Day 23 Pigfish
Tempura.
You weren't sure how it started or when it happened to you, but it seemed like every once and a while these things would happen to you.
Tempura.
The air was filled with the sweet smells of sugars, spices, cinnamon, and flour alongside various fruits.
CHOP. CHOP. CHOP. CHOP.
Tempura.
The sounds of a clever coming down to cut the remains of a poor defenseless apple sounded out as you hummed along with the tune of music only you knew about. Hair pulled up in a messy bun, sleeves rolled up, apron on, and stains of flour and different sauces covering said apron. The nearby windows were open allowing the extra heat and sweet smells to pour out into the cool morning air and inviting others near your little shop.
Humming along you chopped up the fifth apple you'd be needing for the pies to later be sold in town for money. You hummed continuing to cut it up carefully before tossing the core to the side to be used as fertilizer before carefully picking up the cutting board and using the knife to carefully scrape the apple slices into the bowl next to you before turning around to grab the next apple on the table. However you stopped seeing a movement in the corner of your eyes. Pausing mid grab wit one hand hovering over the basket of apples, your head turned towards the open window facing the woods at the back of your house.
Tempura.
And saw two hands grabbing onto the windowsill with green eyes looked narrowed inside.
"TEMPURA, MINION!!"
"Alright. Alright. Don't get your fins in a bunch. Ok? It's going to take a moment."
Any other normal person would've been worried about someone just randomly peering into their window but you weren't worried. You actually knew this creature. Just as you knew the Kamados(a family of Tanuki and Rabbit shape shifters that lived in the woods behind your house) and Mr. Jigoro(the old harpy raising two younger orphaned harpies again in the woods behind your house) you also knew the young merman who lived in the stream literally just behind your home.
You first saw him one day while eating in the backyard. In a surprising turn of events Tanjiro had stopped by waving his arm to you all friendly like. "Ms. L/n!! Good morning! Come meet my new fri-"
"TEMPURA!!"
You had been startled by the sudden voice until looking at the water and spitting a young merman the same age as Tanjiro peering at your lunch and staring hard at the homemade shrimp tempura you were eating that day. You had offered him a few pieces and ever since then he's been stopping by unannounced every so often just to demand tempura or other food you've made.
Like now when you turned around to grab a small cloth tied up and filled with shrimp tempura before going over to the window to look out. You found Inosuke there silver and orange tail sprawled out on the ground as he eagerly stared at you.
"Here." You held up the bag. "Now go back to the water before someone sees you. The last thing I want are monster slayers coming around here."
"HAHAHA!! GOOD WORK, MINION!!," he declared loudly just yanking the bag from your hands ignoring everything you just said. "Lord Inosuke is pleased with your offering!"
You only sighed watching as he tore open the bag and messily devoured the food.