Are there two Hakus?" Sen asked Lin who was searching for the right shirt size for her "Two? I can't stand one. Sen? Why is Kim so different from you?" Lin stopped looking at Sen for a second then went back to searching. "Physically or personality wise?" Sen tilted her head "Both."
"I guess she was blessed appearance wise but personality people near her changed it. She was a boyish kid even when she was younger but she wasn't cold. When she was 4? Kim to gain severe trust issues and our parents never showed her enough affection. All affection came to me because I was the oldest." Sen paused.
"Sometimes I don't know what kind of life she is living in." Sen looked down suddenly feeling guilty and even more sick. "That's sad." Lin said quietly as she pulled out a piece of clothing. "Yeah..."
"Here found it!" Lin showed Sen before Sen scrunched up into a ball on the floor. "You okay?"
"Lin I'm able to sleep here right?" I came back and asked as I held my new uniform. "Yeah but we don't have enough blankets and pillows." Lin looked at me. "I'll sleep on the floor." I shrugged as I got a pillow and blanket handing it to Sen. "You sure?" Sen asked as she looked at me concerned
'Yeah it's not like I only did it once.' I smiled as I nodded