Fandom NORAGAMI: Celestial Rites -- a romance driven roleplay

[Elowyn]

Roleplay Introduction

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ノラガミ​

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coded by myfanwy ​

Noragami: Celestial Rites

[ [ W E L C O M E ] ]​

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This roleplay will have a heavy focus on romance and the relationships between a kami and a Regalia.
The goal is to survive, gain followers, and increase your power and influence as a kami.
Regalias will work hard to support their kami and not blight them.

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tagged: QuirkyAngel Nico Lunaria Silver Jean Otus MrThe Karcen Ian Temero RI.a VeiledPariah S n o w AnimeGenork​

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{ Cast of Characters }

❂ K A M I // R E G A L I A ❂
Nagi, God of Travel and Exploration // Hiname (NPC) by QuirkyAngel
Shizuya, Patron of Fate and Prophecy by Lunaria Silver // Hiro Uto (weapon:blade) by Nico
Kurikara, Patron of Ascetic Training, Martial Arts, Pursuit of Truth by Jean Otus
Anzia, Death Reaper by Karcen // Ametaru Harumiko (reaper's scythe) by VeiledPariah, Sachi (weapon: hammer) by QuirkyAngel
Hasuna, Patron of Hearth and Home, Family, and Parenthood by MrThe // Yamaza (NPC), Kimi, Kokoro (scarf) by Ian Temero


✫ U N C L A I M E D // N O R A ✫
Yuri Kaneda (weapon: katana) by RI.a
Ressha Himura (weapon:pistol) by S n o w
Akari Ikea (weapon: dagger) by AnimeGenork


⌬ O T H E R S ⌬
(not owned by players)
Shouta (aka Shiro) (human boy)
Tora (aka "Tora-taro") (human girl)
"Red Velvet" (???, f)
Florentine (female kami of ???)
Junbii'en (male Patron of Calligraphy and Writing)
Shishri Arashi (female Patron of Combat)
Kagami Yuuzo (female Patron of Commerce)
Tousen Zakura (male God of Spring, one of four seasonal gods)​

Credits:

myfanwy --- le beautiful coding
Life. --- co-creator & adviser

 

[Elowyn]

the world of Noragami

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ノラガミ
coded by myfanwy ​

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standings

Celestial Bonds Formed

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n/a​

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lore & history

the Ritual

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The power of gods depend on the wishes of people. It begins when certain desires of humans are large enough in numbers to bring the birth of a new deity. But there is one common enemy for all gods that the humans live through; time. With time comes change. Change in values, beliefs, and ultimately desires.

The path of some gods fluctuate with the time of humans, while some stay strong and ever growing. Then there are the few that their path fades away.

Eons ago a ritual among the deities was documented. It was by the plea from the Goddess of Placidity that the ritual was created. Her close comrade, God of Innovation, decided to test his powers in working out a solution to prevent the goddess from fading. Suddenly came the first ever bonding of two deities together. Their fate and destinies were intertwined.

What all came from it?
Shinkis were shared between both deities, but if a shinki were to sin then the blight would only affect the original owner. However the other god was not without consequence as they felt ill from the effect.
Original abilities of deities can grow stronger together through a more powerful bond of emotions and sharing of their lives together in a harmonious way. On the other hand, if the bond is corrupted, both will feel the effects.

As time went by, the kami forgot about this ancient rite. Meanwhile, the island nation of Japan saw industrialization take hold over its citizens and a heavy reliance on science and technology broke the absolute power of the gods.

But once more, the ritual was unearthed and brought into the public light of Heaven. It created and started a controversy among the heavens. Some gods were against the new and unfamiliar idea of having deities work together and grow stronger together, while others decided to experience the newly created ceremony to save the kami who were losing followers and power. Much talk was brought about by this new ceremony even as it saved a number of lesser gods.


the Setting


For Reference:

Geography

Japan (the country) Japan Fast Facts - CNN
Japan (the basics) Japanese Culture and Tradition
More In-Depth History & Culture Culture of Japan - history, people, traditions, women, beliefs, food, family, social, marriage
the City of Kyoto Kyoto | History, Geography, & Points of Interest
Culture Tidbits Japanese Culture: New vs Old
Common Phrases Translated Top 20 Most Requested Translations: English to Japanese

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Information on Rites

Celestial Rites

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The Naming (how Shinki are made)
Purification Ceremony (confession to remove blight)
The Invocation Ceremony (between two compatible kami)
The Purging (Pacification Ring used on Ebisu)
The Circling (3+ kami and at least 9 shinki, stronger bond, almost 0 chance of going extinct)

Details: Stings, Shrines, Shinki

If done with a human, the kami must sacrifice all his or her current Regalia and inhabit a mortal vessel.

Frequently ends up with the kami sharing regalia and or shrines. Or establishing a partnership between their regalia and shrine-worshipers.

Works best when the Kami are somehow related to each other (Fortune gods, Nature ones, etc.)

Blight affects the bond, and Kami which owns the Regalia, but damages to the bond are harder to repair and take longer and more effort.

Betrayal: one may "betray" the other by killing them (and thus forcing them to reincarnate), taking over all their Regalia and shrine and followers.
Broken Bond: sleeping with another constitutes as a breaking of the bond. Immediately blights both partners.

Rebirth: the one who is not reborn is expected to care for the reborn one--and then reforge the bond, but the bond will be re-set so any previous progress made with the past reincarnation is lost.

Requirements of bonding:
1. Consent of both parties
2. Gathering of celestial courts (lower, middle, and upper)
3. A presider to conduct the rite
The date set for the Rite to take place on must be an "auspicious" date with the alignment of stars just right.
Preparations for the ceremony may take one month or more.
It is highly recommended that a weaker god bond to a stronger one.

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The year is 2006 AD.

A relic of the past has begun to resurface.
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"The Invocation Ceremony has only been used a few times in ancient history, and only to save the existences of shrineless kami. Weak deities. It involves the binding of two gods whose lives will be intertwined from then onward.

It could prove to make them both stronger, if the bond is nourished… or it could prove to be the destruction of them both if the bond degenerates.

"But now, knowledge of this ancient rite is beginning to resurface among the rulers of Heaven. Kami are vanishing. Fading out of existence. Faith is in crisis. The elite council desire to make the Invocation Ceremony a new norm to strengthen Heaven and its citizens. What terrifies them most is that almost all of the lesser known gods have disappeared, and that even some kami with shrines are starting to disappear… Panic has seized hold of some. Fear, in others. And some are becoming desperate enough to test this newfound way of thriving together rather than striving to survive apart.

Perhaps a new era of Kami is dawning… one in which Celestial Rites dominate the lives of kami."

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[Elowyn]

-- a Post on Posting ! --

Here is a BBCode, please use it for all posts! *replace stock image with your character's image*

r e q u i r e m e n t s

As much as you can, post twice a week minimum.
Each post should respond to whatever action/people/environment is happening around & to your character.
Starting out there are no specifics on how long your post should be, but I will call out people if I deem that your post is too short.
Read all related posts as much as possible.

Name
Location​

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coded by e d e n​

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[Elowyn]

[class=credit] width:300px; margin:auto; font-size:10px; opacity:0.3; [/class] [class=box] width:300px; height:500px; margin:auto; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 10px 35px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.25); -moz-box-shadow: 0px 10px 35px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.25); box-shadow: 0px 10px 35px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.25); border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 10px; -moz-border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 10px; -webkit-border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 40px 10px 80px 10px; border-color: rgba(229,229,229, 0.8); [/class] [class=screenbox] width:100%; height:500px; overflow:hidden; [/class] [class=screenboxchild] width:100%; height:500px; padding-right:17px; overflow:auto; text-align:justify; color:#313131; [/class] [class=screen] margin-top:-20px; background-color:#fff; padding:5px; [/class] [class=topcontain] width:300px; margin:auto; [/class] [class=camera] position:relative; top:-20px; left:80px; width:8px; height:8px; border-radius:50%; background-color: #000000; [/class] [class=top] position:relative; left:10px; top:-27px; background-color:rgba(229,229,229, 1.0); width:40%; height:8px; margin:auto; box-shadow: 0 0 1px #000 inset; border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 10px; -moz-border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 10px; -webkit-border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 10px; [/class] [class=buttonbottom] position:relative; top:-70px; width:35px; height:35px; margin:auto; background-color:rgba(229,229,229, 1.0); border:3px solid rgba(114,114,114, 0.2); border-radius:50%; box-shadow: 0 0 1px #000 inset; [/class] [class=weather] width:270px; background-color:#D3F1F4; padding:10px; font-family: Open Sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:11px; color:#313131; [/class] [class=weathericon] float:left; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; margin-right:10px; width:50px; height:50px; color:#fff; font-family: Open Sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:55px!important; [/class] [class=weatherinfo] width:100px; height:30px; [/class] [class=news] width:270px; background-color:#E0F5F7; padding:10px; font-family: Open Sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:11px; color:#313131; [/class] [class=newsicon] float:right; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; margin-right:10px; width:50px; height:50px; color:#fff; font-family: Open Sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:55px!important; [/class] [class=newsrinfo] width:100px; height:30px; [/class] [class=other] width:270px; background-color:#ECF9FA; padding:10px; font-family: Open Sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:11px; color:#313131; [/class] [class=othericon] float:left; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; margin-right:10px; width:50px; height:50px; color:#e6e6e6; font-family: Open Sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:55px!important; [/class] [class=otherinfo] width:100px; height:30px; [/class] [class=textarea] width:270px; background-color:#ECF9FA; padding:10px; font-family: Open Sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:11px; color:#313131; [/class] [class=leftchat] float:left; width:70%; margin:2px; background-color:#2E86AB; color:#fff; font-family: Open Sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:11px; border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 10px; -moz-border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 10px; -webkit-border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 10px; padding:3px; [/class] [class=rightchat] float:right; width:70%; margin:2px; background-color:#92DCE5; color:#fff; font-family: Open Sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:11px; border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 10px; -moz-border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 10px; -webkit-border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 10px; padding:3px; [/class]

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Current Weather
Cloudy
32°F
Kyoto, Japan

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Current Events
Westernization of Japan
Strange Weather Patterns
Ancient Buddhist Shrine Torn Down

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Recent Comments
Tornado?!
No way~
so glad i'm home..

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[div class=leftchat]I'm bored.

[div class=rightchat]Then go do something.[/div]
[div class=leftchat]Thank you Captain Obvious. I want to know if you want to go do something with me.[/div]
[div class=rightchat]Depends on what this 'something' is.[/div]
[div class=leftchat]Pay a visit to a shrine?[/div]
[div class=rightchat]Haha, no thanks. My parents were into that sort of thing. But I'm not. Besides, I'm too old for fairy tales...[/div]
[div class=rightchat]Why don't you come on over to my house?[/div]
[div class=leftchat]Sure! I'm omw to your place now~[/div]

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[div class=textarea]I wish you knew how real the kami are..... (unsent text)
[/div] [/div][/div][/div][/div][div class=credit]code/design by Fable [/div][div class=buttonbottom][/div][/div]

 

[MrThe]

Name: Hasuna
Location: Takamagahara​

Hasuna was working in the garden as usual while her 3 youngest regalia were playing games and chasing insects. As she worked though Hasuna felt something trouble her, this uneasy feeling would not go away, and it told her she needed to visit the near shore. It has been some time since she has visited the near shore, but it seems that right now Hasuna needed to make a house call. After all her gut never led her astray before. Now what was it they said about a mother's intuition?

coded by e d e n​

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Nagi
Kyoto, Japan, coffee shop near Ancient Buddhist Shirne​

Sitting at the corner of a small coffee shop, Nagi inhaled the scent of freshly brewed coffee from his steaming cup, even as he listened to the chatter of excited wind spirits. Tornado? Not the work of Fuujin surely. Blowing down the shrine of another god wasn’t something his friend would normally do. Not without reason. A phantom maybe? There was no way to know for sure without checking the shrine out. However, Nagi wasn’t the type to needlessly jump into danger…especially not without a weapon. Heaven had a vast array of combat gods. Surely one of them could handle the matter. Much better than a god without a combat regalia at least.

“Weather’s been pretty bad as of late, hasn’t it Lord Nagi?”

“It’s nothing you should worry about, Hiname-chan,” Nagi said to the small girl sitting across from him.

Nobody at the coffee shop seemed to notice the pair of tourists that were leisurely enjoying a hot drink. In fact, it had taken Nagi three tries to get the attention of the waiter. A normal customer might get frustrated. Not Nagi though. He was used to it. To the denizens of the near shore, the far shore was nothing but a fantasy cooked up by religious nuts. Un-seeable. Un-touchable. People of faith were hard to find during these changing world times.

Smiling at a baby who waved at him from a nearby stroller, Nagi winked at the human child before sipping his coffee. “Storms are a regular occurrence in this world we travel.”

coded by e d e n​

 

[Ian Temero]

Kokoro
City Streets​

"Well someone stirred up a shitstom over there." a young girl remarked, letting out a low whistle as she watched a cloud of black mist gathering in the distance. A shitstorm! Ha! I should be a comedian! She chuckled at her own choice of words. After all, that was what she was looking at. A Storm: the herald of the Phantoms. When a storm appeared in the sky it was guarantied that a shit-ton of Phantoms would start wandering the streets of the city, though whether the Storms popped up because of the Phantoms or if it was the other way around, she didn't know. No way in hell was she going to get close enough to the center to find out. It occurred to her as she sat by the side of the road watching the churning mist that, if she hadn't left the shelter as early as she had, she would have been caught in the middle of that chaos. Now that was a scary thought.


"Alright, break time's over." Standing up, Kokoro stretched out her back before bending back down and grabbing the large backpack that had been laying next to her. She hoisted it up, grunting as she did so. She had approximately forty pounds of holy water in that pack, taken from the closest shrine and stored in an assortment of bottles scrounged from recycling bins. Normally gathering the water was a three person job so they could trade off carrying the heavy bags, but everyone at Limbo had either been out gathering old clothes, hunting through dumpsters for edible food (despite being dead they still felt the need to eat surprisingly), or were just 'too busy'. So it was just her and the new girl. F***ing Osamu! Bastard's getting an asskicking for this!


Kokoro walked quickly down the street, wading through a sea of red and orange leaves. She wanted to put as much distance between them and the storm as she could before it either started drifting their way or one of the gods showed up to take out the trash, though the latter was a long shot. Lately the gods had become scarce. It wasn't uncommon now for them to never show up when a storm appeared and when they did, it would be hours later. Things had become very dangerous for the spirits because of this. In the past couple of weeks, two of her 'kids' had disappeared, devoured by the phantoms no doubt. Damn gods! Too busy with their shit to give a f*** about us lesser souls! F*** them and f*** their problems! We're f***ing dying down here, damn it! Get your shit together!

Putting her mental tirade on hold for later, Kokoro glanced back at the new girl. "You doing alright back there?"

RI.a

 

[VeiledPariah]

Ame

Kyoto Station​

Metal grinded against metal as the wind roared past her ears causing her short white hair to flow around in a wild manner. Slowly the train came to a stop as the ever present bell chime came over the loud speakers.
Now arriving at Kyoto please remember to grab all your personal items thank you or riding with us today...
The Nora stood from her spot atop the great mechanical transport before jumping down onto the platform. The station was busy as always and she still gave the swaths of living people distance. Her hands slid against the escalators rubber railings as her eyes met the clouds once more. She came out onto a popular strip of walkway passing by various shops and vendors.

Her smile being presented to small children and animals as she reached the park. It was cold but she was used to it by now as she zipped her hoodie up a little more. Her hands stopped briefly during the movement as her names were visible until the black clothing seemed to swallow them up whole.
Now the only tattooed looking mark visible was just below her hairline halfway marked at her forehead. It helped that her hair covered half of the given name permanently stamped on her...and with the others hidden she could appear as just one Kami's regalia.

Ame shook her head knowing it was not worth the time to reflect as the presence in the park was what she had come for.
It felt suffocating and darker than normal as she scanned the sky again.
"The storm is getting worse...I hope they can manage it"
she breathed out in almost a whisper as she took a seat on a swing letting natural force gently rock her. She was not here to play however Ame had come for something much more important.

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coded by e d e n​

 

[S n o w]

Name: Ressha/Hon
Location: Kyoto, Japan​

Hon was annoyed. No, it wasn't because of the black cloud of phantoms filling the sky, or the fact that unless he could learn to turn himself into a weapon, he was pretty much defenseless against them. Well, even if he could turn himself into a weapon, he would probably just hit the sidewalk and be equally as useless. Nor was it because he didn't have a name. Hon, technically, wasn't his to use anymore. Hadn't been for a while. But was he supposed to walk around thinking of himself as 'No Name' until another god came along and decided to name him for a month or two before he was released again? Or better yet, until a phantom decided he would make a nice snack before dinner? No, he'd stick with 'Hon' until given a reason not to. It's not like Benzaiten could force him to stop, right? Right? He stopped walking, considering it. She was the god of art and music, and they didn't tend to be the smite-y type.

His stomach rumbled, and he remembered why he was annoyed. He was starving. Hon shoved his hands in his pockets. He hadn't eaten since yesterday, or was it the day before? He didn't have the patience for dumpster diving, nor could he stand around all day on the off chance that someone threw out something even a little edible. Just thinking about it bored him.

Water was easier to get. Holy water was still water, wasn't it? Hon stopped in front of a coffee shop, lured by the smell of fresh pastries. He moved closer, pressing his forehead against the window so he could stare at the display case. Humans couldn't see him unless he brought himself to their attention, so who cared if he smudged the glass a little? What he wouldn't do for a bagel right about now. Hon was tempted to just go in and take it, but for as little time he spent with Tenjin, his regalia did do a good job of beating him over the head with what consequences his actions had. Still, he could stare, and see if any of the customers left any change behind.

coded by e d e n​

 

[RI.a]

Yuri Kaneda
City Streets​

Yuri was told to follow Kokoro in the early morning. She was reluctant at first till she matched the name to the girl who knew what she's here for, who knows what she likes and hates, who gets easily provoked and instigates fights but knows why she fights. She was envious of Kokoro, but didn't know why. Maybe she felt that she was what Yuri wanted to be? Or she just wants to have a reason to do things? She wasn't sure yet. She silently followed behind her, kicking the dry leaves that have piled up along the inside of the path. She was several feet behind Kokoro, who was currently lugging a backpack too huge that it looks like it's about to burst at the seams. Half the time, Yuri looked back towards the storm, and the other half listening to Kokoro's bantering about gods.

Chewing on the inside of her cheeck- a habit she recently developed when she feels uncertain, her eyes flickered up towards the girl that decided to check up on her. She must have been pulling off a weird look, her jaw slightly slanted when she stopped mid-chewing her cheek. She quickly covered it up with a fake cough and a hand over her mouth. She brushed off her well-being with a curt reply, "Ah. Yeah." She tucked a hand in the back pocket of her shorts, "Hey, you know you have a lot of awful sh** to say about those gods or whatever. But have you met one before? And err..." She pointed a finger at the absurd looking bag, "Do you need help with that or what? I mean, it's why I'm here with you right?"

Ian Temero
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coded by e d e n​

 

[Lunaria Silver]

Shizuya
Takamagahara​

Shizuya was seated in her favorite chair whilst she peacefully read a book in her home. Everything was quiet; peaceful. That was how she preferred her home, after all. It hadn't always been that way. Just three years ago Shizuya's home was quite lively, as she always had some sort of company. Nowadays she preferred to sit in silence, thinking. Sometimes about the past. Other times about the future. As she was the goddess of prophecy she was gifted with occasional glimpses of the future.
Though she had already been reclusive for the past three years, for the past month she had been even more withdrawn. She knew that Yuuken must have felt her distance, and she was crushed with tremendous guilt because of it. She couldn't help it, though. She had already seen what would become of the gods. Even the strong would fade if something wasn't done.
Humans just didn't believe like they used to. They put their faith in technology; in astrology. It seemed so ridiculous. The position of the stars was no substitute for a true prophet. Shizuya had become resigned to her fate, which was ironic. The goddess of fate powerless to change her own.
She sighed as she closed her book. Perhaps she was getting carried away. If she knew anything it was that prophecies were often misleading and that the future was uncertain. When she thought of the fate that would ultimately befall a godless regalia, she knew that the gods couldn't be allowed to disappear. No. Something had to be done. She felt as though she knew where to begin, and that was the Near Shore. She hadn't been there for a long time, although she paid attention to the things that happened there.
"Yuuken." She called softly before standing. "Let's pay a visit to the near shore."

Nico

coded by e d e n​

 

[Karcen]

Code:

Aznia
Kyoto hospital​

Aznia was doing what she would do any day, spreading the word of her existence. Azani was a lesser deity, a young goddess that could only grow, or so she thought. Still this growth was dependent on getting others, namely humans to worship her which had it's own challenges as she was a goddess of death and few people wished to follow death if they were sane. Still she had a plan to get followers, she had a deal to offer extra days of life if they spared word of her to others. She had even bothered to create a small ritual involving a hand made paper charm, 100 yen , and a small invocation. it all lent some gravity to the whole affair and made things feel far more official. it also helped her find others that were receptive of her or desperate to have some last wish granted. Still word of mouth only got one so far and thus she had published the ritual online as summoning spirits as always was a hobby of the young and they young were desperate to have their wishes heard. Still often she would not answer these requests as she did not do party tricks and asking her to levitate a glass was hardly worthy of a goddess.

Thus she was in another hospital where the sick, the injured, and the dying were all gathered and where she was most often called. She had in fact worked this into some stories she wrote about herself making her more of an urban legend than one of the vaunted respected gods, but it would do her existence was assured for now. Still it did get depressing to spend so much time amoung those with little hope and plenty of pain, in a past life this might have been something she would have enjoyed. She walked through the mostly bare halls, unseen and unfelt by all but a few select people and a few children, but who believed what they dying said. Soon Aznai found the correct room number and walked into it looking about she saw the room was actually rather well filled with cards, flowers, and gifts both new and old. Azani had seen more decorated and less in her time and they often told her the wish of the person before Walking closer she beheld the one that had called her a frail old man, clearly loved by his family but unable to leave this room and kept alive only by the devices that surrounded him.

Walking to the table beside the bed where the old man rested she saw her little ritual had been followed, perhaps a nurse had helped him, perhaps a family member, but what mattered was he had called her. With that she allowed the human to see her as she lifted the coin and looked it over and before he could speak she spoke.

" You have called and i have answered, speak your wish" She said as she put the coin in her pocket and waited. The man like most old people could not get right to the point of course he had a story to tell now that someone would listen and despite having heard hundreds of stories she still listened taking this as serious as it was to the man. The treads were fairly similar to others, a man loved by his family young and old with a body failing him more and more and unable to take being useless and a burden. it was not uncommon and people like him had only one of two wishes.

" I want this to end, i lived a long good life, and i can't take this slowly wasting away" He finished and Azani stood from where she had sat down in a chair and moved over his bed.

" Is that your wish, the end, you are sure?" She asked her tone neutral not criticizing or babying the man she simply asked what he wanted. " Have you said your goodbyes?"

The man thought on it for a moment, here was the moment of doubt the choice between life and death, a way out the did not involve the lurking phantoms. The man thought and thought before slowly nodding " Yes i am ready"

" Very well, then close your eyes" she said and when the man did she moved over him leaning in and reaching into his chest and slowly softly pulling back as she pulled out his very soul and as she did so his vitals spiked and then it was over. The machines flat lined in an instant the dying man had fully died and his soul taken from his body and released into the afterlife, his soul safe from the taint of the phantoms.

Seconds latter the staff rushed in with more machines and tried to rouse the dead man, their efforts would be in vain and Azani would move from her sport to the window looking outside. As she heard order relayed and comments about the man not coming back she saw the dark clouds in the horizon. It would be a few minutes before they called it and pronounced him dead. Azani stayed through the whole ordeal not taking pleasure in any of this, it was simply work, though one moment did make her smirk a little. One of the nurses looked to the bedside and saw the charm, and she could see he knew what it was as he picked up and seemed to wonder where the 100 yen that had or should have been on it went. Then she turned back to the window, something big was comign she coudl feel it.

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[VeiledPariah]

Ame

Shirugen Park​

The slow creaking of the swing sets chains resounded as the Nora let herself move back and forth.
She tried not to but her mind receded to times long past. Her first master wielding her against the great demon that plagued the lands. "Susanoo...how could you"
The woman dug her soles into the sand to bring herself to a stop. Her hair hung over her face as her gaze fell on her feet. She stayed motionless as the slight breeze from the storm began to pick up causing sand particles to be suspended around her. Without raising her head up Ame shot her gaze upon the phantom that now loomed a few feet from her...
Lately Kami had been going missing which in turn allowed these demons to run rampant without a god and regalia to defeat them. The beast opened its large serrated mouth as steam escaped its grotesque jaws. It had grown to a considerable size... The phantoms twelve eyes settled on the Nora as it brought back one of its arms to squash the female shinki.
"So that is how its going to be...fine!"
The nora jumped high dodging the phantoms strike, her hands gripping the top horizontal pole of the swings. Using her momentum she spun around a few times before releasing her hold propelling herself towards the creature.

It seemed dumbfounded either that its blow had not connected due to her great speed or that a spirit was crashing toward it. A growl echoed as Ame brought her arms across her chest in an X pattern her index and pointer fingers connecting as a bright white light illuminated from them.
The Noras hair blowing back exposing her face in the oncoming wind her eyes fierce as her arms uncrossed merely inches from the phantoms hide as she shouted.
"BorderLine!!!"
The energy stored in her fingertips arcing one another in the same pattern creating a reaction that sent the colliding demon crashing backward a few meters. Ame landed fixing her piercing gaze on her target as it struggled to stand confused at how she could have held it back. Her next words filled with conviction as she threatened coldly.
"Now...I will show you who truly is the prey"

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[QuirkyAngel]

Nagi
Kyoto, Japan, coffee shop near Ancient Buddhist shrine​

“Even so, storms are still dangerous to us, Lord Nagi. Very dangerous. Especially since I can't cleanse the road and get rid of phantoms..." Chocolate eyes fell towards the contents of her cup. "If only I were a weapon of some sort. A sword. A bow. Wings like Harume had been. Literally anything that can be used offensively, would be much more useful to you in a storm than I am.”

Nagi could feel his regalia’s doubt. Her insecurities. They were what made her human. Or at least used to be human. It was through years of being connected to regalias and walking amongst humans that he grew to understand these feelings of weakness. Through loss that he understood what was precious to him. Nagi didn’t think he could bear losing her like he’d lost Harume, Natsume, Akime, and Fuyume.

“If it weren’t for you, I’d have been blighted many times over.” Nagi spoke honestly. “I don’t need you to be weapon, Hiname-chan. I’m glad you aren’t one.”

Weapons were tools used in fights. Thus had a higher chance of breaking.

“But you do need one. You can’t avoid fighting forever.”

It was rare times like these that reminded him Hina was older than what her appearance would lead one to believe. Wiser too. It was true. Nagi did need a weapon if he wanted to continue the lifestyle he’d chosen for himself. He’d always known it—that he needed another traveling companion. He’d just been…procrastinating.

“There aren’t many spirits out there willing to live the way I live,” Nagi said reasonably. “I don’t exactly provide a stable home. And, for most normal spirits, the benefits don’t outweigh the cost. I am looking though.”

“Speaking of home, are we really returning to Heaven, Lord Nagi? Do you think it’s true? Are shrined Gods really disappearing? Is this so-called binding ritual with another god the only way you’ll continue to exist?”

“That’s what I want to find out,” Nagi sighed, a mournful expression crossing the Travel God’s normally relaxed face as he set his coffee aside and slumped over the table, face buried in his arms. “Being in the near shore all the time doesn’t lend itself to much information regarding the on-goings of my fellow Gods. I don’t like dealing with Heaven’s politics. But I can’t ignore the various proposals Tatsume informed me about either. The lesser, unshrined gods are growing desperate. I don’t blame them. Tatsume thinks I should just do it because it’s safer, and provides extra security, but…I guess I just need advice.”

“Hence, Lady Hasuna—patron goddess of hearth, home, and family?”

“I think you’ll like her, Hiname-chan. She likes giving treats to children.”

Nagi had just finished his sentence when the giggling and gushing of the wind drew his attention towards a nameless spirit staring through the window of the coffee shop. No one else seemed to notice the boy, which was enough to indicate him as one of the far shore. Most gods also liked to keep their regalias near them, which suggested the boy wasn’t one. However, in Nagi’s case, it was instinct. He could tell a named spirit from an unnamed one by simply by looking…something he chalked up to being a god. Seeing Nagi lift his head, Hiname followed her god’s gaze.

“What’s he doing? Why doesn’t he come in?”

“He’s staring at the bagels.”

“Is he running an errand for a God or something? He's like me, isn't he?”

“No, he’s unnamed.”

Hiname blinked in realization while Nagi waved at the human spirit outside the coffee shop to get his attention, a friendly smile on his face. Finding an free, pure spirit when he needed a divine weapon was stroke of luck on his part, though that wasn’t the main reason he decided to greet the boy. Job interviews can wait. As a traveler, Nagi liked seeing new sights, but he also enjoyed meeting new people. Sharing stories. Besides, it wasn’t safe for an untainted, unnamed spirit to be out and about with phantoms lurking, and the guy did seem a little hungry.

“Hello Stranger. My name is Nagi. Would you like to join us at our table? I’ll make it worth your while.”​

Nagi spoke casually, not raising his voice, but the wind carried his message through the coffee shop walls and into the nameless spirit’s ear.

S n o w
Mentioned: MrThe

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[MrThe]

Hasuna

Kyoto
Kyoto has always been her favorite city, it is traditional, a natural consequence of having so much history, Kyoto was one of the few places in Japan which were for the large part spared by the bombs in WW2, meaning that it has quite a large amount of prewar buildings, sadly, soon that might not be the case as more and more old things are being torn down for shiny new skyscrapers, kind of like the gods. Nevermind that though, she had work to do. Hmm, looks like quite the storm Boujouza, why is there no one combating the phantoms? Surely one of the war gods will do something about it? I am not sure Lady Hasuna. But we should wait before going in, there are quite a large number of Phantoms and it pays to be cautious. Thank you for your advice, Boujouza, but I happen to have an appointment in the area, and I hate to be late. Yamaza, are you ready? Yes, just don't get hurt mommy. I won't sweety, now come Sekki. We have a job to do.​

 

[Ian Temero]

Kokoro
City Streets​

Kokoro winced as the new girl questioned her. "Shit. Was I saying all that out loud? Sorry." It was something Kokoro was working on, thinking out loud. When she was alone she didn't have to worry about who could hear her, but now that she had this collection of lost souls under her wing she really needed to be a little more careful what came out of her mouth. She stopped walking and shrugged off the bag, passing it to the new girl. "Right, that is why your here. Just going on autopilot I guess." She wasn't going to complain, that pack was heavy and her back was hurting.

She continued walking, remaining quiet for a minute before answering the new girl's initial question. "No, I haven't met a god, but that's the damn problem. The gods are the only ones that can kill these phantoms, right? So where the f@#$ are they? If they were doing their f@#$ing job, shouldn't we have seen one by now? She shook her head and sighed. "But enough of that. I can't keep calling you 'new girl' all the time. You need a name! You're pretty as hell so let's use mi. But you can't just be 'Mi', so what else?"She thought about it for a second. "How about flower? Mika sounds nice, doesn't it?"

RI.a

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[Elowyn]

God of Spring, God of Combat
at the twister​

"Oi, why am I the one doing this? It's hardly spring yet and that means my powers are weaker." the kami with long silver hair asked as he cleaved through a phantom with a huge blade. A buster sword named Nakume; he could feel her joy as she tore through completely. Although the length of the hair nearly reached his lower back, it didn't get caught up in the wind due to a hair securing ring. This was Raiga, one of the newer regalia he had collected.
"Quit complaining, Blossom-kun! The god of Autumn is holding down the north. It's worst there." A terrifying caterwaul erupted from the throat of a girl of smaller stature. She would most likely be extremely pissed if anyone referred to her with that characteristic, but then again, most people were dwarfed by the first one's height and bulk. This girl was dressed in the samurai garb of days long gone. Fittingly enough, she carried a kodachi which had a jade bead and gold tassel at the end. "We're occupied as it is with the amount of Ayakashi that show up!" The Phantom she was fighting burst apart too.
"Tch. I told you that nickname is unfitting for myself. How would you like it if I called you Shorty?" The look of rage that dawned on her face showed how she felt about that. Let's change that 'most likely' to 'definitely would be pissed.' "...Right. Let's just forget that ever happened, then." His gaze focused on the next phantom, a lupine form. He muttered under his breath, "They just don't stop coming."

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[RI.a]

Yuri Kaneda
City Streets​

Yuri stayed quiet when Kokoro apologised, to be honest she didn't know why an apology was needed. She closed the gap between her and the bag. Crouching down, she slid her arms under the straps and positioned the bag on her forearms. Yuri took a deep breath, bracing herself as she got up without breaking her back. It was definitely a lot heavier than she thought it was, but she managed to balance on her two feet. She started taking smaller, quicker steps to maintain whatever balance that she has. Luckily, the bag was wider than it was taller, so she still managed to see what's in front of her.

"I don't really know how that all works yet, but yeah. We did just take all this stuff from a shrine. And there was no one around." Yuri commented before nodding, acknowledging that she doesn't want to talk about it any longer. She was flustered but kept it from showing on her face when she called her pretty. Then grimaced when Kokoro suggested the name 'Mika'. "Flower? I don't like flowers. They're too fragile, they die easily, and they get trampled on by everyone." The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. "No." She rejected the name, thinking a little about what to call herself. She wanted to be strong, so what about... "Kenichi?" Yuri thought out loud, grinning like she thought she won the lottery. Maybe a boy's name would make other people scared of her. Yuri started chuckling as her imagination gave her a group of minions addressing her as 'Lord Kenichi'.

Ian Temero

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[S n o w]

Name: Hon
Location: Kyoto, Japan​

Hon missed it when the god waved at him. He was so used to people not seeing him that he automatically assumed that the wave was meant for someone behind him, or another person in the shop. Instead, he eyed the coin a woman had left behind, wedged somewhere beneath a napkin dispenser. He was in the middle of wondering if he could stand waiting for enough people to lose their change for him to afford something when his ears were suddenly violated, words being pushed into his head without his permission. It was definitely one way to get his attention. One that left his ears traumatized from the experience, but still.

He focused on the god through the glass, but didn't immediately go in. He didn't have the best track record with gods. And the girl sitting with him had to be his regalia. He wondered how much of a tab he could run up before he inevitably said something he shouldn't, and offended them both. He guessed ten minutes.

Hon went inside, deciding that if this god's intention was to claim him, he would make more of an effort to be friendly this time, that he'd become a boring regalia who followed the rules and never thought about anything that wasn't sunshine and rainbows and staying happy all the time. The thought almost made him turn around and try his luck with the storm raging outside. Hon plopped down in a chair. He wasn't bored yet. Good sign. "Hon," he introduced himself, ignoring the regalia for now. Better to ignore temptation. "And this better be worthwhile. I'm missing a date with the storm for this."

QuirkyAngel

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[VeiledPariah]

Ame

Shirugen Park(Kyoto)​

The phantom reacted as two tendrils burst forth from its bulbous body and careened toward the woman. Ame sidestepped one and ducked under the other as she ran forward.
The appendages retracted before bursting at her again. The Nora stopped short utilizing a single swipe of her right hand creating another borderline.
As the tentacles hit the energy it crackled violently before the phantoms arms came back falling limp across its frame.
Ame moved quickly breaking into a run once more her finger tips coming behind her as she ran the bright light charging again. The demons eyes went wide knowing the strike was coming it began to run clambering across the jungle gym and slide area towards the more forested area of the park. The shinki stopped as it crashed into the trees. Her eyes scanning for its presence, the aura emitting from her fingertips primed to strike.
The cracking of branches caught her attention but nothing was there.

The Nora smiled at the challenge it appeared the phantom knew to be wary of her borderlines. Suddenly the area around her grew darker as her eyes looked skyward the creature dropping down from the leap it had taken from the hiding place in the trees.
"Damn!"
Ame called out as she jumped side ward barely dodging the attack as she skidded to a stop using her feet and hand.
"Well...you are proving to be a handful..but playtime is over!"
She retorted to the beast as it made a ghoulish squealing sound.
Ame sprinted again as the phantom followed sending unrelenting barrages of tendrils toward the Nora.
The woman broke into the woods dodging each strike as she kept moving. She was beginning to become fatigued she had to end this fight soon. The forest began to clear away toward a man made pond.
Ame inhaled sharply before allowing her body to slide against the cool crisp grass.
The phantom barreled past her and by the time it stopped itself and turned to face her its dozen eyes met a brilliant white light. The Ayakashi being flung backward across the waters surface skipping against it a few times before sinking down into its depths.
The Nora let out her held breath as she took off in order leave the area and the phantom behind.
While she was unable to kill it she could at least leave it disabled for a time.
Exiting the park she slumped against the side of a convenience stores glass window as she attempted to catch her breath.
"I...need a......drink..."


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[Karcen]

Aznia
Kyoto ​

The world outside was consumed by the storm of phantoms, just where did these things come from, where was their source, were the questions that passed through the mind of the former evil spirit. Azani had no Shinki and thus no true way to fight against the phantoms and had simply avoided them since she became a god. This was the first time she had been near such a storm, as she had gotten lucky and had been able to avoid or just ignore such events, as again without a Shinki she was unable to destroy those she had once helped. There was little that the little goddess could do to fight off these dark spirits. Azani did consider hunting out a stray spirit, but that felt somewhat disrespectful to said spirit, simply taking them and using them, Azani would rather have a partner that she knew before she took them. Still she felt she had to do something, but again she was unable to help it was a sad fact that she could not care for a shinki, which was her responsibility and thus she should not take one until she could. So all Azani felt she could do was wait and watch the phantoms invade while she had to let other gods do the fighting.

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[QuirkyAngel]

Nagi
Kyoto, Japan, coffee shop near Ancient Buddhist Shrine​

“Are you serious?”

Whether Hiname was referring Hon’s attitude or his unbelievable statement of wanting to be out in the storm was hard to say. Hiname’s brows furrowed in a way that revealed both confusion and annoyance—an expression Nagi thought looked cute on his little Regalia. Not that he would ever say that aloud of course.

Nagi wasn’t particularly bothered by the unnamed spirit’s dissatisfied demeanor. In fact, Hon’s attitude fascinated him. Spirits that chose names for themselves tended to be strong individuals. It wasn’t a name chosen by a god and wouldn’t grant him any powers, but was a name he had picked out for himself—such a name had its own significance. And his indifference towards Nagi suggested that he was quite familiar with dealing gods. A former regalia? At least that meant long explanations could be skipped.

“You’re the only one of us that has yet to introduce themselves, Hiname-chan.”

Pouting, the brown haired girl brought the cup of hot chocolate to her lips before glancing at Hon. “I’m Hina. As a vessel Juki. Though just call me Hiname.”

She took a long drink before setting the cup down. Nagi’s lips quirked upward as he watched his regalia enjoy her sweet drink. A craving born of a life of poverty, which she could no longer remember. A life locked away by her name, since it was a part of a no-longer-needed life.

Nagi turned his attention to Hon, only a slight tilt of head and a small glimmer in his eyes to express his curiosity. “Worthwhile is different for every person. Do you consider a meal and some company to be worthwhile?”

With the shifting of the wind, Nagi could feel the arrival of gods. It seemed they had finally arrived to deal with the matter created by humanity’s weakness. Though, they had taken quite a while to do so…which only served to show the declining state of Heaven.

Nagi moved to stand and strolled over the counter where he purchased a donut for Hiname and 2 bagels for him and Hon. Picking the coin wedged between a napkin dispenser, Nagi tapped the shoulder of the woman who’d left it behind—an action that only served to shock her since she hadn’t noticed him at all moments prior—and returned the coin to the woman before returning to his seat. It was lot faster than trying to call the waiter back to his table.

“For me, a trip to a new locale is only worthwhile if I can take the time to enjoy the sights. Meet new people and make new friends.” He placed the paper bag that contained the food on the table. “Since I’m the one to call you here, consider this my treat.” Nagi smiled at Hon. “And the only reason I’d called you here is to get to know you better. You used to work for a god, right? You seem to be quite experienced—enough to know what a storm is at least.”

A new spirit might recognize a storm, but they wouldn’t necessarily use the god-defined term of ‘storm’ to signify an area where many phantoms gathered. If he were to guess, the source of the storm outside would be at the Ancient Buddhist temple he heard got torn down—an area that lost divine protection. It was probably more accurate to say that the entire area around the shrine lost divine protection. Hiname reached for her donut.

S n o w

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[Jean Otus]

Kurikara
A Small Dojo in Downtown Kyoto​

Languishing in Boredom
Kurikara rolled around on his futon. On one side was the rusty heater that kept the space baking hot. On the other was a poorly sealed window which let cool, crisp air leak in from the outside. The ideal temperature balance for a pleasant morning. Or was it afternoon now? Not that it mattered. The Dojo was closed today, the master had locked up the whole place last night and left the freeloading patron god the run of the place. With no students to ask for his blessing at the beginning and end of each practice session, he was free to spend the day recharging with no interruptions.
taptaptap
The sleepy god winced at the sound coming from his beloved leaky window. Something was rattling the glass. The incessant tapping continued until it properly roused the god from his sleep. Kurikara stood, wrapping his quilt around his shoulders to inspect his window. From the dusty attic space, he could look out on his little corner of the city. The low-lying apartments, the little park, and the distant train station. It was a nice little neighborhood in Kyoto. Kurikara leaned against the glass to quell its rattling. It seemed a storm was brewing outside, of the dangerous kind. Not that it was any concern of his. He was a simple, regalia-less loser.

Still, it could be a good show if a more capable god came along to fight some of those phantoms. Kurikara decided to open his window and sit on the sill. Overlooking the city before him, he wished for a bag of chips to complete his viewing experience.

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[MrThe]

Hasuna

Kyoto
Hasuna cleaved through the phantoms one after another, she was surprised at the sheer ease with which Yamaza cut through them. I suppose that is the difference a blessed regalia makes. As Hasuna cut her way through the storm she asks Boujouza, where is the coffee shop? It's hard to find the way there at the same time I am fighting phantoms. Yes, right away Lady Hasuna. Take a left here. It took a while but Hasuna eventually made it to the rendezvous point. As she entered the coffee shop, the bell rang and some people looked around confused but for the most part no one noticed her come in at all. Hello Nagi, sorry I'm late, I hit a little trouble on the road. Perhaps I should have made a stop by one of your shrines before I came? She said with a chuckle​

 

[S n o w]

Name: Hon
Location: Kyoto, Japan, coffee shop near Ancient Buddhist Shrine​

Only three words in, and he already knew that he wouldn't like Hiname. He made a sound in the back of his throat that might have been acknowledgement when she introduced herself, but he didn't look at her. His eyes were already drifting away from the god and his regalia, drawn to the sound of a hot drink being poured into a cup and the sparkle of a croissant behind the display case. He didn’t speak again until Nagi came back to the table with his payment, letting the god ramble on about what he considered ‘worthwhile’.

He was already reaching, pulling the paper bag towards him before it fully landed on the table. He only remebrerd the others at the table after taking a few chunks out of a bagel. A second later, he thought of his lack of table manners. He glanced at the crumbs covering his area, at Hiname’s outstretched hand, and then at a small clock on the wall above him. He would be impressed with himself if he scared off a god in barely half his predicted time.

Hon took another, smaller bite, thinking over what Nagi had said while he’d been... distracted. He laughed. ”Oh, is that all? You want to ‘get to know me better’? Nothing to do with me being an unclaimed regalia, right?” He leaned back. ”And ‘work’ isnt the word I’d use. I was with other gods, yeah, but that’s it. I did as much work as a plant.” He shook his head, imagining he’d already failed his ‘potential regalia’ interview. He finished the bagel as another god cane in, sinking down in his chair.

QuirkyAngel MrThe

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