Fandom Norgami: A New Era (IC)

[Lucem]

Location: Park behind Hotel, Kyoto City.
Date: April 3rd, 2030
Time: 12:10 p.m​

Ryotaro Hirai
Not even Uroko knew if Towako could be saved. Ryo assumed a spirit would know more about this, but that wasn't the case. Even if he was ignorant, that didn't mean other people would have the answers he was looking for. While unfortunate, it wasn't unexpected. Human-like phantoms were a new existence, so there were still many mysteries surrounding them. While that made things more difficult, the uncertainty was somewhat comforting in this case. They still didn't know if the things that applied to other phantoms would apply to Towako. They didn't know for certain that he couldn't be saved. He and the gods were still searching for the answers, and the only way to get them was to experiment. To test his theory and willingness to believe in a tainted spirit that had already been abandoned, he'd be the guinea pig.

Ryo's smile persisted as he looked back to Uroko. While he couldn't provide the answer he was looking for, the silver-haired man helped him realize a few other things. "Even if something is bad for everyone else, you'll still do it for Ryuujin? That sounds pretty selfish to me." He chuckled a bit as he raised his head to look at the cloudy sky. "We really are alike." It wasn't a criticism of any sort. It was just something he acknowledged as Uroko helped remind him of what kind of person he was.

"I haven't really been acting like myself lately. I've always been the type to notice little details and think about what the best move is. That hasn't changed, but recently, all I've been doing is needlessly giving myself headaches. Because of the mistakes I made, I've been too focused on making a choice I won't regret." That in itself wasn't a bad thing. No matter how much fun he was having while working, he always acted carefully and made decisions after properly reviewing his options. He was crazy, but he wasn't stupid. However, he was thinking too much about the wrong things because of his mistakes. Because he didn't want to make another one, he was being too careful.

"But I already know it's not possible to live without regrets. We can only accept them and move on, trying to make up for them as we go along. I'll never regret anything more than the decision I made years ago, so I shouldn't worry too much about what comes next. I should just be selfish like usual. I'll do what I want and worry about any messes afterwards. If things go wrong, I'll have you and Ryuujin to bail me out again. You should only regret things once they've actually happened." This wasn't a declaration that he'd be reckless. Like always, he'd think things through and do what he thought was best. He just wouldn't let earlier events make him doubt his decisions. He never really beat himself up over it like Uroko said, but he'd take the advice. It wasn't like him. He already made a decision to accept things as they were and move forward. That's what he always did, and he wanted to help others do the same.

"I'm not a god. I'm just a human. Because I'm a human, I'll be selfish like one. I'll do what I want. Right now, I want to close this case without anyone getting hurt. I want to help Towako, and I'll do it in a way only a human can. I'll help him in a way only I can." Towako was more likely to reveal the truth to him than anyone else. He already had the thought in his head, but Uroko confirmed it for him. "He and Kenji were a package deal, so this isn't over until I see a smile on his face. And not another one of those fake smiles he's good at putting on. As far as I'm concerned, he's a client, and I intend on keeping my perfect record of customer satisfaction."

Ryo straightened his back as he turned to Uroko, crossing his arms with the usual air of confidence he pulled out of nowhere. "As a detective who fights for justice, I believe in innocent until proven guilty. I won't be satisfied until I hear the truth, and I want you two to hear it too. Although, there's no guarantee that the truth will make everything okay. Even if Towako is innocent, knowing that won't do anything about the bad blood between him and his former master. Ryuujin may not take him back, and he may not want to go back. Even if his negativity goes away, that may not solve everything. But that's just meant to be the starting line. Guilty or innocent, everyone can finally move on once they can leave the events from ten years ago in the past. If Towako can't figure out what to do after he reaches that point, I'll help him out. I can think of a few ways to nudge him in the right direction. If he chose to leave the sea and walk the path of man, who better than a human to help him get his land legs? Of course, that's only if he's innocent." He thought a lot about what would happen and what he'd do if Towako was innocent, but he never forgot that it was also possible that the spirit meant for everything to happen the way it did.

"Until we know the truth, I'll be counting on you two to keep us safe. I already had an idea about how we can get the information we need, but I'll give my pitch when everyone is together. Although, Ryuujin might not be in a great mood when he gets back. He and Rika don't seem to get along very well. He might not have the patience for my wonderful personality. If he's in the smiting mood, can I ask you to calm him down? I know you're loyal, but we're pals too, right?" He patted Uroko's scaly shoulder as he joked, quietly hoping Rika hadn't flipped the god who was trying to guard her.

"Sorry about trying to push a decision like that on you. I wasn't thinking straight. I'll give you half of my lunch as an apology." Ryo hummed as he reached into his bag. "The cooking in the palace is definitely tasty, but don't underestimate the culinary skill of a guy who's worked part-time in way too many restaurants."

QuirkyAngel

 

[Dante Verren]

Location: Gymnasium, Shirotome High
Date: April 3rd, 2030
Time: 12:45 pm​

Phantom (Pride)
Interactions: Azani ( Karcen ) Rika/Ryujin ( QuirkyAngel )


Kuro-Kyogi watched in glee as her insults dug into god. He really was an idiot, taking the bait and letting his anger rise like that. Even after the waterlogged rat who was possesing the girls body dared to refer to her as some pet, instead of being insulted Kuro-Kyogi just chuckled. Now this was a professional jester. Her glee then turned to fascination as the god seemed to be struggling. His confidence waned and his/her face scrounged back up as he started talking to Rika. A moment later and it looked like Rika had won her body back. That was quite impressive, not only to be able to win a spiritual battle against a god but a god of war. This human was quite something. Perhaps Kuro-Kyogi should pay more attention to this human in the future. Her glee once again returned as Rika hurled her insult and the phantom clapped her hands in applause giving her own chorus of agreement.

Finally Azani began her speech to the girl. The phantom tried to follow her line of thought but admittedly at some point got lost. Admitting you killed Rika's teacher was one thing, that was Azani's job and she should be proud that she upheld the deal. But, Kuro-Kyogi knew how attached humans could become to other humans. There lives were short and so they often formed strong bonds with other humans. Rika likely wasn't going to take the fact that Azani had killed her teacher well, let alone would she jump at the chance to help her teachers killer go through an image change. Although if Azani thought it was a good idea then who was Kuro-Kyogi to try and stop her. Afterall it was Azani's image at risk. Sighing lightly the phantom cut in, "Azani, perhaps asking her is too much. It seems she has a rather... established relationship with the waterlogged rat and having her spread your name would likely only cause issues with the simpleton. Let us find the red heads base and leave a message. You said it yourself, we don't have much time to stay here much longer".

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Location: Gymnasium, Shirotome High
Date: April 3rd, 2020
Time: 12:50pm​

Ryuujin + Rika

“Okay, that’s it! I’m having cooked Birdbrain for dinner tonight!” As Ryuujin got up and threateningly approached Kuro-Kyogi, Rika stepped between the two.

“No! No fighting at my school!”

“She’s the one starting this!” Ryuujin growled.

“And you don’t have to rise to every bait!” Rika hissed back. “What are you, a kid? Think of all the people that could get hurt if you duke it out here!”

The glare Ryuujin gave Kuro-Kyogi was enough to vaporize a person, but the god simply spat on the ground and return to the bench. This time though, he sat upright as he seemed to practice breathing exercises. Rika watched the water god closely while he meditated, looking for any signs that the delinquent-looking might suddenly charge the phantom, before glancing back at the goddess called Azani.

Confusion settled in as Rika processed everything the little-looking girl said. It seemed she did kill Ms Kiyomi, but it was at the request of another student. Which student? When? Did the kid knowingly participate in murder or did they just pray to a grudge-satisfying hit goddess because they didn’t know any better. If it was the former, they deserved to Juvie. Hell. Whatever. Seemed cursing people to Hell was a real thing and she ought be watching what she say otherwise she might accidentally call forth a demonic goddess to grant her wish.

“I don’t mind leaving a 5-yen coin at your shrine if it means freeing my teacher from Hell,” Rika replied. That was what prayer typically amounted to in Japan traditionally. Dropping a coin, ringing a prayer bell, and making a wish. She already did that for several shrines when looking for protection from phantoms. Adding another shrine to the list couldn’t hurt. “But if you can already change a deal, why don’t you just change the deal again to let the Hell-bound person go? Why do you even need to make a deal in the first place? Aren’t gods supposed to be all-powerful beings that punish the wicked and can do what they want?”

That was the way her Grandfather seemed to see it. That was what Rika always believed because the only goddess she’d ever met in person was Uzume. Phantoms were the monsters that killed humans, drove them to doing bad things, and gods were the ones that killed them. The Jellyfish Phantom appeared suitably villainous. However, Kuro-Kyogi seemed less of a danger to the school than Ryuujin at the moment. Ryotaro wanted to save the Jellyfish. Did that apply to Kuro-Kyogi too?

“Some gods are all-powerful,” Ryuujin smirked. “But some are minor and shrine-less and will do anything they can to keep from being forgotten. I’ve already been enshrined, so I don’t need to worry about that. You knew who I was the moment the moment my name was mentioned. I’ve already made my mark on the world as one of the major gods of Japan and any who look at my shrine, or even at the oceans, will remember its Ruler—albeit under different names. Ryuujin’s just a personal favorite.”

“Different names?”

“Watasumi, Kuraokami…” Ryuujin shrugged. “I don’t really care what humans call me.”

“So Azani had to agree to a deal with a student to kill Ms Kiyomi otherwise she would be forgotten?”

“Yes and no,” Ryuujin looked over to Azani as he said this, his golden eyes assessing her critically. “She doesn’t have a shrine as far as I’m aware, but has remained existing since Queen Amaterasu’s birth from Izanagi’s left eye, if the rumors are to believed, which makes me think something else is keeping the child of Yomi around—not just the wishes of humans.”

“So she’s lying, then? She could free a soul from Hell with or without prayer?”

“Heh, possibly.” The smirk was back. Cowards were the ones that lied and Azani had shown herself to be different from what her words would imply. “But I don’t think so. There are some gods that bind themselves to contracts with humans—pathetically choosing to serve them either to not be forgotten or because they just enjoy it.”

“Really?”

“You’re an Onmyoji and you don’t know?” Ryuujin rolled his eyes. He could tell she was one when he entered her body, though most he encountered were old men so she was likely an apprentice of some sort. It took years and years of spiritual training before some humans could even see a god let alone make a contract with them and summon them into battle after all. “They call themselves the Shikigami and are typically comprised of minor gods.” Because a major god wouldn’t demean themselves in such a way. “Not usually very powerful but if you’re lucky you might find yourself a strong one. No two gods are alike, after all, and they typically have experience fighting phantoms.”

“How do I find them?” Rika asked, taking an interest in the concept.

“Spin around three times while saying ‘Ryuujin-sama is the best’ and I’ll tell you.”

“…I’ll find out on my own.”

“Your call,” Ryuujin shrugged, though the smirk hadn’t left his face as he looked towards Azani. “The god called Kami_X must be really pathetic if he’s somehow indebted to the goddess of grudges and vengeance. Did he ask you to kill someone because he’s too weak to do it himself, then forget to pay the tab?”

“Why is it that you can’t ever say something nice about someone?”

“I will when I see something worth complimenting.” Ryuujin shot back angrily.

The black-haried human and the blue-haired god glared at each other until Rika finally let out a huff. She looked to Azani and Kuro-Kyogi. “I’m told that Kami_X lives in the Computer club room and that the easiest way to message him is to leave a post on the Shirotome High school forum. I’m looking for him as well so I’ll be sure to let him know about you if I encounter him. I will also read whatever sutras or burn any incense needed to free Suda Kiyomi’s soul from Hell.” She didn’t mention the student because she thought anyone willing to kill another deserved to go to Hell. And stay there permanently. Ancestor worship wasn’t all that different and it was rather normal for humans, especially those in the Christian denomination, to pray for the deceased. She didn’t believe her prayers could give power to a god. Heck, she’d been praying to a small empty shrine for a long time—hoping to see a god to save her from the phantoms that followed her—but it hadn’t happened yet. Ryotaro Hirai had been right. Rather than waiting for a god to save her, rather than being the sort of person to depend on others, Rika had to stand up and do what she could on her own.

Perhaps it was true that gods only helped those who helped themselves.

At that moment, Rika's stomach grumbled and her face flushed red.

Karcen Dante Verren

 

[Karcen]

Location: Gymnasium, Shirotome High
Date: April 3rd, 2030
Time: 12:52pm
​

Azani Goddess of Vengence and grudges


" Do be nice Kuro we are almost done here it seems i must teach these two youngsters some things" Azani was getting angry again, but she wasn't going to sink to insulting others, she did that often enough and right now Ryuujin was giving out so many trade secrets, yet not explaining the key points. The human at least wasn't spewing out the normal accusations of her being evil as they all normally did. Azani could never get it through their heads that she didn't chose who she killed she was no more to blame for a death than a sword yet always they seemed to think she acted alone. Azani hated that they could not figure out if they just lived together, just didn't hate then she wouldn't have to show up. While she could reject a call she prided herself in actually showing up and being more concrete than other gods. She did as she said she would, she did not answer prayers with a maybe like others that was why she made deals instead of just answering a prayer in an abstract method. She also moved between Kuro and Ryuujin if they started fighting she would have to take Kuro and send her to yomi before Ryujinn did any serious damage or Kuro did any to him.

" You would be surprised how kind he once was, we were friends then back in the days before heaven tamed him, that Ryujiin understood more than this one whose mind has been narrowed by what heaven says is right and wrong" Azani said she had known the first Ryujinn the mad dragon, and a few after that, but every time he became less and less who she had known and someone new. " Actually we were friends many times over, but heaven broke you and tamed your wild nature, you would not recognize yourself" Azani explained though there wasn't really much anger in her words, if anything she sounded tired like an elderly person thinking over the friends and family they had lost.

" I like my mother will likely last as long as what made me lasts, until you human no longer wrong one another, when at last you no longer create grudges that need to be fulfilled i will exist shrine or no. If you knew the gods you would know i have no shrines or priests as humans despite being the ones to call me, despite me making the deal worse, despite me demanding more payment than a one time prayer offering, they always call on me. " She explained getting frustrated at humans and their blindness. " i do not answer prayer because a human doesn't know if they are answered, I make deals because they should know that they are killing someone, I may do the deed, but they have willingly called me, they have let vengeance consume them, they have accepted the deals " Azani continued getting angry and even pacing a little " You used to get that Ryuujin, back when humans respected the untamed unbroken ocean" She grumbled " I do not make my deals because I like them, thought they are not to bad, but because it makes the humans know what they are asking for, so they can have no doubt they are causing this death and that hell will come for them and they will pay for the rest of their lives for this. " this was something she didn't really tell others it was easier to look evil and scary than to admit you did everything in your power except just rejecting your job to avoid it " I don't judge who people are or why they want someone killed, I have set things up so they have every chance and reason to solve it themselves, yet to many call me" Azani sighed almost sounding defeated in the fact despite everything she was successful every road block only stopped so many people as so many other just passed over every one and called her anyways.

" Saving the teach is not as simple as you alone offering a prayer and offering" Azani sighed pitching the bridge of her nose " Gods can be..... influenced by humans beliefs, right now people only see me as someone who can send one to hell and i am not one to break a contract so I can't just release them." Azani started having to pick her words " A god, at least many gods are born from a wish and are influenced by what they should be able to do to fulfill that wish. that can be used I changed my deal long ago by spreading word of the changed deal until that was all people knew. I can do that again, but it takes so much more these days to make people believe and change how a god is seen. I already have a priest in line, I have spoken to many who have made deals with me to start spreading word of my new dominion, So if you want the teacher and other out don't just pray, don't beg, act spread word and work to change how people see me" Azani explained hating how sappy it all sounded when presented that way it really hurt her pride to reveal all this, but perhaps this was healthy as she wouldn't have to pretend so much in front of kuro and Ryuujin was going to die again sooner or latter along with the humans so this all was unlikely to get out.

" Oh and one more thing Ryuujin, I don't work for other gods, I don't kill humans for someone who could never understand the weight of life and death and the fear of eternal torment for a minor god would fade and a major god would get called out by humans " She said rather seriously there was weight to killing and she did try to make sure the other party felt it. She then turned back to the humans " So then human I have a priest but when my shrine of vengeance and redemption is built, but I will lack Miko. That is my price help me change my image and be my Miko and the teacher will be the first in line to be freed from the fire. Do we have a deal?" Azani asked holding her hand out for a shake.

Dante Verren QuirkyAngel

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Location: Hanabi Amaku Grills, Kyoto
Date: April 3rd, 2030
Time: 12:05pm​

Kami_X (God) + Roka (Regalia)

From his own booth in the restaurant called Hanabi Amaku Grills, Kami watched as the trio comprising of Shorn, #4389, and #10013 enter the establishment. Well, ‘enter’ wasn’t an accurate word as ‘fall in’ in Shorn’s case. The red haired god snicked in amusement. #4389 and #10013 weren’t even acknowledged by the employees as they followed after Shorn—which, of course, is what he attributed to the accident in the first place. Lack of awareness on both parts. Not that the humans could be blamed for it exactly. Kami_X had waited a full minute before one of the employees noticed finally noticed and lead them to their table. He’d gotten an apology as well, but he full expected their booth to be ignored until he drew attention to their table—which suited him just fine since a conversation between gods and regalias wasn’t exactly something that was meant to be heard—or remembered—by mortal ears.

“So…you plan on taking a small vacation some time in the near future? That's why you hired us?”

“Yeeep~” Kami_X replied brightly. “That among other reasons. Don’t worry though. It'll only be a couple days at most, the date of departure hasn’t been set yet, and I’ll make sure you’re both adequately settled into your new roles before then.”

Depending on if he could get Nora to go with him or not, he might bring Senka along with him as well, since Roka couldn’t even draw a borderline yet. Then again, leaving a completely inexperienced Regalia on their own wasn’t the brightest idea either so perhaps Roka ought go with him while Senka protected the school. And his apartment. And fed the cat. And organized the wishes. Holding down the main fort was just as important, given Azani might show up again, and who knows what the evolved Jellyfish might do if it decided to return. As long as it wasn’t a phantom-related request, they could even be a Kami_X representative and do the easy jobs for him if he wasn’t around to do it himself.

Teaching some kids basic computer stuff wasn’t hard. Or entertaining Sumiko-chan. As for his well-paying cybersecurity gig, it could be done anywhere so long as he had his laptop.

But all that could be decided later.

“For now, feel free to eat to your hearts content. Then I’ll show you to the apartment we’ll be staying in and give you a tour of the school you’ll be protecting as well.”

“What about the other table?” Roka asked as he cut into his braised pork. “You’ve been looking at it for some time. Aren’t we going to join them?”

“Ah! Good eye, Roka.” Of course, he expected nothing less than a spirit that used to be an officer of the law. If Roka remembered his past, Kami_X would likely be in cuffs right about now. Fortunately, the spirit didn’t. Cuffs were uncomfortable. Being eaten by a spirit turned phantom would probably be uncomfortable as well, hence why Kami_X had no intention of Roka getting anywhere near God's Greatest Secret. Or jewelry stores.

Roka shrugged. “It seems to be habit of mine.”

“We’ll join them in a bit. I’m just giving them a bit of time to air out all the important stuff before I force my way into the conversation~”

Many gods (and spirits) found naming to be personal and sacred so, while Kami_X didn't particularly care, he was at least aware enough to keep a respectful distance when the topic was brought up...though not enough to not listen in. Besides, all the vacant seats seemed to be occupied by shopping bags. A lot of them. Kami_X chuckled. It really didn’t take a guess what happened. He wondered if Shorn paying for all of that was the god’s way of buttering up Ren—#4389. The spirit that he once named Renka did so love to be pampered. In contrast, Senka seemed quite reserved. Chin resting in his hands, Kami_X questioned his new regalia curiously. "You used to serve a deified monk, right Senka? Are you uncomfortable with eating meat? Or watching others eat meat?”

Roka, who was already chewing on his braised pork, froze and glanced worriedly in Senka’s direction, much to Kami_X’s amusement.

MrThe

​

#4389 (Spirit) + #10013 (Spirit)

Location: Hanabi Amaku Grills, Kyoto
Date: April 3rd, 2030
Time: 12:05pm​

“Clothes and toys.” Number 4389 replied as she helped Number 10013 select the foods from the menu. “And nope~ Not embarrassed in the least~ Rather, we’re grateful for your generosity, isn’t that right #10013?”

“Yup, yup! I picked a train.” Number 10013 held up the plastic model she’d been holding as she emulated choo, choo noises.

Number 4389 flipped through the menu. She hadn’t a clue why Shorn offered to pay for whatever they wanted, but she wasn’t the sort to turn down a good opportunity when she saw one. Besides, if a god said something like that, they were probably loaded. Spirits, more specifically the ones brought to SSA, didn’t usually have such luxuries.

Living in an employment agency building was better than living on the streets, of course, but Nana couldn’t afford luxuries for every spirit reaped. Stipend from Heaven depended each branch’s performance and, since the war 10 years ago, Kyoto’s SSA branch had been finding itself horribly understaffed. Number 4389 wanted to help. She picked out stuff as well, of course. A pretty ribbon she liked. Cute accessories. However, she also picked things out for other younger spirits of SSA. Not that the older ones weren’t worth picking things for, but they didn’t usually want for much.

The simple truth was that the dead didn’t need much.

But the younger ones usually had a harder time accepting that. Number 4389 herself wanted a lot of things, but she’d lived on earth long enough to know she couldn’t get everything she wanted. When she lived up in Heaven, Number 4389 lacked for nothing. Jizo spoiled her. There was only one thing she couldn’t have up in Heaven, but it was the one thing she really wanted, so Number 4389 had no regrets.

Even if she couldn’t remember his face anymore, she knew this much at least.

“This one’s the best cake here—the Angel Chiffon” Number 4389 declared as she pointed to her favorite cake on the menu. She was surprised that Shorn led them to a restaurant she knew, but she wasn’t unhappy about it. “So we’ll have it for dessert. But you can’t have dessert before the main course, so we’ll get it afterwards.”

“Awwww, why?”

“Cause that’s the way it has to be.” Number 4389 replied.

Number 10013 nodded solemnly. The original plan had them going to a park to play in the playground, but Shorn’s offer had #4389 leading them to all the stores they could find. Number 10013 didn’t especially enjoy shopping, but she got a neato train out of it, so she wasn’t complaining. And candies. Lots of candies. Reaching into one of the shopping bags, Number 10013 pulled out a sticker book, picked out one of the stars, and stuck it on her forehead while Number 4389 ordered her linguine pasta with grilled shrimp scampi. “I’ll have a burger!”

Number 10013 saw the redhead god Number 4389 didn't like peeking at them from one of the booths, but Number 4389 said not to talk about him, so Number 10013 didn’t point it out. Instead, she kept her eyes on Shorn who was a pretty funny guy. She always thought most gods were boring. But of course, it wasn’t as if Number 10013 knew very many gods. She’d been a little hesitant when #4389 said a god would be joining them, but she was glad he did. Number 10013 grinned. “With a loooot of ketchup and mustard.”

The Secret Archives

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Location: Gymnasium, Shirotome High
Date: April 3rd, 2020
Time: 1:00pm​

Rika + Ryuujin

Rika looked down at the little goddess’s hand, her brain doing its best to process everything being said. “I—”

Ryuujin’s roaring laughter, echoing along the gymnasium walls, interrupted her before she could finish. Rika couldn’t tell if it was mocking or genuine mirth, but it was the first time she’d heard ‘grumpy gills’ laugh and it shocked her enough to look in his direction. The blue haired god was once more laying on his back, but this time he clutched his stomach as well. “Sorry, but this is too hilarious! Give me a moment.”

More laughter.

Rika could feel her temper rising. “What’s so funny?”

“A goddess that tries to change what she is born to be by manipulating humans wants to tell me I've been tamed?” Ryuujin finally replied after his laughter settled. “This is the first time I’ve heard my past incarnations being described as ‘nice’ as well. I’ve heard strong, wise, powerful, and generous, but rarely do I hear the word nice—even from the regalias named by my past self. Feels kind of good to have my previous incarnations being defended for his actions actually. Guess I’ll have to check with the Mo Family whether it’s true or not that I used to know Amaterasu’s secret dark twin. Not that such details matters all that much. The past is the past. I'm the only Ryuujin that matter at the moment and I know who my friends are.”

The blue haired god sat up as his golden eyes met Azani’s red. “So let’s get this straight Azani—I don’t care what you do with your life. Humans bring about their own calamity and if you want to play teacher, that's fine by me. If a human wishes for someone to be condemned so badly they’re willing to condemn themselves, they've actually got strong conviction and I can respect that at least. I might not agree with it, but I can respect someone willing to die for their cause. Heck, I even understand grudge to some degree and there are few that know of Heaven’s hypocrisy better than I. You know Hoori no Mikoto? My first incarnation wanted that Idiot Son-in-Law of mine to pay for making Otohime cry, so he drowned him while out at sea, inadvertently making him a god. That’d be Her Excellency’s great grandson, so your great grand nephew, by the way—not that you’d know since I doubt the Heavens would even let you through the gates without a shrine.”

Ryuujin smirked. “That’s why I'm told the Heavens forced my first reincarnation—so I would forget my grudge against another god. Apparently, I’d have to drown an entire city of humans before I can finally get the Heavens to move, but killing one god of Heaven is all it takes for the gods up there to consider my past self a sinner. More than anything, the Heavens is a society that protects their own and, even greater than the law against killing humans, is the law against killing our fellow gods...the ones from Heaven that is. Obviously, goddesses like you that denounce the Heavens don’t apply to that rule.”

Ryuujin shrugged. “But, honestly, I don’t give a sh*t about any of that. Right and wrong? It's the victors that get the spoils. That's always been the only true law of the sea. My past self-died because he was weak. He allowed phantoms to be born in the sea because he trusted the first humans he’d met. He married his daughter to a dumb idiot because he thought said dumb idiot could make his daughter happy. I’m someone who has read through all the records and learned from his mistakes. You claim to have been my friend Azani.” Ryuujin’s pupil slitted like a dragon’s. Or an angry sea snake’s really, depending on how one looked at it. “But where were you the last four times I died? Did you abandon me because I’d changed and am not the same person you once knew? That’s what you call a friend? If that's the kind of loyalty I can expect of your friendship, goddess of vengeance, then I don't want it. The Heavens may be full of hypocrites, but they haven’t lied to me the way humans do. They don’t dump their wastes into my ocean. When phantoms attacked my castle, it was the Heavens that came to my assistance—not you. They are powerful if nothing else and I have a duty to protect my domain. If you want to know I obey her Highness, it’s because the Heavens beat me and asserted their dominance fair and square. I let the moon guide the direction of the tides because I respect Tsukuyomi's strength—but it’s not like I don’t enjoy challenging that goddamn pacifist every once in a while. Nor will I sit still if the Heavens intend to betray me or harm my ocean.”

Eyes glinting, Ryuujin then folded his arms. “I’m not dumb, Azani. You call me narrow-minded, but do you even know the pain of having your regalias eaten and corrupted? Have you ever fought against a phantom? Or another god even? If another war breaks out, like the one 10 years ago, whose side will you be on? Or will you just hide away in Yomi with your mother and wait for all of it to pass over? At some point you're going to have to pick your side and, rather than humans or phantoms, I chose to side with my kind."

Ryuujin sneered at Kuro-Kyogi. “Spirits that I swore to protect are eaten everyday by those like your feathered partner so you’ll have to forgive me if I don’t trust a word that comes out of her prideful mouth. Even you claim she’s only ever eaten other phantoms and works to help humans, I won’t believe it until I see it.”

“You…seem to have trust issues.”

“And you need to learn when to keep your mouth shut when other gods are talking!”

More glaring.

Rika rubbed her temple. Fighting Ryuujin felt like butting heads against a brick wall. It was seriously exhausting. Added to the fact that she hadn’t eaten since lunch started, Rika had too little energy left in her to care. “Whatever. Can I just answer Azani’s question before lunch ends or do have something to say about that too?”

“Be my guest." Ryuujin rolled his eyes. "So long as you don’t die before you become useful bait, I don’t care what you do.”

Rika sighed meeting Azani’s gaze. She no longer thought Azani was an evil goddess, especially if she intended to change, but a tool for grudge-born murder was an accomplice all the same. In Rika’s opinion, those with a mind always had a choice—especially if her existence wasn’t dependent on it. If she made a deal with humans to kill other humans so they could ‘see the errors of their ways’ that was her choice. Azani hadn’t removed revenge from her ‘dominion’ and simply added ‘redemption’. Rika didn’t believe humans would ever get to the point where grudges didn’t exist. Phantoms wouldn’t exist at all if humans could all control their negative emotions. Rika couldn’t get behind the killing. She couldn’t agree with it. But she could get behind forgiveness. And wanting to change. “I want to help you free souls, Azani, but I won’t make a deal with you. I don’t want to be a shrine maiden.” Rika wasn’t even all that religious to begin with. “I don’t know want to do in the future, or even what college I will attend yet," if she attended college. "so I can’t make that sort of promise right now. ”

She cared about Suda Kiyomi’s soul to a degree, and she didn’t think her math teacher deserved being killed over a grudge, but they weren’t close enough that Rika would sacrifice her future for dead person. There was no guarantee Azani would be able to gain such abilities even if she did become a miko for Azani. “Besides, I don’t what to spread lies. If I tell people you can free the souls of the ones yo—other humans--condemn to hell, when I know you don't have the ability to yet, I’d be lying to the masses.”

Just like AFAH believed most priests to be. Charlatans and liars.

Ryuujin snorted, once more interrupting her. "You don't seem to have much faith, Human.”

“Well, forgive me for not having much faith in a goddess I just met!” Rika hissed. “Is that sort of thing actually possible?”

The sea god shrugged. “It’s an old form of magic she’s trying to enact. Even if humans have the spiritual abilities of an ant, if enough of them pray for it, wish for it, power can be drawn from it strong enough to make even a god. These days, humans have even less spiritual power than an ant, so who knows if that sort of magic is even around anymore, but gods do grow in strength based on the number of worshippers they possess. I stopped paying attention to my believers, so I don’t really notice.” Ryuujin picked at his nails. He didn’t really join the popularity contests up in Heaven. “But if I want a new ability I just name another fish spirit and hope it’s not another tide jewel.” He already had a huge collection of those. “Uroko being a trident probably has something to do with Western belief in me and, with every new generation, my regalias start becoming items—with new abilities—that wouldn’t be found back in the old days. I suppose that could be attributed to the changing views of Ryuujin, but who knows? My domain was already established by the first Ryuujin and I don’t feel the need to change myself for the sake of people who will just believe what they want to believe anyway. Does that change your thoughts any?”

“Yeah,” Rika replied. “I’ve come to realize you’re many times worse than Azani who is at least trying to better herself.”

Ignoring the snarl from the dragon god, Rika turned back to Azani and continued where she left off. “I also promised a friend I’d help them find a Jellyfish phantom for a certain god, so I have to finish with that first, or said friend might do something stupid and said god might just let it happen.” She might not even live long enough to complete any sort of deal. “But deep down, I’m probably just selfish. Dedicating myself to a shrine, or a goddess, is a lifetime commitment.” Rika had spoken with priests. She knew their dedication to their faith. Rika didn’t have that in her and if she agreed to Azani’s deal, it’d be a fake relationship. She’d be doing it for the sake of freeing her math teacher rather than any feelings of worship to Azani. More than saving a soul from ‘Hell’ Rika didn’t want to live a lie. She wanted to save others not for their sake, but for her own. She hadn’t cared about Kenji in the same way Ryotaro seemed to. She’d done it so she didn’t become the sort of person that she disliked. Ultimately, it had been for herself…and for the first time…she’d become painfully aware of that fact. “And I’m not ready for that sort of commitment yet. So, I apologize, and I’m grateful for the offer, but I’ll have to decline the deal.” Rika bowed in apology before straightening. “If you still intend to free Sudo Kiyomi’s soul because you believe it’s the right thing to do, then I will help you, but as a friend, not a shrine maiden. Otherwise, I’ll just drop a prayer for her soul once the shrine is built, but I’m fine with her waiting in line like everyone else.”

"Done?" Ryuujin lifted the bento box he'd taken from her when he inhabited her body. "You've got 10 minutes to eat before lunch ends and I won't be held accountable if your weak human body collapses before you and that Detective find my phantom."

Karcen Dante Verren

 

[MrThe]

Location: Hanabi Amaku Grills, Kyoto
Date: April 3rd, 2030
Time: 12:07pm
Mentions: QuirkyAngel

Senka (Regalia)


Senka smiled at the question and replied saying "My master said to me, life is a cycle. As the deer preys upon the grass, so too does the Tiger prey upon the deer. The goal of Buddhism is to escape the cycle of death and reincarnation and achieve enlightenment, the purpose of Shintoism is to live in harmony with the cycle. In other words, I do not mind if you eat meat, I too eat it on occasion. Of far more import to me is your development as a God." Senka, as he was now called furrowed his brows and thought hard on how he was going to phrase this next sentence. "I am glad that you accepted me as your regalia. I feel as though we are somehow destined to meet. The duty of a Regalia is to serve their master, but it is also to give counsel. What is your purpose in having us defend this place of learning? If you have humans that worship you why not have them build you a shrine? To leave your Regalia before we have even been acquainted yet also seems highly unusual, especially when you say that you intend to neglect your duties for the time being. Please help me to understand."​

 

[Dante Verren]

Location: Gymnasium, Shirotome High
Date: April 3rd, 2020
Time: 1:00pm​

Phantom (Pride)
interactions: Azani ( Karcen ) Rika/Ryujin ( QuirkyAngel )


Anger and sorrow, negative emotions that flowed out of both the gods . It was intoxicating and even under these circumstances Kuro-Kyogi couldn't help but feel a bit giddy. Azani and Ryujin both had there outburst, each one putting their raw emotional distress on display. Although she was no longer entirely sure what the goal of this meeting was. Either way she was proud of her partner in crime. Bottling up those emotions was bad for even a god, letting them out was a good thing. The only real issue was that it was drawing the attention of quite a few smaller phantoms. One of which, taking the form of a mosquito flew in and buzzed around her. With a quick move of her fan she swatted the lesser creature out of the air. While she didn't care about any phantoms that stupidly went after the waterlogged rat, Azani on the other hand was off limits. No phantom would be allowed to feed off the goddess of grudges, none but Kuro and she hadn't even tried to yet.

The human Rika seemed rather accepting of everything. Even going so far as to say she would help Azani as a friend... So first it was the priest and now Rika. One by one the anti-social Azani was gaining allies at an increasing rate. While anyone else would be happy for the goddess, Kuro-Kyogi was not. Rather a frown crossed her face. That coveted spot of only ally which she had started to take pride in was rapidly slipping away. What was going to be next? A regalia? Either way the meeting had almost assuredly come to an end. Turning to address Azani she spoke up, "Now is our business done? We should let Rika have her meal in peace. We did not fully complete our goal but have the information we need to complete it. "

 

[Karcen]

Location: Gymnasium, Shirotome High
Date: April 3rd, 2030
Time: 1:02pm
​

Azani Goddess of Vengence and grudges

Azani might have been angry, yet as Kuro spoke she just felt it melt away. She realized she really should be angry after all Ryuujin had been a friend and here she was fighting with him. This was all pointless this him was a muscle head who had been schooled that all he should care for was strength. That was how it always was, Azani saw the gods that died become more and more different, becoming people that played out the part of someone long dead without really being them. It was cruel, yes that was the right term, every reborn god could be someone new but they were taught to be who people thought they had once been. Strength was about more than who could win in a fight. The first sea dragon had realized that, and somewhere deep down this one might know it, but he was to busy being who heaven wanted him to be. Azani should not be angry at him, she could pity him he could be someone new, but he was bound by the past. Maybe haven was wrong about this, maybe they should be reordered? That was someone else's problem. It was sad how much was gone, and while most gods might not realize it, they were just as mortal as humans, this was not Ryuujin, not the original, not the second or fourth, this was someone new taking his name.

" I have been around a long time Ryuujin, everything you can think to feel I have felt, everything you have fought I have at some point" Azani said her voice no longer holding anger she was calm now " I have been stung and seen regalia turn phantom, why do you think I no longer keep them long, no pure soul could ever serve me for long" Azani explained though there was a little pain in her voice, but she had come to terms with this long ago " As for why you think I was never around when you died it is because your old selves always sent me away and your Regalia would never tell you I was there. That was true at least till the last time, I wasn't there for your last death because we were no longer friends. I came to you one day and sought relief from grief and what you tried to do was something i couldn't forgive, I would never let you force me into something like it" She said having little more to say to the ocean god, they have been friends but that was over.

With the god dealt with Azani had to deal with the human. She was not looking for a friend, Azani didn't make friends with humans as without something to bind them they would always turn against you. She knew they couldn't keep their promises, that was why so many gods died and so many in heaven didn't bother to help mortals. Why help someone you can't trust? Azani had her priest, he was no friend he was a worker who would be paid by having his debt reduced, his time in the flames reduced and his place in line secured. The teacher was now going to be in the back of the line because of this girl not only rejecting the deal, but for offering something like that. She had only one human friend, she had only needed one and what had he done, he had grown old and left her. This was no deal Azani would make, she needed followers not friends.

" Then she shall be waiting for a long time, for the line is very long " Azani said crossing her arms " I do not make friends with human, i need followers not friends" Azani almost snapped as to her this was a touchy subject.

With that this meeting was done and Azani turned expecting Kuro to follow her. Kuro as any phantom could move from this world to Yomi and she would know where they were going " We are leaving let's go home" Azani told her as it really was time to go. Still Azani stopped and turned back for a second " Oh one last thing Ryuujin I forgive you She said before vanishing having delivered a message she had meant to give to another so many years ago, but never got the chance. With that she was

QuirkyAngel Dante Verren

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Location: Hanabi Amaku Grills, Kyoto
Date: April 3rd, 2030
Time: 12:10pm​

Kami_X (God) + Roka (Regalia)

“Haha, I’m flattered you would think so~” Kami_X replied to Senka’s comment about them being destined to meet. Roka was simply relieved he hadn’t offended anyone on the first day of his new job.

Breaking his chopsticks, Kami_X started to slurp up the noodles he ordered. He chewed and swallowed before speaking. “Can’t very well expect kids to actually build anything worthwhile, can I? It’s an investment. While I do have other people that know of me,” a few of which hates his guts for breaking down their firewalls and wrecking their computers. “my main worshippers comprise of the students of that school. More specifically, the members of the Shirotome High Computer Club.”

“You’re a hacking god aren’t you?”

“Yes, I’m revered as a genius hacker. Sounds very human, right?”

“Mmm,” It was cute how Roka hadn’t wanted to insult him.

Kami_X smiled. “When humans see my username on their screen, a god isn’t the first thing they come up with. Both those I’ve hacked and those I’ve helped don’t typically think of someone that calls themselves Kami_X as a god even if I tell them. Just another user. Honestly, I kinda like it better that way.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. Makes it easier to talk to them." Kami_X added more hot sauce to his broth. “Even though Japan is growing into a more technologically advanced nation, those that actually worship computers are still few and far in between. Cults at best. And I’m probably just one of many—so I intend to get my name out through the accomplishments of the club. They're already the best in the prefecture. Nation is next. Fortunately, we’re in the digital age where most people have access to the internet these days. It’s an excellent ground for a startup to build.”

“You sound like you really like this club.”

Kami_X shrugged, smirking. “They’re weirdos that like coming up with secret knocks and rituals for Kami_X as a club activity, but yeah, I guess I do. I normally answer requests through the school website, but I’ve convinced the computer club president to make me my own website shrine for that. I can probably expect it next month once exam season is over. ”

“Website shrine?”

“Uh-huh~ Since I was born in the computer and can live in it so I don’t need a physical one like most other gods. My domain is the cyberworld and I can live in almost any digital device.”

“C-cyberworld?”

“Yep! The world of zeroes and ones~ Since you’ve become my regalias I can take you there with me to exorcise phantoms living in the internet; Trust me, there's a lot. Humans say all sorts of cruel things online. You can even live there with me if you want—once Benjiro finally makes me a shrine— but I do have an apartment in the near shore I intend to continue paying rent for so you can choose to live there as well. I don’t particularly care where you want to live so long as you can do your work. Heck, once you receive your income, you can buy your own place if that sort of living style suits you better~”

“Gods pay rent?”

“Well of course they do,” Kami_X rolled his eyes at Roka. “Good gods don’t steal.” Granted, he did—and still does—enjoy stealing information. “I work a regular 9-7 cybersecurity gig for Inari’s businesses for a reason. Big-Boob Goddess pays well and it gives me the capital I need to start the future Kami_X Wish-Granting Enterprise. I mainly taking hacking requests—since that’s what I’m good at—but I also do computer fixing jobs, teaching jobs, winning games for kids, etc. We’re small company now, but the more money I make, the more regalias I can hire, the more my wish-granting service can branch out into other fields depending on the skillsets of my regalias. Then I’ll dominate the world so everyone knows and reveres the name of the great god Kami_X! Muahahahahaha—!” Kami_X choked on his noodles.

"..." Roka passed his new god a cup of water.

“Thanks” Kami_X gulped down the water, patting his chest as the noodles went down. Gods didn’t die from choking near shore food, but it was uncomfortable all the same. “But, yeah, one step at a time. I mainly need you guys to draw borderlines around the school, specifically the Computer Clubroom, making it consecrated lands, and notify me if anything big comes up while I’m away. That’s why independence was one of the qualities I looked for in a regalia when I went to SSA. Obviously, I don’t expect any of you to handle major phantoms on your own, but keeping the smaller ones at bay, and minimizing gloom where you can, shouldn’t be too much of a problem. As for the reason I’m leaving, Nana is suuuper nice and offered to pay for my—and one other’s—stay at a luxury health resort belonging to the goddess Ayame for a couple days. It’d be rude to decline her offer, no?”

Kami_X didn’t see a reason to worry his regalias when there might not be a reason to worry in the first place. Two regalias meant twice the power, but twice the emotional burden for him to carry as well. Course, unlike Roka who was new and just taking things as they come, Senka seemed quite perceptive so he couldn’t say whether the regalia would take that as answer. It wasn’t a lie exactly—more like an omission of the complete truth until necessary.

Kami_X pushed up his glasses. “I may even take one of you with me so we can get bettered acquainted, as you say, though two might be a bit much for my wallet and it’s rarely wise to leave one’s near shore home unattended, if you catch my drift. I’ve got a cat to care for. A noisy neighbor whose more defenseless than she acts. A closet to keep organized and wishes to filter through. Picking up the slack of a resting god is also the duties of a regalia and, with all the gloom that comes from exam season, protecting the school that houses my main worshippers, or at least keeping it clean from phantom overgrowth, should be the godly thing to do—don’tcha think, Senka?" Shifting so he sat cross-legged on the cushion, Kami_X grinned excitedly at Senka. "I’d love to hear what an experienced regalia such as yourself thinks about all this.”

MrThe

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Location: Park behind Hotel, Kyoto City.
Date: April 3rd, 2030
Time: 12:30 p.m​

Uroko (Regalia)

“Thank you,” Uroko never said no to food—even if it was strange food he’d never really tasted before. “Though there isn’t any need for you to apologize.”

The human, Ryotaro Hirai, seemed quite mature for his age. It was a far cry from his own king who was much older and yet still acted like a child at times. But then, a god’s age didn’t necessarily dictate maturity, and kingship of the sea was a huge responsibility for a god who was barely a millennia old. Lord Ryuujin had a lot to live up to. Therefore, Uroko didn’t think it necessarily a bad thing that his king took a small break in his duties to expand his knowledge on modern humans.

So long as it was a small one. Just as Queen Amatersu neglecting her duties, or hiding in her cave, spelled calamity for the world, King Ryuujin was one of the older gods and maintained the order of the sea. Whenever he was killed, the waters only grew cloudier and sea raged for days until a new king was born to take his place. Unlike many of the minor gods, who could afford to neglect their jobs without much consequence, Lord Ryuujin never had such luxuries.

All the bounties of the sea could never give him what he truly wanted.

“I don’t believe I’ve ever had a human friend before,” Uroko tilted his head curiously as he tried another morsel from the near shore. Uroko was almost beginning to understand his king’s “secret” fascination with humanity. It wasn’t because Ryotaro had special eyes either. Or the fact that he seemed to know what food in the Undersea Palace tasted like. It was the fact that they always ended up coming with funny ideas to make up for the fact that they were weak. “But if sharing food detonates a friend, then I suppose that’s what we are.”

Though they may have already been friends the moment Ryotaro offered to shield him from the pouring rain. Uroko didn’t know. He didn’t think very hard about it. Those that helped him were his friends. Those that would hurt Lord Ryuujin were his enemies. Towako was a friend. Then he became an enemy. Gods and humans always ended up making thing much more complicated than they had to be.

Uroko knew, for example, that even though Ryuujin had a temper, he actually liked being challenged. Though his pride as a war god wouldn’t let him be challenged by those he considered to be his subordinates. Neither Ryotaro Hirai nor Rika Murakami fell into that category. At the same time, the king of the sea was fiercely protective of those he considered his own.

The proud dragon hoarded and guarded his treasures as was his nature. He valued strength, both physical and mental. A spirit’s strength wasn’t physical anyway. Rather Lord Ryuujin looked to strength of character. He wouldn’t pick a fight with those he saw as weaker than him. He despised cowardice. Towako should’ve known that. Yet the phantom that used to be Towako wouldn’t even face him.

“We won’t always be there to bail you out if you decide to live selfishly, but I doubt Lord Ryuujin would turn away if you were dying in front of his eyes either—especially since we’ve become acquainted. He…does his best…to be the Heavenly Dragon he’s supposed to be.”

An honorable and righteous protector of the sea.

“That said, right and wrong is a human concept—even if the Heavens have adopted it,” since some of the heavenly regalias used to be humans. “And he’s become…even less…trusting of humans since a certain incident where one of his jewels was stolen so…” Uroko glanced to the sky. “I’ll do my best to keep my king from doing anything he would only later regret.” Acting impulsively and smiting a human out of anger rather than justice would certainly count towards that. “Regalias like us have always been taught that harboring such feelings as regret only leads to corruption and blights the god. Mistakes are mistakes if you believe them to be so…and I’ve never thought of anything I’ve done in Ryuujin’s name to be wrong. But, talking with you, it’s become apparent that humans learn from their regrets. Gods do too, I suppose.”

If Towako was a mistake, then Ryuujin needed to face it head on to be a better god. Fish didn’t feel bad about killing. The sea was a fish eat fish world and death was simply a part of life. Humans did. They were selfish and lamented their deaths. They invented laws and morality to better coexist with one another. If Lord Ryuujin was to understand human morality and empathy, he would have to pick up human regalias…just like his first incarnation used to.

“I think my lord would benefit a lot from conversation with someone of your personality,” Uroko said calmly as he finished his portion of the offered lunch. “I’m also curious about the plans you have for obtaining the information we need. So, for now, let’s just head over to where you intend to meet Rika Murakami and wait there.”

Either way, Uroko's task was to follow Ryotaro Hirai in the event that the phantom that used to be called Towako targeted him again. Uroko pointed to himself and cast the ‘Umbra’ spell, which made him invisible from even the eyes of a god. Well, most gods. There was always the all-seeing, all knowing ones…and certain regalias with spell-breaking abilities…so exceptions lay in every rule.

Location: Hirai Residence
Date: April 3rd, 2020
Time: 2:15 pm​

Rika + Ryuujin
Outside the Hirai residence, two figures stood. One a human girl with black hair and, unnoticed by most humans, a blue haired god in a green jacket. The god had his hands in his pockets and a scowl on his face that he didn’t bother to hide. Obviously, their last interaction with the ‘Queen of Hell’ Azani still left the god stewing in annoyance. As far as he was concerned, he did nothing to be forgiven for.

“This is where he lives?”

“Yeah.” Rika rang the doorbell. Truthfully, Rika wasn’t feeling much better, but she at least attempted to school her features. Math class had been canceled with Ms Kiyomi’s absence so Rika got to go home early, but she couldn’t be happy about it because she knew why. What should she tell Ryotaro? Their math teacher was dead because someone made a deal with a goddess of vengeance? Did it even matter?

The teacher was already dead. Rika did feel a bit of guilt since she didn’t try to save the woman’s soul from eternal torment when offered the chance, but it wasn’t as if Rika consider her teacher’s soul more valuable than any other soul. Or that it was more deserving of cutting in line when others probably suffered for much, much longer. The class would likely be praying for it once her funeral came around.

Not to the right goddess though…if they even prayed to a god. According AFAH, gods were fake and buying incense to burn was just how funeral homes make money. It’d been only 10 years since the religious lynchings, after all, and no one wanted to picked off the street and made an ‘example of’ by crazy god-hating psychos.

“I’d be much faster if I teleport in.”

“If you want to be rude, then sure.”

“Why the f*ck are you nitpicking everything I say!?”

“Says the foul-mouthed, body-snatching god who drowns humans and nearly did something unforgivable to a goddess of vengeance,” Rika snorted. “Little wonder your jellyfish servant ran from you. If you crushed my bones for a tiny mistake, I'd run from from you too.”

“I did not crush anyone’s bones!” Ryuujin snarled. “But I can crush yours if don’t learn to watch your mouth, Human!”

“Yeah? Then go ahead! Bully a mere human and show me how low you’d sink!” Rika sneered. “But just so you know, this human fights back!”

Rika could see Ryuujin’s face growing redder by the second and she readied herself to flip a god.

Lucem

 

[The Secret Archives]

Location: Hanabi Amaku Grills, Kyoto
Date: April 3rd, 2030
Time: 12:14 pm
​

Shorn, God of Despair & Disdain
Interactions: QuirkyAngel

Shorn drummed his fingers on the table as he listened to Number 4389, and he stopped almost immediately taken back by her statement. He looked at Number 10013, then back to Number 4389, "Not even a little!?" He seemed shocked, and then let his head hang against his palm, "Man, you two are tough nuts to crack." He reached over grabbing one of the menus flipping it open in front of him gazing over the menu, "A train, huh?" He thought about it, "Are you trying to be a conductor?" His eyes passed over to Number 10013, "I think you'd be a lovely conductor!" He leaned over the bags by his side, and shifted through them for several moments.

He broke away from looking through the bags to look to Number 4389, "Ah, so that's the best one?" Shorn looked over the cake, and nodded, "I concur." Before returning to his search.

There was a brief moment, where Shorn felt at home here with the two of them, it was a nice time. His fortifications held strong, and he didn't feel any of the negative emotions that naturally flowed throughout Kyoto's streets. However, he did come here for a reason, and that was to let Number 4389 know about his title as a God. He felt a little bad, looking around him, it almost felt like he bribed the two of them before the news. It was maybe a bit much to think about, but Shorn couldn't help it. He was always viewed in a poor way by those who learned of him being a God of Despair. People didn't want to spend much time with a God of Despair without deep worry for themselves at the end of the day.

He smiled faintly as Number 10013 placed the sticker upon her forehead, and then, Shorn pulled something out of the bag swiftly. "Aha!" He exclaimed loudly as he held something in his hand, and then he leaned across the table. "Found it!" He ruffled Number 10013's hair without a seconds notice, and then quickly plopped a hat down atop her head. "Tah' Dah!" He moved back, motioning with his hands towards Number 10013 in a presenting way to Number 4389, "I hereby state I have found our conductor!" He nodded as he looked at the Train Conductor's hat he placed atop her head, "You two picked out so much, I had a hard time keeping track of the stuff you liked the most." He grabbed a spoon from the table, and held it up towards Number 10013, that way she could see her reflection, even if it was fairly warped from the surface of it.

He looked over his shoulder back towards Kami_X, who he keyed in on being there following Number 10013's gaze earlier on. He blinked several times, it seemed Kami_X brought both of his new regalia along to eat at this establishment. He nodded towards them as a form of acknowledgement, before turning his attention back towards his table.

Shorn scratched at the back of his neck and cleared his throat, "So..." He trailed off for a moment, and looked up to the ceiling, followed by a deep sigh. "I feel that I should be honest with the both of you." He clasped his hands together, "I know you think I'm a God of Words Number 10013, but in truth, I'm nothing as beautiful as that." There was a sorrowful smile, and he continued to keep his head up towards the ceiling. "I feel I owe you... No, owe both of you the truth. I haven't tried to hide, but you deserve to know it as much as any other." He paused, taking a deep breathe, "I am Shorn... A God of Despair and Disdain." He folded his hands together, and lowered his head towards the two, "I hope we can still get along just as much as we did before."

If there was anything that were to go wrong from this, Shorn felt that Kami_X & his newly obtained Regalia would be able to help smooth things over.

He shook his head, regaining some confidence behind his voice, still keeping his head down, "What I said yesterday, Number 4389, I still stand by it. I felt that this was a much needed discussion, because you shouldn't be blindsided. That much everyone deserves..." He still believed in the fact that Sorami was a name that suited Number 4389, and he still hoped that this truth wouldn't sway her away. Though, it still was a tall order, and Shorn knew that much. After all, it seemed arrogant to try to bring someone who wanted to spread color through the world to be a regalia under a God whose title meant to bring about dull monotoned colors to that very same space.

 

[Lucem]

Location: Hirai Office
Date: April 3rd, 2020
Time: 2:15 pm​

Ryotaro Hirai
The fierce argument between a god and a high school girl was interrupted as Ryo took a bite of his rice cracker, the detective letting the satisfying crunch serve as his greeting. Front door open, he silently watched the two as he leaned against the wall, chewing away like he had a bowl of popcorn at the theatre. It wasn't until he swallowed that he finally spoke up. "So...wanna come in?" As much as he enjoyed having a bit of entertainment to go with his sweet treat, he couldn't let the two go at it forever. "I can wait until you guys are finished, but we might get some strange looks. Wouldn't want people to think you're a crazy lady who yells at the air, right?" He gave his classmate a smile as he finished the rest of his snack.

Peeling himself off the wall, Ryo ushered the pair inside, directing Ryuujin's attention to the guest slippers by the entrance. "Make sure to put those on. It's no palace, but I don't want any dirt in here. You understand, right? Cleanliness is next to godliness, after all." Laughing to himself, he led them down the hall.

"Look who's finally here." Ryo called out to Uroko as he reached the main room. "You guys really missed out. Uroko got to hear a bunch of interesting stories while we were waiting for you. Right?" He gave the spirit a quick smile as he walked by the small couch. Along with a plate of rice crackers, three cups sat on the table, surrounding a warm kettle. As much as he didn't like spending money on things like this, he had to make sure his guests were comfortable. That was one of the rules he had to follow. Being a good host was pretty rough.

"Feel free to sit wherever." Instead of looking at the new arrivals as he spoke, Ryo focused on the picture frame on his desk as he settled into his chair. "We have a special guest today, Pops. It's the real Ryuujin in the flesh. First you get to meet a regalia, now a god. Aren't you glad your son is so popular?" It was funny how the first god he met was the one people sometimes called Ryojin.

"Time is valuable, so I'll get straight to the point. I came up with a plan to catch our jellyfish. I've already discussed this with Uroko, so I'll catch you two up to speed. As you already know, the phantom got a little upset and decided he'd kill us if we kept meddling. Pretty scary stuff, right? It also makes it hard for us to track him down if he's just gonna take us out before we can make a report." He was talking about the very real possibility that he'd be killed, but Ryo didn't seem troubled. In fact, he seemed to have a glint in his eye, seeing opportunity in this horrible situation. "But that gives us a chance to prepare. Instead of going to him, he'll come right to us. That means we'll have the advantage." The next part was gonna be a little difficult to explain, mostly because Rika didn't know about it yet.

"In order to draw out the phantom, I'll be acting as bait. He's not a fan of me digging through his memories, so he's bound to show up and make good on his promise if I do it again. When he does, our divine duo here will swoop in to save the day. It's a simple trap, but I doubt it's something he'd think we'd use. It takes cooperation, and I'm putting myself in a lot of danger." Assuming everything went well and Towako took the bait, there was still the possibility that he'd get hurt. Ryuujin was fast, but if he wasn't fast enough, that'd be the end for him. Ryo would die.

"Because there's such a large risk involved, I've thought of a way to reduce the chances of me getting gobbled up. It guarantees that Ryuujin will be fast enough to step in, and the phantom won't see it coming. It's the best way for us to go about this." Looking straight at Ryuujin, Ryo faced the god with a serious look in his eyes. "Get inside me."

Pausing to take a drink from his cup, Ryo indulged in the combination of green tea and senbei before returning his attention to the room's other occupants. "I guess I should explain a little more." Leaning back in his chair, Ryo looked back and forth between master and servant. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I've seen, the phantom can't sense your presence. If he could, he wouldn't have been surprised to see you two during the exorcism. If that's the case, then you won't have any problems remaining undetected until it's time to spring the trap. However, it's possible that you may not get to me in time before I get stung by the jellyfish. If you're hiding inside my body, that won't be an issue. It'd also be the last thing he'd expect. I'm sure you already have experience with this kind of thing. Isn't that right, Rika?" He didn't miss the part about body-snatching while listening to their argument. Apart from being fun to watch, it also gave him information to support his wild idea, so he decided to keep quiet at the time.

"The thing is, you'll have to wait until the right moment. Because he might get suspicious, we'll have to do this slowly and carefully. He needs to let his guard down completely. I have a way with words, so I'll be able to get him to that point. I'll need you to wait in the passenger seat until I decide to give you the wheel. When it's time, you'll pop out and do your thing." This was the best idea he had. Aside from being the best way to make sure he was safe, it was the best way to catch Towako off-guard. He wouldn't expect a god like Ryuujin to stay quiet and wait inside a human. It clashed with his feelings, as well as the image of his former master that existed in his mind. From Ryo's point of view, this was the most effective way to catch and exterminate the phantom. However, extermination wasn't what he had in mind.

"I'm the one who's in the most danger. I'm the one who draws him out, and I'm the one who decides when it's time to spring the trap. I won't make the call until I'm completely satisfied." Interlacing his fingers, Ryo sat up straight, dropping his playful tone. "And I won't be satisfied until Towako tells me the truth. I won't be satisfied until you hear the truth." That was the heart of the matter. Ryo didn't want this to be an extermination.

"My eyes allow me to see all kinds of things, including the events from ten years ago. However, what I didn't see was Towako confess. Neither did you. I'm not saying you made the wrong decision. As a human, I have no right to make that judgment. However, this is my decision, one based on human ideals and morality. I want to hear him speak the truth. Until that happens, this conflict can never truly be resolved. Even if he disappears, his hatred won't. You'll never really have an answer for why those things happened. Even if we win, everyone will still lose."

Not worrying about the potential wrath that awaited him, Ryo continued, addressing the god of the sea with a steady voice and a neutral expression. "Until he arrives to provide those answers, I'll be digging through his memories. That's what will draw him out, but that's not the only reason I'll be doing it. We'll be sharing a body, so you'll feel what I feel and see what I see. Because I'll feel and see what Towako did, so will you. I believe that's important. Whether you love or hate someone, it's important to understand them. Part of the reason why this happened is that we all failed to understand each other. That's why I hate misunderstandings." Just like Ryuujin and Towako failed to understand each other ten years ago, they and Ryo failed to understand each other now. That needed to be corrected.

"It might be arrogant of me to say, but none of this works without me. You need me, and I need you. Because of that, I'll be a selfish human and do this the way I want to. You may be doing your job as a god, but I'm doing mine as a detective. One of those is clearly more important than the other, but I'm a super narcissist who will put his own wants first. Even if you try to take the reins while you're possessing me, I'm confident that my massive ego will be strong enough to win that game of tug of war." Even while being serious, the jokes still came out. That's just who he was.

"I'm demanding a lot, but it still works in our favor. If I can get him to talk about what happened in the past, that's when he'll be the most vulnerable. He has human emotions, so he'll make human mistakes. I've spent enough time in his head to know that. Even if he withholds that information, it will still be enough to serve as a distraction. Of course, none of this completely eliminates the risks. Because I'm deciding to wait until I know if he's innocent or guilty, there's still the chance he might try to kill me. But that shouldn't be a problem for you. Even if I die, that will still give you an opening to deal with him. No matter what, the phantom will be dealt with if he's truly guilty. Because I'm the one who decided this, I'm the only one who loses. I won't run away from that consequence." When preparing his pitch, he made sure to give Ryuujin little reason to refuse. This method provided several opportunities to take out Towako if needed, minimized the risks, and made sure that Ryo was the only one who suffered if things went wrong. The only reason Ryuujin would refuse is if he put anger before reason, and Uroko was there to help with that.

"However, I don't plan on dying. I'm a greedy little human who wants everything. I want to learn the truth. I want you to get the answers you never had. I want to get rid of Towako's negativity. I want to keep my life. I want a reward for my hard work. I want my perfect happy ending. I'm selfish, so I want everything to go my way. However, people who don't work for it don't deserve it. That's why I'm doing all I can to finally close this case. Because I'm greedy." At the end of the day, that's all it was. It was all a weak human's greed. However, greed itself wasn't a bad thing.

"Well, that's all I've got. Feel free to give your thoughts. But before that, I'm gonna check the fridge. I think I still have some cake left."

QuirkyAngel

 

[Takumi98]

Seiichi Tanaka (God)
Location: Inari's Shrine
Date: April 3, 2030
Time: 2:45 pm
Mentioned: QuirkyAngel


It was dangerous to wander the streets for a god without a Regalia. It was dangerous for a Regalia to wander without a god...and it was kind of dangerous to be squatting at shrines, but he was sure Inari wouldn't mind too much if he stayed for a bit as long as he didn't get in her way or bother her. At least he hoped so. He hadn't seen her in some time, and wondered what she was up to currently.



'She's probably really busy. She is a business Goddess after all, plus the Heavens are probably a bit of a mess with all the gloom and Phantoms running about these days.' He thought with a sigh.

Taking out one of the onigiri in the pack he bought today, he munched away at it, hungry from the hike to her shrine and glad for the rest for his aching legs. He at least intended to save some for Inari as an offering. Hopefully she wouldn't be mad at him. He doubted it, but even if she was, he did intend to make it up to her regardless.

Hiroki Niwa (Human)
Location: Niwa Residence
Date: April 3, 2030
Time: 2:15 pm
Mentioned: None


"Hahh, man I need some coffee...mm, cinnamon toast sounds good with it too." He sighed with a small pout as he took off his shoes and set them aside the two pairs already there.



"Really Nii-chan, you need to cut back on how much coffee you drink." His sister Ayumu chided from where she sat on the couch. Hiroki scoffed, rolling his eyes as he watched her typing away on her phone. He had ended up coming home early due to his math teacher being absent, and was glad for it simply because Ayumu had a cold and he wanted to make sure she was alright.



"Are you texting that boyfriend of yours?~" he teased, as he passed by to make his way towards the kitchen, only to yelp as she threw one of the couches pillows at him.



"Hajime isn't my boyfriend!!" She cried out in exasperation, despite how red-faced she always got towards such an accusation.



" Hajime and Ayumu sitting in a tree, k-i-ss-i-n-guh!" Hiroki started, only to get smacked in the face with another pillow.



"Shut up! Don't you have homework to do or a date to go on or something? Geez!" Ayumu whined as she slumped back into her nest of blankets, pulling down the face mask she wore and reaching for the box of tissues nearby to blow her nose.



"Oi, oi! You two cut it out." Came the grumpy and tired voice of one Daisuke Niwa as he peeked into the living room, earning sheepish glances from the two and a 'Sorry, dad' before the tired man scratched the back of his head and grumbled on the way back to him and his wife's room where his nap had been interrupted.



"Headache again?" Hiroki asked Ayumu as he picked up the pillows she assaulted him with, frowning when she answered with a nod. Blue eyes stared at where their father had stood, before he turned to look at his sister. He knew Ayumu hadn't seen it. While it was small, he could see it there on their father. A Phantom, likely the one that brought on his current headache.



"What's up?" Ayumu asked, looking up at the other with furrowed brows as her eyes trailed her brother as he headed right back for the door.



"I'm going back out for a bit to get some extra aspirin and when I get back I'll make you soup!" He perked up, then snickered at the groan he got from his sister.



"I'm tired of soup! I've had nothing but soup since this morning!" She whined, flopping back into the returned pillows. Hiroki hummed before shrugging.



"Well, we want you to feel better right? So chicken noodle it is." He replied as he went to put on his shoes.



"Before long I'll be a chicken." Ayumu huffed, causing Hiroki to grin toothily over his shoulder.



"What, you mean you're not already one? Bkaw, bkaw!~" he clucked, before dissolving into giggles as he left quickly when she threatened to throw a pillow at him again.



"It's kinda gloomy today, hope mom's alright at work.~" he hummed, swinging his arms as he considered which convenience store to go to that wasn't too far from his house.



'Ah, maybe I should text her? She'd get around to it eventually.' He thought to himself, eyes scanning the streets for any Phantoms he might have to look out for. Or at the very least, anyone with a phantom attached to themselves.

"I guess I'll get some snacks too, I never did get to make that toast." He pouted, one hand resting on his growling stomach while the other fished his phone from his pocket. Thumbnail digging into the pink rubber of the case almost absentmindedly as he unlocked it and went to his contacts to type something quick.

Hope work is going well! Got out of HS early, stay safe & ily!

"Aaaand send.~" he spoke with a small cheer. He kept a smile on his face, though his brows furrowed slightly. He had heard on the news that there had been a robbery at a jewelry store some days ago, and while the man responsible had been caught it had been a cause of concern for his dad, who had asked that if given the opportunity, like during a lunch break, that Yasuko called or just sent a quick text to someone in the family.

Ayumu and Daisuke got texts first, due to the latter not having school and the former being sick for a few days. He decided to send her a text too cause why not?

Hey Ayumu, gonna bring you some snacks back too

Something short and simple, though he didn't look before crossing the street as he typed.

Noga (Regalia)As Atsushi
Location: Streets of Kyoto
Date: April 3, 2030
Time: 2:25 pm
Mentioned: None


"It's been a while, but this place looks even gloomier than last time." The white haired woman beside a dark haired young man and two older spirits hummed from a rooftop. It had been a while since she's visited the Earthly plain, but with all the gloom still hanging about, she thought it'd be best to have one more Kami around to help out. Adjusting the backpack on her back, she held out a hand.



"Come; Shōki, Seiki, Tonki." She didn't blink as the Shōki became her weapon and the Seiki became her armor. The Tonki, while not her main weapon, was always helpful when he was needed. That she could appreciate.



"Milady, do remember we're only patrolling."



Of course, Shōki. Even so we have to be prepared in case we have to defend ourselves! Right, Tonki?



"Yes Ma'am."



Tonki, please don't call me Ma'am I don't look that old! The Goddess pouted softly to herself as she scanned the busy streets while walking along the edge of the roof.



"Haha, is the Lady blushing?" Seiki teased, earning a soft huff from his Goddess.



"Milady! To your right!"
"Kaguya-Sama, your right!"
"Kaguya-sama!"



Fwoosh!



With the simultaneous warning from Shino, Masuyo, and Atsushi, Kaguya barely noticed the skittering sound of eight legs before she took a wide swing of the Shōki, it's blade slamming into the giant spider Phantom that had crawled up the side of the building.



"Shōki, please cut deeper." Kaguya hummed upon noticing that the cut inflicted on the Phantom wasn't as deep as she'd like.



"Understood."



"Smells nice!! SMeLls nIcE. GOd SmElLs NICE!!!" The beast heaved, pincors clacking as it salivated and brushed off being thrown off course. It's many eyes swiveled and spun before focusing right on the light haired goddess.



"Tonki, aim true." Kaguya ordered, eyes narrowing as she drew her arm back after unsheathing the Kukri. As the Spider phantom regained it's footing and set it's sights on the god once more, she waited. Once it came upon a skittling sprint towards her with an ear splitting shriek did she throw the knife in her hands, watching the blade spin and cut into one of the legs that tried to knock the blade off course. While slightly off course the bladed weapon embedded in the beast's cheek instead of one of it's many eyes like originally planned but they could work with that.





"It hUrTs!!! HUrTsss!!" The phantom shrieked, thrashing in pain. Kaguya jumped, blue eyes glaring coldly at the beast before her.



"Your pain will end here." She replied, earning only a pain and rage filled wail in response as sticky green webbing oozed from it's mouth and spinner trying to aim for the goddess above it.



"This Land of the Rising Sun and your desecration will not be allowed. Hear me! I am Kaguya! I now lay waste with the Shōki to expel thy vast defilement!-- Subdue!" Creating a halberd and charging the Shōki, Kaguya spun the spear in hand on her way down to cut away the webbing in her way and drive the blade into the beast to quickly fell it. Reaching for the Tonki, she kicked off the phantom just as red light burst forth.

From there she landed on a crouch on the sidewalk below, before straightening.

"Phew, revert, Shi." She huffed, letting Shino revert. Motioning to the backpack, the god waited for her regalia to get what she needed. Holding out her hand, the god smiled and thanked the other woman as she handed over a bottle of water. She had started bringing a bottle or two of holy water on patrols just as a precaution in case one of her weapons got stuck in a phantom longer than she thought necessary. Uncapping it she poured some of the contents on her hand as well as the Tonki.

"Kaguya-Sama, that's cold!"

"Sorry, Tonki! I just want to make sure! I'll treat you to a late lunch as an apology, besides a brief break shouldn't hurt." Kaguya replied.

...

"You are very persuasive and drive a hard bargain, Kaguya-Sama." Tonki replied after a momemt of quiet passed.

"What a cheeky Regalia you are today. If I didn't know any better, I'd say Masuyo is influencing you. Revert Masu, Atsu." She chuckled, recapping what was left of the bottle of water and handing it to Shino to be put away.

Even if their relationship was more casual than the usual business arrangements Atsushi found himself in, she never did treat him any differently than her other Regalia. Even so, like he had let other gods know he wasn't as interested as living in the heavens, despite Kaguya giving the offer once. He didn't want to cause her too much trouble. Plus, Mizuki's descriptions of some of the gods up there didn't give the Heavens too good of a look. Really though, no place was perfect.

The Nora placed his hands in his pockets as he followed after the Goddess and her Regalia, watching as the three talked and acted in a way he's seen a few human families do. It was refreshing. Masuyo was probably the tired but loving dad or uncle, with Shino as his wife. Kaguya herself their daughter or niece, excited to spend the day out with her family before dinner.

Smiling to himself, Atsushi shook his head before his gaze went to those still out at this time. A woman with her two young children, a middle-aged man on his phone, a pink haired teen crossing the street, a group of late middle schoolers loitering outside a store playing some sort of handheld game. Tilting his head slightly, Atsushi wondered if this was the normal time for classes to end. Maybe the group of middle schoolers were skipping? The teen too, perhaps? Who really knew. What he did know was that, for the moment, there was just a little less gloom in the air and he could finally fucking breath clearly for a little while.

 

[Dante Verren]

Location: Gymnasium, Shirotome High
Date: April 3rd, 2030
Time: 1:03 pm​

Phantom (Pride)
Interactions: Azani( Karcen ) Rika/Ryujin( QuirkyAngel )


Although she would never admit it the discussions of past lives was beyond the phantoms train of thought. Whether she fully understood what having a past life was or what it meant was up to debate. As far as Kuro-Kyogi was concerned any past life had no meaning today. What use was pride if it was caught in the past. No pride only mattered in the here and now which ultimately meant that she only mattered in the here and now. Thus she was content to listen to the two gods go at each other for a past that was long since dead and irrelevant, all in the mean time basking in the warmth of their anger and frustration, while at the same time enjoying the refreshing chill of their sorrow and remorse. Even Rika's raw emotions on display were quiet a sight for the phantom's hungry eyes. Still using her better judgement she did not partake from this feast laid out infront of her. The moment she did the waterlogged rat was likely to go ballistic and in their fight would likely damage the school, if Azani was trying to make a good impression to the denizens here having some one she was acquainted with help destroy the school would cause only harm for her reputation. Rika on the other hand had proven useful and feisty, something that Kuro-Kyogi could respect and would note as someone to possibly feed off of at a later time, just not now.

Finally Kuro-Kyogi's curiosity had been struck. Azani who seemed to strive and make fair deals and do things for the betterment of humanity had such a scorn for gods becoming involved with humans. Why was that? As a self proclaimed guide for humanity, Kuro-Kyogi knew that dealing with the humans could be rather annoying, yet she held no scorn for them. They were mere children who needed a guiding hand. In particular Azani seemed rather touchy about the subject of a personal relationship between a god and a human.... Kuro-Kyogi sensed a very juicy and tragic story. Flapping her wings in anticipation of the coming tale, she would nod her head as Azani told her they were leaving. As the goddess disappeared Kuro-Kyogi turned to face the other two. "Farewell Rika, oh and farewell to the swimming mouse as well I suppose." As she spoke she shot Ryujin a taunting smirk before disappearing. Following her compatriot through to Yomi. A trick she was capable but never really used. There was no one down here that needed the guiding hand of one such as great as she. If it wasn't for Azani Kuro-Kyogi would never come down to Yomi at all.

Location: Queen Azani's Palace
Date: April 3rd, 2030
Time: 1:05 pm​

Arriving back in Yomi she flapped her wings and flew back to her new favorite spot, taking a seat a top the headrest of the throne. Stretching out her arms and wings the phantom could not hold back a slight chuckle. "Well that was fun." she remarked before returning to a bit of a serious mood. "From revelations made earlier it seems there is some stories you have yet to share. Of course I am not surprised that there are. After all a girl has to have some mystery. Yet I believe there is a popular human phrase, No secrets among friends" . The phantom raised her legs up a bit and placed her elbows on her knees. Putting her hands flat together she place her chin atop her hands and from her perch looked down upon Azani. "For someone who hates heaven it is surprising to know you once kept company with an ancestor of the sea brained rodent. There is also the fact that you are dependent on humans you have a rather cold attituded to them as well. No that I am complaining but you do realize that by acting out against them and rejecting their friendship you are hurting your chances of reshaping your image."

 

[Karcen]

Location: Queen Azani's Palace
Date: April 3rd, 2030
Time: 1:07
​

Azani Goddess of Vengence and grudges

That conversation had taken a lot out of Azani, she did not normally be so honest and so revealing in how she dealt with others. It was much easier to just be the monster others thought of her as, than to try to explain how intricate her system was and how she operated. The gods long ago might have understood, but these days they had all died or didn't want to think back on the first days. It seemed every god had things they would rather just forget and keep away from the person they were now. That might be why a few gods had decided to just die and reincarnate, rather than go on with their memories. Azani had for the longest time just kept people out not letting them in without knowing them for a long time and so to be so very honest after meeting people not long ago was something very taxing on her. Even Kuro was new despite how close she got and Azani didn't really want to reveal everything. Still Kuro had some points Azani was harsh to humans and she was trying to be nicer.

" He was different back then, all the gods were" Azani started " Back in those days it was god fighting god, a great war where whatever worked was used. Things changed when the war was over and heaven decided history needed to be black and white and they had to be the good guys and all else was the bad guys " Azani said shaking her head " They wanted to forget those grey days when perhaps interacting with Yomi was not so bad, even if the queen still thought all that came from there were monsters" She sighed. That was a simple truth things had changed, the gods and changed, and as much as they wanted to deny it their very morals had shifted, heaven was always just because it had decided all things it did were good without exception.

" The human thing is a sensitive matter, I have lived long, and never have I died, thus I have had to many experiences some weigh on me more than others" Azani explained sounding tired as she recalled just how old she was. " Getting attached to a humans, or anyone for that matter leaves you open to a great amount of pain when you lose them. Most gods would just cut their ties to the human to avoid this and forget them. Still with how rarely humans return, once everyone forgets them and if they aren't somehow stuck to the near shore then they might as well be gone. " Azani shook her head " I know it sounds stupid, but long ago I got attached to a human.... no I fell in love with him and when he died the pain was so great I sought to speak with another. Ryuujin wanting to help tried to cut my ties like he does with his daughter, but I don't want to forget. I know how dumb that sounds and how much I complain and use that pain to stay away from others, after all if one human hurts that much how could I deal with more of that pain?" Azani sighed and leaned back looking up at Kuro " Still it doesn't end there, my love is one of those that returns and I find them often we get together, but always I lose them, the joy of my time with them almost overshadowed by the pain of losing them again"

Azani burred her face in her hands for a moment and the room fell into silence " I guess not that I told you about him, I should tell you the story of how he and I met, not secrets and all that" Azani said sounding almost defeated to have to say all this that she wished to keep hidden, talking about it clearly bringing new pain to old wounds.

.
.
.

.
.
.
.

Location: A forest in japan
Date: Long ago
Time: afternoon
​

Azani Goddess of Vengence and grudges Tsukihiko Human

Just how long had it been Azani wondered as she sat in the roots of a large tree in one of the many unnamed forests of the land. Just how long had it been since she had been born and, how long since she had met her sister. Azani didn't really keep track of time and she wondered just why she had been born. Azani knew why on a factual level, she existed because her mother wished for reverence, but was that really all? Why should she even keep breathing if that was the kind of life she was going to live? Really what did she own these humans to settle their grudges, she was no ally of their, just like she was no ally of heaven. That much had been cemented by her sister, even if she might try to help them she was just a monster. Azani would get over this, she often enough fell into such states and every time she got over them. She lived because she did, because she had a job and someone had to do it and if not her then some other poor soul.

It was as Azani was half asleep in her thoughts that she didn't hear someone coming a young man heading back to the farm after the latest war for this or that had finished. humans were always fighting as each regional leader fought to lead all as not even the imperial family existed this long ago. Azani was only brought out of her thoughts by the sound of laughing, though not a cruel mocking laughter, instead it was as if he had heard a good joke. Opening her eyes Azani saw her polar opposite a tall man with pale almost white hair that could not have been more than a youth barely out of childhood.

" I was told there was a monster in the woods but all I see here is a beautiful lady" The man said and it took Azani a moment to realize he was talking about her.

" Then you are blind for I am a monster" azani said not getting up her voice tinged with anger as her red eyes glared at the man.

The man for his part just smiled and seemingly ignoring what she had just said walked to Azani and sat down beside her, behind on the lower ground Azani now had to run to look at him " You don't look like a monster, you are to beautiful, instead of a monster you must be a goddess" he said not in the least scared by what Azani had said

" Did you not hear me or are you just dumb?" Azani growled

" Well it is not the first time I have been called an idiot, but never before have I been called one by such a beauty so I don't mind" The man said still smiling, how he could do so Azani couldn't understand and why he had called her beautiful, she was fearsome not beautiful.

" Whatever you say human you should know you are before Azani the goddess of vengeance the one who drags souls to Yomi" She said expecting him to flee after learning who she was.

What he did next confused her as he didn't run " I am Tsukihiko, it is an honor to meet such a lovely goddess I knew you were no monster" he said still keeping that idiotic style.

Azani actually felt her face heat up and knew she was blushing, so she did the first thing she could think of and covered her face with her sleeve " Stop with your lies get out of here and don't come back" Azani almost shouted the embarrassment replacing any actual anger in her voice.

Tsukihiko Got up and dusted himself up " Okay, but i'll be back tomorrow Azani" He said patting her head before turning and starting to leave

" I said don't come back" Azani called out to which Tsukihiko chuckled even he could tell she didn't mean what she said.

That was their first meeting, and it was far from the last, even though Azani didn't know it at the time even she had felt something different with this human. She at that point could not name the feeling he brought to her and why she found it so hard to be angry at him. After Tsukihiko had been gone from sometime Azani even started to want him to come back and wanted the next day to come for the first time she could ever remember.

Dante Verren

 

[Dante Verren]

Location: Queen Azani's Palace
Date: April 3rd, 2030
Time: 1:11 pm​

Phantom (Pride)
Interactions: Azani ( Karcen )


As Azani sat down in the throne and began her speech Kuro-Kyogi leaned forward intending to listen rather intently. Expecting some tragic drama filled tales she was left a little disappointed. Yes the story was tragic and Kuro-Kyogi could here the pain in the goddess's voice. Looking down with her own red eyes into the goddess's crimson eyes, Kuro would swear that she could almost see the pain as well. When Azani put her face in her hands and began her tale Kuro flinched a bit. The amount of despair emanating from this goddess was plain as day to the phantom, and if they were on the near shore then a swarm of lesser phantoms would have already descended upon them. Under normal circumstances the phantom would have tried to feed off of that raw emotion, yet these were not normal circumstances. Right now Kuro-Kyogi had a different role to play. Her appearance, that of a Tengu was not on accident. Kuro-Kyogi was a being who saw herself as a guide to the right path. Her role was to guide humans and spirits down the path away from the false heavens to their own happiness, or in other cases to being corrupted and becoming like her. This time there was a goddess, a goddess who had put her faith in Kuro-Kyogi and who Kuro-Kyogi had sworn to make that goddess proud of her. Now was the time to make good on the promise and embrace the Tengu aspect... now was the time to play guide to a god.

Flapping her wings lightly she rose off the head rest of the chair and flew down to stand in front of Azani, landing in front of the goddess with a light clack from her sandals. "You really are the goddess of fools. You have the nerve to call me your only ally when you have no issues making allies with several others in only a matter of a few days. You are like a sad kitten, desperate for attention and willing to chase it, yet you bite and scratch the hands of who ever tries to give you that attention. You claim to not care about the denizens of heaven despite the fact that you try and warn them against forming bonds with humans to keep them from getting hurt." Kuro-Kyogi raised her right hand holding her fan and brought it down on her left hand leading to a ringing clap that echoed around the room.

Taking a breath she continued, "Most infuriating about you is the pathetic display you just put on before me. In love with a human?! Of course you would fall for at least one and of course one would fall for you! You are Azani, Daughter of Izinami, and the New Queen of Hell not some miserable wretch. That pain you feel is proof of something greater, it is physical manifestation of your love for that human that has lasted for hundreds of years. The other gods are idiots who erased those memories and ran away from their love, yet you continued to embrace it. However you embraced it in the wrong way. The way you spoke of that love being one of the ones that returned makes it sound like a burden. The joy you have is overshadowed by the pain? Nonsense. Both emotions are there existing in a state of equal proportions, but there has always been something missing..."Kuro-Kyogi let her words drift off for a moment to give the goddess a chance to take in everything that had been said so far.

After a brief moment the rather serious stone face that Kuro-Kyogi had broke into a light smile, "What you have been missing my dear is pride. You should be proud of that pain you have, be proud of the love you have, and be proud of the blessing you have been given. Though his constant death and rebirth seems like it is a curse it is the exact opposite. You have gotten to relive your love over and over, each time embracing it all even the darker parts while other gods ran away and burned those memories after one attempt. Be proud of that strength. If you can not be proud of that then learn to be proud of it. In the mean time you can at least be proud of what you are about to here. You'd also better pay attention for I will only say this once. " Kuro-Kyogi very quickly cleared her throat and placed her left hand above where the human heart would be. "I the most majestic Kuro-Kyogi am proud to call you my ally, my partner, my friend." As she finished speaking she very quickly raised the fan to cover the lower half of her face in an attempt to hide the wide smile. Kuro-Kyogi always got giddy when she was expressing her pride, but for some reason or not this certain expression of pride felt like something she hadn't really felt before... was it embarrassment. Just like back in hotel room after she had made her fantastically designed castle, this stupid goddess was making her feel another emotion she wasn't supposed to be feeling. She was prideful damnit! Not some emotion as lowly as embarrassment!

Internally shaking off that strange feeling, Kuro-Kyogi turned away from Azani with a bit of a huff, "Many a phantom has earned the esteemed privilege of being my ally but never has one earned the right to call ones self my partner in anything let alone someone calling themselves my friend. Be honored and be proud, for I do not make mistakes when it comes to matters like these. " Still with her back turned and now wings puffed up she started to fan her self to give her that extra regal look. Looking over her shoulder her eyes burned straight into Azani. "I will help you build what pride you need, both for your past self and for your current self. I will not tolerate you wallowing in your sadness any longer. Though it feels much longer it was only a day ago when I made a statement, well I am changing that statement. For as long as I am with you whether it be one more day, one more year, or even an eternity I will not allow you to feel disappointed in me or sad around me. You are only allowed to be proud of me and to be happy around me." The phantom of pride had already developed a clever scheme, she would nurture the pride within Azani and feed off of it, in turn she would use that power gained from the goddess pride to nurture more pride creating a never ending cycle of pride and power. Other negative emotions such as anger, sorrow, fear were lesser emotions, Pride was the best emotion to feed off of so if being a happy Azani meant more pride then that was Kuro-Kyogi's goal. It was a perfect scheme that totally was only for Kuro-Kyogi's benefit and totally no one else's.

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Location: Hanabi Amaku Grills, Kyoto
Date: April 3rd, 2030
Time: 12:14pm​

#4389 (Spirit) + #10013 (Spirit)

Surprised that Shorn bowed his head towards her, Number 4389 could only stare blankly at the new god Nana hired before the spirit’s face started to flush a little red. He addressed the both girls, but Number 10013 was busy admiring her new hat reflected on the spoon, so it looked like it would be up to Number 4389 respond. “Lift your head, Shorn.”

Even if she lived in SSA and accepted the equality of gods and spirits in that particular workplace, Number 4389 had lived in Heaven and knew its rules. There were some things that were just ingrained into her.

“Seriously, a god shouldn’t bow to a couple of spirits. It’d look bad.”

Way more embarrassing than falling into a restaurant. It lowered the status of the god and reflected poorly their regalias. Perhaps if he’d seriously wronged her it was understandable, but he’d done nothing to be ashamed about. ‘God of words’ had been a guess on her part—and not even an entirely serious one. Playful talk at best. Gods didn’t have their niches stamped on their forehead so there was no way she could’ve known his actual title. The information surprised the raven-haired spirit, but not because it scared her or she felt any particular aversion to calamity gods. Number 4389 had lived at SSA for a while now—longer than most spirits since they usually had an easier time finding permanent employment—and seen all sorts of gods.

Good gods, bad gods, neutral gods…they all needed regalias. Her opinion of gods had long changed since her days of living up in Heaven. Still. The title of ‘Despair and Disdain’ didn’t fit at all with what she saw of the comical god who was willing to indulge young spirits in their whims. In spite of his silliness, there was something mature about Shorn as well…at least compared to young idiots like Kami_X. Really, seeing the red-head god again, and with Shorn no less, nearly ruined her mood. She was surprised he even found a regalia willing to deal with his living style.

“There's nothing for you to apologize for. You don’t intend to make others sad, do you?” Number 4389 glanced towards Number 10013, who was adjusting her conductor’s hat, before looking back towards Shorn. She smiled. “If not, it doesn’t matter how you were born or what you’ve done in the past. You’re still our friend~isn’t that right, Number 10013?”

The raven-haired girl elbowed her conductor hat-wearing companion. “Huh? Yeah! I mean, you bought us a bunch of neat things and Despair and Disdain sounds kinda cool to be honest.”

Number 4389 rolled her eyes. ‘Cool’ wasn’t the word she’d use, but Number 10013 was bit of tomboy without much experience in the world of gods and regalias so that was to be expected. “Besides, Nana seems to trust you—enough let you come with us—and you’re an SSA agent now. If you were an evil god like your title suggests, you wouldn’t worry about us being blind-sided either~”

Number 4389 twirled a lock of her hair. “You’re really nice, Shorn. I can tell. I’ve worked with many gods, but most don’t even bother to try as hard as you do.”

Shrugging, the raven-haired spirit poured a cup of tea from the kettle at their table and passed it to Shorn. “You said a lot of things yesterday, so you’ll have to clarify what you mean...”

They talked about coloring, her purse, names, the type of god Shorn was, dinner…Despite his voice not working yesterday, Shorn wrote quite a bit. He never seemed to run about of things to talk about. “I’m glad your voice is back, by the way. Did losing it have something to do with being a God of Despair and Disdain?”

The Secret Archives

Location: Inari's Shrine
Date: April 3, 2030
Time: 2:45 pm​

Mamaru (Regalia)

A small girl with fox ears saddled beside Seiichi Tanaka as he ate his onigiri, legs kicking back and forth. She watched the many shrine visitors that stopped by to pray, waving at them and thanking them for their visit, though most didn’t even notice her. Lady Inari told her that such things as showing gratitude for patronage were important whether humans noticed her or not. That no matter how big their shrine got, it was important to remember where one came from.

Besides, humans that bothered visiting their shrine even in spite of AFAH were deserving of respect. True worshippers. Even after 10 years and shrines were beginning to rebuild, the atmosphere for gods still wasn’t the best. Fushimi Inari Taisha—one of the most popular tourist attractions of Kyoto—saw less visitors than before…though they were much better than many others and still kept their #1 spot in Kyoto.

Giggling to herself, the fox spirit did feel a bit bad for some of the other shrines that didn’t manage to survive war 10 years ago, but that was life. Gods had to be able to protect their own homes in order to thrive in this capitalist world. Kyoto would’ve been overrun by phantoms if Inari-sama and Gintaru hadn’t been there to protect it—choosing to safeguard their rice granary instead of joining Heaven’s Army.

She heard many gods died in that war…and didn’t come back.

“Thank you for coming to visit,” the fox spirit glanced towards Seiichi, a wink and playful smile on her face. She immediately recognized the other being as a god, but it was rude for a regalia to bow to another god that was not their own, so she didn’t. The only ones who did that were strays—who worshiped multiple gods—or those that didn’t know any better. Besides, it wasn’t her first time seeing Seiichi Tanaka. He’d been stopping by Inari’s shrine more often as of late. Yet another poor god that had lost their shrine. Gods didn't normally make offerings to one another either so it was just Seiichi and Kami_X that were the weird ones. “Inari-sama is busy at another one of Heaven’s meetings, but Mamaru can keep you company if you want.”

She already finished her rounds of sweeping anyway and talking to another god was bound to be more entertaining than greeting humans that couldn’t even see her.

Takumi98

 

[Karcen]

Location: Queen Azani's Palace
Date: April 3rd, 2030
Time: 1:14
​

Azani Goddess of Vengence and grudges

When Kuro finished speaking Azani didn't get mad or sad instead she started laughing. Love a curse, how could that be? It was funny to see a phantom actually trying to help a goddess with their mental health, yet reveal accidently that they didn't fully understand all emotions. It seemed even with their evolution even greater phantoms were bound by the emotions that made them, they were so close to gods yet lacking that last little bit. Kuro was right about thing and wrong about others. Azani had long grown a shell over herself finding it easier to play the monster and push back when any kindness came her way despite how she wanted it. As look obsessed as the gods of heaven were, Azani had become so like them worried about being seen a scary of fierce. Azani did forget this somewhat when her love was around, but he wasn't here right now and she had again focused on herself, her pain, her image, her sorrow. It was hard to remember to think of such thing when gods didn't really talk about mental issues they just kind of ignored it or killed you till it went away.

Azani would take a deep breath and stop laughing after a short time " That honestly does make me feel better, though I think I misworded my cycle with my love. You are right him returning over and over is a blessing, though the time between his lives hurts. That is the problem I have been without him long enough even as the pain become a dulled I still sink into the dark. You should see me when he is around I am very different. " Azani explained her emotions shifting becoming more positive.

Azani Soon got up from her throne standing as Kuro was " But you are right I am quiet foolish, but what can I say I try to keep my distance, or well I did" Azani said starting to walk around " That is something I do want to over come, as my idea to change is very new, actually meeting you caused that. You see before that I was not much interested in greater phantoms thinking in a way that staying mindless was a better option for them than having them. But, you have shown me how they can be a positive influence, that I was wrong. " Azani admitted " So if you can change and become better why can't I?" she asked not really expecting an answer.

" Anyways enough moping we have work to do, but before that as you have changed your side I will change mine. It seems you might not understand all emotions as humans and gods might, so i shall help you to fully understand them and help you be even greater than you already are my friend" Azani said with a new found confidence. It was surprising what one good friend that was willing to point out your issues and some determination could do. " Well then we encounter a little problem as the two places i need to go are highly warded against phantoms" Azani explained " I need to speak with Inari for she is the goddess of kyoto and if I want to build a shrine best to at least ask her and do it anyways if she says no and with the heavens likely alerted to my activates or soon to be I might need to fight as I can't let you do it all" Azani shrugged not wanting to suggest kuro couldn't match gods in fight " So I need to get a regalia just in case, though I would much rather take a phantom for one pure souls are so sensitive"

Dante Verren

 

[Takumi98]

Seiichi Tanaka (God)Location: Inari's Shrine
Date: April 3, 2030
Time: 2:45 pm
Mentioned: QuirkyAngel

Seiichi watched as visitors came and went, not noticing Mamaru as she waved and thanked them. When the regalia thanked the god for visiting and winked, the god in question chuckled as he finished the rest of his onigiri.

"I don't mind visiting the shrine of a fellow god of rice, especially one as well known and famous as Inari-Sama." He hummed, before reaching for another onigiri and offering it to the fox spirit. He didn't want to be rude and eat without sharing, something he he was taught by his hand father long ago that's stuck around since. When told of Inari's current whereabouts, the younger god tilted his head.

"Ah, they've been having meetings quite a bit recently, hm?" He pondered aloud. Scratching the back of his head, the god clicked his tongue lightly. It made sense, what with the state of some of the older Earthly gods seemingly missing. If they had yet to reincarnate or were simply in hiding for whatever reason, he hoped that they were alright. Even so, being stuck in a meetings with the heavens and probably not coming to much of a conclusion on whatever the meeting may be about seemed tiring.

"Thanks, Mamaru, I doubt I'd be much fun to hang around with though." He added, gaze landing on the Regalia and resisting the urge to pat her head. He wasn't sure she'd like it if someone suddenly did so, or if she'd feel as if he was treating her like a kid.

While he wouldn't mind simply sitting and letting the fox spirit talk about anything and everything to pass the time until Inari got back he wasn't sure if he himself could even contribute to a conversation that wouldn't potentially bore the spirit. Though he guessed it'd beat sitting in silence for who knew how long.

"What do you usually do while Inari-Sama is out, when not greeting visitors and such?" He asked, curious, while also not wanting to sit in awkward silence.

 

[Dante Verren]

Location: Queen Azani's Palace
Date: April 3rd, 2030
Time: 1:14​

Phantom (Pride)
Interactions: Azani ( Karcen )


Azani's sudden laughter caught Kuro-Kyogi off guard and caused her to puff out her cheeks in annoyance. This was the second time she had done an important and impactful speech only to have it be laughed at by the goddess. Though the laughter and the negative emotions being replaced by positive ones meant that her little speech had worked. What was Azani like when her love was around? Still the brooding child of Yomi or more of a sunny version. Either way if they did run into that love again, or rather when they did Kuro-Kyogi would have to make sure she didn't devour the spirit. A spirit that was constantly being reborn must be jam packed with negative emotions from even life times ago and that sounded delicious. But that particular spirit was off limits. Eating Azani's lover probably wasn't a good way to make the goddess proud of her.

Letting Azani finish her explanation Kuro-Kyogi finally chimed in at the end. "For the record I have a perfect understanding of emotions, I was born from them after all" she claimed with a bit of a stubborn huff. In fact she did understand all of the darker sides of the human heart and those darker emotions that dwelled in gods and spirits. When it came to emotions such as happiness, glee, and love she was completely lost. After all she was a creature of darkness and corruption, unsure if she was even capable of understanding emotions as pure as those. It was only her superiors mind and over inflated ego that kept her from acting like the creature of corruption she was meant to be.

The phantoms mood soured a bit and her face turned to in a frown. While Azani acquiring a regalia for her to use was the smart thing to do it did not sit well with her. Even worse was the suggestion of using a phantom, the memory of that horrendous mask on that disgusting worm of a lesser phantom returned to her mind. "Do you intend to reign in the lesser phantoms just as the former king did or do you seek a stronger spirit to serve as your weapon?"

 

[Dante Verren]

Location: Ogawa Coffee Kyoto
Date: April 3rd, 2030
Time: 12:20 pm​

Yuya Sumiko (Spirtual Human) and Yuya Ami (Normal Human/NPC)


"So what is with the sudden interest in programing?" Sumiko looked up from coffee to her older sister Ami who sat across from her on the other side of the table. After everything that had happened with Kami_X the god of hackers and Sumiko knowing nothing about hacking she decided to do something about it. After all if she was going to spend time around a god she should at least know a little something as to not appear completely clueless. Once she had gotten home she had called her 2nd oldest sister Ami, who in her own right was rather tech savvy, even going as far as working at a cyber security agency. The two had talked for a bit and agreed to meet up at a coffee shop that following day. So here the two sisters were having a nice chat over afternoon coffee and snacks.

"I wouldn't say it's a sudden interest, just something that I have been curious about for a bit and now find myself with the motivation to look into" Sumiko replied only telling the half truth. She was interested in her older sisters job but never really wanted to learn anything to detailed about it. Of course she wouldn't tell Ami the full truth, even if she did Ami wouldn't believe her. "Well these should be enough to get you started. Don't push yourself to hard. If anything is to difficult then feel free to give me a call." as Ami spoke she put three different books onto the table infront of Sumiko. Sumiko proceeded to pick them up and look through them rather quickly. Each of them were covering the basics of coding, different scripts, the basics of coding language, etc. Pretty basic books that entry level courses would require you to read. "Thank you Ami-nee" Sumiko said as she put them into her bag, "Of course. I wouldn't dare miss a chance to corrupt one of my sisters into the digital hell that is cyber world" Ami replied with a smile. Sumiko wasn't sure if referring to your passion as a hell was a good thing, but then again Sumiko had seen Ami spend many a sleepless night bent over a computer screen trying desperately to get one single line of code working when she was first getting started.

With business out of the way the conversation turned to the usual casual sisterly talk. Topics of conversation included work, college, free time activity etc. Eventually the topic of conversation turned to the part that Sumiko always dreaded. "How is your health? Have you been feeling sick at all? Fever, chills, etc." Ami asked seeming rather annoyed at having to ask the question as Sumiko was to hear the question. Sighing Sumiko responded "Fine as always. no cold or anything like that so you can tell mom and dad that they don't need to worry." Ami gave her sister a sympathetic smile, "It's better if I ask and get back to them, otherwise they will end up sending Shizuka or Shizuku. Or god forbid they send Goto-nee to check up on you. It will go from a simple question to an interrogation" the sisters chuckled at the shared joke. Both of them knew that the eldest sister Goto was good hearted and cared about the siblings well beings... it was just that she could be a little overbearing sometimes.

 

[RI.a]

setsu

Location: Kyoto streets | Date: April 3rd, 2030 | Time: 2: 25 pm | Tags: Takumi98 (Hiroki) ​

“Ok, so after getting apples, cheese sticks, jii-jii’s nasty sour plum jellies, and water; there’s still.... 350 yen!” Setsu exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air, the contents in the plastic bag rustling about. Her happiness was a little short-lived when someone bumped into her. She flipped towards them with discontent. “Oi! Watch where you’re going, dammit...” The man didn’t know what he bumped into, looking confused at his own two feet before continuing his journey. Setsu clicked her tongue in irritation, slightly stomping her feet as she made her own way to a dessert cafe.

The blonde teen stood in line behind a toddler and her parent, trying to peek through the adult's shoulder to get a glimpse of the takeaway glass window. Once serving the child and waving goodbye, the waiter returned to attracting customers off the street. Not noticing the spirit waiting to be served.

"Fresh crepes, crackers, mochi, and cake! Get your sweet cravings satisfied at Fleur Dining and Takeaway!"

Setsu scowled at him before slamming her fist on the glass with a loud, "Oi!" Finally getting his attention.

"A-ah! Excuse me. I didn't see you there, miss. How can I help you?"

"I'll get a strawberry mochi." Her eyes sparkled as she admired it through the glass, before looking at the waiter with an attempted straight face. "Please."

"Of course, here you go! That'll be 350 yen please."

After handing the rest of her money to him, she took the nicely package dessert excitedly. Carefully holding her prize in her arms, Setsu made her way back home merrily, humming a tune softly. Stopping and looking up upon reaching a traffic light, she could feel her stomach drop as an older teen stepped unto the road anyway, his nose deep in his phone. An approaching vehicle blared his horn, the brakes screeching against the asphalt. Before she knew it, her feet ran towards him. Shoving the pink-haired boy hard enough so they both fell out of harm's way. The sports car sped away, not even stopping to see if he caused an accident.

Setsu spewed a flurry of curses at the irresponsible driver before turning her anger towards the boy she just saved. "You idiot! Do you have a death wish? You're fucking lucky I was there to save your dumb ass!" She scolded, dusting her clothes as she got up. Just realising her hands were empty, she looked around hurriedly, only to mourn her loss as her knees sunk back to the ground. Her shopping spilled unto the floor, the apples and candies squished and her long-awaited dessert ruined! The food all contaminated and spread on the road like messy jam on toast. Fat tears welled up in her eyes, her anger quickly bubbling up as she turned back to the one who caused this casualty. She grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him towards her tear-streaked face.

"You! You owe me everything!" Her nose getting blocked as she put him responsible, sniffling more the more tears fell. "Eh-every! Everything!"

 

[Takumi98]

Hiroki Niwa + Noga (as Atsushi)
Location: Streets of Kyoto
Date: April 3, 2030
Time: 2:25 pm
Mentioned: RI.a

It had happened suddenly, the screeching of tires and the shrill honk of a horn the only warning he had as he had moved to cross the street. The pink haired teens head had jerked up fast enough to potentially cause himself whiplash, wondering if he'd even be able to move back in time just as a blonde came running at him. He didn't even notice until she pretty much slammed into him full force and caused them both to go down.

BONK!

Hiroki grunted as his head hit the ground, blinking up at the traffic light as he registered his phone clattering beside him and tires squealing. Ah, so that asshole was still going.

He laid there as he heard his savior curse like a sailor at the driver, and was going to thank her for helping him as he sat up when she flung a few insults his way as she scolded him. Brows furrowed he opened his mouth to argue, only for his eyebrows to shoot up as she dramatically fell to her knees before her spilled groceries.

"I--gh??" He started, only to make a sound of confusion as he was suddenly grabbed by the collar, blue eyes blinking rapidly as he realized the girl was about to cry and was upset. Huffing through his nose he puffed out his cheeks a bit in a pout.

"Okay, okay! Don't cry about it!" He huffed almost gruffly, as the last thing he'd want is to make some girl cry and then get labeled as the bad guy.

"I was on my way to buy some stuff anyway, so getting some extra stuff won't be that big of a deal, but for now can you let me go? I'm reeally really sorry about your stuff, I get it, I really do." He added, not wanting to get snot on his clothes and also not wanting to sit in the street getting yelled at while people stared. He also needed to make sure his phone wasn't broken, because if it was he could lie and say he dropped it, or be bombarded with questions once he told his family he almost got hit by a douchewad in his dumb sports car. While his apology might not have come off as the most genuine, he did give his savior a quick glance over to see if she was injured herself. Physically, at least. He couldn't do much about her current emotional state.

Rubbing at what was likely going to be a bump on the back of his head, the pinkette got to his feet, grabbed his phone and dusted himself off once it was quickly checked out and put away when he found that it wasn't broken. From there he held out a hand to help Setsu to her feet, a slight pout still on his face as he muttered under his breath about stupid drivers and explosive blondes.


Red eyes widened at the sound of screeching rubber. The nora's head jerked up as he stopped walking, watching with as a car nearly hit the pink haired teen he spotted not too long ago. Luckily, he didn't get hit and someone had kept that from happening, and without much prompting he rushed over to make sure they were alright.

"Are you two o...kay?" He started, only for his tone and words to become slightly halted as he became somewhat dumbfounded as he watched Setsu grab Hiroki by the collar on the verge of tears as she yelled at him.

With Hiroki apologizing to Setsu and standing to help her back to her feet, he glanced to the black haired guy that had approached and asked if they were alright and nodded. Blue met red as he did so, and the shorter of the two males did a brief double take at the other's eyes, causing the regalia further confusion as he gave a slight tilt of his head in response to Hiroki's reaction.

While spirits and gods could make themselves noticed, Atsushi wasn't sure if any human that ever noticed him for even a second reacted in such a way. At the very least, the pinkette seemed fine and uninjured, as for the girl...Atsushi's gaze shifted to the blonde who was upset. A quick glance over told him that she was unharmed at least.

"Hey, is that a tattoo?" The pink haired male asked, pointing at the taller's inner wrist on his left arm as that was the the thing he came to notice other than the odd eye color. The name given to the nora by Omoikane was there, and at it being pointed out, Atsushi wasn't even sure how he should answer the question-since no one's ever asked him something like that let alone a human.

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Location: Hirai Office
Date: April 3rd, 2020
Time: 2:20 pm​

Ryuujin (God) + Rika Murakami (Human)

Rika blushed a bit in embarrassment at Ryo’s comment while Ryuujin wore a smug look. Of course, the smugness didn’t last long when the young “detective” added his next remark about “cleanliness” and “godliness”. The dragon god was back to scowling as he removed his mortal shoes and changed to the guest slippers upon entering the human’s establishment. Human’s had all kinds of strange rules—being mindful of a little earthly dirt—but he wasn’t a kid. Their home, their rules. Naturally, he knew better than to make a mess when in someone else’s home. If humans and phantoms didn’t make a mess of his own home, perhaps he wouldn’t dislike them as much.

“Why is he talking to a picture?”

Rika shrugged. “I figured a ghost probably lives in there or something. You’re a god, aren’tcha? Can’t you tell?”

“Right now? No. I don’t have any regalias with me at the moment that specialize in detection either.”

“What’s a regalia anyway? A flag? I heard that word used around a lot when you were talking to Azani.”

As Ryuujin and Rika followed Ryotaro to the main room, the god’s eyes mainly wandered curiously while the human—who had already seen everything the day before yesterday—whispered her questions as if to further show her ignorance. The blue haired god looked to his regalia, an eyebrow raised when the human kid mentioned having told Uroko some ‘interesting’ stories. Obviously, anything interesting told to his regalia needed to be told to him as well. "He is a regalia."

As both Uroko and Rika politely greeted each other, Ryuujin rolled his eyes. It was more polite than she’d ever treated him since they’d first met—and he was the god. Uroko was only a servant. But of course, a human would get things backwards. He’d watched modern from a distance, but Rika Murakami and Ryotaro Hirai each seemed to fall into a class of their own.

The dragon god settled on a couch and picked up a rice cracker as he listened, sniffing it a little, before taking a bite. Crunchy. Plain. Not much flavor. But then, rice had always been more of Inari’s thing. The fact that humans had managed to some kind of strange snack out of the traditional rice didn’t even surprise him anymore. Humans were always changing. Coming up with new ideas to make money. It fascinated Ryuujin, but it also made him wary.

Silence descended the table once Ryotaro finished going over his plans, broken only when Ryuujin took another bite of rice cracker. It was a decent enough plan. Straightforward and simple. However, what caught Ryuujin’s interest was that the boy seemed to know about his attack on the castle 10 years ago as well as Towako’s involvement in it. Were his eyes really so powerful that they could divine even that? Even back in the old days, such things were rare—a one in 10,000 like Abe no Seimei. Nowadays, he expected it to be 1 in a million, if not smaller.

But then, it wasn’t as if Ryuujin paid enough attention to humans to fully know what they were capable of these days. Had he underestimated them? Ryuujin glanced towards Uroko who was calmly sipping his tea.

“…what truth do you need to find? Who’s Towako? What happened 10 years ago?”

Ryuujin sighed as Uroko pulled Rika aside to share with her a story from long ago that wasn’t really meant to be heard by human ears in the first place. No real point in keeping it a secret anymore. For a god, 10 years wasn’t even that long, and he still remembered the events as if they were yesterday. “First of all, don’t call him Towako. I’d already stripped him of that name years ago. Second…very well.”

It wasn’t as if Ryuujin had any better ideas and small part of him wanted to get some answers as well. He smirked. “At least you admit to being selfish with this and I’d like to see for myself what those eyes of yours are fully capable of.”

“How is he being selfish?” Rika demanded after Uroko finished giving her a brief summary. “Ryotaro’s offering to put himself in danger so you can lure out your servant…er…regalia…and give him a chance to explain what happened.”

“You should just keep quiet if you don’t know what you’re talking about, Murakami” Ryuujin sneered. “I know what happened. If he didn’t feel guilty about what he did, he wouldn’t have blighted me. He wouldn’t have become a phantom if were completely innocent.”

“Everyone deserves a fair trial.”

“Gods Above! You were the exact same way about Azani and killing.” Ryuujin rolled his eyes. “Yes, killing sucks, but that’s life. Life isn’t always fair and your human lives just don’t matter as much when it comes to the world as a whole. Humans just can't seem to get that. There are some things in this world that are better off dead and a phantom is one of them. That guy isn’t my servant. Isn’t a regalia. He’s a phantom—a mass of negative emotions whose only aim is to consume and further spread negativity to the world. Do you think I want to kill someone that used to work for me?”

Ryuujin didn’t give Rika the chance to answer. “The answer is no. I don’t. But you see, I’m a god and I have to think about the safety of the world first.”

Towako had taught him that. Towako and all the other older regalias who knew best about what Ryuujin, the Heavenly Dragon, should be.

“You humans only see your small little world and do what you want with little consideration to the environment or the other beings living around you. You don’t even notice them. You harm each other. You harm the earth and will probably be the ones to destroy it in the end. You’ve been this way for as long as I’ve watched you, so yes, you are selfish creatures. More so than gods and gods can get pretty damn selfish—especially the ones that forget their duties as gods.”

“You’re generalizing,” Rika pointed out the logical fallacy. “Stop saying you as if what you say applies to every single human. Besides, selfishness isn’t a bad thing exactly.”

Ryuujin snorted. “How so?”

“It’s because we’re selfish that we strive for happiness,” Rika growled. “And it’s because Ryo’s selfish that he might be able help that phantom erase its negativity. Wouldn’t that be better for the world as a whole?” Ryotaro kept calling himself selfish, but in Rika’s mind she was even more selfish because she didn’t care about the suffering of a phantom. “Humans make mistakes, but we can learn from them and we can change if you give us the chance to instead of killing us.”

“Why should I? It's stupid to trust those that have continuously lied to me.”

“Because it takes the bigger person to forgive,” Rika replied, knowing the answer. She knew because that was what she would’ve said to her old self that existed before meeting an idiot like Ryotaro. She never told others who she was because she didn’t want to be hurt again. And, because she never told them, they weren’t able to see the real her...and they were never able to be her real friends. It was a never ending cycle. “Because it’s a coward that stops believing in others after they’ve been hurt once or twice. Are you scared that you’ll be lied to again? Afraid to find out if there’s more to the truth that you know?”

“…TCH! I’m not scared of anything, you dumb human.” Ryuujin growled and shifted his glaring eyes to Ryotaro before entering the young detective's body. It was much easier than when he entered Murakami’s body since the kid wasn’t struggling. Ryotaro invited him in. Folding his spiritual arms, the god settled at the back of Ryotaro’s mind.

Go ahead and do what you gotta do. Ryuujin hadn’t a clue how the detective tracked far shore residents. But keep in mind that I’m at risk while I’m in your body as well. So don’t do anything stupid while I’m letting you hold the reigns.

Gods couldn’t be killed by anything from the realm of the near shore…but that only applied when they were in their spiritual bodies. However, when they inhabit a human body, they effectively became human. Their souls were still as strong as ever, yes, and they could still draw on a “godly” amount of spiritual energy…but physically, they’ve become human to interact with the near shore. Therefore, they could be killed by a human of the near shore.

Lucem