"Shh," she said, stopping momentarily from shaking her snake skin. "I'm warding off evil and unwanted energy from around us. We'll never know if these old beliefs are based on some grains of truth."

Plus, this was also to ensure that nothing but good vibes would come their way. With what was coming later on, Tomoko knew they'd need all the positive energy she could generate.

She reached for the rabbit's foot and handed it to him. "Do what I do, all right? Just shake it as hard as you can and say to yourself, 'happy thoughts'."