[On the morning of the twenty-fifth, whenever Hiyori awakens from her restful slumber, she'll find a small black box wrapped with gold ribbon on her desk. Upon opening it she'll be greeted with a multifaceted gemstone necklace that glows faintly with magic. There's no note or card. Wonder who it could be from, hmm~?]
[ she wakes up bright and early as always, but before she makes it a step out of her room, she's checking on all the capyper she made over the month. every handcrafted inari she's going to hand out in the name of yatogami. that's when she spots the box that wasn't there the night before on her desk. weird.
immediately she looks at her wall, in the direction of yato's room, before checking for a note. any hint of who it's from. nothing. huh...
it's opened meticulously, if not cautiously. tugging the ribbon off first and setting that aside. when she finally gets to open this box--
she nearly slams the lid back on it in shock. she opens it again, slower, and peeks at it. but just puts the lid back with her heart pounding up in her throat. back and forth, peek and close. until finally, hiyori is staring at it with awe as it sits there and winks at her. it's so pretty. there's so many gems and it's glowing and
it's beautiful. too much. only one person does too much in this way and he lives with her.
knock, knock. ]
G-good morning, Yato! Merry Christmas! [ don't mind that crack in her voice. ]
[Yato's been a busy, busy boy. Over the course of the last month he's been collecting various gemstone insects for someone who was willing to exchange them for jewelry. Having seen that request, there was no way he could pass it up without giving it a try, at least. The search for specific types of bugs took him all over Songerein, from volcanic caves to snowy mountains to densely packed forests, all in the name of crafting the perfect necklace for Hiyori.
It was over the top and extra in a way that's become something of a signature to him.
Maybe that's why he's still in bed when Hiyori comes a knocking. Gradually, though, he begins to stir as her voice breaks through the haze of sleep, reminding him what day it is. He struggles to sit up groggily with a yawn, stretching his arms out before him like a cat before calling out in reply.]
Mmm, morning! Merry Christmas to you, too! C'mon in!
[ using bugs to craft her something. just like that silken wedding dress. yep, that's yato for you. she's just as overwhelmed by this as she was by the wedding dress, too...
what does he mean come in?! h-he's not sick. there's no reason to be in his room. AND SHE'S IN HER PAJAMAS.
the door opens enough for hiyori to peek in, her eyes poking around the edge, before she pushes it all the way open. she's clutching something in her hand, close to her chest, and holds something else behind her back. ]
[In his mind gifts that are made entirely by hand are filled with even more love than those that are partially bought, so it's his way of showing that he cares.
Even as he calls out to her, he's throwing off the covers and hopping into his tracksuit pants. At least he's got a shirt on? Though it's not like it's the first time she's seen him in his pajamas. And he's seen her in just a towel, so...
He's straightening out his shirt when she cautiously peers in, being met with bright blue eyes and a big smile. It's Christmas--! He's practically bouncing in place as he greets her with a quick wave.]
--! Santa came? Here?!
[Given it's a dream world, he wasn't sure if Santa could make it, but it seems he has...! Padding over, he leans this way and that to try seeing past her.]
whether it's conscious or not, a smile spreads across her face. yato's starbright, unrepentant happiness has a way of doing that. slowly but surely. as surely as she relaxes and opens the door more fully to him in maximum kid-mode excitement. she stifles a laugh and nods. ]
Mhm! Yep, he left something by the tree for you, but... um, I got you this.
[ from behind her back, hiyori offers a wrapped package shyly. like his, it's wrapped simply, but instead of a gold ribbon there's a big red one. ]
I may have accidentally opened one already, too...
[That's likely the reason he has no qualms about either one of them engaging in a conversation while not quite dressed yet. At least he's not an exhibitionist?
The way his enthusiasm spreads to Hiyori cycles back around to Yato himself, leaving him gasping like a fish to hear that Santa actually came and left him something, and that Hiyori has a present for him as well. This is the best Christmas ever--! He dances back a little to give her space to come inside the room, hands clasped before him.]
Oh wow, really? Thank you...!
[With the utmost care he takes the package from her, an expression of adoration gracing his face as he looks between her and her gift. So pretty...]
Ah, that's alright! They're meant to be opened, anyway. Did you-- Um, what did you think of it...?
[Suddenly turning shy, he holds his gift to his chest, eyes searching her expression for any indication of what she might be thinking regarding her own present.]
for all her shyness, she seems pretty excited to see yato open his gift. the other ones can be from santa. if her soul was out, her tail would most certainly be wagging. also entering his room now without an issue. SITTING ON HIS BED WITHOUT ISSUE.
until he brings up her gift. her hand clenches around it once before unfolding her fingers to show it's in her palm. glowing and glimmering with harnessed magic. ]
It's... beautiful. Colorful. [ h-heavy. but not as heavy as a wedding dress is. it really is pretty. she's never... gotten jewelry from-
from a boy. man. god. it shows in her flushed cheeks. currency isn't a thing so how in the heck did yato GET this? ] I can't help but stare at it. I-it's almost too pretty for me to wear...! All these gemstones...
Thumbing his own package, he pulls the door open a bit more so they're not standing there halfway peeking around it. His own eyes shine bright as he glances to her hands, cheeks starting to color with faint heat.
The necklace is the perfect representation of Hiyori: a unique, multi-faceted treasure that shines best under the light, revealing all colors of the rainbow and filled with magical power. ]
Ah-- I'm so glad you like it. [He laughs in clear relief, shoulders sagging as some of the tension drains from them. He knows certain types of jewelry carry meaning to humans, like rings, so he'd hoped that a necklace wouldn't be too much for her to bear getting from him.
Nodding in understanding, he fidgets a bit, clasping his present tighter.] I-If it's too much, you could save it for special occasions and treat it like an ornament to hang in the house. [Whatever makes her happiest, really.]
that is... if he told her that's why he gave her the necklace, she might turn into a steam engine. it's almost too much. almost.
yet, she's happy. more that he thought of her, although the necklace is soooo pretty. fact remains she's curious how he GOT such a thing. her present(s) feel lacking. ]
N-no, not an ornament--! Um. [ she stares down at the gems and comes to a decision. ] W, well. Christmas is a pretty special occasion. Could you, erm, h-help me... put it on?
Thank goodness then that he's too preoccupied with having received a present to accurately convey his thought process, hehe. Can't have Hiyori melting!
At her request his expression immediately softens and he nods. Settings his present down on his desk, he then comes over to gently take the necklace from her. Going behind her, he then drapes it around her neck, securing the clasp, fingers ever so lightly brushing over the nape of her neck.]
...there we go. How's that? Comfortable?
[He takes a small step back, hands falling to his side.]
she does her very best not to tremble from his fingers brushing over her nape and ducks her head to fight back the furious blush that wants to bloom over her cheeks. once she's under control, she turns around to shoot him a bashful smile.
the pendant rests just beneath her collar. ]
Perfect, thank you. [ she brushes it lightly with her fingers before looking towards his gift. ]
Let's go to the other room! I saw a few presents under the tree for you.
[ all but leaping off his bed, she heads towards his door
[Before going anywhere, he takes a few moments to just admire the way the necklace sparkles with the same pinks as her eyes, only coloring slightly when he realizes what he's doing - staring at her intently.
He nods as he swallows hard, snatching up her gift to him and clutching it tightly to his chest. When he's met with her outstretched hand, he hesitates only a moment before taking it with a smile and allowing her to lead them out to the living room.]
Can I open your present first?
[Because Santa or no, that's the one he's most excited about, truthfully. A gift from Hiyori~! He wonders what she might have gotten him.]
[ she wants to ask him where he got it. or if he made this, too. what did he have to do for these gems? or what did he have to trade? ]
Eh?
[ she thought he was really into santa. ] U-um, sure. If that's what you want!
[ as they file into the main room, there are three!! more gifts under the little tree they picked and decorated themselves. a couple of hiyori's clay inari sit on the branches but there are those paper snowflakes yato talked about and garland. they managed to find corn to pop and put on a string.
hiyori leads them over to the couch and gets yato to sit down before she goes to collect the other presents and put them around his feet. the ones from "santa."
the one from hiyori would be near impossible to say is from santa because it's handmade. something she's been working on at the pottery shop. it's one of those good luck cats, a maneki-neko, but it's painted dark and has a little crown on his head. he has a five yen coin painted gold and his own little ascot.
it's maneki-nyato. the eyes are even blue, too. ]
I, um... know how much you like good luck charms, so...
[If she wants to know, she'll just have to ask! Otherwise, he ain't telling~
And he is into Santa, but there's someone he's even more into.] 'kay!
[Basking in the festive cheer, he just stands and admires the scene for a few moments, smiling happily. It may be his first Christmas away from Yukine since finding him, but it's also his first Christmas with just him and Hiyori, so it sort of balances out. I-It's kind of romantic, really.
Thankfully he knew better than to make it weird by getting them a couple's Christmas cake to share, instead settling on them baking cupcakes together.
Once seated on the couch and surrounded by presents(!!!) he starts by opening Hiyori's first. Immediately his expression is one of slack-jawed wonder as he recognizes what it is and what it represents. It's like a him in godly kitty form...! Beckoning good fortune. His fingers trace the curves of its form, booping its little nose before he looks up with tears in his eyes. Handmade, too. Made by Hiyori's delicate fingers, just for him...
He swallows and flashes her the brightest of grins.]
Hiyori... Thank you so much! It's perfect--! It can be the guardian cat for my shrine.
[He reaches out to take one of her hands, giving it a grateful squeeze. This might be his favorite present this year, even with Santa in the running.]
[ maybe later when she can't HANDLE THE CURIOSITY.
she definitely can't handle yato saying he's into her more than santa. is that possible?
this too is hiyori's first christmas away from her human family. away from waking up in the morning and being greeted with her pile of presents, just like she's made of yato's small pile. this isn't so bad, though. yato's happy bouncing around and mega-watt smiles warm her heart and chases the strange loneliness and homesickness away. it's not that she hasn't enjoyed being here with yato, whiling their days away with missions or work. learning to cook and how to cohabitate together without wanting to wring his neck. but one can't help but miss home on the holidays.
it would have been worse without him here.
cupcakes were a good choice, too. fun and festive.
her heart leaps to her throat at his teary-eyed smile and when he grabs her hand. she squeezes back. she smiles back. ]
Y-you're welcome. Your shrine is well-protected, huh? Capyper and a cat guardian?
It must be, as she's one of his top three people, so naturally that places her well above someone he's never had the chance to meet, present-delivering god or not.
Although he's never really had a proper home to miss, he's well aware that under normal circumstances people would likely rather be with their families during the holidays. So the best thing he can do for Hiyori is to try making this the brightest, bestest Christmas dream imaginable. Without going so far as to make her uncomfortable or feeling worse. It's a tricky balance to strike, but he's trying.
Taking back his hand, he nods enthusiastically as he holds up the maneki-nyato in both hands. It really is the cutest thing~]
It is! With Yukine, too!
[His gaze turns wistful as he glances out the window at the snow coming down. He misses his shinki, badly. But he swallows those feelings by setting his good luck charm on the coffee table and taking up one of Santa's presents for him, smile returning. What can it be~?]
[ PROBABLY? MAYBE? and, okay, she wants to know the ranking system too. morbid curiosity.
so far, so good. then again, contrary to his belief, she isn't all that difficult to please. it's a lot better than showing her gnarly wounds on his finger from a little ayakashi to cheer her up. he's much more aware of other people and their feelings. he's less selfish, more considerate. her god of fortune. ]
With Yukine-kun, too! [ that little puffball on the roof. there's no getting through that one, especially.
... she hopes yukine is having a good christmas with kofuku and daikoku, at least. maybe bishamon and kazuma came to visit again, too, and they'll all have hotpot together. she'd rather imagine he's not alone and he won't be too mad at yato when they come back. it wasn't his fault.
NEXT PRESENT. from santa, this time. (still hiyori in actuality.)
it's just a small gift box and taking out the paper reveals...
a rabbit foot from the job on the board! that one where she was (er, santa was) in underwear, again. she wanted it to be a surprise so... she went off on her own to get it. got headbutted on her ankles a lot. it's another good luck charm for yato. ]
[It's tied at the top with Hiyori herself and Yukine, followed by Kazuma in second, and proooobably Kofuku in third. Although it all really depends on the day and whether or not he's getting into trouble, haha...
He's certainly come a long way since those first days. Done a lot of maturing and growing emotionally, thanks to Hiyori and Yukine's help. Some of it may have been through his own efforts, but he knows damn well that he wouldn't be anywhere near this far along without them. More than presents, that's what he's truly grateful for. Friends are the best present one could ever hope for.]
Heh, damn right! [It wouldn't be a shrine to him without his shinki. His guide and protector.
...who's so going to be pissed when he wakes up. Talk about oversleeping! He'll never hear the end of it. Chuckling to himself over the thought, he ducks his head a bit to hide the few tears stinging his eyes. ...wait for him, Yukine.
Steeling his nerves with a deep breath, he carefully removes the lid and lifts the paper to reveal-- a... a rabbit's foot...! More good luck for him! Lifting it up from the box, he turns to show Hiyori, eyes bright even with unshed tears. So cool...!]
Get a load of it, Hiyori! I finally have a rabbit's foot to bring me luck! Between this and your maneki-neko, I should be able to help bring all sorts of happiness to other people! Hehehe~
[ that top three is sounding more like a top 10 that changes 3rd place on a whim!
family and friends are irreplaceable and now yato knows that, too. she tilts her head at him laughing to himself before blinking at the box he shows off happily. she works to put the smile back on her face, remembering everything she went through to GET that good luck charm. but it doesn't take much effort with how happy yato is. now leave inaba-chan alone, okay!! ]
Yeah! I guess Santa heard about your wish to be a God of Happiness, too, and wants to help you out. [ without yato breaking the damn bank doing so or stealing yukine-kun's money. not that he's here to-- point stands.
two more presents, yatogami. what could they be? ]
It's also very Yato of him to attach the rabbit's foot to his maneki-neko's paw, letting it hang down cutely. Now it'll bring double luck...! Snickering a bit over his own silliness, he takes up another package and glances at Hiyori. No more trying to maim Inaba-chan.]
Sure seems like it! I always wondered how Santa knows what everybody wants, but I guess that's his ability as a god, huh?
[His foot bounces with excitement as he unwraps the next present, slowly peeking inside it. What can it be~? What can it be~? More good luck charms? Something yummy to eat? He can't wait to see--!]
as hiyori watches him attach the foot to the cat's paw, she can't help but look a mix of amused and chagrined. ]
Must be. [ play along...
his next gift is
sort of like a lucky charm! they're certainly seen as lucky. as he peeks in, whatever it is looks soft. and green? and has a cute face like ":>" the more he pulls back the paper, the more it becomes clear what's in it.
it's this little (big) guy. yato likes cute stuff, too, right? capyper... but she couldn't find any capyper here. this is the next best thing. she fidgets in her seat and waits. ]
His expression turns curious at the first sign of his next gift, not quite picking up on what it is. Though the more he reveals of it, the more his mouth turns up at the corners. It's... it's...]
A turtle! Hiyori, I got a turtle plush! Get a load of it...!
[He picks it up and turns it around to show her, bouncing it on his knee a bit. Turtle turtle~ So cute! His bedroom is really going to start feeling like home with all these awesome presents to decorate it.]
Now Uesama will have a buddy to chill with while we're out! Thanks, Santa!
[He seats Turtle-chan between them, resting on both their legs as he gives her (yes, it is now a she) a pat on the head. That leaves one more present, right? What can it be~~? Aaahhhh he's so excited! Especially since at this point he hasn't got a clue what else could be waiting for him. Opening it up now...!]
[ this is what christmas is about. spending time with loved ones and spreading cheer. she grins, giving the turtle a little pat on the head for his benefit, too. looks like she's been picking pretty good gifts, but... yato seems happy with whatever a lot of the time.
what's funny to her is that his line of thought isn't too far from hers. she felt selfish keeping uesama all the time when they both won the plush together so it only felt fair to get yato one of his own. it's a lot bigger than the little zombie plush. a pillow for yato to sleep on. or wrap around, whichever.
the last present is in a flatter box than the others. and as he tears into it, hiyori picks up the wrapping paper and wads it up, there's some clothes! pajamas. blue. comfy. because you can never go wrong with comfy pajamas on christmas ok!!
but something she also worked on herself. there's one of those warm pullover sweaters, but on the chest area is yato's crown embroidered into the knit fabric. so he can be warm like hiyori is always telling him, but not give up his little trademark. ]
[As far as Christmases (and holidays in general) go, this is definitely one of the best ones Yato has ever had the pleasure of experiencing. It's snowing, Hiyori's here, and he's gotten presents from her and Santa! While it's true that he's easygoing about most things, there's no denying that each of his gifts thus far have really hit the mark.
Especially Turtle-chan. He's used to sleeping alone for sure, but having something soft to hold at night... sounds very pleasant. Even more so when his dreams have started involving a certain human girl more and more. Waking up from those to an empty bed and no roommate makes him feel rather cold and lonely.
Which makes this next present all the more welcome! Warm pajamas! He lets out a soft gasp as he lifts up the sweater, catching sight of the crown emblem. It even has his emblem...!]
Check it out, Hiyori! Santa even knows about my trademark symbol! Now I don't have to wear my shirt to bed!
[Without waiting for an answer, he wiggles his way into the pullover, tugging it down around his waist with a grin. Mmm. Comfy~]
Man, this has been a great Christmas. Now we should do your gifts!
[ hiyori just smiles at yato's childlike innocence and slight... grossness. stop wearing your shirt to bed, pls. it looks like he enjoys everything. that's a relief. and his father didn't sneak in somewhere and corrupt some gift and, ultimately, yato's happiness. they're still safe from him in reverein.
it's all warm and cozy and happy until yato brings up her gifts.
oh. crap. UH, UM. there are no more presents under the tree! think fast, hiyori. ]
A-ahh, th-they must be at my parent's house and Santa got confused. But it's okay! I mean he's so busy handing out gifts to everyone in one night, I don't blame him for messing it up. I'm happy with your gift, anyway, and watching you enjoy getting all your presents was fun for me.
[Given that he came in with only the clothes on his back and he's used to living like a bum, it probably shouldn't be too much of a surprise that he hasn't bothered to get too many new clothes here. Look how much effort it took to get him to go with a hat and gloves.
But yes, it's a very good thing that Papa-sama has steered clear of the celebration this time. Yato would not have been a happy camper if he'd ruined this holiday too.
Although even with Hiyori's explanation he starts wibbling, feeling guilty that he only managed to get her one present, however nice it is.]
Santa, how could you--?! Of all the people to misplace the presents for...!
[This just isn't right at all. What can he do to make up for Santa's mistake...? --ah!]
How about I make you breakfast? Whatever you want! It won't be anything special like what Santa could bring you, but having good food tends to make the day a little better.
[ yeah... that took... forever..... he's so picky. meanwhile, hiyori's slowly been expanding her wardrobe to how it normally is.
oh, no. NO, YATO, DON'T CRY NOW. it's fine! ugh, she can't tell him she's the one that got him all of those. he belieVES IN SANTA. besides his one present is super nice!! she doesn't even really wear jewelry but she could start now!! ]
Y-you don't have to--! [ before finishing her thought, she stops herself. he's trying to make her feel better. trying to make up for santa's "mistake". it's her own mistake. it's not like she could get herself gifts and pretend they're from santa. she could, but she doesn't want to! ]
O, okay. Well. How about... pancakes? Those big fluffy ones?
[ way too delicate for her clumsy hands. the SOUFFLE ONES. ]
[They'll never need a spare wardrobe for him, at least?
HE'S WIBBLING, especially when she tries to brush off his offer, making his face fall even more. It seems like his suggestion's no good, not comparable to what Santa could do for her. Thankfully she seems to catch on and interrupts herself before he breaks down into full-fledged tears. That one word of "okay" brightens his mood immensely, turning his unshed tears into sparkles of happiness.]
You got it! I'll make so many that you won't need food until it's almost dinner time!
[Setting Turtle-chan in her lap, he hurries out to the kitchen to get everything set up, humming Christmas carols all the while. He even has an idea of how to make them more festive! This is gonna be great~]
[ you know, like most married couples, he has a small section while hiyori's outfits take up the bulk and cross over into his wardrobe.
PLEASE DON'T CRY ON CHRISTMAS.
just the sound of so many souffle pancakes makes her stomach hurt. he's overdoing it...! but she doesn't have to heart to say no now when he wants to make it up to her so badly. maybe they can share the pancakes with people they know. like that god yato made friends with, ryu?
she grips turtle-chan in her lap and watches yato bound off to the kitchen and hum. slowly, she sinks in her seat and stares at the silly, happy face of the plush.
should she have just told him the presents were from her? she doesn't know. as much as she wants to keep yato's innocence intact, she wonders if it wouldn't be better if he knew that she chose those gifts for him. no, he'd still feel guilty somehow. seriously though! this necklace is more than enough.
she tries to look down at it, sparkling splendidly against her casual pajamas.
in the meantime, she cleans up the wrapping paper, she checks her journal, and then pokes at the hearth to get a fire going. there is still more capyper inari to hand out later, too. as well as deliver a couple of other presents.
geez, she does feel like santa this year! not a bad feeling, though.
after a while, it starts to smell amazing and she wanders over to watch him at work, peering over his shoulder. ]
[If he knew that was a married couple thing, he would be so damn flustered, haha...
It should come as no surprise that his first reaction is to go over the top. He doesn't even see it as such, feeling that if Santa of all people has screwed Hiyori over, then it's his duty as her God of Fortune to make up for it and ensure she has a very happy Christmas.
Once in the kitchen he gets everything out and ready, jumping right into it. He's hungry, too, so surely she must be as well. To that end, by the time Hiyori comes to check on him, he has not just one batter going, nor two, but three bowls of the stuff - colored normally along with red and green. Festive!
He turns a little bit to face her, cheeks tinged with pride at her compliment. Cooking is one of those things he's grateful he knows how to do now that he has a human in need of feeding.]
Of course! You wanted souffle pancakes, I'm gonna give you souffle pancakes! Here we go, here's the first one--
[It gets placed on a plate for her, then covered with syrup in a heart shape, followed by a dab of whipped cream and smattering of holiday sprinkles. He really is going all out to make them something special for her. Beaming, he hands the plate over along with a fork.
at seeing not one, not two, but THREE bowls of batter. the red and green idea is pretty good, though. very festive, yato. why are there three tho......
at yato making a syrup heart on her pancake and adding whipped cream and sprinkles, too, she feels another SOMETHING. going all out, indeed. this is like some street foods she's seen where the vendor puts on ALL the fixings!! where the plate is overflowing. what does she do?? she takes the plate and her stomach decides for her with a small growl. hrrrng as much as she is loathe to ruin such perfect fluffiness, she picks up the fork and-- ]
Th-thanks for the food. [ --digs her fork in.
SOFT. SO AIRY. uwaaah!! they're like PILLOWS. she pokes it again with her fork to watch it bounce.
just like yato earlier, hehe.
... she can hear her mother scolding her not to play with her food and shoves the forkful into her mouth. wwhwhkjsdgjksdg. ]
Because he wanted three colors? Because it was worth thrice the love?? Because he's that damn extra?!
All of the above. As is clearly displayed by his over-the-top fixings for it. He's going to make sure these pancakes are like presents on a plate! Fluffy clouds of delicious presents. Beaming at her, he starts up on the next pancake - a red one this time.]
You're welcome. [Hopefully she'll like it... He did try hard to make sure they were perfect, measuring everything accurately and picking the right size to ensure their fluffiness.
He steals a glance at Hiyori while the current pancake is cooking, eyes lit up with pleasure as she has fun not only poking at it, but eating it as well. Hehe. They're alike in that regard, wanting to have a bit of fun with their food. Feeling warm all over, he flips the pancake, smiling to himself.]
[ resounding "yes" from hiyori. to everything. something is in the air, that she likes it, that it tastes okay. MORE THAN OKAY where have you been all her life, souffle pancakes?! she could eat these forever. she won't because she has self-restraint but they are literally that good. the whipped cream really takes it above and beyond, too. ]
Chuckling to himself, he sets aside the next done pancake and starts on a green one. It looks like this was a good way to make today a little more special even without a lot of presents. But hmm... Maybe they can still go out later if she wants, pick up some small gifts to make her room more homey, too.]
Glad it meets your approval! Ah, gotta have a drink to go with it.
[Leaving the stove for a minute, he gets them both large glasses of milk and sets her down beside her plate. And then it's back to work! These poofy pancakes won't make themselves.]
[ he didn't have to do this. she truly was perfectly happy with her necklace. she didn't need a bunch of presents. when it came to yato, the objects started to pile up before she knew it. while out and about she would discover something else that she had a feeling he might like. more than once, she had to stop herself from picking up ANOTHER GIFT to add to his growing pile of gifts.
mid-bite, she looks at the glass of milk and manages to pause her eating to take a sip. belatedly, she realizes that this is all... very... let's just say she's seen kofuku and daikoku do things just like this. daikoku cooking while he fed kofuku samples because she didn't want to wait and to stop her from causing trouble.
she sips again. those two... were pretty much a couple, right? it was never blatantly said but they raised a kid together. daikoku calls her 'missus' and, in her own way, kofuku returns that affection. other than going out and extorting poor souls.
or is the relationship between a god and their shinki so strict because of heaven? so they can't officially-- ]
Hey, Yato. I was thinking about everyone back home, they would have loved these. You should make them for everyone next Christmas. [ as long as they're not still here... ] But about Kofuku-san and Daikoku-san in particular.
[The ironic thing is that being able and allowed to do this for her also makes him happy as can be. Perhaps just as much if not more so than it does her. He enjoys being permitted to show his affection in other ways than blatant gifts and overt gestures like directly asking for her hand in marriage. Because it's little things like this that hold true meaning, he's coming to realize. It's the way you treat someone everyday that adds up to a cumulative effect.
It is pretty... domestic. But that's how friends and family are, right? He's pretty sure it is, anyway. Like how Yukine wakes and feeds him, or Daikoku does dinner for them. So this should be fine! He hopes.
Humming carols under his breath, he works to make the pancake stack larger, alternating each color in turn and delivering a fully furnished one to Hiyori once she finishes. He doesn't worry about himself just yet, content in his work. Until Hiyori pipes up. Then he pauses to glance her way with a curious expression.]
You think so? [It's true that Yukine would probably love them, Kofuku, too. He gives the idea some thought and smiles.] Yeah, you're probably right. Maybe even before then. I could color them to match any holiday, you know! Then they can be enjoyed year-round.
[ and hiyori can't deny it adds up to something. that it affects her. the overt things like asking her hand in marriage, writing her name over and over in a notebook like some curse, putting on her uniform were never going to get anywhere. it's the little things. the look on his face when he thanks her for a shrine. simply holding her to bring her back from the brink after she buckled under pressure and trauma. the genuine, happy smiles he aims at her when he sees her.
blushing when she tells him she'll visit him every day.
yes, that's how family and friends are...
hiyori accepts her next pancake, as nice as the first. she pokes it again, watching it wiggle, before slicing off another piece. ]
It could be your holiday staple. You know how in families there's that one person who always brings the same dish because everyone likes it so much? [ a smile tugs at her lips before it falls again in thought while watching yato complete pancake after pancake. ]
Those two... do you know if they've ever thought of... g-getting married? [ is this a bad topic to bring up with yato considering all his proPOSALS too late now ] Can gods and shinki...? Or is it weird? Bishamon-san and you see your shinki as your children, but that doesn't seem like it's the case for Kofuku-san and Daikoku-san.
[ OR DOES SHE?! THIS WHOLE TIME SHE'S BEEN LOOKING AT THEM THE WRONG WAY???? ]
[Thankfully he's not stupid just hardheaded and tenacious so those tactics that have fallen flat have been relegated to the back burner of attempted wooing. Which is funny, since even when he does seemingly succeed, he never quite knows what to do with the attention, like when she finally cornered him in the trash can. If she ever agreed to marry him, he'd probably implode.
Thankfully that's a long, long way off. If ever. They may do this avoidance song-and-dance for the rest of her eternity. If it makes her happy, he'd be fine with it...
Finally finishing up at the stove, he takes a couple pancakes for himself and sits across from Hiyori, fork poised to stab into the pillowy puffs.]
That seems like a pretty nifty idea! A holiday treat, kind of. Yeah... Maybe I'll do that when we get back. ...even if it's a bit late for Christmas. [He says a little wistfully as he takes his first bite. Hmm. Yeah, these aren't too shabby at all! The ingredients here are really good. Though at her question he pauses, fork half in his mouth as he chews slowly, savoring his efforts.]
Those two, huh? You know, I don't know. It almost seems unnecessary for them with how they are. And it's not like they could invite too many people to the ceremony without risking some kind of disaster happening. [Poor Kofuku.] Maybe that's why they're content with how things are. So far as I know, a god can do what they please with their shinki's permission, so there might not be any rules against it. ...I know for me, I'd definitely see it differently if y--
[Realizing what he was about to say, he clamps his mouth shut, hastily shoveling several more bites of pancake into his mouth between colored cheeks. Nothing to hear! Nothing of interest being said!!]
[ it doesn't quite make her happy, but it doesn't make her unhappy either. just as yato doesn't know what to do with her attention when he gets it, she doesn't know what to do with the meaning behind it all. yato is her friend. she told her brother that. she tells everyone that.
but some don't quite believe her when she says it.
kofuku, too, would get this gleam in her eye. early on, she seemed to know something that hiyori certainly didn't.
her shoulders drop at the sad reality of kofuku's wedding likely being a disaster. he's right. she would look so beautiful, though. maybe it is unnecessary for them. they've been together for longer than actual married couples. what's a wedding when they've already proven they'll be together in sickness and in health?
the room goes quiet with yato cutting himself off again, but hiyori doesn't push. her hand has gone still on her plate before she glances up at his face. red.
not the first time yato has alluded to marriage with her, one way or another. the best choice is to just ignore it, like always. for some reason, this time, she can't. ]
You see it differently...?
[ BEG TO DIFFER. maybe she can figure out WHY he's been asking her to marry him besides he's just BEING WEIRD and CLINGY and doesn't know how to express himself. she's opening the channel of communication now, yato. open and honest. don't mind her own slightly red cheeks. ]
If it's... a god and a mortal?
[ yes, better to use VAGUE terms and not "you and I" ]
[And Yato is happy being friends! More than he can properly express some days. Hiyori is the best friend he's ever had, the closest one who's saved his life more times than he cares to count. He treasures her presence so much that he can't help wondering if there's something more to what they have than mere friendship - something between that and romance. But he doesn't know how to qualify it.
Thinking about Kofuku and weddings gets him contemplating. Maybe they could at least throw the two of them a private wedding do, if it's something they wanted? Just a small affair with her closest friends, like Bishamon and Ebisu. It could be fun, and a good way of repaying them for being there for him through the ages.
The silence remains for a time while they both mull over their thoughts, Yato's being slightly more panicked than Hiyori's. He realizes he's done that thing of stopping himself again, but when it comes to this topic he finds himself scared to continue. Afraid of what his words might bring. And when Hiyori dares to go where gods fear to tread, his eyes widen, teeth worrying at the inside of his bottom lip.
Does she know what she does to him...? She can't possibly, she's not that cruel. Although using generic terms for them... Maybe she is more aware than she lets on.]
Y-Yeah... A mortal isn't under the care of a god like shinki are, so they're free to form a different kind of relationship from the outset.
[He pokes at his pancake a bit, then takes a slow bite of it without really tasting it.]
I could see them being anything from strictly transactional to friends to... well, more. There's many tales of gods falling in love with humans.
[ hiyori can't help but look up slowly. many tales? there is a library here in reverein. she could always poke around and see what sort of mythology exists here.
without thinking, she reaches up for the pendant yato gifted her and touches the cool stones that rest on her collar. they're definitely not a merely transactional relationship. maybe it started that way, with hiyori employing yato's services to turn her back to normal. from there, slowly but surely, she saw yato as a friend and someone she cared about. someone vital to her.
they do exist somewhere between friends and this more he talks about. it took a conversation with one anon-san and living with yato for a month to realize the way she feels about aimi and yama, her human friends, is very different from how she feels about yato. yukine is more like a little brother, too.
she picks up another piece of pancake and puts it in her mouth. it practically melts on her tongue for how fluffy and light it is. ]
... Do you, um, know any? Any gods that... fell in l-love with a mortal? You've been alive for a long time, haven't you? There were a lot around at the match-making.
[ once again, hiyori's desire to know about the far shore and about yato gets the better of her. she ends up blurting questions about things she's curious about but should probably keep to herself.
they're just questions, though. she's not hinting at anything. he's her best friend, too. maybe that's the difference. the line between friends and more that he's talking about. ]
[Perhaps it's not accurate to say there's many Japanese tales of mortals and gods consorting with one another, but the Greeks sure do have a thing for mixing freely. He can't but wonder if - when he gets home - it might be worth trying to visit Greece to meet some of them and see whether it's mere myth. He's never been one to adhere to the rules, but hearing there's precedence among foreign gods is better than not at all.
N-Not that it would stop him from asking Hiyori anyway, if he thought she might answer him truly. Right now, though he's scared of any answer she could give, both positive and negative. It's why he hasn't asked in quite a while. His heart couldn't take the rejection anymore.
Because for him at least, Hiyori has gone beyond mere friendship into something much more amorphous and dangerous. A nameless category which he can't help treasuring above most others.
Even though his pancake is only half eaten, he takes to playing with it, cutting it into pieces and arranging them into a smiley face.]
I have, but for most of that time I was never part of the Heaven's world. I was just a lowly upstart, a wannabe unable to get his foot in the door. Though I've heard tell that Susanoo married a mortal woman he rescued. They even had children, so the story goes.
[Only after that comment does he look up to stare at her with a piercing gaze, trying to read her expression. Discern what it is she's after, besides local history or romantic gossip. Because that doesn't seem like the sort of thing Hiyori would care much about. So there must be more to her questions. Right?]
[ those greeks are up to all MANNER OF SHENANIGANS. unlike yato, nowadays. it could be the effect of them living together. yato has no reason to complain about his "hiyori time" when they live under the same roof. reverein itself gives them plenty of shenanigans, too.
he isn't the same god he was before. his foot is in the door. yukine is doing what he can to make sure yato reaches his dream of becoming a god of happiness. he has his small shrine in the waking world and he has his small shrine in his room. one day, in the future, he'll have a shrine on that little piece of land they found.
yatogami could be a name as well known as susanoo, like he wants. as yato's gaze lands on her, her fingers go slack on her fork and she nearly drops it. before her face gets too red, she shoves another large piece of pancake in her mouth so her cheeks are full. why is she blushing? they're just some questions! why was yato looking at that suddenly making her nervous?
no, she's not into romantic gossip at all. local history, maybe a little. ]
Oh. Y-yeah. Kushinadahime-sama. He saved her from Yamata-no-Orochi. I-I thought I saw him at the Divine Council! There were a lot of gods there. Uka-no-mitama was cute! With all those tails!!
[They practically have orgies, those crazy Greek gods! Maybe when he marries Hiyori, they can go there for their honeymoon and experience the debauchery for themselves! Haha... Yeah right, on all accounts. Part of him worries about his changed behavior since arriving. If maybe finally having Hiyori all to himself has made him resigned to permanent Roommate status.
Although upon reflecting on it, it's not resignation, but fear or losing that new closeness that keeps him from acting out quite so much. He doesn't have to fight anyone for her attention, for starters, and he has a new purpose in taking care of her while she's away from home. The obnoxious behaviors are... unnecessary, here. And might even be detrimental to keeping Hiyori close. Which is all he wants right now. Aside from maybe a k-ki.... He can't even think it!
That aside--! He watches her fumble her fork with mild amusement, a teasing smile playing at his lips. Seems that she has some things to hide, too, huh... Maybe... Nah.
He nods as she lists of the gods they saw at the Council, gradually stacking his pancake pieces into a tower.]
That's the one. So you see, there's no way we can know for sure if there isn't more mortal lovers among all those gods. There's bound to be, in fact. Some more under the table deals than widely announced, but there all the same. Thinking about asking one of them out?
[He may be teasing, but there's also a slight accusatory edge to his tone as he eyes her ever more critically.]
the thing about hiyori is that she's incredibly straightforward. in everything but this, it seems. this is the one thing she can't, just can't be direct about. she never could. not with herself and not with others. for one thing, she never had to be. romance and crushes never interested her. the closest she came to it was her admiration of touno.
but he's saying that gods and mortals aren't totally strange in the heavens. another secret among the gods, huh? it brings the god's greatest secret back to mind but she casts it away. not today. besides, yato would ask how she knows about it. how could she tell him she saw his memories? the playing. his father. sakura.
if she didn't force herself to forget about the secret, yato's question would. she goes wide-eyed and this time DOES drop her fork. ]
What! [ HOW DID HE ]
I couldn't...! Who, that's the first--?! I was just...! J-just-- [ just. ] Curious about Kofuku-san and Daikoku-san since it's Christmas! I was thinking about them. And then you said it would be different if it was m... a god and a mortal. That gods have fallen in l-love with mortals before! So, really, I should be asking if you're thinking of asking a mortal out.
[ ah ]
W-wait, no, I'm not asking that! I don't want to ask that!
[WELL YOU SEE, WHEN A LOT OF PEOPLE GET REAL HORNY--
It's one of those traits in her that he admires, honestly. Because he's... not usually so straightforward. Evasive, even. He tries not to ever lie if he can help it, but he isn't always forthcoming with pertinent information unless absolutely necessary. Whereas Hiyori is as honest to herself and others as the day is long. They compliment each other, he feels. And he wants to be more like her.
Although it hardly matters if she's got her eye on some other god, now does it. Did she meet someone there...? They weren't together all time, so it's possible. Did Take woo her?! Was she taken in by his beauty?? Sure as hell couldn't have been his personality, he hopes. Although her plaque did seem attracted to the lowest of low lifes.... A god would at least be a better prospect for her. Dammit! He won't stand for it, though!!
Putting his own fork down, he braces both hands on the table and leans halfway across it, eyes sparkling with... something bright. Daring. Challenging. Determined.]
So you didn't meet somebody at the Council and fall madly in love with them, huh?? Somebody with big, beefy, sweaty pecs like your Touno? [He's heard some of those war gods can be pretty buff.] But Kofuku and Daikoku are a god and a shinki, so where did-- [How did this even start?] Wait, me? You think I've found somebody? But you don't really wanna know. So-- it doesn't matter to you if I asked a mortal out, huh??
[Swallowing, he's standing up to lean over to her side of the table before he realizes it.]
[ alright, takemikazuchi may be cute, but he's worse than yato when it comes to social etiquette. also, as if she could go for the rival of her best friend! that's messed up.
hiyori leans back in her chair as he stands out of his seat and leans across their small table, accusing her of things she wouldn't do! don't bring touno into this. it's not his muscles she likes, ok! muscleheads aren't her type either. ]
I didn't!! Yato!
[ with something like apprehension on her face, hiyori stares up at yato looming over her in her chair. asking her questions she doesn't want to answer. there's so much conflict warring in her that her eyes start to water. no, it's not how it is. yes, it matters if he asked a mortal out. but also it shouldn't.
how DID it get like this? he's doing the scary thing! and yukine isn't here to buffer yato or smack him when he's getting to be too much. gentleman yukine. maybe the uncomfortable pinch of her brows answers what she won't say. that it does matter. ]
Should it matter? [ she clenches her fists around the edge of her chair and sets her jaw. fights the thickness of her throat. ] As long as that mortal supports you and likes you for who you are and they make you happy, that's what matters to me.
[Where did this flurry of emotion come from, even? He's not quite sure, but it's overwhelming him in the worst way imaginable. Normally Yukine would be here to talk him down, tug on his arm until he remembers to breathe and stop crowding poor Hiyori.
But his shinki isn't here and he is barely breathing, and when he does, it comes out hard, making his shoulders heave. He wants to spit it out so badly, to tell her that it's her he wants to ask out. But... what if... she isn't interested? If she has somebody else she likes? He can't get in the way of her happiness, even at the expense of his own.
Without noticing, his nails dig into the table as he stares at her, searching hard for unspoken answers - both from her and for himself.]
It should! Because--! ["I want you to care, because it's you" gets hung up in his throat somewhere. Lost among everything else he wants and longs to say. Finally what comes out is:] W-Well, they do. They make me happier than I've ever been...! And I'm gonna stay by them forever.
hiyori holds her breath. unlike yato, she can read between the lines a little easier. he doesn't need to say it's you because he's given her all the hints already. she keeps them apart, though. rather it would be more accurate to say she pulls the wool over her eyes so she can't see the big picture.
no matter how obvious it might be. ]
I-I'm happy for you.
[ eventually, finally, she breathes. keeps staring at him with her eyes still round and watering from not being able to blink this entire time. getting over herself, glancing at his hand and how his nails dig into the wood, she reaches over and puts a hand on his before prying his fingers off the piece of furniture.
did she start this? with an innocent, innocuous question about gods and shinki. ]
Yato, I'm sorry. Don't be upset on Christmas, please. It's supposed to be a good day.
[Uncertain as to whether his message got across or if it was lost in translation, her words seem to answer that question unequivocally. Except. Except... What if this is her way of turning him down? Of letting him down gently, without having to come right out and say "no"?]
Are you?
[Now he's even more confused than he was before. And he's made a pig's ear of things, at that. She looks like she's on the verge of wanting to cry, and it takes him way too long to figure out why. His hovering. His stance. His voice. All aren't very... encouraging when put together, are they.
It makes his grip on the table tighten even more, until she's pulling his nails from the wood. That one action seems to deflate him, leading him to sitting back down heavily with his head hanging. He props it up on the one hand not in her grasp, breathing hard. He's not even sure what's going on anymore. Only that it's like they're speaking two very different languages here.]
Upset? I'm not-- [He looks at her with eyes that go from hurt to guilty in a matter of moments when he takes the time to try seeing things from her perspective. A scary god, indeed.] Hiyori, I'm sorry...
[For getting so worked up over nothing, for scaring her, if he did.]
[ even hiyori doesn't know what her words mean other than what they are at face value. ergo: they make him happy, so she's happy for him. because his happiness is important to her. more than a lot of things. more than nearly everything.
she is happy, truly. about that. perhaps not about being crowded into her chair but she's done her best to keep her backbone straight and tell him her beliefs. what she wishes for him.
looking across the table, she furrows her brow at him holding his head up with his hand. he's not upset? he looked pretty upset to her. she squeezes his hand and releases a small sigh, shaking her head. water under the bridge. theirs won't collapse so easily. they've been through too much together.
he sure gets intense, though. when it comes to romance. ]
I'm serious though, Yato. I just want you to be happy. But today of all days, especially.
[He stares at her for several moments longer before letting out a quiet sigh, allowing his shoulders to finally relax and the tension to drain from his body. How is it that she can stir up the most volatile emotions in him? Even when it's just the two of them.
Or maybe that's why. It's just the two of them. Them, sharing Christmas together, like, l-like a couple. How he imagines Kofuku and Daikoku used to before they butted in. Only there's no subtle lovey-dovey displays between them. Instead they get into heated... conversations over mortals and gods having romances. Stupid.
Turning his hand over in order to hold on to hers, he fixes Hiyori with a emphatic stare, not harsh like before, but much softer. There's even a hint of smile to his lips.]
I- I am. There's hardly anything that could make me happier. I just...
["Got worked up" would be an understatement, to put it mildly. "Wanted to say 'I love you' might be more accurate, but that'd be opening the biggest can of (gummy) worms they've ever known. He's not sure he's ready for that yet. Especially if she's already turned him down in her own way.]
[ as soon as yato relaxes, his shoulders sagging, hiyori feels the tension in her gut loosen too. she can breathe a bit easier and the air around them is more comfortable instead of on the edge of something. talking about romances between gods and mortals hit too close to home. smacked her in her blind spot and before she knew it she was asking questions and making things worse.
now that she's used to more physical contact with yato, she doesn't pull away from his hand turning. or from his blue gaze piercing her again, just as striking but warmer. heating up and replacing that tension in her stomach.
cutting himself off again. she attempts to parse what he means without asking him outright and she's able to figure it out. only she figures it's "found someone" instead of else. ]
I told you that you would be the first to know if I ever did. [ this "someone" he's always worried about. meanwhile, she's always thinking about their ema and what it could mean. scooting forward onto the edge of her seat, she holds his hand with both of hers. ]
We should be thinking of things that make us happy, anyway. Like, mmm, I'm glad you made such a special breakfast for me this morning of whatever I wanted. That was really nice of you, Yato. I'm grateful.
[As quickly as the tension had manifested, it's gone again, like it'd never been there apart from the slight furrow in Yato's brow. That much he can't seem to shake without concentrated effort. Which is hard to do when you don't realize it's happening.
His fingers latch onto her hand, not tightly, but firmly. Warmly. Part of him wants nothing more than to lean across the table and place his lips upon hers, but he quickly shakes that thought away. They don't have that kind of relationship.
Not now, possibly not ever. That somber fact dampens his mood somewhat, and he ducks his head in something between shame and embarrassment. She did indeed say that. He should've remembered and trusted in her to keep her word on that as well. It seems like he never can when it comes to her, though. Even at his very first Divine Council he lost it when her plaque kept ending up tied to unsuitable men.]
Y...Yeah. You did. Sorry. [Peering up at their hands from between his shaggy bangs, he nods. It won't do to dwell on the bad or sad aspects of life. The parts he can't change. Better to be grateful for what's right here in front of him so he can treasure that for as long as possible.]
...you're doing a good job as my temporary guidepost. That's something that makes me happy, too. I... didn't ruin breakfast for you, did I?
[Finally dragging his head all the way up, he gazes at her with raised brows and a sheepish half-smile.] You can hit me if I did.
[ as much as it pains her, this isn't the first time he's struggled to believe her words. from telling him she won't forget him, to saying she wants to be with him longer at capyperland (though that's her own damn fault for being so stubborn about not watching the parade but she had her reasons), to calling him her god of happiness and fortune. she just sends him a slightly wan smile. ]
You don't need to apologize. I'll just keep reminding you.
[ one that drops and for her cheeks to color for his praise. she is...? gosh, but it feels like she's struggling a lot of the time. yukine is better at it. maybe it's the connection that gods and shinki have. she was never the leader type until recently. ]
N... no, you didn't ruin it. [ she's quick to reassure and then fights a scoff for permission to hit him. all she does is give his wrist a light smack. right after, she gives him a softer pat. for saying she can hit him at all. that's awful. wrestling moves when he's being Too Much is one thing. hitting him because he was trying to express himself is another. besides, when was the last time she put him in some submission hold or any kind of wrestling move? oh. when she threw him off the zombie ride for laying in her lap, wasn't it? she couldn't help herself and she felt terrible afterward. ]
After we clean up and I get ready for the day, I'm going to hand out all the Capyper O-inari-san we made just like we planned. You should think about visiting the friends you've made here too, Yato. Do you want some inari to give to them?
[Trust with him has always been hard to earn, even more so for a human, as they can't help being of the Near Shore and fallible. It's just part of their nature, and he's come to accept that.
Except for Hiyori. Her words hold real weight and meaning. He can hold them close to his heart where he's most vulnerable, let them seep into his soul and trust in them. A struggle every step of the way to be sure, but he's doing it. He believes her. He wouldn't listen to her otherwise.]
Mmm. 'kay. I appreciate it.
[Because he does need the reminder. He knows that much is true. Together they both might not be the perfect pair of god and temporary guidepost, but they still make for a good team.
Her reassurance that the day isn't spoiled sends a wave of clear relief through him, washing away the last traces of the near-argument. He even laughs lightly upon getting a literal slap on the wrist and a comforting pat to go with it. Both make him feel heard. All is as right with the world as can be here.]
Ah, yeah, of course! I'm sure they'll love them! And I'll be sure to mention that since you made them, they're from you as well. Can't have anyone think I'm taking all the credit myself, heh.
[He skewers his tower of pancake bites and shoves them into his beaming face, nodding. He'll definitely have to pick up a few extra gifts for Hiyori while he's out and about, too. To make up for Santa's mistake and as a way of saying 'thank you' for all her hard work on the inari.]
[ it always means a lot when her words are taken to heart. but why he needs the reminder -- she has some idea. speaking it aloud? acknowledging it? that's another thing.
that's for some other time. after coming to a tenuous understanding, she doesn't want to break it. yato seems pleased, anyway. she nearly goes back on her word at yato suggesting he can say the inari gift will be from her, too. she didn't think of it as yato taking all the credit.
although... she could see him doing that before. not now. that bottomless stomach hasn't changed like the rest of him has. she can't help herself but to smile at him.
inari gifts from both the yatogami, god of happiness, and his faithful... follower. yeah. ]
But I'm not trying so hard to be a God of Fortune, you are. I made them so that people could believe in you. As a sign of good ties between you and others. [ except... like one. that's a teeny tiny cookieper for a cookie person. BUT ALL THE OTHERS ARE NORMAL CAPYPER INARI. ] I don't really need credit. [ she pauses. ] But if you want to say they're from me too, you can. I don't mind.
[That would definitely be treading a little too close to vulnerable territory so soon after their near miss of a thing that was them butting heads. He doesn't want to spoil today with dwelling on matters that can wait for another time.
Today's the day to play Santa, after all! For them to get all dressed up in their new winter gear and go visit friends and neighbors to spread cheer and Yatoism! Then maybe come home all covered in snow to warm cookies and milk, and a roaring fire. Play some games, have a nice dinner... N-Nothing romantic, just... normal roommate things!]
Of course! They may represent the blessing of Yatogami, but they're made with love and care by you - nothing I say will change that.
[Meaning her contribution shouldn't be taken for granted or trivialized just to feed his ego or reputation. After all, he still has the hand-woven omamori charms to go with them!]
I mean, what better way to prove I'm a good God of Fortune than by having such a wonderful and dedicated loyal follower, right? You're like free advertising! [H-He means that lovingly.....]
[ near miss -- that's for damn sure. she's just glad that she came to her senses and was able to settle yato down, too, before something happened. the air was so thick with suspense. she felt it weighing down on her body like it was a tangible thing. this is much better. yato smiling and making jokes at her expense...
..........
it's christmas, she reminds herself and knows yato doesn't mean it in a demeaning way. probably. some people are likely already questioning him from his previous advertisement. which while it wasn't bad, it was still -- he can do better.
and she is also DOING her BEST. wonderful and dedicated and loyal. it's nice that yato notices it. too bad calling her free advertising kills it. ] Putting in a good word never hurts, but I think you, yourself, proving you're a God of Fortune means more. Actions say more than words. Even mine.
[ TOUNO-SAMA TAUGHT HER THAT.
hiyori gives his hand another pat and then stands to get... one more pancake. she needs fuel for all the work she's going to do today!! ]
Mm~ I might ashk you to teach me to make theesh, too... otherwhysh I'll jusht beg you to make them all the time...
[It's good that one of them had some senses to come to, as Yato's aramitama was starting to rear its ugly head in a 'jealous lover' sort of way that was wholly inappropriate for the setting. Besides, everything is much better when they're both happy and content.
Though of course he doesn't mean it in a demeaning way! How could you think such a thing of this smiling angel?? Everybody else is just mean to think him suspicious after that perfectly honest, 100% accurate advertisement.
Maybe they should compare notes and see whose methods work better for luring in customers and believers. That way they could cover twice as much ground! Maybe he'll bring it up later when they get back.]
Yeah, but it helps to have a way of proving myself first, without butting in where I'm not wanted, yeah?
[He grins after her getting another pancake, slinging an arm over the back of his chair.]
Hehe, that can probably be arranged. Though maybe I'd like to hear you begging~
[ the same way when yato talks about "pest control" and comes flying in with a bat at one of the baseball guys that talks to her when she was filling in as manager.
she prefers this happy and comfortable atmosphere by a landslide, too. yato can be scary, at times, but she's fairly sure he doesn't realize it. or he's only just starting to. that guilty expression on his face was impossible to miss.
hiyori mulls and chews. that's why he wanted people to call him first. to be wanted or needed. hmm. ] I think you can tell when and where you should help others. Have more faith in yourself.
[ something she always tells him.
as for BEGGING. she's tempted to throw her fork at him. he WOULD like to hear that, wouldn't he? yato and his prayers. ]
[Considering the strange ideas those guys got just because Hiyori was offering to help them out, he feels perfectly justified in warding them off with their own sports equipment.
Thankfully nobody's tried to pull that kind of crap here (to his knowledge.) Otherwise he might get just a bit more scary than she saw just now. No one's allowed to mess with his believer/temp guidepost...! NOT ALLOWED.
To her comment, he pouts a little bit, twisting around more in his chair until he's kneeling in it.] Yeah, but...
[She's completely right about him wanting to be wanted. Needed. That's the trouble of trying to force himself into people's lives. Without knowing them he can't tell when he should step in. Like now, with how Hiyori offers to pay him for his services. He immediately perks up, one foot coming down to rest on the ground.]
You'll make it a proper wish??
[He's out of his chair in an instant, glomming onto her with both arms and his cheek pressed to the side of her head.]
[ ah, well... yeah... there's that, the team having very STRANGE ideas, but that was because of YOU. YATO.
clemency to the poor soul that ever tries to hit on hiyori (nor to her knowledge) with the yatogami protecting her like a hound.
she fights the amusement to no avail at how quickly yato's lured in by the gleam of a coin. she'll make it a proper wish, she doesn't get to say before he's grabbing onto her and his face is so damn CLOSE. ]
Gyah! Yato!! C-Careful!
[ her chair tips sideways with yato's exuberance and she clings to his shirt in order not to topple sideways with it, her balance upset. once she realizes she's safe and won't end up on a heap on the floor, her body sags and she pats his back. ]
[T-There may be some truth in that he had a hand in coloring their impression of her, but they jumped to their own conclusions! It's not his fault they're horny teenagers who think with their equipment--!
And hey, if he's willing to curse her future husband to smell like musty laundry, there's no way anyone actually making a pass at her will get off lightly. Divine protection guaranteed!!
If there's any consolation, it's that he misses her amusement at his antics and doesn't receive any positive reinforcement to his doofy behavior. Though there's also the way they both almost go overboard , even if thankfully it doesn't come to pass due to him having one foot firmly planted on the floor.]
Hehe~ It's fiiiine!
[His cheeks flush warmly at how she clings to him, certainly not missing this opportunity to enjoy their closeness, however brief it may be. Still, he backs off after a minute, allowing her chair to settle back on all four legs.]
I gotcha. I still appreciate it, though. I haven't gotten any requests since my advertisement. There doesn't seem to be much call for a Delivery God when they have the likes of a message board.
[Yes, he sounds a little put out about that. Being beaten by a community board of all things...]
[ HE BASICALLY USED HER BODY TO ADVERTISE AS A CALL GIRL!?! THE CONCLUSIONS WERE DRAWN.
she has no idea he did it all to put her in a Pathetic State. all so that he could try and be Prince Charming. it all backfired, anyway, and now he has to answer odd, heavy-breathing, perverted calls now and then. she would have to say that Divine Protection is a step up from trying to make her miserable and lonely.
it does end up being fine when he lowers them back on all four chair legs. the way her fingers knotted in his shirt loosen and she releases him to go back to her pancake. ]
Really? [ hiyori blinks at him. but... they can SEE him. see his advertisement. they've come to that deduction. yato isn't as invisible here as he is on earth. though he does sound pretty sulky about the community board. ]
Have you thought of advertising there on the board? You could make a flier and interested people could take one of those cut-off pieces at the bottom with your number on it or some other way to contact you since... there aren't any phones.
[ do not
share their address. PLEASE. she doesn't want to answer the door to some creeper. that's a recipe for disaster. ]
[HEY, HE HAD "DELIVERY GOD" PRINTED RIGHT THERE ON THE CARDS! NOT HIS FAULT THEY COULDN'T UNDERSTAND TWO WORDS STRUNG TOGETHER...
...though in hindsight, Operation Prince Charming may have been ill-advised and slightly cruel, so perhaps it's for the best that it didn't work out the way he'd planned. He's learned that it's a lot easier to get into Hiyori's good graces when she's already in a pleasant mood as opposed to a down one.
Releasing her completely, he then parks it on the table beside her, crossing one leg over the other and putting his chin in a hand. Wearing a full-on pout, he stares out past her to the window.]
Well, it's like you said. Some people think I'm suspicious. Others seem to look down on me for my skill set, and the rest just... aren't interested.
[He lets out a long, heavy sigh, slowly glancing back to her.]
That's an idea... Maybe something like that would work. Though I think that it being a dream world without a monetary-based economy means that the call for my services is kind of limited. It'd suck if I had to find something else to do besides being a god. [Which... he technically is already doing, but nobody tell him that.
And if she doesn't want their address known, she better speak up now or forever hold her peace. It's a small enough place, so in a way they're all kind of neighbors anyway.]
[ WITH THE WAY HE WAS ACTING, THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A SPECIFIC!!! TYPE OF DELIVERY!! NOT THAT SHE KNOWS ANYTHING ABOUT THAT--
things might've gone very differently if it did work. by some stroke of luck, it didn't and yato experiences hiyori without relying on ill-advised and slightly cruel schemes to get her to rely on him. because... she already did, in a way.
they look down on him for his skill set? that's a first. the suspicious thing is, unfortunately, not too surprising. hiyori is now the one staring at her plate in thought, a piece of pancake on her fork but not raising to her mouth. ]
Trade is important here. It could be worth it to find a skill that's in demand? I don't know what that could be, though. I've been helping now and then as a volunteer at the pottery shop since I've been there so often, but that's just because I like it.
[ ... he could always be hired as some kind of swordsman. like a knight. god knight. god bodyguard? bodygod? no, that's weird. yukine advised yato to use his skill of cutting things up to destroy calamity. is there something similar here? ]
A god listens to the people's prayers, right? Maybe Reverein has some problem we don't know about and... you can help them fix it. Like the Ayakashi. People could start praying for your help, then. Actually, I remember something of a problem. What was it...?
[Okay, so he should've at least had some idea that might've happened... He's been around long enough to know about those sorts of deliveries.
For one thing, she might not have forgiven him for dislocating her shoulder. And sending her reputation through the roof in every possible way. But, all's well that ends well and all that!!
For a god, his skills are a touch too mundane and everyday to really impress anybody here, it seems. And without Yukine to draw his borderline, he struggles with the more delicate work like cutting ties. It's lucky he didn't cut more than a few strands of Joshua's hair when he tried it with a dreamotion sword.]
Prayers, huh... Are you talking about the noctaere? Joshua mentioned them - shadow monsters composed of nightmare energy that tend to inhabit dreams and the Wastelands. There's not much else known about them, I think.
[ EXACTLY!!! ALL OF THAT. there's a lot she forgave him for, in the end. tenjin told her to stay away. to go back to her human life but even then...
she looks up quickly at the word "noctaere". that sounds exactly like the sort of thing he SHOULD be fighting to help people! ]
That, yeah!
[ at the same time, she worries. yato is plenty capable on his own, but he was unstoppable with yukine. his dreamotion swords pale in comparison. she's sure yato knows that even better than she does.
all the same, this seems to follow yukine's guidance. ]
Shadow monsters made of nightmare energy... [ she says to herself. if this is a place of dreams, then couldn't that nightmare energy affect the world? nahida called this place a hypostasis - structured and stable - but now she's wondering if that's true again. this place could be manipulated by that nightmare energy as much as it is by dreamotion. ]
Doesn't that sound like Ayakashi? They were nightmares that fed off bad emotions, too. I haven't heard much about them bothering people but we should fight them, right? Before they do something.
[She's forgiven him for a ton over the course of the year they've known one another. More than she should have, probably. But that's why he lo-- likes her! Because she's such a kind, generous person! Haha~
He's in full agreement that it sounds like the dream equivalent of ayakashi, although he's also aware that she must know that there's some hurdles to tackling them like one another. The lack of Yukine is number one. The unknown factor is number two. The third...]
It does. Like they're counterparts or two halves of the same beings. My worry is that if I couldn't even handle a candy monster, will I be able to take down something fully formed from nightmare energy...? [Yeah, he's having a bit of a crisis of confidence here. And some mild fear to go with it.]
And there's no "we" anything. You-- [He jabs a finger at her nose.] --are going to stay put here if I do decide to go after them. I'm not risking you getting hurt. Or worse. Got it? We don't know what happens if someone is 'killed' here and I'm not about to let you find out.
candy monster did do a number on yato. despite that, ] Things are different now. You know how to use your dreamotion much more compared to then. And maybe you don't have Yukine-kun, but you were a God of War before you were a God of Happiness, right? I've seen you fight. You can do it when you put your mind to it.
[ all that and she gets a FINGER at her nose and told 'NO WE'. there is some logic to it but also? this is not fair. does he think she wants him to find out what it means when someone is 'killed' here? not a chance. she takes his wrist and stands out of her seat. ]
And I'm not letting you go alone, Yato. [ after trying so hard not to fight over romance hypotheticals, this is where they end up. this won't be another yomi incident. everyone else said it's normal for yato to disappear. it won't be normal here. not if she has anything to say about it. ]
[It's just a shame he's done so much to require her forgiveness.
He wishes he had her optimism when it comes to this, but little things like people disparaging his skills and his continued failures against the monsters here have taken its toll on his nigh unshakable confidence.]
O-Of course I was! I know that...! [It's just...] It's a change from what I've known for a thousand years. It takes some adjusting to get used to it. It's not like when I acquire a new shinki - I don't move naturally on my own. I'm not working in tandem with someone.
[In other words, he can't just breeze through things like he has been. He has to be mindful and work at it. He's not surprised when Hiyori takes him by the wrist and rises, eyes following hers with a determined fierceness.]
.....only if you maintain your distance if we encounter anything. No fighting. Someone needs to be able to run for help if I get in over my head. Alright? [Because he won't be allowing another round like with Kugaha, where Hiyori was the main target. He wouldn't be able to stand it if some nightmare monster made her its primary prey instead of him.]
[ it's not a shame to her. without those things, she might not be friends with everyone. she might've gone back to her very normal, very human life.
if he won't have nigh unshakable confidence in himself, then she will. bottom line.
this is new, too. acquiring a new shinki makes him move instinctually? he's not working in tandem with someone, but he can. she's not a sword or anything but her martial arts aren't anything to sneeze at, she thought. ]
If you get in over your head, I'm helping you. I'm not running away to leave you to--
[ fend for himself. suffer alone. die. any of those. ]
I know... I know I'm not as skilled as a fighter as you, and I'm not a shinki who can make borderlines and recite incantations, but I'm not helpless. I'll keep my distance, but I'm fighting if you're in danger. I will not abandon you if you're in trouble.
[Always so full of positivity. Even now, he can't be a hundred percent certain that her remaining with a foot on this side of the shore to be a good thing. He hasn't stopped considering that her being here is a result of that, too.
Yet there's no denying that for him at least, his life is that might better and brighter for her continued presence. That much will never be in contention. Just like how she's maintaining her unwavering faith in him.
Twisting his wrist around, he catches her by the hand, gently. Put all together, it almost feels like he can do anything when she's supporting him like this. Or at least that he can face everything that might come their way. He glances down at their hands, voice quiet.]
Hiyori... You know you don't have to.
[If he can't forcefully convince her, maybe he can at least get her to consider things from his point of view.]
It's not your fighting skills that I'm worried about. It's just... you. Even here, you're still a human facing off against inhuman opponents. We don't know what they might be capable of doing to you. [He reaches up with his other hand, taking hers in both his, mirroring their earlier pose.] I just want you to be safe.
[ there's the smallest waver in her expression when he takes her hand, reminded of fireworks and parade lights. she holds her breath but yato merely looks down at their hands instead of drawing them up between them again.
after that, she can keep thinking clearly.
no, it's not that she isn't considering his point of view. she's considering it very thoroughly in this moment. she's not worried about his fighting skills. she's worried about him, too. who's to say they can't affect gods as much as they can humans? he was brought here, too. they've kept him from summoning sekki.
she clutches his hands back and tells him sincerely, more softly but no less firm, ]
There's no place that I feel more safe than when I'm with you.
[Thankfully either he fails to notice her apprehension or is already adjusting his behavior to account for it, as there's no awkward gesture like at the parade.
The irony is that his feelings are getting more and more muddled by the moment. He wants to keep Hiyori safe, but at the same time he respects her strength and he himself feels better when she's near. But her safety should be his utmost priority, nothing else.
Sighing, he lets all the air out of his lungs, shoulders sagging. A small smile works its way onto his face and he nods, giving her hands a tight squeeze.]
Even if I told you to stay put, you'd still come after me anyway, wouldn't you? Stubborn little... [With a laugh he swings their clasped hands side to side.]
...well, I guess if I do end up going to my doom, at least we'll have a romantically tragic end together?
[ if he expects an answer, she doesn't give one. it sounds like he knows it anyway. what's the point in telling him "yes, I would come after you because I didn't when I should have the first time."
when his dad forced him to stay.
a... romantic... ]
Yato. [ she doesn't blush at the idea of it. she's too busy catching her breath. she keeps their hands motionless and grabs hold of him, searching his face with concern. while she's aware he's joking (?), she can't laugh. or is he? ]
You're not... we, we'll be fine! If things are too dangerous, we'll just leave! Right? You can teleport, and my soul will come back to my body! Nobody is going to--
[ meet their doom. or have a romantic, tragic end.
kofuku tying their plaques.
no. no, no. it's christmas, for goodness sake!! ]
Nothing bad is going to happen, okay? [ dropping his hands for a moment, she darts over to the pile of presents and carries the turtle plush back over and pushes it gently against his chest. ] You're my God of Fortune, so we'll be fine. Don't... say that. You won't go to your doom.
[He knows all too well she would tried to follow him then, too, which thankfully she didn't. It may have been the only thing that kept her out of his dad's wrathful vengeance for as long as she did.
As their hands still, he glances up at her with a wistful smile on his face. It's the kind of closed expression that doesn't belie whether or not his words were intended as a joke or not. Because it was kind of both.]
So you'll come in your spirit form, then? [That seems to relieve him somewhat, until he recalls that'd mean leaving her cord exposed. He shakes his head, frowning.] No, not unless you know how to control it perfectly. I don't want to risk anything happening to you.
[A shuddering sigh escapes from him as he closes his eyes, head shaking. There's no way he's going to allow her to put herself in that kind of danger. Not in the waking world, and certainly not here.]
Hiyori, you... ["Can't possibly know that" is what he wants to say, but she's already gone, returning with Turtle-chan who gets pressed into his arms. He takes her gratefully, hugging the plush to his chest. It feels so warm and full of emotion. Love, he might say, even if it's platonic.] ...yeah. We can always run away. I won't lead either of us to an unfortunate end. What kind of god would I be if I let that happen, huh?
[ control it perfectly? that's asking for too much. she's taking her spirit form. it's faster, stronger, and she can sense things more sharply. it's better than her heavy, human body. and if she's going to continue to not be normal, she can use it to her advantage.
and she does know that. she knows.
for a moment, she watches yato hug the soft toy to his chest and the pressure crushing down on her heart eases. that's better. what kind of god would he be...? it doesn't matter. it won't happen.
hiyori continues to stand there, the hem of her pajama top bunched in her fists. with yato hugging his turtle, she gathers the plates from the table and carries them over to the sink to set them inside gingerly.
that done, within the next second, she all but slams into yato's side. she has her face buried against his back and she hugs turtle-chan from behind him, sandwiching yato between the two of them. it lasts for a few seconds and then she lets go, slipping back. ]
I'm going to get ready for the day. Thank you for breakfast, Yato. It was really good.
[ the sound of her feet shuffle away quickly, down the hall and into the bathroom where the door shuts behind her. ]
[All fair points but still-- He honestly rather she just stayed at home where it's safe, fruitless as that wish is. Maybe she has a point. How many times now has she saved him, anyway...?
It was more of a rhetorical question anyway, so no answer is required on her part. Just like there's none from him as he hugs Turtle-chan, taking comfort in the soft plushness of her fur as he pads after Hiyori like a little kid. There's no real reason for it - he's not pestering her for attention or getting in her way.
Except for when she suddenly rams into him, startling him forward half a step as he glances over his shoulder at her. What...? He's still confused and beginning to blush when she backs up, leaving him hugging his plush even harder.]
Uh... O-Okay. You're welcome. Anytime, just let me know when you want more...
[For several moments after her door clicks shut, he remains rooted in place, staring after her. Then eventually he makes his way back to his own room, still blushing.]
[With Santa being a little b-- jerkface and not bringing Hiyori an appropriate amount of presents for Christmas, Yato has taken it upon himself to fill in and provide her with his very own advent calendar of presents in the days following. Therefore, she'll find one a day for the next twelve days, starting with a small token of his appreciation. How he managed to barter for this mess is up for debate. They are, in order:
1. Earrings to match her necklace (pierced) 2. Bracelet to match her necklace and earrings 3. Xmas daruma doll 4. Pink gumdrop beanie plush 5. Set of clay crafting tools and paint 6. Handwritten starter cookbook, including the recipe for Yatogami's Pillow Pancakes 7. Private diary and pen set, not connected like their journals 8. Set of anatomy books similar to what she was studying at home 9. Pink flannel pajamas to match his own, with fur trim around the edges 10. Velvet holiday dress, complete with heels and stockings 11. Xmas Beanbag Chair (for two) 12. One (1) life-size, ride-on reindeer plush
[ day 1 and day 2 are sweet. if only her ears were pierced, she thinks. by day 5, she's getting... a little concerned but still mostly touched that yato is going out of his way to get her gifts like he's a cat showing affection. it's probably because he feels bad about the santa thing, which was totally her fault. so she'll deal with this. they're thoughtful (especially those anatomy books! she can study again!). day 10 she's starting to feel it's getting out of hand and she's worried about the following days, but she realizes what's going on. advent calendar.
day 12 finally comes and she has no idea what to expect after a freakin' beanbag chair. certainly not to find a FULL-SIZED DEER PLUSH in her room first thing in the morning. as such, throughout the treehouse and possibly even heard by the neighbors, ]
[Having been out in the kitchen preparing for breakfast after sneaking Rainy the deer into Hiyori's room (yes, he's already decided on a name for her), Yato all but jumps out of his skin when that yell rings echoes throughout the house and probably down the street several blocks.
Within a couple of seconds he's bursting into the room, dreamotion sword formed in one hand and ready to fight off whatever threat might be targeting Hiyori. Is it a noctaere? His dad?? A really big spider?! Whatever the threat, it better watch out--!]
HIYORI!! Are you okay?!
[Clad in his pajamas, he doesn't exactly cut a very impressive figure, but at least he's armed?]
[ when he bursts into the room, hiyori is standing on her bed and has her back plastered to the wall behind her, one of her thick anatomy books in her hands raised up to defend herself, and breathing hard. it doesn't look like there's any noctaere. or his dad (thank gods). or a big spider, although that would probably cause her to at least yelp pretty loudly. nobody likes big bugs. not hiyori.
her face has gone white as a sheet and she's in the pajamas yato gifted her on day 9. ]
THERE'S A--!!
[ hold on. that deer hasn't moved at all after her screaming and flailing around. it hasn't so much as twitched as yato bolted down the hallway, threw open his door, and shouted too.
IT'S A ]
YATO. DID YOU DO THIS?? DID YOU PUT THIS IN MY ROOM???
[Scanning the room for the danger, he takes in nothing outwardly suspicious. (Sans reindeer because you know, totally normal when you've put it there.) He doesn't let down his guard, though, not until Hiyori is directing his attention to said plush. Then he lets his sword dissipate as he walks over to Rainy and throws his arms around her neck, balancing on one foot.]
Oh, this? Yeah! Isn't she awesome! I knew I had to go for something big for the final day, so I had them do a rush order.
[He nuzzles up against the fluffy fur, grinning like he's the one who got a gift.]
[ HAVING A GIANT PLUSH REINDEER IN YOUR ROOM IS NOT NORMAL. but once it becomes clear that this is all yato's doing, she sinks into a heap on her mattress in absolute relief.
awesome... yeah... of course. he had to go for something big on the final day, rushing an order. uuugggghhhh she thought she would have a heart attack when she woke up to some unknown creature in her room. staring at her!
she lifts her head to give the plush an unsure look, but carefully scoots herself to the edge of the bed and stands up. like the deer is going to turn its head and bite at her. ]
Yato, where are we going to put this? [ she asks as she reaches forward to rub the muzzle.
[tbf there's a lot about Yato that's not normal, so really, this should just be par for the course. That he doesn't see anything strange or unusual about this set-up is just another proof of that fact.
He almost comes over to check on Hiyori, but figures that she's probably just overwhelmed by the splendor of gift number twelve~ After all, how could anyone not fall in love with this cute (not so little) face when they lay eyes upon her?? She's amazing! Especially when it comes to the craftsmanship. Why, she almost looks like a real reindeer! How cool is that?
After Hiyori is on her feet, he gestures eagerly for her to come closer, petting the plush's flank with one hand.]
I was thinking maybe in the entrance to greet visitors! It could be like having a pet dog that runs to the door to meet people!
[He beams at her once her hand touches fur, eyebrows raised in search of approval. Soft, innit??]
[ ... fair point. still, this isn't anywhere on her list of "Strange Things Yato Has/Will Do". buying her a life-size reindeer!! it's the fact that it looks so real that is the real terrifying part. that nearly made her pass out in fright. those eyes stare into her soul. ]
In the...!? N, no! You'll scare people away! I'll get scared coming home!!
[ ok, yes, it's soft. she's still rubbing her muzzle and trailing along the head to stroke up the nose toward the forehead. ]
C-can't we put it outside? By the snowmen we made or something?
[ not like they have storage. under the treehouse, maybe. pet pet pet.
this gift is too much, but with yato beaming at her like that, she can't tell him to send it back. knowing him, he's already named it. ]
[To be honest, if one were to play Yato Bingo, this probably wouldn't have been on any of the cards at all. It is pretty out there, even for him. But that's what makes it so great! It's a unique and special gift that Hiyori will never forget! For better or worse.]
Awww... But why would you be scared of Rainy?! Isn't she just the sweetest thing??
[Yes, he's named her. Now they have a family of three plushies! How could they ever send her back, like a rejected foster child?! Yato throws himself across the deer's back, legs flailing in the air.]
Outside?! But she'll get ruined, Hiyori! She's not meant to be an outdoor display...! Though she would look cute with the snowmen...
[He hums in thought, going limp for a time. Think, think, think... Where to put her...]
How about in a corner of the living room, near the fireplace? That way we can see her whenever we're just chilling during the day, but she won't get underfoot! Or overfoot.
[ for better or for worse... what is she going to do with him? ]
She looks like a real reindeer! Those don't belong in houses, Yato!
[ RAINY. can he PLEASE just see this logically, hiyori begs inwardly. nope. he's going to throw a tantrum. she's amazed rainy can hold yato's weight.
by the FIREPLACE? in the corner isn't a bad idea. maybe if they decorate it like they did with the tree it'll look less real. and terrifying. it's not that she's NOT CUTE. reindeer are cute, but it's the whole having it in the house that startles her. and it being life-size.
... as if hiyori wouldn't let a baby deer into the house if it lost its mama. she would. ]
I...! [ hiyori peers at the reindeer's face. angry eyebrows. antlers. wait, if it has antlers isn't it-- nevermind. it's a plush. she can let yato believe what he wants. eventually, her gaze lands back on yato's pleading puppy-dog look. ] Fine. In the corner, near the fireplace.
[ that decided, she lowers herself into her new beanbag with a sigh. ]
But she's not a real one - she's a plushie! Those belong indoors!
[Thank goodness for his godly lightness, huh. It'd be a tragedy if he broke one of Hiyori's gifts on the very morning of giving it to her.
Sliding off of Rainy just in case, he still drapes an arm around the neck like he's about to take the damn thing out on a date. She's a dear deer! Can't Hiyori see that?? Those sweet, big doe eyes...! It's nothing but a really tall, slightly lankier baby deer, after all!]
Pleeeease? [He hugs the reindeer with both arms, casting a pleading look towards Hiyori. One that screams 'deprived kid who wants to be able to enjoy his new toy.' Even if it is supposed to be for her and not himself. Makes one wonder who it was really for. Probably them both, to be honest.
When she finally folds, he throws up both hands in an enthusiastic cheer.] Yaaaaay~! I know she'll be perfect there, just wait and see!
[He pets the plush's neck, glancing down at Hiyori with a smile.]
I know. But since Santa made a mistake, I thought you deserved something to make up for it.
[ a real calamity if he did. she wouldn't cry about it, though... she has 11 other ones.
good, he can take it out on a date. with those doe eyes. like looking into a mirror. seriously, who is this gift for again? yato, right?
despite herself, hiyori feels a small smile tug at her mouth when he cheers so happily and strokes at the plush. well, one of them is happy.
aaaand she tries not to wince. what she ends up doing is glancing away, guiltily. ]
But I told you it wasn't a big deal. I probably have presents fr- AT!! At my parents, s-so it's not like I won't have anything...!
[ SHE MADE A MISTAKE. but she just couldn't! stomp on yato's hopes and dreams!! she can't do it! he believes in santa so much. ]
It's not like I didn't get any gifts, either! I got that really beautiful pendant from you and another from Ereshkigal-sama! And Zelda-sama got me this lovely little harp...
[She would be the one witnessing a god crying over it, that's for sure. He just about threw out his back earning the damn thing...!
It's for her, of course! B-But there's nothing wrong with him getting some enjoyment out of it too, right? In fact, the more joy it brings, the better!
Thankfully Yato is so engrossed with his her new gift that he doesn't notice any strange reactions from Hiyori.]
I know~ But while you're here, I wanted to show my appreciation for all you've done. You've been a huge help since we arrived here, after all...
[He grows quiet then, glancing down at the floor as he pets Rainy. Though when she mentions getting a musical instrument, he perks back up and leans forward enthusiastically.]
A harp? Really? Are you going to learn to play it? Then with the dress I got you, you could really be my goddess~!
[ yato...... don't throw our your back over giant plush deer.... ]
I-I haven't really- it feels like you've been the one helping me. [ teaching her how to cook. saving her in candyland. drawing her that picture of touno when he was SICK. it's hanging in her room now, by the way. right over her desk.
"while she's here". does he think she's going to leave? yet this being about his appreciation makes everything hit differently. something in her softens, considering the gifts under a new light. still too much! but different now. it's not just yato showering her with presents as another one of his strange ways to show he cares.
CALL HER HYLIA. ]
Yeah! I'd like to learn to play it. I'm not too musically inclined, but playing an instrument sounds fun! [ JUST GOING TO PASS OVER THE GODDESS THING. EMBARRASSING. ] Eventually. Right now, I'm learning how to embroider from Zelda-sama.
[But it was all for her...! That makes it worthwhile!]
No way! You've gotten me out of so much trouble, and helped me when I needed Yukine's guidance. All I've been doing is playing support.
[True, they've both saved each other, but more than cooking, she's shown him so many better ways of doing things, like handing out inari for Christmas and advising him on marketing himself better. Things he would've struggled to come up with or do on his own.
So even if she is far away from home, he can't help but be grateful for her continued presence here. Which is why he has to make up for the fact she can't be with her family or friends at this time of year. She only really has him, though thankfully she's almost made friends here, too. But as her God of Fortune, her happiness is his responsibility. He takes that very seriously.
YES HYLIA-SAMA]
I'm sure you could do it if you try! Maybe we could even go caroling with it if-- if we're still here next year. [It's a sobering thought, one he does his best to smile through. He doesn't even remark on the lack of remark about her being his goddess.] Embroider, huh? Man, you really will make an excellent wife.
[He smiles a bit ruefully over that, and the fact that this Zelda person is worth a -sama but not him. Just who does she think she is, huh?? He'll have to find out one of these days... For now though, he just shakes his head lightly.]
Not the harp, but I have a little experience with the koto and shamisen.
[ she is temporary guidepost. she's been doing her best to channel yukine. except the slipper-beating part. she won't do that. ]
Support is important, too.
[ very important. people need support. being without her friends and family hasn't been easy, but yato has made it far more tolerable than if she was alone. if yato wasn't here, she wonders if she would have the same mindset as that girl she ran into on christmas. when she was handing out inari. the one that asked her how she takes it when she doesn't know how long she'll be away from everyone.
by having faith, hiyori said.
even if they're here next year. she can't imagine. a year of potentially missing school. of worrying her family by being asleep for a year. they would think she's gone into a coma. poor yukine, too. she cleches her fists in her lap at the sound of "next year". it's not that she dislikes this place, either. and she would miss everyone here and it feels just as terrible to want to leave because she's come to really care about some of these people that come from other worlds. ]
Eeeehhh-- I want to hear you play the shamisen! Hehe, heh...
[ and she calls her zelda-sama because she's! like!! BASICALLY AMATERASU-SAMA IN HER WORLD. he lost his chance at sama when he complained about san! ]
[Sometimes the slippering is a necessary part of his training discipline, tho. Thankfully he hasn't done much of anything to warrant it here. Yet. Give him time.]
True. Still.
[He wants to be able to do more for her. To be her Prince Charming, even if it doesn't involve setting up some dumb, kooky scenario where everybody shuns her. After all, it shouldn't be the other way around - he's the god in this relationship! It's his job to protect her and ensure her contentment!
...which he seems to be doing a piss poor job of by bringing up the possibility of being here for a whole year. He sees those fists. The tension running through her body, sapping away what joy they seemed to have been building up, at least temporarily. Thankfully it doesn't seem to last too long, if her laughter is anything to go by. That's good, he would've hated to have spoiled their good cheer with a thoughtless comment.
His smile widens slightly at her enthusiasm to hear him play. It's been a long time since he's practiced, but still, it could be fun to see if they have one of those instruments here, or something similar, maybe.]
Heh... In that case maybe I'll ask around. See what's available.
[Okay, that seems fair, but--! He's still a god, too!! All he wants is a little respect, dammit!]
[Cue the blushing and bashful avoidance of her gaze!]
W-Well, yeah! Because that's the kind of life you deserve-- a happy one filled with someone who will love and cherish you, and kids if you want...! A normal human life...
[She can totally be a doctor and a mother! She's strong enough to do both!]
[ hiyori's stern looks and sharp words can be just as effective as a slippering. she doesn't want to hurt him if she can help it.
why can't they protect each other and both want each other's happiness, huh? he's the god but as far as she's concerned, he needs it just as much as she does. if not more than she does.
and he does have her respect among... other things.
frustration currently. embarrassment, too. he's so focused on her meeting some guy, getting hooked up, and being a wife. after HOW many times making a spectacle of himself by proposing to her!! ]
I am happy! [ he sounds like her mother, sometimes. talking about husbands and kids. she has a happy life with people who love and cherish her already, doesn't she? m-maybe not kids but that's a long way off! she still has a normal human life, too. right? groaning, she flips over in the beanbag to bury her face in it and kicks her feet once (like yato's flailing on rainy earlier) and then goes limp so she can mumble into the beans. ]
I keep wondering if I finally find someone to go on a date with, will that make you happy...?
[ tenjin mentioned it, too. everyone is always asking her about it.
also, yes, she could absolutely be a doctor and a mother but woof, that's a lot. ]
[They both could protect each other and desire the other's happiness, if Yato had more experience with such things. Hiyori is his first human friend, after all, so all this is him feeling out how a relationship between god and mortal should be. And he takes his status as a deity seriously.
Which is why he's so insistent that she be able to live a normal human life. That's what humanity desires, right? To hit all the important milestones such as obtaining a desired career, finding a marriage partner, having children... All he wants is to help her achieve that. To keep her on the trajectory towards a bright future.
At least, it's what he should want for her...]
I know, it's just-- [He clams up at her groan, biting his lip. Does he have it wrong...? Abandoning the plush reindeer, he takes a couple steps closer to her, one hand raised hesitantly as color spreads across his cheeks.]
No--! I mean-- Yes? I-I don't know...!
[Dropping his hand, both clench into fists as his head dips down so that his chin is touching his chest and his eyes are fixed on the floor. He knows what he wants, but that's not important or relevant. Only Hiyori's happiness is.]
[ guess it's up to her to teach him that humans can also be supremely protective and wish for other's happiness, huh?
and that he shouldn't pigeonhole her into those milestones. sure, they're good paths to take and she'll get there. but... she doesn't want to lose everything she's gained at the far shore. her friends. her experiences. all of it. the hurts and the joys. it's all important. things she can't forget again.
at his first, vehement no she lifts her head and looks over her shoulder in surprise. her brow furrows at the confused yes. finally, she shifts and stands up at his flustered "I don't know". which is it?
she sees his clenched fists, too. ]
You... don't look happy though. [ hiyori points out, reaching out for a fist where he held himself back. truthfully, she didn't sound too happy SHOUTING she WAS, either. ] Or sound it.
[She is his temporary guidepost, after all. If there was ever a person who should help a god learn about the ways of humans, it's them.
It's something he doesn't realize he's doing, which could be part of the reason he's so conflicted on everything. He thinks wanting the best for her means following the path others who are happy have followed. Although... there is a small, selfish desire in there. He wants Hiyori to leave behind a large family for him to look after and care for. A legacy that will last until the end of time.
Realizing his outburst was so strong, he colors slightly, scuffing a socked foot against the floor as his fingers dig deep into his palms. He's sending mixed signals, he realizes that. But... both his feelings are true. He knows that now. That he wants what's best for her, but he also longs to keep her for himself. His two sides, warring against one another.
Maybe it won't make sense from a human perspective, but to him it's something he can't help feeling.]
.....dunno. Maybe it's because I know you can't actually be happy being stuck here with me. [Not that he's bad company or anything, even though sometimes he is. He's totally lying to himself and her, though. That's not the reason at all. He lets her take his fist, trying with some effort to stop clenching it.] ...whatever makes you content is what I want, Hiyori.
[ a job she's taking seriously!! for all of yukine's hard work!! and also yato. him, too.
for how deep he dug his fingers into his palm, she has to work on loosening them as she listening to yato all but demean himself right in front of her. mixed signals don't matter as much anymore when he does that. she takes the hand she's loosened and holds it to her heart with an intense look in her eyes. eyes as hard as the gems in that pendant. ]
Don't you dare assume how I feel. That's not true. I've already told you I want to be with you longer.
[ there might be mixed signals with hiyori sometimes, too, but she thought she's made at least THAT MUCH clear. ]
I like being with you. I said that, too. I wasn't lying when I said either of those things.
[Him too, huh. He sees how it is. Yukine-kun comes first, is that how it is? Kidding. Mostly.
Though she might not be able to see it, the strength of his nails digging into his palms leaves red marks in their wake, the pain helping to get Yato focused. At least, as focused as he can be when she all but presses his hand to her chest. Color creeps further up his face, bridging his nose and making him feel overheated as he finds himself captured by her gaze. Held in place, his breath catches momentarily at both her actions and words.]
...even if it means being stuck in a dream world, separated from everyone?
[That part seems to surprise him (stupidly enough); he figured she'd want to hurry home to her parents and brother, to keep them from worrying about her extended sleeping spell. That she might actually be okay - or hell, even want to stay with him - here comes as something of a shock.]
Y-Yeah, I know. I never believed you were lying. ...I'm sorry if I gave you that impression.
yeah, she hasn't realized where she's put that hand as of yet. since he's not moving, she going to continue to not realize and keep it there. ]
... I'm worried, but that doesn't mean I can't also be happy. It wouldn't be fair to myself if I didn't enjoy things here, too.
[ there's no rule saying that she can't be both. being separated from everyone isn't ideal but she isn't going to let herself be miserable about it forever. that's silly. self-destructive. yes, she does want to go home but what can she do? and she's not going to forsake yato like that. not when he's always trying so hard to make her happy. to be her god of fortune.
besides, like she told helga, it's not all bad here. yato is largely the reason it's not all bad. ]
Don't you feel the same? I know you're worried about Yukine-kun, but you're not letting yourself be upset about it all the time. Or you wouldn't have gotten me all these gifts or have been trying to build a shrine here and gain followers or have fun teaching me how to cook or help save the Ice Queen or any of those things.
[ perhaps as stupidly as him, she grips his wrist with her other hand and moves a step closer. ]
[His own heart sure is beating harder the longer his hand remains there, as he tries desperately to not let it twitch like he might grab her on accident.]
Yeah, that's very true. I wouldn't want you to be fretting all the time over something we have no control over. It's not like it's all bad here.
[Once again, Hiyori proves to be the more mature, rational of the two of them. This is one of the reasons humans are the ones to guide the gods, aside from the fact they were made for them. To fulfill their wishes. It makes Yato wonder if he can manage that, or if he's only making things more difficult for her by being a stupid, stubborn ass.
Hopefully not. He is trying his damnedest to be a good God of Fortune, even on his own without Yukine's help or guidance.]
Of course. I swore to you and him that'd I'd become an existence that can make people happy, and I can't do that if I'm a sad sack, myself. [Now being grappled by her with both hands and having his space invaded, he inhales sharply and glances away, fingers finally twitching in her hold.] I just... want to make sure you have the best time here that you can. It's one of the few things I can do on my own, here, right now.
see, though, he gets it! she relaxes slightly after that. happy enough for a small smile to tug at her lips once he agrees with her. it's not all bad. there are ups and downs, just as much as there is on earth. and they're safe, too. so far.
hiyori doesn't pick up on the twitch of his fingers as his words slam into her more forcefully. she's proud of him for realizing that much in that first bit. the next part? the honesty carries on. ]
You being here is...! [ but stutters. although she doesn't realize where his hand is, she realizes what she says next might be one of those THINGS that makes yato do creepy scary things. ]
Y-You... being here is already doing a lot to make it better, Yato.
[Bad. Very bad. Thankfully some of her calmness transfers over to him, easing his tension further so that his hands aren't both so claw-like.
Really, he doesn't think it's such a bad place even with all the craziness that's happened to them over the course of just a couple of months. A lot of it's been fun and exciting, and he feels closer than ever to Hiyori. Especially when she goes so far as to say that his presence has been a big help in making her stay better.
It's... different than her just saying she wants to be with him more. This is... it's her finding comfort in his existence. Something nobody else has ever said. Even Yukine has barely acknowledged that much. But Hiyori... she...]
T-Then I'm glad we ended up arriving together, and that you didn't have to face this alone. For me, too, it's been a blessing to have you here. I... I'd be really lonely without you.
[And his heart would be longing for her, but there's no way he's going to spit that out.]
[ hiyori is also under the impression that this place isn't terrible. there's been some scary, close moments, but... yato was there for her, always, in those moments and saved her.
the reason it isn't bad is because he's here.
oh.
oh...
OH.
oh no. anon-san said something like this. that the person they were in love with made every place feel like this. they discussed this on the roof. safe. comfort. like home. yato's words almost go in one ear and out the other as she is shaken by this revelation. is she... really... actually...? n-no. no no no. ]
Y, yeah. I... [ there, she's noticed his hand and promptly lets go and steps back to give him his personal space back. her eyes are wide and her face feels like it's going to burn right off. she can't look him in the face at ALL. ]
I, um. Yeah. [ what is WRONG with her. ] L-let's move Rainy to the living room? I, I'll pick up this end and you can pick up the other.
[Unaware of the inner turmoil that Hiyori is experiencing, Yato continues gazing at her, a bit wistfully, even. Even now, he wants to take up her hands and hold them close again, press his lips to them and look over her knuckles in order to tell her exactly how he feels. That he.. he...
He can't do it. Even to himself, he can't admit it. Though he knows in his heart what this feeling is, what it means, acknowledging it is a far different story. If he allows himself to accept it, then it'll be unrequited. Agony. Better he just do his best to pretend there's nothing there. Or that he at least isn't conscious of it.
At her suggestion, he nods, glancing down at his now free hands and flexing his fingers. It felt nice, having her holding onto him. So warm. Comforting.]
Ah, yeah. Let's do that. Tell me if she's too heavy for you, okay?
[He did manage to haul her in here himself, but he wouldn't mind the help this time. He grabs the reindeer by the front since that's the heavier end, letting its head peer over his shoulder like some weird lurker. Glancing back at Hiyori, he smiles.]
[ the longer hiyori has time to think, carrying rainy silently from her room and down the hall and into the living room where she agreed to put her, the harder it gets to deny it to herself. these last two months make it especially difficult. she keeps trying, anyway. keeps telling herself 'no way, no way, no way' but then she thinks of the plaques, too, and she's suddenly grabbing rainy for dear life as they set her down by the fireplace.
something is--
she hasn't let go and she stares unseeingly, like her life is flashing before her eyes. it kind of is? but she's going to ignore it. like her life depends on it.
or at least until she can sit down and... figure it all out. act normal, act normal. ]
There! She's in her home for the foreseeable future now! W-welcome home.
[ PATS HER SIDE. seems like hiyori has gotten over the fact that a life-size plush lives in their house now. also, hopefully, whatever he was making in the kitchen didn't burn or anything... ]
[Bumping up against one another in the struggle to deny the hardest!
As they traipse down the hall, Yato's heart does little flip flops from him dwelling on the Feelings He Definitely Doesn't Have. From the lingering ghost of Hiyori's hands upon him, to her words of reassurance, there's just really no getting around it. He definitely lo... lo... He cares for her. A lot!!
Pushing that thought out of his head as they arrive at their destination, he strokes the plush's snout, trying to meet Hiyori's eyes but finding it nigh impossible. He just... can't do it right now. Not when his emotions are so raw.
If he had been able to, he might've noticed her vacant look as well. Is it a good thing or bad that he doesn't? Only time will tell.]
Y-Yeah! Welcome home, Rainy! Hey, maybe we should decorate her for the holidays? Like drape some garland around her neck and put ornaments on her antlers! That'd be cute!
[Thankfully there's no burning smell coming from the kitchen, so it should be safe? (He was preparing to cook eggs, though thankfully he didn't get around to lighting the stove.)]
[ who will win? find out next time on dragonballpaingami.
it's totally fine if he can't meet her eyes because hiyori can't meet his. fair's fair. as if looking into that bright blue will just nail the truth home even harder that she's holding back by a thread. ]
Yes! You know, I was thinking the same thing! [ HAHA WEIRD. ] We haven't taken the tree down yet, so why not? [ they probably SHOULD take the tree down soon, though. it's already the sixth of the month. they're going on three months in reverein now and have no sign of going back. if anything, there are signs that more people are coming here. ]
I think there were some leftover ornaments I put away that there was no room for on the tree! I'll go look for them!!
[ before he can get a word in, hiyori darts off back down the hallway in a pink blur. there's a small closet nearby yato's room that they've tucked a few things away in. extras. she's pretty sure this is where they put them.
her mind runs a mile a minute. though she does her best to think of other things such as embroidery techniques, what she's read so far in those anatomy books, she keeps coming back to one thing. one person. one god.
why did she talk to that anon? she already KNEW she was lying to herself. pretending that she was "just friends" with yato. as she told masaomi!! it shouldn't be this hard to find ornaments... ]
[Spoiler: instead of peas in a pod, they become two cherries on a stem. Matching!!
At least they're on even footing even if they don't know it. Pair of dweebs. There's nobody here to call them out on it, either, so the passivity stand-off continues. (Cue the tumbleweed.)]
Great minds and all that~! [Or weird minds, as the case may be.] Right? And even when we do, we can leave Rainy dressed up to keep the festive cheer going! [The tree is getting pretty dry by now, though... Pretty soon they'll likely need to take it outside and find a place to dispose of it.]
Ah, yea--
[That's all he manages to get out to her retreating back before she's gone, disappearing into the hallway leading to their bedrooms. Blinking, he stares after her, hand still on the reindeer's face. Her odd behavior makes him momentarily forget about his own love-torn heart.
What...? What was that all about? Did he say or do something wrong? Maybe she needed the bathroom and was just being polite? Either way, he continues standing there in a daze for another minute or so before letting his hands drop. Ah, right... He should clean up in the kitchen. Or better still, finish making breakfast for them. He's hungry.
For a lot more than eggs, but that can't be helped. Scratching at the back of his head, he sighs at himself and wanders out of the room. Stupid self...]
surely, eventually, someone will call them out on... something. they need it. yato isn't the only idiot this time. once she gets a handle on herself, she closes the closet door behind her and takes a deep breath. she can be normal. so what if she doesn't have strictly... platonic feelings for yato? they don't have to be l-love feelings. they can be!! a lot of like feelings. more than normal. big fondness! adoration.
... this isn't helping.
yato isn't there where she left him when she returns, so she looks around while opening the bag. one of their handmade ornaments is pulled out and she hangs it on an antler. then another on another antler. she does so very slowly and very meticulously for no reason other than she feels like it. ]
I can't... [ she mumbles to nobody in particular, under her breath.
but
she does. ]
He's weird. And confusing. Completely shameless... [ another bauble for rainy. enjoy. ] Attention seeker. Rude. Full of himself. [ less so now. ] He possessed my body, wears my uniform whenever he wants. He's insane. Has so many secrets, I still hardly know a thing--
[ hiyori looks insane muttering to herself over in the corner. ]
Something somewhere is definitely going to have to give eventually. There's no way they can continue on like this indefinitely. Doubly so if they plan on going out to hunt noctaere. They'll need all their focus for that, not distraction-fueled lapses in concentration.
Although... for now... what can he do? There's no way he can just spit it out, burdening her with his feelings unnecessarily. Not when they're stuck in this strange world, living under the same roof. She already said he brings comfort to her. He can't risk spoiling that and causing her to leave either in anger or fear.
Frowning to himself, he whisks the eggs and milk together, adding a dash of salt and pepper followed by a touch of soy sauce. His own special mixture to give the eggs a bit of interest.
He hears Hiyori faintly out in the living room, but can't make out any of the words. He assumes she's being cute and talking to Rainy while decorating her. Maybe complimenting their new plush roommate on her good looks. Who knows!]
What should I do... Sakura...
[Sighing, he pours the eggs into the pan and lets them sit. Omelets for today. Something fun to eat.]
indefinitely? no. for as long as she can hold out? yes. which is becoming more difficult as hiyori moves one from trying to convince herself that she can't to she might. there's a reason he caught her eye the first time when they passed by as strangers -- his eyes. she didn't know eyes could even BE so blue. ]
He can be cool, sometimes. He cares. He cares a lot about Yukine-kun, it makes him a good father to him. He really does try his best. He wants to be better. Always gets his job done... except mine, I guess. Sometimes, he's funny. And more thoughtful with the things he says. There are so many times he's saved me and he wants me to be happy. It's really important to him, as a God of Fortune.
[ the more hiyori talks to herself, the deeper the rabbit hole goes. there's more. there's actually more to like. ] Talented at so many things and willing to teach. Tidy, surprisingly. Good cook. [ just goes to show that hiyori is in over her head if there's more. ] Can play intruments. Learned that today.
[ one important aspect to yato she doesn't know where to place. good or bad. he's proud of his status, so it must be good. ]
A god.
[ that ornament bag is half-full by now. rainy is properly decked out in a holiday look. her finger pokes one so that it swings back and forth for a while in a mesmerizing way. while yato has his back to her, hiyori peeks into the kitchen and simply observes him work. when yato thinks nobody is watching, it's the most difficult to convince herself that she can't.
it needs to be interrupted or else-- ]
I smell eggs. Don't faceplant into your omelet again, okay? [ a legit concern ]
Essentially it's become a battle of attrition, to see which of them can hold out the longest before folding and revealing the truth to the other. The one advantage Yato has over her, it's longevity. He's used to going long stretches of time without revealing his secrets. Although he's never had one quite like this, where he was living with the subject of said secret. Already just being near Hiyori is testing his willpower and ability to remain impartial, detached.
He scoots one finished omelet to a plate before starting on a second, garnishing the first with a light sprinkling of spring onions. Frowning at the pan, he murmurs under his breath.]
I should... just keep it to myself, huh. It's easier that way. Better for us both.
[He knows deep in his heart that's not what his beloved shinki would have him do. She likely would've encouraged him and told him to be brave, to have faith in Hiyori. But without Sakura here to impart those words for real, he can't bring himself to dare trying. He just can't. He treasures what they have too much, and is too damn scared of rejection.
Only once Hiyori speaks up does he realize she's there, jumping a little in the process. Thankfully he doesn't upend the omelet. Turning it over carefully, he scoffs with a faint smile.]
I won't. That was a reaction to being ill, not one to my cooking. [He eyes her for a moment before holding out the plated omelet.] Here. Before it gets cold.
hiyori has the advantage of being stubborn as all get out. despite that, there's a part of her that isn't too inclined to keep it a secret. why? it feels more like a habit than anything else. how long does it take for habits to break? that's the question hiyori needs to ask herself.
she only catches the tail end of his mutterings as she peeks in, so can't make much sense of "--us both." could be anything. it doesn't feel right to ask either. not right now.
there's an apologetic smile on her face for scaring him, but she crosses into the kitchen to take the plate. ] Thank you. [ he turns back around, but she doesn't move to their little dining room table quite yet. one second. two. three. four.
an arm winds carefully around his waist. slower than the other day, on christmas, when she all but slammed into him and hugged him for a few seconds before running off. this way is gentler and more of a side hug than anything. her nose gets buried behind his shoulder and she holds this position for another second longer before letting herself slip away to finally sit at the table. grabbing napkins and utensils for them both along the way, her heart racing in her chest. ]
Yukine-kun would be proud of how well you handle the household these days.
He can hopefully give her a run for her money in the stubborn department. He hasn't maintained his dream of becoming the highest god in the land through being weak-willed, that's for sure. Although when it comes to Hiyori, all bets are off. Nothing is certain where she's involved, especially not him.
He accepts her apology with a smile of his own, expression softening further. And he thinks that's the end of it. That she'll go sit down and eat. Instead, she hovers nearby. Why...? Out of the corner of his eye, he watches her. Yet somehow in the time it takes his attention to wander, she's got an arm encircling his waist.
His entire body stiffens, leaving him barely breathing, like her arm is a boa constrictor that might smother him if he shows any signs of life. Except that it's... nice? Warm and soft and gentle and-- and-- His face heats up like the pan, hot enough to cook eggs on. And then to make matters even more confusing, he feels her face burying into his back, forcing the breath he'd been holding out in a shuddering exhale. His hands shake just as much, so much so that he has to let go of the pan to keep it from rattling on the burner.
W-W-What was that all about?! It was almost like she-- she--
Swallowing hard, he ducks his head while one hand grips the counter tightly. Whatever the reason, whatever that was about... it was... nice. It takes him several long moments to compose himself enough to answer, and when it does, it's slightly strained.]
I-I'm sure he would be. But if he show's up, you're not gonna tell him! I don't want him hounding me to do this all the time. This is just for you, since as a human you need to eat and maintain your body!
[ give her a jog for her money and she'd be okay with it.
it's the most huggiest hug she's probably ever given yato. with the first being a hug she split between yato and yukine. it's a hug specifically for yato, done in a certain way for yato. what hiyori realizes belatedly is that while he may be okay giving hugs, maybe yato is less okay with receiving hugs. and that's the reason he sounds so strained and looks so... stiff.
all at once, the fuzzy warmth in her chest and head dissipates and she's unsure of herself. wondering if she needs to apologize. he's been through a lot, and she hardly seen a whisper of it. just the beginning.
she's distracted, easily. ]
Wh-what? Why not! Yukine-kun was once a human, too! [ another part of her is doing her best not to start blushing that yato so easily admits that it's just for her. the wide smile is even MORE difficult to stamp away. ] I think it's good for you. We can all take turns on things, just like we do now.
If you don't work, are you just going to lay around while Yukine-kun and I do all the chores? He would like your cooking too, you know. Even if he didn't say it.
It is the warmest hug he's ever received, too. That's part of the problem. It was one specially done for him, from Hiyori. Only him. And one that wasn't borne out of a threat to his life. It came calmly out of the blue, full of... love? It sure felt like more than a friendship hug, at least to him. Although maybe it's his feelings that are coloring his impressions of it...
Now he doesn't know how to take it, and he's afraid to ask. What if he's wrong? Or worse, what if he's right? What then, if she shares his feelings of being in l-l-lov--
Heat colors his cheeks as his eyes follow her, bright and blue and full of an undefined emotion. It's not a negative, at least. No, it's more like he's admiring her shyly.]
Like I said, he'd get on my case to be more self-sufficient. ...I like it when he cooks for me. [It makes him feel like a proper god, being catered to. Plus he likes the taste. But like hell he's going to say as much. He goes quiet at the suggestion of them taking turns. That... doesn't sound so bad.]
No way, I wouldn't just be lounging about! I mean, I guess we could all split up the chores. Or at least take turns with the cooking. ...I'll make sure to fix him the puffy pancakes the next time we see him, too. He deserves that much.
[He does need to take better care of his shinki, he knows. It's just hard sometimes. He's not used to having a kitchen readily available and ingredients to work with.]
a hug full of whatever this emotion is that she refuses to name. that. hiyori has to avoid the intensity of his eyes as she works on cutting off a piece of her omelet and putting it in her mouth as a distraction.
but if it's the warmest hug he's ever gotten, that needs to change. she can do better than a side hug. ]
Because you need to be self-sufficient, that's why, but I get it now. You like being pampered, Yato. [ if she thinks about it, that isn't too surprising. yato wants to be a big-shot god with a ton of followers, doesn't he? or that's what he wanted before. now he wants to make people happy. reminding herself of that change makes her smile to herself.
if yato was simply HONEST, that might take him pretty far.
they're talking about him like he really will show up, though. her smile spreads wider on her face, finally looking up from her plate to aim her grin at him. yato would make the souffle pancakes for yukine! ]
You would?! Hehe, good!! I know he'd like them as much as me. [ is that possible? she was obsessed. like yato, though, yukine wouldn't admit it that he liked them. those two are too similar sometimes, but it's funny. ]
I-I shouldn't cook, though. I still need a lot more practice.
[Who can walk the fastest while still holding hands!!
Full of mystery emotion...! It certainly was a loaded action, but one he wasn't at all displeased with. In fact, he'd like more, but he can't bear to bring himself to ask for it. She was so warm...
Maybe someday he'll be brave enough to. As is, he can barely stand being called out like he is as she hits the nail on the head, first try. It leaves him hunched up over his omelet, feeling exposed.]
S...So what if I do? Wouldn't everyone? And I can be self-sufficient. I am an older god. [He just enjoys knowing that there's someone willing to dote on him and go through the effort necessary to care for his lazy ass. That Yukine does so with minimal grumping fills him with a special kind of joy.
It's a shame he can't really get out the words necessary to articulate that fact.
Either show up, or they'll go home. Either way, he has to maintain faith that they'll see Yukine again soon. He misses his shinki and longs to hug the kid again. Finally taking his plate over to the table, he seats himself across from Hiyori and takes up his fork.]
Of course. I wouldn't keep that from him. No reason to. Plus he deserves a treat, too. [He doesn't mind the idea of fixing the pair of them breakfast more often. In fact it sounds kind of fun, especially if they work together to serve up juice and the like to go with it.]
You're getting better. Simple things should be fine. Especially if I'm there to watch over you as you cook.
[ hiyori?? yato?? our commentators will be back for full coverage!!
everyone probably does like being pampered. in yato's case, too, he has probably, hardly, if ever, been pampered because of how his attitude used to be. hiyori thinks back to when she first met yato and how he demanded things instead of asking for them. yeah, no.
she wonders if her old self would have been so willing to care for a sick yato like she was last month. making him rice porridge and that honey lemon tea whenever he asked for it. they all but napped together on the couch, too. she remembers waking up to yato comfortably snoozing away so quietly. in complete contrast to her teasing about his snoring.
when he's not sick, they take care of each other.
she smiles at him around her fork - yukine does deserve a treat - but she looks bashful for the praise after. but it's not!! good enough! it's not nearly as good as when he helps her. even his omelets are better. argh. ]
Thank you... but I'm glad I haven't fallen asleep yet while doing it. Maybe I have a better handle on my soul than I thought. [ hopefully, he's always here to watch over her as she -- what a selfish thought. ] That's another thing I should train in. I don't know if I can ask anybody how, though. Do you think working out my real body would affect it? I could go running in the mornings.
[Watch as they trip on their feet and end up in a heap!
There's also the fact that for so much of his life he was alone aside from Hiiro who isn't exactly... the most emotionally available person out there. She took care of him when he was injured, sure, but there was never any warmth behind her actions. It was simply what their father wanted her to do: keep him alive.
Then there's Hiyori, who, without being asked, offers to look after him when he sick out of the goodness of her heart. Who gives him shrines and capyper inari for presents, and goes to theme parks with him despite her misgivings. How he got so lucky, he can't even imagine. But he is truly grateful for everything she's ever done up to this point. Hopefully that shows through with his gifts and gestures like breakfast.
He can't help smiling a bit at her uncertainty. Of course she has a better handle on her soul - she's been practicing with it more often, growing stronger in that regard, too.]
Before you know it, you'll have it down to where only stressful situations can drag you out of it on accident. [He takes a bite of his food, pondering her question as he chews.]
There's no harm in making yourself stronger physically, that's for sure. If anything, it might serve as a way to better ground yourself in your body so you won't fall out so easily. Kind of like the opposite of meditation. Though it also might not hurt to ask around here if anyone has experience with spiritual forms.
nora is someone else she's been thinking about more often. both back on earth and here. yukine saw her before she could guide him to his birthday surprise but what was she doing there? was she lonely like yato? she must be, with all those names...
maybe she needs that irreplaceable someone, too. just like yato.
yato, who has a great idea??? she stares at him, speechless. why didn't she think of that? there are so many different types of people here! surely someone has more experience with the spirits. maybe... maybe there's even someone who has a similar problem that she does!! ]
That's it! [ she all but stands out of her chair, putting her hands on the table and beaming at him. ] I'll start working out and... and ask about it in the journals! That's what they're for, right? Anon-san asked about love, and I've seen a lot of other questions, so I should be able to ask about spiritual forms. That's so smart, Yato! It's worth a try.
Maybe it's cruel, but for him Nora has basically been relegated to the back of his mind, to only be focused on in the context of fighting his dad. Though he doesn't wish her any ill will, there's just currently no place in his life for her. Not with the way things are between her and Yukine. And it's not like he can give her another name.
But still, hopefully one day she'll be free to live a better life herself, away from their father. He'd like to make sure of that, at least.
Though there's a more pressing matter he has to deal with: the intense weight from Hiyori's eyes upon him. W-What is she staring for...? Is there something on his face? Was it something he said?? He fidgets in place under her scrutiny, poking at his omelet. Until she abruptly stands up, startling him.]
W-What?? [The bit of egg on his fork falls off back onto the plate, his eyes going wide.] Oh... Well, yeah, o-of course it's a good idea! It's mine, isn't it? One of these yahoos here must have some clue that can help you out. You just need to reach the right person!
it's not cruel. nora hasn't been particularly... kind or forthcoming towards any of them. she works for his father and yato's father is the enemy. in every way. with yato releasing her, nora might feel like father is the only place she can go, too. it's all--
complicated.
and her heart is already tearing itself up inside since recalling that anon's words the first time. since it's becoming more and more clear. that feeling hasn't left, but she's glad for the distraction of finally (potentially) finding a solution to her half-phantom problem after all this time.
yahoos? they're not that bad. why is he calling them yahoos now? ]
It's brilliant! [ what's that behind her? yep, her tail. tail wagging. she hasn't seemed to realize yet. ] I've already met one person who can see spirits, just like me! Maybe they know...! [ BUT IT WAS ANON-SAN. WHO ARE YOU ANON-SAN. slowly, she sinks back into her seat, the excitement fading away. ]
But I don't want people to think I'm weird if I write about it. Seeing spirits, much less turning into half of one, is probably really strange. People will think I'm crazy.
Deceptive and cruel is more like it. Whatever their dad wants her to be at any given moment. Like a puppet on a string, dancing to do his bidding for a little praise. Something he couldn't continue to do anymore and refused to in the end. Hopefully he can maintain the distance he's put between them for a while longer whenever they get home.
At least while he continues to try searching for a way to help fix Hiyori's body. He still hasn't given up, even if all his leads seem to have hit dead ends. Surely there must be a method to secure her soul back inside her body permanently. They just... need to find it. Even if it means going to others for help. He'll take it if it leads to tangible results.
As for the people here... He's still bitter about his advertisement, okay. Yes, still. If he had a tail still, it'd be twitching too at how she's gone and done it while they're talking about it. Sheesh... Some people's humans...]
Heh. Of course~ [He does have a thousand years experience, after all!] Can't hurt to ask! [Don't sit on your sleeping body, Hiyori.....]
...Hiyori, we've dealt with candy corn monsters, dangerous mirrors, affectionate flying sea slugs, and hell of a lot more. If anybody thinks you're crazy, they need to get outside more. It'll be fine.
and yet, hiyori is starting to think it's not completely nora's fault she is the way she is. the same way it was with yato. beneath all that peacocking and self-absorption, he was so lonely. he was seeking purpose. someone who wanted him to stay, his dream. someone to remember.
which makes it all the more important that she must.
... and to guide him through things like an advertisement that fell flat and he feels bitter about. hmm.
she hasn't learned she's dropped it yet. when she sits down, her body just... phases through like always. he makes a good point, too, and she looks abashed at being reminded. reassured, though, too. she smiles. ]
Yeah. Yeah, it probably will. You're right. It's just, it's weird where we come from and I think it's harder to shake that feeling. But you're right. We've dealt with a lot of insane circumstances since being here. Weird is normal.
[ what's next? ]
Speaking of new and strange things! Did you get those pretty orbs, too? And I got another pendant...
No, they're both products of their upbringing, although Nora has always been strange, a lot of her maliciousness was learned or at least instilled by their father. He doesn't blame her entirely, and if at all possible he wants to save her when eventually he...
Well, that's for a later time, when he gets back home. No need to dwell on it now. There's nothing he can do about it, anyways.
At the moment he's better off focusing on Hiyori and what he can do to help her here, both about her body and in other ways.]
Happens when you're in a dream world. And while your condition is rare, it's not entirely strange. So... don't feel too self-conscious about it, okay?
[He tries to sound reassuring and offer her a smile, but it's kind of lopsided as she phases through her body. He opens his mouth to point it out when she continues, startling him into silence for a moment.]
Yeah, sure did. I think they're-- Wait, what? Who from? Is it some guy?!
[He doesn't know how to take this bit of information. Why is she telling him...? So he'll get jealous? She isn't showing it off, so... Is it prettier than his? More elaborate? Why?? LET HIM AT THIS GUY!!]
when push comes to shove, she believes yato will do the right thing when it comes to nora. because if anybody knows how she feels, it's him. ]
I'll try. [ hiyori replies softly, feeling strangely bubbly inside with all of yato's effort at comforting her. he may not have been able to cure her so far, but he's doing a good job in having her believe it'll be alright.
aaaaand just as quickly, he's doing yato things. she fights a sigh. why is he like this. does he or does he NOT want her to--
to what? date? actually date someone? here? ]
No, I don't know who it's from. And why do you always assume it's a guy!? It could be a from a girl. And, even if it was, it wouldn't mean anything! [ OUCH, HIYORI. ]
... I can't tell what you want. Your answer earlier was even more confusing.
[ it is not prettier than his at all. she told him because she got three pendants, THREE, within a week after not having jewelry. it was funny, but it's not so funny anymore. ] I told you I would tell you if anybody interested me. Plus, you cut all my potential soulmates at the Divine Council before saying you would pick my soulmate for me. [ and then kofuku did before he could. ] You have some fixation with my love life and... I know it's because you care and because you think I'm some perfect potential w-wife that deserves the best, but I just--! [ AM NOT
INTERESTED IN
ANYBODY BUT ]
I want to be a doctor before I ever think of being a wife. So, will you please stop assuming I'm meeting all these guys and I'm getting gifts from them? You've been covering that already and I'd rather keep it this way.
[ SHOVES A LARGE BITE OF EGG IN HER MOUTH. take that as you will, yato. ]
Depending on when she asks that question, the answer could vary wildly. He may have said he wants her to find a husband and get married, which he does! And yet there's no getting around the fact he wants that man to be...]
Because jewelry is a gift guys give when they-- [Like someone.] W-Well, girls too, but... [Her reassurance that it wouldn't have any meaning curbs some of his ire, turning it into embarrassment from her confusion.]
...like I said, I want you to be happy, end of story. But that doesn't mean I want you hooking up with just any old guy! H-He's got to be perfect for you! Nothing less will do...!
[It's like this place is conspiring to make Hiyori into the target of somebody's affections, and he's not going to allow that to happen! Nobody gets to play matchmaker for her except for him! Although as she continues he gets the feeling that even that is starting to grate on her nerves.
He listens to her without protest, remaining quiet for a time once she's finished. He does kind of have a thing about her having a family - eventually - and part of his reasoning is selfish, yet he's not lying about just wanting her to be content with her life.]
It's not that I think you're falling for a bunch of guys. It's more I worry about them falling for you and trying something. [He gets that out, then, several moments after, registers the rest of what she's said. K-Keep it that way... WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?? He can make assumptions and it leads to an interesting conclusion. One that has him turning a lovely shade of red as his fork goes limp in his hand.]
[ will hiyori ever put what he JUST SAID together with the fact he gave her jewelry? when they what?? what!!
when they what...?
she doesn't know what he cut himself off from saying but that yato thinks she's just going to HOOK UP WITH ANYONE is almost laughable. for whatever reason, her plaque kept getting tied to losers. but that's not her taste!! it's not!! BELIEVE HER.
if they weren't interrupted by kofuku taking her plaque, how long would yato have sat there going through every guy? looking for the perfect partner for her. she colors in her cheeks, red and rosey, not having anything to say to that other than what she's already pointed out. doctor first.
and she is happy.
hiyori isn't oblivious to yato wanting her to have a family either. to pass on the lifeline of memories so he's never forgotten and never disappears. did he really place his faith in her to do that? she doesn't want to think about it.
and guys falling her for HER? yeah, right.
hiyori falls more than they ever would. literally. her poor body. ]
............. Heh? [ she looks behind her, watching her happily snoozing face smile and drool and tip to the side to fall onto the floor. her arms stretch out to catch herself instinctively, ]
[Probably about when he realizes all the things she's been saying add up to one conclusion. aka next to never. Idiots.
Even now her plaque is tied to a loser, some might say. Deadbeat hobo god with few prospects for a prosperous future. He's not worried so much about Hiyori's choices anymore as he is someone unsuitable pursuing her. Who knows what sorts might have ended up in this crazy dream world. Some psychos, no doubt...
Although some might wonder who's the psycho, with his obsessing over her, her relationships, and future romantic status. Really, if he wasn't a god, he'd probably be labeled a creep. If he isn't already. Though of all the aspects of Hiyori he frets over, one would think his desire to have a continued lifeline the most understandable, given his only other option.
Of course, they have to make sure Hiyori's body makes it that far. Which it won't do if she drops the damn thing at times like breakfast, for goodness sake. He shakes his head with a sigh, getting up from the table to come around so he can pick up her sleeping form.]
Think you got a little excited there. Here. I'll put you back in bed for now, until you can get back in. Okay?
hiyori would say that yato is a dummy, surely, but he's not as much of a deadbeat hobo anymore. his future is prosperous because he's aiming to be a god of fortune. he is one. he and yukine have been working hard together and he has his little plot of land in takamagahara. ]
Okay.
[ wringing her hands, she watches and follows behind as he carries her back to her bedroom. her drool-covered cheek rests against his chest and she's so embarrassed for getting it on his clothes but ponders if she were in her body, would she hear his heartbeat? before forcing herself NOT to ponder on such a thing.
she hovers in the doorway, watching him set her down on the mattress, with her tail flicking behind her. after saying she had a better handle on her soul, too. sigh. figures.
she's just going to observe what he does. silently reaching for her tail and bringing it around to her front to hold. don't mind her. ]
[It's true he's finally making progress towards his goal - his new goal - however slow it might seem. Its certainly is more than he's made in the last thousand years on his own, that's for sure. And he has two people to thank for that... One of which is resting comfortably in his arms as he carries her down the hallway.
Once in Hiyori's bedroom, he makes sure to draw the sheets and blanket back enough to properly cover her, making sure her feat in particular are snug underneath. He then carefully lifts her head, smoothing out her hair before adjusting the pillow. There. That should make sure she wakes up well rested.
He can't help smiling down at her sleeping body, looking ever so peaceful. Forgetting that Hiyori herself is still behind him, he starts to lean in-- then abruptly catches himself and turns pink. Instead he switches to simply petting her hair, hesitating a moment before turning around.]
T-There you go. All set. Shall we finish cleaning up breakfast? I'll fix you something else later once your body's awake.
[ maybe she should have hung around in the kitchen instead, so she wasn't witness to this. her hands squeeze around her tail as yato tucks her in, being gentle and mindful. going above and beyond by making sure she doesn't sleep on her hair.
she stops breathing as he leans in, sucking in a breath sharply and suddenly. when he turns around, she is bright red and wide-eyed. she saw that. she saw that. what was that? WHAT WAS THAT?? does she ask? has he done that before? her mouth doesn't work. she says nothing, only nods at the suggestion of cleaning up, while trailing behind him again back to the kitchen. they almost make it too before hiyori snatches the hem of his shirt, curling her fingers and bringing him to a stop.
whatever it was she was planning to say? gone. her mouth just opens and closes a few times. ignore it. pretend it didn't happen and move on. he could have just been looking closer at the drool on her mouth because that's a thing.
he wouldn't do that other thing. while she's sleeping.
his clothes are released and she bundles her hands up close to her neck, near her gemstone pendant, nails digging into the back of her palm and her eyes cast down. ]
Thanks for...! That. [ carrying her to her room? tucking her in? making sure her feet don't get cold? almost doing that THING he didn't do and pet her hair instead? all of the above? ]
It'll be nice to wake up in bed for once instead of on the ground. I saw you... made sure I was comfortable. It was thoughtful.
[ that's not what she wanted to say but that is what she is saying now. ]
[Praying to the high heavens that Hiyori didn't catch on to what he was about to do (NOT kiss her on the lips, he has more sense than that!) he gently slides past her through the doorway, his heart pounding loud in his ears. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She was right! There! What the hell came over him, he doesn't know. No. Actually, he does. That feeling he refuses to put a name to, to acknowledge wholly.
L... Lucky is not his name today, it would seem. As he no sooner gets part of the way down the hallway when he feels a tug at his shirt, preventing him from moving forward. He turns slowly to face her, not all the way, but enough to show that she has his attention. Please don't notice the color in his face...
Watching her with both a keen interest and something resembling fear, he keeps his eyes on her hands instead of higher up. It's the best he can do under the circumstances.]
Uh... Y-You're welcome. I just... wanted you to be comfortable. [She must be talking about how he handled her head, right? Right?? Not for not... getting closer. She would've decked him if she thought he was trying anything like that! Yeah. Of course.]
That's how you should be waking up. [He wants to apologize for not being able to make that happen, but her next words stop him cold. It.. doesn't sound like what she intended to say.] You... saw? Oh-- Um, right. I try to be! Hehe...
[Wondering if he can make his escape now, he gradually starts backing up, raising a hand in both a wave and to brush aside her thanks.]
[ he doesn't get far before she's reaching for his shirt again, stepping forward as he backs up. praying to the heavens does nothing. she saw him almost do something. ]
Wait, don't run off!!
[ it's a plea. but what happens after this? when they're both bright red, so hot in the cheeks she's surprised that they haven't started to steam up the entire house. this is what she gets for sidestepping and ignoring yato, isn't it? that when she wants to talk about the something, he's trying to brush it off and move on. this just feels so different! and he must realize that too or else he wouldn't be running off. he would be playing it up more. ]
It's not nothing, i-is it?
[ what is she asking? it's not like she wants to know what he was doing but her heart has taken hold of her tongue. ]
It felt different! I wasn't creeped out or anything like I usually am when you take things too far! [ hiyori. ] It was like those other things I enjoy! [ holding hands. new: hugging. hanging out on the couch together. being together. ] But I had to watch it... s-so that was a little off-putting...
[When Hiyori grabs his shirt for a second time, it's like she's got a hold of his throat. Caught like a gazelle by a lion. He can't bring himself to flee even if he easily could. Not only would that hurt her, but it'd be all but admitting his guilt.]
I'm not...!
[He totally was. But he stops anyway, as does his breath. Briefly for that, at least. Though his face only continues to redden as they face one another properly, this time he finds himself looking directly into her eyes instead of elsewhere. It's like she has some kind of spell over him, one he fears almost as much as his dad.
What if... this is what drives her away? What causes her to leave him finally, for good? Without noticing, his hands begin to shake, leading him to clenching them into fists to try stilling them.]
M...Maybe.
[Where to go from here, though? Should he come clean and explain what he was trying to do? No. No way. That would give everything away, expose his heart to her... He couldn't bear it. Thankfully Hiyori continues, surprising him until his eyes are wide with shock at how brazen she's being - at how much she didn't mind what he'd done. That she... actually... like it?]
O-Oh... T-Then, I won't do... that anymore, unless you're in your body. 'kay? [That should make things right, right?]
[ she doesn't want him to be afraid, not that she can read his thoughts but his expression says enough. those shaking hands say it. enough to get her to let go of him and take a step back herself, mouth pursing nervously and guiltily.
"maybe"...
despite her guilt, she doesn't look away as their eyes meet and yato stumbles over a response. her stomach flips around itself, and her hands clutch to her pajama bottoms in a white-knuckled grip. ]
O, okay. [ she murmurs with a tiny nod. what thing is he making right? nothing was... wrong, per se. if anything, watching as a spectator might have been the sort of separation she needed to see she would be fine with it. that she wants--
whatever IT was.
only hiyori and yato would have this very specific problem of him IT'ING her unconscious form for her spirit form to watch. ]
Okay. [ she says in a tone of more finality, nods more firmly, and thence continues down the hall and back to the kitchen. heart somewhere up in her throat. beating so hard it hurts. yes, it hurts. ]
[Both of them are practically a mirror of one another: locked eyes and clenched hands and beating hearts. Well, Yato has to assume that hers is pounding away like his own based on her own posture and having seen what she did.
It's truly a wonder that she didn't smack him, demand to know what the hell he thought he was trying, and and-- he wants to know, too. Get a grip, Yatogami...! At least pay attention to your surroundings if you're gonna try to plant one on your follower! Geez... He's such an idiot.
But wait, does that mean that she actually wouldn't mind if he... Or did she just mean the whole putting her to bed bit? Which in itself is one hell of a leap in the relationship department, he feels, but what he'd intended to do was decidedly non-platonic. But does she know that? He can't imagine that she does.]
Y..Yeah. [This is definitely a Them problem, for sure. So ridiculous.] Alright.
[His own heart continues to pound as Hiyori heads back, leaving him standing dumbly in the hall alone. Then he's burying his face in his hands as he lets out a shaky, nervous laugh. He's still got to face her during clean up.]
...shit.
[His feet feel heavy as he slowly drags himself to the dining table, mind elsewhere as he picks up their plates and heads for the kitchen, nerves shot.]
[ part of her, that remembers creeper stalker yato who wears her uniform when he wants, is demanding to know what the heck he thought he was trying and why she hasn't laid him out. most of her, however, the hiyori that's been living with yato and has witnessed him change-- also wants to know what he was trying but without all the indignance and fury. with more curiosity than anything.
yato takes the empty plates and she works on cleaning the table, wiping it down.
it's silent as they work. typically, hiyori makes small talk about this or that because she's interested to hear yato's opinion on things. she doesn't catch his curse at any point as she's lost in her thoughts, too. doing her best not to look at him in the kitchen as the water runs and she can hear him scrubbing away at plates.
what's going on? living in this dream world is changing her. at least, it's certainly changing what she can and can't tolerate from yato. it's making her nervous to talk to yato and not in the way she was when she was unsure if he was a scary guy or not. is this because they live together? is this why yato and yukine are so close? daikoku and kofu-- she can't think of them. she can't compare them.
while he's finished the second plate, hiyori appears with the pan and utensil he used at the stove and hands it over. ]
[Knowing what a close call that was for both of them, Yato's thanking his lucky stars that Hiyori hasn't cornered him bodily and forced him to talk regarding what just happened. He wouldn't put it past her, no way. But since she hasn't and her words were that of approval to a degree, he can only assume she doesn't want his guts for garters. Or to bend any other part of him into uncomfortable shapes.
Also stuck in his own head, he doesn't realize how odd the silence is for them, not when his mind is loud enough for two. Part of him is screaming at himself for being such a damn fool for trying to place a kiss on her forehead, and the other for being such a damn fool for not trying it on Hiyori, herself. In the end he comes to the conclusion that yes, he is indeed an idiot.
He mutters as much under his breath while he washes the dishes, face still heated from the incident. This is... definitely a dangerous situation. Maybe one of them should move out...? It would have to be him - he couldn't ask her to leave. But... he likes living with Hiyori, no matter how tempting it may be. Maybe she does, too...? She said she didn't mind, so--
He visibly jumps when the subject of his thoughts makes an appearance, offering him the pan and spatula. Swallowing hard, he nods and takes them from her, struggling to get his voice to work normally.]
T..Thanks. I'll be done in just a minute. So you don't have to worry about helping with the rest.
[ the reason she doesn't is because of that exact thing; it was already a close call. as much as she wants to know, it might be better if she just doesn't. what if things get awkward? ... more awkward. deep down, they both know what just happened anyway. a line was almost crossed. what line was it?
not the guts for garters line, fortunately. or pretzel yato. that's already been crossed before.
all this because of a forehead kiss he couldn't go through with when hiyori has already kissed the back of his hand. wh-what would a kiss on the forehead be! hah!!
(a lot.)
it was never dangerous before. they only have to go back to that "before" again. she wouldn't let yato leave unless he had a place to stay, anyway. going out there and sleeping outside in the trees or something isn't going to happen. she wouldn't be able to live with herself. it's hard enough knowing brc is doing the same dang thing. ]
I want to help. [ as ever, but she can take the hint. it looks as though she wants to say something, but just bites at her lip. suddenly she reaches up, cups his hot cheeks in her hands, and gives him a probing look.
]
Alright. I'm going to my room. Thank you for breakfast.
[ just as quickly, she drops her hands. hiyori bows her head in gratitude toward him and then walks out of the kitchen to leave him be.
once in her room she sits down at her desk, opens up her new diary, and writes:
January 6th. Today was the last day of Yato's advent calendar. My final gift was a life-size reindeer named Rainy. She's in the corner right now. It was too much, but I have to admit it was fun getting presents every day.
Something happened today with Yato, too. I'm not sure what. ???????????????????????????? ]
[...yeah, there's no need for them to spell it out. Hiyori isn't stupid. He might be, but she isn't. Surely she has an idea of what he was about to try. He just has to hope that she didn't get the wrong idea. He wasn't trying to play Sleeping Beauty with her unconscious body!!
For Yato, there's no going back once he acknowledges his feelings. Which is why he's doing his level best not to. To ignore that ache that seems to grow stronger with each passing week. Leads him to doing stupid shit stuff like what he just tried. In her presence, no less!!
What makes it worse is when Hiyori suddenly lays her hands on him, giving her both a good feel of how hot he is and how hard he's breathing. His eyes go wide as they gaze at each other, although he's not sure what he's seeing in her expression, it's so unreadable.
And then just like that she releases him, giving a proper-ish bow before leaving him all alone. For the longest time he merely stares after her, breathing hard as he leans against the counter to catch his breath. He needs to go cool off somewhere.
He finishes up the remaining dishes in a rush, throwing the towel over the sink edge when he's done. Taking up a pad of paper and pen, he scribbles down a note that simply says, "Gone out. Back later." and leaves it for her on the dining table. Then he hurries to his room to change and teleports away to the restaurant part of town. Even at this early hour, he needs a drink.]
It's not something I would brag about, but I do like the look of pressed flowers, and they make wonderful bookmarks. This is very topical, but you can have entire conversations based on what flowers you receive.
You know, that makes sense. You're a flower earring for Bishamon-san after all. Pressed flowers are pretty and sort of timeless when they're like that. In my journal at home, I've pressed a couple, too.
You're talking about hanakotoba, right? Do you know the language?
I know that I look rather young, but I am much older than what I look like. I had plenty of time to find ways to say things that I could not actually say in person. I once gave Viina a bouquet that consisted of lavender roses. Do you know the meaning of those flowers or what yellow roses mean?
[Oh Hiyori.... You sweet, sweet child. Kazuma is absolutely envious of you right now. Only she would have the gall to just *say* whatever is on her mind to her love and not have to deal with social norms. Thank god that this whole conversation is being said over the journal; there's no promise that he would have been able to hide his anger right then.]
Well, I certainly hope so. I am her blessed vessel after all.
I will only tell you what yellow roses mean, and perhaps the mystery of what the other one would encourage you to delve into studying hanakotoba yourself.
Yellow roses have two different meanings- jealousy and infidelity. Hopefully, you will never be on the receiving end of one of those.
[ first instinct tells her to write I'M NOT LIKE HIM WE DON'T GET ALONG just like it did when she sat with yukine and ate lunch on a bench after bodying yato into the river for being a creep and spying. but they actually do. he's right. he's her best friend by most rights.
Viina is way too busy to send flowers, besides it would look rather improper. Unlike Yato- Viina has many shinkis and favoritism provokes negative feelings.
I think you're making a lot of speculations about how other people feel. Giving someone flowers is sweet, not improper. It shows appreciation.
And if you told her, Bishamon-san might send you flowers because you like them. But she can't know until you do.
Besides, negative feelings aren't inherently bad. It's natural. Nobody can feel positive all the time. What's important is to resolve them and not let them build into something worse.
Perhaps that is the case, but I have experienced it more then once to justify my personal beliefs.
You can say that but need I remind you that despite how often you do spend time with gods and shinkis- you do not understand everything about how things are handled between the two. You are not a shinki nor a god.
More than that, shinki are still human. They're still people. And gods may be gods but I've experienced enough to have my own beliefs, too. Nobody is infallible. Gods need their shinki as much as shinki need their gods.
But this goes for everyone: Nothing gets better by being silent. If anything, it only hurts more.
[God Damn it- No, he doesn't know that. That is the only thing that everyone seems to dance around.]
When you become a shinki I would take your advice into consideration, until then perhaps we should focus on friendlier matters? Do you think it would be wise to stick with plastic vases or should we look at some glass vases?
[ TO PROTECT. the only thing hiyori will agree is better to keep quiet.
which is the reason why, after the initial hurt, she doesn't hold when you become a shinki against kazuma no matter the intent behind it. he doesn't know that shinki are people that were killed, does he? shinki only know that they've died.
if she becomes a shinki, it's because she died too soon. that she wanted to live. a thought that makes her blood run cold. despite that, ]
I'm trying to be a good friend by telling you this, Kazuma-san. I think your way of doing things is too short-sighted. [ unintentional glasses joke ] I don't want you to get hurt in the future because you kept your silence for whatever reason. You're still a person like me, aren't you? A good person. Not just a shinki. Not just a good shinki, either. Why do the two have to be separate?
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Action, 12/25
!!
immediately she looks at her wall, in the direction of yato's room, before checking for a note. any hint of who it's from. nothing. huh...
it's opened meticulously, if not cautiously. tugging the ribbon off first and setting that aside. when she finally gets to open this box--
she nearly slams the lid back on it in shock. she opens it again, slower, and peeks at it. but just puts the lid back with her heart pounding up in her throat. back and forth, peek and close. until finally, hiyori is staring at it with awe as it sits there and winks at her. it's so pretty. there's so many gems and it's glowing and
it's beautiful. too much. only one person does too much in this way and he lives with her.
knock, knock. ]
G-good morning, Yato! Merry Christmas! [ don't mind that crack in her voice. ]
HEHE
It was over the top and extra in a way that's become something of a signature to him.
Maybe that's why he's still in bed when Hiyori comes a knocking. Gradually, though, he begins to stir as her voice breaks through the haze of sleep, reminding him what day it is. He struggles to sit up groggily with a yawn, stretching his arms out before him like a cat before calling out in reply.]
Mmm, morning! Merry Christmas to you, too! C'mon in!
PHONETAGS..........
what does he mean come in?! h-he's not sick. there's no reason to be in his room. AND SHE'S IN HER PAJAMAS.
the door opens enough for hiyori to peek in, her eyes poking around the edge, before she pushes it all the way open. she's clutching something in her hand, close to her chest, and holds something else behind her back. ]
I, um, have something for you... from Santa...
[ it's from her. ]
\o/
Even as he calls out to her, he's throwing off the covers and hopping into his tracksuit pants. At least he's got a shirt on? Though it's not like it's the first time she's seen him in his pajamas. And he's seen her in just a towel, so...
He's straightening out his shirt when she cautiously peers in, being met with bright blue eyes and a big smile. It's Christmas--! He's practically bouncing in place as he greets her with a quick wave.]
--! Santa came? Here?!
[Given it's a dream world, he wasn't sure if Santa could make it, but it seems he has...! Padding over, he leans this way and that to try seeing past her.]
Shall we open presents, then?
I PHONETAG FOR YATORI
(and she's seen yato's capyper pajamas)
whether it's conscious or not, a smile spreads across her face. yato's starbright, unrepentant happiness has a way of doing that. slowly but surely. as surely as she relaxes and opens the door more fully to him in maximum kid-mode excitement. she stifles a laugh and nods. ]
Mhm! Yep, he left something by the tree for you, but... um, I got you this.
[ from behind her back, hiyori offers a wrapped package shyly. like his, it's wrapped simply, but instead of a gold ribbon there's a big red one. ]
I may have accidentally opened one already, too...
I KNOW THAT FEEL
At least he's not an exhibitionist?The way his enthusiasm spreads to Hiyori cycles back around to Yato himself, leaving him gasping like a fish to hear that Santa actually came and left him something, and that Hiyori has a present for him as well. This is the best Christmas ever--! He dances back a little to give her space to come inside the room, hands clasped before him.]
Oh wow, really? Thank you...!
[With the utmost care he takes the package from her, an expression of adoration gracing his face as he looks between her and her gift. So pretty...]
Ah, that's alright! They're meant to be opened, anyway. Did you-- Um, what did you think of it...?
[Suddenly turning shy, he holds his gift to his chest, eyes searching her expression for any indication of what she might be thinking regarding her own present.]
HOLDS THEM IN MY ARMS
isn't he???for all her shyness, she seems pretty excited to see yato open his gift. the other ones can be from santa. if her soul was out, her tail would most certainly be wagging. also entering his room now without an issue. SITTING ON HIS BED WITHOUT ISSUE.
until he brings up her gift. her hand clenches around it once before unfolding her fingers to show it's in her palm. glowing and glimmering with harnessed magic. ]
It's... beautiful. Colorful. [ h-heavy. but not as heavy as a wedding dress is. it really is pretty. she's never... gotten jewelry from-
from a boy. man. god. it shows in her flushed cheeks. currency isn't a thing so how in the heck did yato GET this? ] I can't help but stare at it. I-it's almost too pretty for me to wear...! All these gemstones...
CRADLES THEM LOVINGLY
Only partially??Thumbing his own package, he pulls the door open a bit more so they're not standing there halfway peeking around it. His own eyes shine bright as he glances to her hands, cheeks starting to color with faint heat.
The necklace is the perfect representation of Hiyori: a unique, multi-faceted treasure that shines best under the light, revealing all colors of the rainbow and filled with magical power. ]
Ah-- I'm so glad you like it. [He laughs in clear relief, shoulders sagging as some of the tension drains from them. He knows certain types of jewelry carry meaning to humans, like rings, so he'd hoped that a necklace wouldn't be too much for her to bear getting from him.
Nodding in understanding, he fidgets a bit, clasping his present tighter.] I-If it's too much, you could save it for special occasions and treat it like an ornament to hang in the house. [Whatever makes her happiest, really.]
MERRY SHIPMAS
he's an attention hog!!that is... if he told her that's why he gave her the necklace, she might turn into a steam engine. it's almost too much. almost.
yet, she's happy. more that he thought of her, although the necklace is soooo pretty. fact remains she's curious how he GOT such a thing. her present(s) feel lacking. ]
N-no, not an ornament--! Um. [ she stares down at the gems and comes to a decision. ] W, well. Christmas is a pretty special occasion. Could you, erm, h-help me... put it on?
[ NO GOING BACK NOW, HIYORI. ]
AND HAPPY NEW PAIR
This is true!Thank goodness then that he's too preoccupied with having received a present to accurately convey his thought process, hehe. Can't have Hiyori melting!
At her request his expression immediately softens and he nods. Settings his present down on his desk, he then comes over to gently take the necklace from her. Going behind her, he then drapes it around her neck, securing the clasp, fingers ever so lightly brushing over the nape of her neck.]
...there we go. How's that? Comfortable?
[He takes a small step back, hands falling to his side.]
HEHEHEHE I LIKE THAT
she does her very best not to tremble from his fingers brushing over her nape and ducks her head to fight back the furious blush that wants to bloom over her cheeks. once she's under control, she turns around to shoot him a bashful smile.
the pendant rests just beneath her collar. ]
Perfect, thank you. [ she brushes it lightly with her fingers before looking towards his gift. ]
Let's go to the other room! I saw a few presents under the tree for you.
[ all but leaping off his bed, she heads towards his door
and stops
to turn toward him and hold out her hand. ]
HEHE IT DOES WORK DOESN'T IT
He nods as he swallows hard, snatching up her gift to him and clutching it tightly to his chest. When he's met with her outstretched hand, he hesitates only a moment before taking it with a smile and allowing her to lead them out to the living room.]
Can I open your present first?
[Because Santa or no, that's the one he's most excited about, truthfully. A gift from Hiyori~! He wonders what she might have gotten him.]
VERY CLEVER VERY GOOD
Eh?
[ she thought he was really into santa. ] U-um, sure. If that's what you want!
[ as they file into the main room, there are three!! more gifts under the little tree they picked and decorated themselves. a couple of hiyori's clay inari sit on the branches but there are those paper snowflakes yato talked about and garland. they managed to find corn to pop and put on a string.
hiyori leads them over to the couch and gets yato to sit down before she goes to collect the other presents and put them around his feet. the ones from "santa."
the one from hiyori would be near impossible to say is from santa because it's handmade. something she's been working on at the pottery shop. it's one of those good luck cats, a maneki-neko, but it's painted dark and has a little crown on his head. he has a five yen coin painted gold and his own little ascot.
it's maneki-nyato. the eyes are even blue, too. ]
I, um... know how much you like good luck charms, so...
MUCH LOVE VERY SMOOCHY
And he is into Santa, but there's someone he's even more into.] 'kay!
[Basking in the festive cheer, he just stands and admires the scene for a few moments, smiling happily. It may be his first Christmas away from Yukine since finding him, but it's also his first Christmas with just him and Hiyori, so it sort of balances out. I-It's kind of romantic, really.
Thankfully he knew better than to make it weird by getting them a couple's Christmas cake to share, instead settling on them baking cupcakes together.
Once seated on the couch and surrounded by presents(!!!) he starts by opening Hiyori's first. Immediately his expression is one of slack-jawed wonder as he recognizes what it is and what it represents. It's like a him in godly kitty form...! Beckoning good fortune. His fingers trace the curves of its form, booping its little nose before he looks up with tears in his eyes. Handmade, too. Made by Hiyori's delicate fingers, just for him...
He swallows and flashes her the brightest of grins.]
Hiyori... Thank you so much! It's perfect--! It can be the guardian cat for my shrine.
[He reaches out to take one of her hands, giving it a grateful squeeze. This might be his favorite present this year, even with Santa in the running.]
SUCH ROMANCE EXTRA HOLIDAY
she definitely can't handle yato saying he's into her more than santa. is that possible?
this too is hiyori's first christmas away from her human family. away from waking up in the morning and being greeted with her pile of presents, just like she's made of yato's small pile. this isn't so bad, though. yato's happy bouncing around and mega-watt smiles warm her heart and chases the strange loneliness and homesickness away. it's not that she hasn't enjoyed being here with yato, whiling their days away with missions or work. learning to cook and how to cohabitate together without wanting to wring his neck. but one can't help but miss home on the holidays.
it would have been worse without him here.
cupcakes were a good choice, too. fun and festive.
her heart leaps to her throat at his teary-eyed smile and when he grabs her hand. she squeezes back. she smiles back. ]
Y-you're welcome. Your shrine is well-protected, huh? Capyper and a cat guardian?
BIG DORKS MANY BLUSHES
It must be, as she's one of his top three people, so naturally that places her well above someone he's never had the chance to meet, present-delivering god or not.
Although he's never really had a proper home to miss, he's well aware that under normal circumstances people would likely rather be with their families during the holidays. So the best thing he can do for Hiyori is to try making this the brightest, bestest Christmas dream imaginable. Without going so far as to make her uncomfortable or feeling worse. It's a tricky balance to strike, but he's trying.
Taking back his hand, he nods enthusiastically as he holds up the maneki-nyato in both hands. It really is the cutest thing~]
It is! With Yukine, too!
[His gaze turns wistful as he glances out the window at the snow coming down. He misses his shinki, badly. But he swallows those feelings by setting his good luck charm on the coffee table and taking up one of Santa's presents for him, smile returning. What can it be~?]
Hmm~?
UNLIMITED BLUSHES!!!!!!
so far, so good. then again, contrary to his belief, she isn't all that difficult to please. it's a lot better than showing her gnarly wounds on his finger from a little ayakashi to cheer her up. he's much more aware of other people and their feelings. he's less selfish, more considerate. her god of fortune. ]
With Yukine-kun, too! [ that little puffball on the roof. there's no getting through that one, especially.
... she hopes yukine is having a good christmas with kofuku and daikoku, at least. maybe bishamon and kazuma came to visit again, too, and they'll all have hotpot together. she'd rather imagine he's not alone and he won't be too mad at yato when they come back. it wasn't his fault.
NEXT PRESENT. from santa, this time. (still hiyori in actuality.)
it's just a small gift box and taking out the paper reveals...
a rabbit foot from the job on the board! that one where she was (er, santa was) in underwear, again. she wanted it to be a surprise so... she went off on her own to get it. got headbutted on her ankles a lot. it's another good luck charm for yato. ]
TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!!!
He's certainly come a long way since those first days. Done a lot of maturing and growing emotionally, thanks to Hiyori and Yukine's help. Some of it may have been through his own efforts, but he knows damn well that he wouldn't be anywhere near this far along without them. More than presents, that's what he's truly grateful for. Friends are the best present one could ever hope for.]
Heh, damn right! [It wouldn't be a shrine to him without his shinki. His guide and protector.
...who's so going to be pissed when he wakes up. Talk about oversleeping! He'll never hear the end of it. Chuckling to himself over the thought, he ducks his head a bit to hide the few tears stinging his eyes. ...wait for him, Yukine.
Steeling his nerves with a deep breath, he carefully removes the lid and lifts the paper to reveal-- a... a rabbit's foot...! More good luck for him! Lifting it up from the box, he turns to show Hiyori, eyes bright even with unshed tears. So cool...!]
Get a load of it, Hiyori! I finally have a rabbit's foot to bring me luck! Between this and your maneki-neko, I should be able to help bring all sorts of happiness to other people! Hehehe~
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family and friends are irreplaceable and now yato knows that, too. she tilts her head at him laughing to himself before blinking at the box he shows off happily. she works to put the smile back on her face, remembering everything she went through to GET that good luck charm. but it doesn't take much effort with how happy yato is. now leave inaba-chan alone, okay!! ]
Yeah! I guess Santa heard about your wish to be a God of Happiness, too, and wants to help you out. [ without yato breaking the damn bank doing so or stealing yukine-kun's money. not that he's here to-- point stands.
two more presents, yatogami. what could they be? ]
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It's also very Yato of him to attach the rabbit's foot to his maneki-neko's paw, letting it hang down cutely. Now it'll bring double luck...! Snickering a bit over his own silliness, he takes up another package and glances at Hiyori. No more trying to maim Inaba-chan.]
Sure seems like it! I always wondered how Santa knows what everybody wants, but I guess that's his ability as a god, huh?
[His foot bounces with excitement as he unwraps the next present, slowly peeking inside it. What can it be~? What can it be~? More good luck charms? Something yummy to eat? He can't wait to see--!]
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as hiyori watches him attach the foot to the cat's paw, she can't help but look a mix of amused and chagrined. ]
Must be. [ play along...
his next gift is
sort of like a lucky charm! they're certainly seen as lucky. as he peeks in, whatever it is looks soft. and green? and has a cute face like ":>" the more he pulls back the paper, the more it becomes clear what's in it.
it's this little (big) guy. yato likes cute stuff, too, right? capyper... but she couldn't find any capyper here. this is the next best thing. she fidgets in her seat and waits. ]
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His expression turns curious at the first sign of his next gift, not quite picking up on what it is. Though the more he reveals of it, the more his mouth turns up at the corners. It's... it's...]
A turtle! Hiyori, I got a turtle plush! Get a load of it...!
[He picks it up and turns it around to show her, bouncing it on his knee a bit. Turtle turtle~ So cute! His bedroom is really going to start feeling like home with all these awesome presents to decorate it.]
Now Uesama will have a buddy to chill with while we're out! Thanks, Santa!
[He seats Turtle-chan between them, resting on both their legs as he gives her (yes, it is now a she) a pat on the head. That leaves one more present, right? What can it be~~? Aaahhhh he's so excited! Especially since at this point he hasn't got a clue what else could be waiting for him. Opening it up now...!]
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[ this is what christmas is about. spending time with loved ones and spreading cheer. she grins, giving the turtle a little pat on the head for his benefit, too. looks like she's been picking pretty good gifts, but... yato seems happy with whatever a lot of the time.
what's funny to her is that his line of thought isn't too far from hers. she felt selfish keeping uesama all the time when they both won the plush together so it only felt fair to get yato one of his own. it's a lot bigger than the little zombie plush. a pillow for yato to sleep on. or wrap around, whichever.
the last present is in a flatter box than the others. and as he tears into it, hiyori picks up the wrapping paper and wads it up, there's some clothes! pajamas. blue. comfy. because you can never go wrong with comfy pajamas on christmas ok!!
but something she also worked on herself. there's one of those warm pullover sweaters, but on the chest area is yato's crown embroidered into the knit fabric. so he can be warm like hiyori is always telling him, but not give up his little trademark. ]
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Especially Turtle-chan. He's used to sleeping alone for sure, but having something soft to hold at night... sounds very pleasant. Even more so when his dreams have started involving a certain human girl more and more. Waking up from those to an empty bed and no roommate makes him feel rather cold and lonely.
Which makes this next present all the more welcome! Warm pajamas! He lets out a soft gasp as he lifts up the sweater, catching sight of the crown emblem. It even has his emblem...!]
Check it out, Hiyori! Santa even knows about my trademark symbol! Now I don't have to wear my shirt to bed!
[Without waiting for an answer, he wiggles his way into the pullover, tugging it down around his waist with a grin. Mmm. Comfy~]
Man, this has been a great Christmas. Now we should do your gifts!
[Santa did bring her presents, too... right?]
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it's all warm and cozy and happy until yato brings up her gifts.
oh. crap. UH, UM. there are no more presents under the tree! think fast, hiyori. ]
A-ahh, th-they must be at my parent's house and Santa got confused. But it's okay! I mean he's so busy handing out gifts to everyone in one night, I don't blame him for messing it up. I'm happy with your gift, anyway, and watching you enjoy getting all your presents was fun for me.
[ nailed it. ]
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But yes, it's a very good thing that Papa-sama has steered clear of the celebration this time. Yato would not have been a happy camper if he'd ruined this holiday too.
Although even with Hiyori's explanation he starts wibbling, feeling guilty that he only managed to get her one present, however nice it is.]
Santa, how could you--?! Of all the people to misplace the presents for...!
[This just isn't right at all. What can he do to make up for Santa's mistake...? --ah!]
How about I make you breakfast? Whatever you want! It won't be anything special like what Santa could bring you, but having good food tends to make the day a little better.
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oh, no. NO, YATO, DON'T CRY NOW. it's fine! ugh, she can't tell him she's the one that got him all of those. he belieVES IN SANTA. besides his one present is super nice!! she doesn't even really wear jewelry but she could start now!! ]
Y-you don't have to--! [ before finishing her thought, she stops herself. he's trying to make her feel better. trying to make up for santa's "mistake". it's her own mistake. it's not like she could get herself gifts and pretend they're from santa. she could, but she doesn't want to! ]
O, okay. Well. How about... pancakes? Those big fluffy ones?
[ way too delicate for her clumsy hands. the SOUFFLE ONES. ]
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HE'S WIBBLING, especially when she tries to brush off his offer, making his face fall even more. It seems like his suggestion's no good, not comparable to what Santa could do for her. Thankfully she seems to catch on and interrupts herself before he breaks down into full-fledged tears. That one word of "okay" brightens his mood immensely, turning his unshed tears into sparkles of happiness.]
You got it! I'll make so many that you won't need food until it's almost dinner time!
[Setting Turtle-chan in her lap, he hurries out to the kitchen to get everything set up, humming Christmas carols all the while. He even has an idea of how to make them more festive! This is gonna be great~]
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PLEASE DON'T CRY ON CHRISTMAS.
just the sound of so many souffle pancakes makes her stomach hurt. he's overdoing it...! but she doesn't have to heart to say no now when he wants to make it up to her so badly. maybe they can share the pancakes with people they know. like that god yato made friends with, ryu?
she grips turtle-chan in her lap and watches yato bound off to the kitchen and hum. slowly, she sinks in her seat and stares at the silly, happy face of the plush.
should she have just told him the presents were from her? she doesn't know. as much as she wants to keep yato's innocence intact, she wonders if it wouldn't be better if he knew that she chose those gifts for him. no, he'd still feel guilty somehow. seriously though! this necklace is more than enough.
she tries to look down at it, sparkling splendidly against her casual pajamas.
in the meantime, she cleans up the wrapping paper, she checks her journal, and then pokes at the hearth to get a fire going. there is still more capyper inari to hand out later, too. as well as deliver a couple of other presents.
geez, she does feel like santa this year! not a bad feeling, though.
after a while, it starts to smell amazing and she wanders over to watch him at work, peering over his shoulder. ]
Wow! They're so fluffy-looking!
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It should come as no surprise that his first reaction is to go over the top. He doesn't even see it as such, feeling that if Santa of all people has screwed Hiyori over, then it's his duty as her God of Fortune to make up for it and ensure she has a very happy Christmas.
Once in the kitchen he gets everything out and ready, jumping right into it. He's hungry, too, so surely she must be as well. To that end, by the time Hiyori comes to check on him, he has not just one batter going, nor two, but three bowls of the stuff - colored normally along with red and green. Festive!
He turns a little bit to face her, cheeks tinged with pride at her compliment. Cooking is one of those things he's grateful he knows how to do now that he has a human in need of feeding.]
Of course! You wanted souffle pancakes, I'm gonna give you souffle pancakes! Here we go, here's the first one--
[It gets placed on a plate for her, then covered with syrup in a heart shape, followed by a dab of whipped cream and smattering of holiday sprinkles. He really is going all out to make them something special for her. Beaming, he hands the plate over along with a fork.
CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE, HIYORI?? CAN YOU?!]
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at seeing not one, not two, but THREE bowls of batter. the red and green idea is pretty good, though. very festive, yato. why are there three tho......
at yato making a syrup heart on her pancake and adding whipped cream and sprinkles, too, she feels another SOMETHING. going all out, indeed. this is like some street foods she's seen where the vendor puts on ALL the fixings!! where the plate is overflowing. what does she do?? she takes the plate and her stomach decides for her with a small growl. hrrrng as much as she is loathe to ruin such perfect fluffiness, she picks up the fork and-- ]
Th-thanks for the food. [ --digs her fork in.
SOFT. SO AIRY. uwaaah!! they're like PILLOWS. she pokes it again with her fork to watch it bounce.
just like yato earlier, hehe.
... she can hear her mother scolding her not to play with her food and shoves the forkful into her mouth. wwhwhkjsdgjksdg. ]
Hnmmmf. [ THESE ARE GOOD!!!! ]
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Because he wanted three colors? Because it was worth thrice the love?? Because he's that damn extra?!
All of the above. As is clearly displayed by his over-the-top fixings for it. He's going to make sure these pancakes are like presents on a plate! Fluffy clouds of delicious presents. Beaming at her, he starts up on the next pancake - a red one this time.]
You're welcome. [Hopefully she'll like it... He did try hard to make sure they were perfect, measuring everything accurately and picking the right size to ensure their fluffiness.
He steals a glance at Hiyori while the current pancake is cooking, eyes lit up with pleasure as she has fun not only poking at it, but eating it as well. Hehe. They're alike in that regard, wanting to have a bit of fun with their food. Feeling warm all over, he flips the pancake, smiling to himself.]
Taste okay, then?
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Hmmmmm~??
[ resounding "yes" from hiyori. to everything. something is in the air, that she likes it, that it tastes okay. MORE THAN OKAY where have you been all her life, souffle pancakes?! she could eat these forever. she won't because she has self-restraint but they are literally that good. the whipped cream really takes it above and beyond, too. ]
Mhmmmmm~
[ CONTINUES TO EAT HER HEAVEN ON A PLATE. ]
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Chuckling to himself, he sets aside the next done pancake and starts on a green one. It looks like this was a good way to make today a little more special even without a lot of presents. But hmm... Maybe they can still go out later if she wants, pick up some small gifts to make her room more homey, too.]
Glad it meets your approval! Ah, gotta have a drink to go with it.
[Leaving the stove for a minute, he gets them both large glasses of milk and sets her down beside her plate. And then it's back to work! These poofy pancakes won't make themselves.]
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mid-bite, she looks at the glass of milk and manages to pause her eating to take a sip. belatedly, she realizes that this is all... very... let's just say she's seen kofuku and daikoku do things just like this. daikoku cooking while he fed kofuku samples because she didn't want to wait and to stop her from causing trouble.
she sips again. those two... were pretty much a couple, right? it was never blatantly said but they raised a kid together. daikoku calls her 'missus' and, in her own way, kofuku returns that affection. other than going out and extorting poor souls.
or is the relationship between a god and their shinki so strict because of heaven? so they can't officially-- ]
Hey, Yato. I was thinking about everyone back home, they would have loved these. You should make them for everyone next Christmas. [ as long as they're not still here... ] But about Kofuku-san and Daikoku-san in particular.
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It is pretty... domestic. But that's how friends and family are, right? He's pretty sure it is, anyway. Like how Yukine wakes and feeds him, or Daikoku does dinner for them. So this should be fine! He hopes.
Humming carols under his breath, he works to make the pancake stack larger, alternating each color in turn and delivering a fully furnished one to Hiyori once she finishes. He doesn't worry about himself just yet, content in his work. Until Hiyori pipes up. Then he pauses to glance her way with a curious expression.]
You think so? [It's true that Yukine would probably love them, Kofuku, too. He gives the idea some thought and smiles.] Yeah, you're probably right. Maybe even before then. I could color them to match any holiday, you know! Then they can be enjoyed year-round.
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blushing when she tells him she'll visit him every day.
yes, that's how family and friends are...
hiyori accepts her next pancake, as nice as the first. she pokes it again, watching it wiggle, before slicing off another piece. ]
It could be your holiday staple. You know how in families there's that one person who always brings the same dish because everyone likes it so much? [ a smile tugs at her lips before it falls again in thought while watching yato complete pancake after pancake. ]
Those two... do you know if they've ever thought of... g-getting married? [ is this a bad topic to bring up with yato considering all his proPOSALS too late now ] Can gods and shinki...? Or is it weird? Bishamon-san and you see your shinki as your children, but that doesn't seem like it's the case for Kofuku-san and Daikoku-san.
[ OR DOES SHE?! THIS WHOLE TIME SHE'S BEEN LOOKING AT THEM THE WRONG WAY???? ]
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just hardheaded and tenaciousso those tactics that have fallen flat have been relegated to the back burner of attempted wooing. Which is funny, since even when he does seemingly succeed, he never quite knows what to do with the attention, like when she finally cornered him in the trash can. If she ever agreed to marry him, he'd probably implode.Thankfully that's a long, long way off. If ever. They may do this avoidance song-and-dance for the rest of her eternity. If it makes her happy, he'd be fine with it...
Finally finishing up at the stove, he takes a couple pancakes for himself and sits across from Hiyori, fork poised to stab into the pillowy puffs.]
That seems like a pretty nifty idea! A holiday treat, kind of. Yeah... Maybe I'll do that when we get back. ...even if it's a bit late for Christmas. [He says a little wistfully as he takes his first bite. Hmm. Yeah, these aren't too shabby at all! The ingredients here are really good. Though at her question he pauses, fork half in his mouth as he chews slowly, savoring his efforts.]
Those two, huh? You know, I don't know. It almost seems unnecessary for them with how they are. And it's not like they could invite too many people to the ceremony without risking some kind of disaster happening. [Poor Kofuku.] Maybe that's why they're content with how things are. So far as I know, a god can do what they please with their shinki's permission, so there might not be any rules against it. ...I know for me, I'd definitely see it differently if y--
[Realizing what he was about to say, he clamps his mouth shut, hastily shoveling several more bites of pancake into his mouth between colored cheeks. Nothing to hear! Nothing of interest being said!!]
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but some don't quite believe her when she says it.
kofuku, too, would get this gleam in her eye. early on, she seemed to know something that hiyori certainly didn't.
her shoulders drop at the sad reality of kofuku's wedding likely being a disaster. he's right. she would look so beautiful, though. maybe it is unnecessary for them. they've been together for longer than actual married couples. what's a wedding when they've already proven they'll be together in sickness and in health?
the room goes quiet with yato cutting himself off again, but hiyori doesn't push. her hand has gone still on her plate before she glances up at his face. red.
not the first time yato has alluded to marriage with her, one way or another. the best choice is to just ignore it, like always. for some reason, this time, she can't. ]
You see it differently...?
[ BEG TO DIFFER. maybe she can figure out WHY he's been asking her to marry him besides he's just BEING WEIRD and CLINGY and doesn't know how to express himself. she's opening the channel of communication now, yato. open and honest. don't mind her own slightly red cheeks. ]
If it's... a god and a mortal?
[ yes, better to use VAGUE terms and not "you and I" ]
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Thinking about Kofuku and weddings gets him contemplating. Maybe they could at least throw the two of them a private wedding do, if it's something they wanted? Just a small affair with her closest friends, like Bishamon and Ebisu. It could be fun, and a good way of repaying them for being there for him through the ages.
The silence remains for a time while they both mull over their thoughts, Yato's being slightly more panicked than Hiyori's. He realizes he's done that thing of stopping himself again, but when it comes to this topic he finds himself scared to continue. Afraid of what his words might bring. And when Hiyori dares to go where gods fear to tread, his eyes widen, teeth worrying at the inside of his bottom lip.
Does she know what she does to him...? She can't possibly, she's not that cruel. Although using generic terms for them... Maybe she is more aware than she lets on.]
Y-Yeah... A mortal isn't under the care of a god like shinki are, so they're free to form a different kind of relationship from the outset.
[He pokes at his pancake a bit, then takes a slow bite of it without really tasting it.]
I could see them being anything from strictly transactional to friends to... well, more. There's many tales of gods falling in love with humans.
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without thinking, she reaches up for the pendant yato gifted her and touches the cool stones that rest on her collar. they're definitely not a merely transactional relationship. maybe it started that way, with hiyori employing yato's services to turn her back to normal. from there, slowly but surely, she saw yato as a friend and someone she cared about. someone vital to her.
they do exist somewhere between friends and this more he talks about. it took a conversation with one anon-san and living with yato for a month to realize the way she feels about aimi and yama, her human friends, is very different from how she feels about yato. yukine is more like a little brother, too.
she picks up another piece of pancake and puts it in her mouth. it practically melts on her tongue for how fluffy and light it is. ]
... Do you, um, know any? Any gods that... fell in l-love with a mortal? You've been alive for a long time, haven't you? There were a lot around at the match-making.
[ once again, hiyori's desire to know about the far shore and about yato gets the better of her. she ends up blurting questions about things she's curious about but should probably keep to herself.
they're just questions, though. she's not hinting at anything. he's her best friend, too. maybe that's the difference. the line between friends and more that he's talking about. ]
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N-Not that it would stop him from asking Hiyori anyway, if he thought she might answer him truly. Right now, though he's scared of any answer she could give, both positive and negative. It's why he hasn't asked in quite a while. His heart couldn't take the rejection anymore.
Because for him at least, Hiyori has gone beyond mere friendship into something much more amorphous and dangerous. A nameless category which he can't help treasuring above most others.
Even though his pancake is only half eaten, he takes to playing with it, cutting it into pieces and arranging them into a smiley face.]
I have, but for most of that time I was never part of the Heaven's world. I was just a lowly upstart, a wannabe unable to get his foot in the door. Though I've heard tell that Susanoo married a mortal woman he rescued. They even had children, so the story goes.
[Only after that comment does he look up to stare at her with a piercing gaze, trying to read her expression. Discern what it is she's after, besides local history or romantic gossip. Because that doesn't seem like the sort of thing Hiyori would care much about. So there must be more to her questions. Right?]
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he isn't the same god he was before. his foot is in the door. yukine is doing what he can to make sure yato reaches his dream of becoming a god of happiness. he has his small shrine in the waking world and he has his small shrine in his room. one day, in the future, he'll have a shrine on that little piece of land they found.
yatogami could be a name as well known as susanoo, like he wants. as yato's gaze lands on her, her fingers go slack on her fork and she nearly drops it. before her face gets too red, she shoves another large piece of pancake in her mouth so her cheeks are full. why is she blushing? they're just some questions! why was yato looking at that suddenly making her nervous?
no, she's not into romantic gossip at all. local history, maybe a little. ]
Oh. Y-yeah. Kushinadahime-sama. He saved her from Yamata-no-Orochi. I-I thought I saw him at the Divine Council! There were a lot of gods there. Uka-no-mitama was cute! With all those tails!!
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Although upon reflecting on it, it's not resignation, but fear or losing that new closeness that keeps him from acting out quite so much. He doesn't have to fight anyone for her attention, for starters, and he has a new purpose in taking care of her while she's away from home. The obnoxious behaviors are... unnecessary, here. And might even be detrimental to keeping Hiyori close. Which is all he wants right now. Aside from maybe a k-ki.... He can't even think it!
That aside--! He watches her fumble her fork with mild amusement, a teasing smile playing at his lips. Seems that she has some things to hide, too, huh... Maybe... Nah.
He nods as she lists of the gods they saw at the Council, gradually stacking his pancake pieces into a tower.]
That's the one. So you see, there's no way we can know for sure if there isn't more mortal lovers among all those gods. There's bound to be, in fact. Some more under the table deals than widely announced, but there all the same. Thinking about asking one of them out?
[He may be teasing, but there's also a slight accusatory edge to his tone as he eyes her ever more critically.]
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the thing about hiyori is that she's incredibly straightforward. in everything but this, it seems. this is the one thing she can't, just can't be direct about. she never could. not with herself and not with others. for one thing, she never had to be. romance and crushes never interested her. the closest she came to it was her admiration of touno.
but he's saying that gods and mortals aren't totally strange in the heavens. another secret among the gods, huh? it brings the god's greatest secret back to mind but she casts it away. not today. besides, yato would ask how she knows about it. how could she tell him she saw his memories? the playing. his father. sakura.
if she didn't force herself to forget about the secret, yato's question would. she goes wide-eyed and this time DOES drop her fork. ]
What! [ HOW DID HE ]
I couldn't...! Who, that's the first--?! I was just...! J-just-- [ just. ] Curious about Kofuku-san and Daikoku-san since it's Christmas! I was thinking about them. And then you said it would be different if it was m... a god and a mortal. That gods have fallen in l-love with mortals before! So, really, I should be asking if you're thinking of asking a mortal out.
[ ah ]
W-wait, no, I'm not asking that! I don't want to ask that!
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It's one of those traits in her that he admires, honestly. Because he's... not usually so straightforward. Evasive, even. He tries not to ever lie if he can help it, but he isn't always forthcoming with pertinent information unless absolutely necessary. Whereas Hiyori is as honest to herself and others as the day is long. They compliment each other, he feels. And he wants to be more like her.
Although it hardly matters if she's got her eye on some other god, now does it. Did she meet someone there...? They weren't together all time, so it's possible. Did Take woo her?! Was she taken in by his beauty?? Sure as hell couldn't have been his personality, he hopes. Although her plaque did seem attracted to the lowest of low lifes.... A god would at least be a better prospect for her. Dammit! He won't stand for it, though!!
Putting his own fork down, he braces both hands on the table and leans halfway across it, eyes sparkling with... something bright. Daring. Challenging. Determined.]
So you didn't meet somebody at the Council and fall madly in love with them, huh?? Somebody with big, beefy, sweaty pecs like your Touno? [He's heard some of those war gods can be pretty buff.] But Kofuku and Daikoku are a god and a shinki, so where did-- [How did this even start?] Wait, me? You think I've found somebody? But you don't really wanna know. So-- it doesn't matter to you if I asked a mortal out, huh??
[Swallowing, he's standing up to lean over to her side of the table before he realizes it.]
Is that how it is?
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hiyori leans back in her chair as he stands out of his seat and leans across their small table, accusing her of things she wouldn't do! don't bring touno into this. it's not his muscles she likes, ok! muscleheads aren't her type either. ]
I didn't!! Yato!
[ with something like apprehension on her face, hiyori stares up at yato looming over her in her chair. asking her questions she doesn't want to answer. there's so much conflict warring in her that her eyes start to water. no, it's not how it is. yes, it matters if he asked a mortal out. but also it shouldn't.
how DID it get like this? he's doing the scary thing! and yukine isn't here to buffer yato or smack him when he's getting to be too much. gentleman yukine. maybe the uncomfortable pinch of her brows answers what she won't say. that it does matter. ]
Should it matter? [ she clenches her fists around the edge of her chair and sets her jaw. fights the thickness of her throat. ] As long as that mortal supports you and likes you for who you are and they make you happy, that's what matters to me.
[ even if
even if ]
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But his shinki isn't here and he is barely breathing, and when he does, it comes out hard, making his shoulders heave. He wants to spit it out so badly, to tell her that it's her he wants to ask out. But... what if... she isn't interested? If she has somebody else she likes? He can't get in the way of her happiness, even at the expense of his own.
Without noticing, his nails dig into the table as he stares at her, searching hard for unspoken answers - both from her and for himself.]
It should! Because--! ["I want you to care, because it's you" gets hung up in his throat somewhere. Lost among everything else he wants and longs to say. Finally what comes out is:] W-Well, they do. They make me happier than I've ever been...! And I'm gonna stay by them forever.
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hiyori holds her breath. unlike yato, she can read between the lines a little easier. he doesn't need to say it's you because he's given her all the hints already. she keeps them apart, though. rather it would be more accurate to say she pulls the wool over her eyes so she can't see the big picture.
no matter how obvious it might be. ]
I-I'm happy for you.
[ eventually, finally, she breathes. keeps staring at him with her eyes still round and watering from not being able to blink this entire time. getting over herself, glancing at his hand and how his nails dig into the wood, she reaches over and puts a hand on his before prying his fingers off the piece of furniture.
did she start this? with an innocent, innocuous question about gods and shinki. ]
Yato, I'm sorry. Don't be upset on Christmas, please. It's supposed to be a good day.
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Are you?
[Now he's even more confused than he was before. And he's made a pig's ear of things, at that. She looks like she's on the verge of wanting to cry, and it takes him way too long to figure out why. His hovering. His stance. His voice. All aren't very... encouraging when put together, are they.
It makes his grip on the table tighten even more, until she's pulling his nails from the wood. That one action seems to deflate him, leading him to sitting back down heavily with his head hanging. He props it up on the one hand not in her grasp, breathing hard. He's not even sure what's going on anymore. Only that it's like they're speaking two very different languages here.]
Upset? I'm not-- [He looks at her with eyes that go from hurt to guilty in a matter of moments when he takes the time to try seeing things from her perspective. A scary god, indeed.] Hiyori, I'm sorry...
[For getting so worked up over nothing, for scaring her, if he did.]
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she is happy, truly. about that. perhaps not about being crowded into her chair but she's done her best to keep her backbone straight and tell him her beliefs. what she wishes for him.
looking across the table, she furrows her brow at him holding his head up with his hand. he's not upset? he looked pretty upset to her. she squeezes his hand and releases a small sigh, shaking her head. water under the bridge. theirs won't collapse so easily. they've been through too much together.
he sure gets intense, though. when it comes to romance. ]
I'm serious though, Yato. I just want you to be happy. But today of all days, especially.
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Or maybe that's why. It's just the two of them. Them, sharing Christmas together, like, l-like a couple. How he imagines Kofuku and Daikoku used to before they butted in. Only there's no subtle lovey-dovey displays between them. Instead they get into heated... conversations over mortals and gods having romances. Stupid.
Turning his hand over in order to hold on to hers, he fixes Hiyori with a emphatic stare, not harsh like before, but much softer. There's even a hint of smile to his lips.]
I- I am. There's hardly anything that could make me happier. I just...
["Got worked up" would be an understatement, to put it mildly. "Wanted to say 'I love you' might be more accurate, but that'd be opening the biggest can of (gummy) worms they've ever known. He's not sure he's ready for that yet. Especially if she's already turned him down in her own way.]
I just thought that you... [Found someone else.]
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now that she's used to more physical contact with yato, she doesn't pull away from his hand turning. or from his blue gaze piercing her again, just as striking but warmer. heating up and replacing that tension in her stomach.
cutting himself off again. she attempts to parse what he means without asking him outright and she's able to figure it out. only she figures it's "found someone" instead of else. ]
I told you that you would be the first to know if I ever did. [ this "someone" he's always worried about. meanwhile, she's always thinking about their ema and what it could mean. scooting forward onto the edge of her seat, she holds his hand with both of hers. ]
We should be thinking of things that make us happy, anyway. Like, mmm, I'm glad you made such a special breakfast for me this morning of whatever I wanted. That was really nice of you, Yato. I'm grateful.
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His fingers latch onto her hand, not tightly, but firmly. Warmly. Part of him wants nothing more than to lean across the table and place his lips upon hers, but he quickly shakes that thought away. They don't have that kind of relationship.
Not now, possibly not ever. That somber fact dampens his mood somewhat, and he ducks his head in something between shame and embarrassment. She did indeed say that. He should've remembered and trusted in her to keep her word on that as well. It seems like he never can when it comes to her, though. Even at his very first Divine Council he lost it when her plaque kept ending up tied to unsuitable men.]
Y...Yeah. You did. Sorry. [Peering up at their hands from between his shaggy bangs, he nods. It won't do to dwell on the bad or sad aspects of life. The parts he can't change. Better to be grateful for what's right here in front of him so he can treasure that for as long as possible.]
...you're doing a good job as my temporary guidepost. That's something that makes me happy, too. I... didn't ruin breakfast for you, did I?
[Finally dragging his head all the way up, he gazes at her with raised brows and a sheepish half-smile.] You can hit me if I did.
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You don't need to apologize. I'll just keep reminding you.
[ one that drops and for her cheeks to color for his praise. she is...? gosh, but it feels like she's struggling a lot of the time. yukine is better at it. maybe it's the connection that gods and shinki have. she was never the leader type until recently. ]
N... no, you didn't ruin it. [ she's quick to reassure and then fights a scoff for permission to hit him. all she does is give his wrist a light smack. right after, she gives him a softer pat. for saying she can hit him at all. that's awful. wrestling moves when he's being Too Much is one thing. hitting him because he was trying to express himself is another. besides, when was the last time she put him in some submission hold or any kind of wrestling move? oh. when she threw him off the zombie ride for laying in her lap, wasn't it? she couldn't help herself and she felt terrible afterward. ]
After we clean up and I get ready for the day, I'm going to hand out all the Capyper O-inari-san we made just like we planned. You should think about visiting the friends you've made here too, Yato. Do you want some inari to give to them?
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Except for Hiyori. Her words hold real weight and meaning. He can hold them close to his heart where he's most vulnerable, let them seep into his soul and trust in them. A struggle every step of the way to be sure, but he's doing it. He believes her. He wouldn't listen to her otherwise.]
Mmm. 'kay. I appreciate it.
[Because he does need the reminder. He knows that much is true. Together they both might not be the perfect pair of god and temporary guidepost, but they still make for a good team.
Her reassurance that the day isn't spoiled sends a wave of clear relief through him, washing away the last traces of the near-argument. He even laughs lightly upon getting a literal slap on the wrist and a comforting pat to go with it. Both make him feel heard. All is as right with the world as can be here.]
Ah, yeah, of course! I'm sure they'll love them! And I'll be sure to mention that since you made them, they're from you as well. Can't have anyone think I'm taking all the credit myself, heh.
[He skewers his tower of pancake bites and shoves them into his beaming face, nodding. He'll definitely have to pick up a few extra gifts for Hiyori while he's out and about, too. To make up for Santa's mistake and as a way of saying 'thank you' for all her hard work on the inari.]
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that's for some other time. after coming to a tenuous understanding, she doesn't want to break it. yato seems pleased, anyway. she nearly goes back on her word at yato suggesting he can say the inari gift will be from her, too. she didn't think of it as yato taking all the credit.
although... she could see him doing that before. not now. that bottomless stomach hasn't changed like the rest of him has. she can't help herself but to smile at him.
inari gifts from both the yatogami, god of happiness, and his faithful... follower. yeah. ]
But I'm not trying so hard to be a God of Fortune, you are. I made them so that people could believe in you. As a sign of good ties between you and others. [ except... like one. that's a teeny tiny cookieper for a cookie person. BUT ALL THE OTHERS ARE NORMAL CAPYPER INARI. ] I don't really need credit. [ she pauses. ] But if you want to say they're from me too, you can. I don't mind.
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Today's the day to play Santa, after all! For them to get all dressed up in their new winter gear and go visit friends and neighbors to spread cheer and Yatoism! Then maybe come home all covered in snow to warm cookies and milk, and a roaring fire. Play some games, have a nice dinner... N-Nothing romantic, just... normal roommate things!]
Of course! They may represent the blessing of Yatogami, but they're made with love and care by you - nothing I say will change that.
[Meaning her contribution shouldn't be taken for granted or trivialized just to feed his ego or reputation. After all, he still has the hand-woven omamori charms to go with them!]
I mean, what better way to prove I'm a good God of Fortune than by having such a wonderful and dedicated loyal follower, right? You're like free advertising! [H-He means that lovingly.....]
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..........
it's christmas, she reminds herself and knows yato doesn't mean it in a demeaning way. probably. some people are likely already questioning him from his previous advertisement. which while it wasn't bad, it was still -- he can do better.
and she is also DOING her BEST. wonderful and dedicated and loyal. it's nice that yato notices it. too bad calling her free advertising kills it. ] Putting in a good word never hurts, but I think you, yourself, proving you're a God of Fortune means more. Actions say more than words. Even mine.
[
TOUNO-SAMA TAUGHT HER THAT.hiyori gives his hand another pat and then stands to get... one more pancake. she needs fuel for all the work she's going to do today!! ]
Mm~ I might ashk you to teach me to make theesh, too... otherwhysh I'll jusht beg you to make them all the time...
[ HOMFHOMFHOMF ]
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Though of course he doesn't mean it in a demeaning way! How could you think such a thing of this smiling angel?? Everybody else is just mean to think him suspicious after that perfectly honest, 100% accurate advertisement.
Maybe they should compare notes and see whose methods work better for luring in customers and believers. That way they could cover twice as much ground! Maybe he'll bring it up later when they get back.]
Yeah, but it helps to have a way of proving myself first, without butting in where I'm not wanted, yeah?
[He grins after her getting another pancake, slinging an arm over the back of his chair.]
Hehe, that can probably be arranged. Though maybe I'd like to hear you begging~
[N-Not like that...!]
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she prefers this happy and comfortable atmosphere by a landslide, too. yato can be scary, at times, but she's fairly sure he doesn't realize it. or he's only just starting to. that guilty expression on his face was impossible to miss.
hiyori mulls and chews. that's why he wanted people to call him first. to be wanted or needed. hmm. ] I think you can tell when and where you should help others. Have more faith in yourself.
[ something she always tells him.
as for BEGGING. she's tempted to throw her fork at him. he WOULD like to hear that, wouldn't he? yato and his prayers. ]
I'll pay you five yen.
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Thankfully nobody's tried to pull that kind of crap here (to his knowledge.) Otherwise he might get just a bit more scary than she saw just now. No one's allowed to mess with his believer/temp guidepost...! NOT ALLOWED.
To her comment, he pouts a little bit, twisting around more in his chair until he's kneeling in it.] Yeah, but...
[She's completely right about him wanting to be wanted. Needed. That's the trouble of trying to force himself into people's lives. Without knowing them he can't tell when he should step in. Like now, with how Hiyori offers to pay him for his services. He immediately perks up, one foot coming down to rest on the ground.]
You'll make it a proper wish??
[He's out of his chair in an instant, glomming onto her with both arms and his cheek pressed to the side of her head.]
Yeaaaaah~ You're the best, Hiyori!
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clemency to the poor soul that ever tries to hit on hiyori (nor to her knowledge) with the yatogami protecting her like a hound.
she fights the amusement to no avail at how quickly yato's lured in by the gleam of a coin. she'll make it a proper wish, she doesn't get to say before he's grabbing onto her and his face is so damn CLOSE. ]
Gyah! Yato!! C-Careful!
[ her chair tips sideways with yato's exuberance and she clings to his shirt in order not to topple sideways with it, her balance upset. once she realizes she's safe and won't end up on a heap on the floor, her body sags and she pats his back. ]
I-I just don't want to beg you--
[ may our fates continue to intertwine... ]
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And hey, if he's willing to curse her future husband to smell like musty laundry, there's no way anyone actually making a pass at her will get off lightly. Divine protection guaranteed!!
If there's any consolation, it's that he misses her amusement at his antics and doesn't receive any positive reinforcement to his doofy behavior. Though there's also the way they both almost go overboard , even if thankfully it doesn't come to pass due to him having one foot firmly planted on the floor.]
Hehe~ It's fiiiine!
[His cheeks flush warmly at how she clings to him, certainly not missing this opportunity to enjoy their closeness, however brief it may be. Still, he backs off after a minute, allowing her chair to settle back on all four legs.]
I gotcha. I still appreciate it, though. I haven't gotten any requests since my advertisement. There doesn't seem to be much call for a Delivery God when they have the likes of a message board.
[Yes, he sounds a little put out about that. Being beaten by a community board of all things...]
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she has no idea he did it all to put her in a Pathetic State. all so that he could try and be Prince Charming. it all backfired, anyway, and now he has to answer odd, heavy-breathing, perverted calls now and then. she would have to say that Divine Protection is a step up from trying to make her miserable and lonely.
it does end up being fine when he lowers them back on all four chair legs. the way her fingers knotted in his shirt loosen and she releases him to go back to her pancake. ]
Really? [ hiyori blinks at him. but... they can SEE him. see his advertisement. they've come to that deduction. yato isn't as invisible here as he is on earth. though he does sound pretty sulky about the community board. ]
Have you thought of advertising there on the board? You could make a flier and interested people could take one of those cut-off pieces at the bottom with your number on it or some other way to contact you since... there aren't any phones.
[ do not
share their address. PLEASE. she doesn't want to answer the door to some creeper. that's a recipe for disaster. ]
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...though in hindsight, Operation Prince Charming may have been ill-advised and slightly cruel, so perhaps it's for the best that it didn't work out the way he'd planned. He's learned that it's a lot easier to get into Hiyori's good graces when she's already in a pleasant mood as opposed to a down one.
Releasing her completely, he then parks it on the table beside her, crossing one leg over the other and putting his chin in a hand. Wearing a full-on pout, he stares out past her to the window.]
Well, it's like you said. Some people think I'm suspicious. Others seem to look down on me for my skill set, and the rest just... aren't interested.
[He lets out a long, heavy sigh, slowly glancing back to her.]
That's an idea... Maybe something like that would work. Though I think that it being a dream world without a monetary-based economy means that the call for my services is kind of limited. It'd suck if I had to find something else to do besides being a god. [Which... he technically is already doing, but nobody tell him that.
And if she doesn't want their address known, she better speak up now or forever hold her peace. It's a small enough place, so in a way they're all kind of neighbors anyway.]
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things might've gone very differently if it did work. by some stroke of luck, it didn't and yato experiences hiyori without relying on ill-advised and slightly cruel schemes to get her to rely on him. because... she already did, in a way.
they look down on him for his skill set? that's a first. the suspicious thing is, unfortunately, not too surprising. hiyori is now the one staring at her plate in thought, a piece of pancake on her fork but not raising to her mouth. ]
Trade is important here. It could be worth it to find a skill that's in demand? I don't know what that could be, though. I've been helping now and then as a volunteer at the pottery shop since I've been there so often, but that's just because I like it.
[ ... he could always be hired as some kind of swordsman. like a knight. god knight. god bodyguard? bodygod? no, that's weird. yukine advised yato to use his skill of cutting things up to destroy calamity. is there something similar here? ]
A god listens to the people's prayers, right? Maybe Reverein has some problem we don't know about and... you can help them fix it. Like the Ayakashi. People could start praying for your help, then. Actually, I remember something of a problem. What was it...?
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For one thing, she might not have forgiven him for dislocating her shoulder. And sending her reputation through the roof in every possible way. But, all's well that ends well and all that!!
For a god, his skills are a touch too mundane and everyday to really impress anybody here, it seems. And without Yukine to draw his borderline, he struggles with the more delicate work like cutting ties. It's lucky he didn't cut more than a few strands of Joshua's hair when he tried it with a dreamotion sword.]
Prayers, huh... Are you talking about the noctaere? Joshua mentioned them - shadow monsters composed of nightmare energy that tend to inhabit dreams and the Wastelands. There's not much else known about them, I think.
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she looks up quickly at the word "noctaere". that sounds exactly like the sort of thing he SHOULD be fighting to help people! ]
That, yeah!
[ at the same time, she worries. yato is plenty capable on his own, but he was unstoppable with yukine. his dreamotion swords pale in comparison. she's sure yato knows that even better than she does.
all the same, this seems to follow yukine's guidance. ]
Shadow monsters made of nightmare energy... [ she says to herself. if this is a place of dreams, then couldn't that nightmare energy affect the world? nahida called this place a hypostasis - structured and stable - but now she's wondering if that's true again. this place could be manipulated by that nightmare energy as much as it is by dreamotion. ]
Doesn't that sound like Ayakashi? They were nightmares that fed off bad emotions, too. I haven't heard much about them bothering people but we should fight them, right? Before they do something.
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He's in full agreement that it sounds like the dream equivalent of ayakashi, although he's also aware that she must know that there's some hurdles to tackling them like one another. The lack of Yukine is number one. The unknown factor is number two. The third...]
It does. Like they're counterparts or two halves of the same beings. My worry is that if I couldn't even handle a candy monster, will I be able to take down something fully formed from nightmare energy...? [Yeah, he's having a bit of a crisis of confidence here. And some mild fear to go with it.]
And there's no "we" anything. You-- [He jabs a finger at her nose.] --are going to stay put here if I do decide to go after them. I'm not risking you getting hurt. Or worse. Got it? We don't know what happens if someone is 'killed' here and I'm not about to let you find out.
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candy monster did do a number on yato. despite that, ] Things are different now. You know how to use your dreamotion much more compared to then. And maybe you don't have Yukine-kun, but you were a God of War before you were a God of Happiness, right? I've seen you fight. You can do it when you put your mind to it.
[ all that and she gets a FINGER at her nose and told 'NO WE'. there is some logic to it but also? this is not fair. does he think she wants him to find out what it means when someone is 'killed' here? not a chance. she takes his wrist and stands out of her seat. ]
And I'm not letting you go alone, Yato. [ after trying so hard not to fight over romance hypotheticals, this is where they end up. this won't be another yomi incident. everyone else said it's normal for yato to disappear. it won't be normal here. not if she has anything to say about it. ]
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He wishes he had her optimism when it comes to this, but little things like people disparaging his skills and his continued failures against the monsters here have taken its toll on his nigh unshakable confidence.]
O-Of course I was! I know that...! [It's just...] It's a change from what I've known for a thousand years. It takes some adjusting to get used to it. It's not like when I acquire a new shinki - I don't move naturally on my own. I'm not working in tandem with someone.
[In other words, he can't just breeze through things like he has been. He has to be mindful and work at it. He's not surprised when Hiyori takes him by the wrist and rises, eyes following hers with a determined fierceness.]
.....only if you maintain your distance if we encounter anything. No fighting. Someone needs to be able to run for help if I get in over my head. Alright? [Because he won't be allowing another round like with Kugaha, where Hiyori was the main target. He wouldn't be able to stand it if some nightmare monster made her its primary prey instead of him.]
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if he won't have nigh unshakable confidence in himself, then she will. bottom line.
this is new, too. acquiring a new shinki makes him move instinctually? he's not working in tandem with someone, but he can. she's not a sword or anything but her martial arts aren't anything to sneeze at, she thought. ]
If you get in over your head, I'm helping you. I'm not running away to leave you to--
[ fend for himself. suffer alone. die. any of those. ]
I know... I know I'm not as skilled as a fighter as you, and I'm not a shinki who can make borderlines and recite incantations, but I'm not helpless. I'll keep my distance, but I'm fighting if you're in danger. I will not abandon you if you're in trouble.
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Yet there's no denying that for him at least, his life is that might better and brighter for her continued presence. That much will never be in contention. Just like how she's maintaining her unwavering faith in him.
Twisting his wrist around, he catches her by the hand, gently. Put all together, it almost feels like he can do anything when she's supporting him like this. Or at least that he can face everything that might come their way. He glances down at their hands, voice quiet.]
Hiyori... You know you don't have to.
[If he can't forcefully convince her, maybe he can at least get her to consider things from his point of view.]
It's not your fighting skills that I'm worried about. It's just... you. Even here, you're still a human facing off against inhuman opponents. We don't know what they might be capable of doing to you. [He reaches up with his other hand, taking hers in both his, mirroring their earlier pose.] I just want you to be safe.
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after that, she can keep thinking clearly.
no, it's not that she isn't considering his point of view. she's considering it very thoroughly in this moment. she's not worried about his fighting skills. she's worried about him, too. who's to say they can't affect gods as much as they can humans? he was brought here, too. they've kept him from summoning sekki.
she clutches his hands back and tells him sincerely, more softly but no less firm, ]
There's no place that I feel more safe than when I'm with you.
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The irony is that his feelings are getting more and more muddled by the moment. He wants to keep Hiyori safe, but at the same time he respects her strength and he himself feels better when she's near. But her safety should be his utmost priority, nothing else.
Sighing, he lets all the air out of his lungs, shoulders sagging. A small smile works its way onto his face and he nods, giving her hands a tight squeeze.]
Even if I told you to stay put, you'd still come after me anyway, wouldn't you? Stubborn little... [With a laugh he swings their clasped hands side to side.]
...well, I guess if I do end up going to my doom, at least we'll have a romantically tragic end together?
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when his dad forced him to stay.
a... romantic... ]
Yato. [ she doesn't blush at the idea of it. she's too busy catching her breath. she keeps their hands motionless and grabs hold of him, searching his face with concern. while she's aware he's joking (?), she can't laugh. or is he? ]
You're not... we, we'll be fine! If things are too dangerous, we'll just leave! Right? You can teleport, and my soul will come back to my body! Nobody is going to--
[ meet their doom. or have a romantic, tragic end.
kofuku tying their plaques.
no. no, no. it's christmas, for goodness sake!! ]
Nothing bad is going to happen, okay? [ dropping his hands for a moment, she darts over to the pile of presents and carries the turtle plush back over and pushes it gently against his chest. ] You're my God of Fortune, so we'll be fine. Don't... say that. You won't go to your doom.
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As their hands still, he glances up at her with a wistful smile on his face. It's the kind of closed expression that doesn't belie whether or not his words were intended as a joke or not. Because it was kind of both.]
So you'll come in your spirit form, then? [That seems to relieve him somewhat, until he recalls that'd mean leaving her cord exposed. He shakes his head, frowning.] No, not unless you know how to control it perfectly. I don't want to risk anything happening to you.
[A shuddering sigh escapes from him as he closes his eyes, head shaking. There's no way he's going to allow her to put herself in that kind of danger. Not in the waking world, and certainly not here.]
Hiyori, you... ["Can't possibly know that" is what he wants to say, but she's already gone, returning with Turtle-chan who gets pressed into his arms. He takes her gratefully, hugging the plush to his chest. It feels so warm and full of emotion. Love, he might say, even if it's platonic.] ...yeah. We can always run away. I won't lead either of us to an unfortunate end. What kind of god would I be if I let that happen, huh?
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and she does know that. she knows.
for a moment, she watches yato hug the soft toy to his chest and the pressure crushing down on her heart eases. that's better. what kind of god would he be...? it doesn't matter. it won't happen.
hiyori continues to stand there, the hem of her pajama top bunched in her fists. with yato hugging his turtle, she gathers the plates from the table and carries them over to the sink to set them inside gingerly.
that done, within the next second, she all but slams into yato's side. she has her face buried against his back and she hugs turtle-chan from behind him, sandwiching yato between the two of them. it lasts for a few seconds and then she lets go, slipping back. ]
I'm going to get ready for the day. Thank you for breakfast, Yato. It was really good.
[ the sound of her feet shuffle away quickly, down the hall and into the bathroom where the door shuts behind her. ]
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It was more of a rhetorical question anyway, so no answer is required on her part. Just like there's none from him as he hugs Turtle-chan, taking comfort in the soft plushness of her fur as he pads after Hiyori like a little kid. There's no real reason for it - he's not pestering her for attention or getting in her way.
Except for when she suddenly rams into him, startling him forward half a step as he glances over his shoulder at her. What...? He's still confused and beginning to blush when she backs up, leaving him hugging his plush even harder.]
Uh... O-Okay. You're welcome. Anytime, just let me know when you want more...
[For several moments after her door clicks shut, he remains rooted in place, staring after her. Then eventually he makes his way back to his own room, still blushing.]
Action, 12/26-1/6
How he managed to barter for this mess is up for debate.They are, in order:1. Earrings to match her necklace (pierced)
2. Bracelet to match her necklace and earrings
3. Xmas daruma doll
4. Pink gumdrop beanie plush
5. Set of clay crafting tools and paint
6. Handwritten starter cookbook, including the recipe for Yatogami's Pillow Pancakes
7. Private diary and pen set, not connected like their journals
8. Set of anatomy books similar to what she was studying at home
9. Pink flannel pajamas to match his own, with fur trim around the edges
10. Velvet holiday dress, complete with heels and stockings
11. Xmas Beanbag Chair (for two)
12. One (1) life-size, ride-on reindeer plush
RIP Hiyori.]
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day 12 finally comes and she has no idea what to expect after a freakin' beanbag chair. certainly not to find a FULL-SIZED DEER PLUSH in her room first thing in the morning. as such, throughout the treehouse and possibly even heard by the neighbors, ]
GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!
[ rip, indeed. ]
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Within a couple of seconds he's bursting into the room, dreamotion sword formed in one hand and ready to fight off whatever threat might be targeting Hiyori. Is it a noctaere? His dad?? A really big spider?! Whatever the threat, it better watch out--!]
HIYORI!! Are you okay?!
[Clad in his pajamas, he doesn't exactly cut a very impressive figure, but at least he's armed?]
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her face has gone white as a sheet and she's in the pajamas yato gifted her on day 9. ]
THERE'S A--!!
[ hold on. that deer hasn't moved at all after her screaming and flailing around. it hasn't so much as twitched as yato bolted down the hallway, threw open his door, and shouted too.
IT'S A ]
YATO. DID YOU DO THIS?? DID YOU PUT THIS IN MY ROOM???
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Oh, this? Yeah! Isn't she awesome! I knew I had to go for something big for the final day, so I had them do a rush order.
[He nuzzles up against the fluffy fur, grinning like he's the one who got a gift.]
Why don't you come on down and pet her??
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awesome... yeah... of course. he had to go for something big on the final day, rushing an order. uuugggghhhh she thought she would have a heart attack when she woke up to some unknown creature in her room. staring at her!
she lifts her head to give the plush an unsure look, but carefully scoots herself to the edge of the bed and stands up. like the deer is going to turn its head and bite at her. ]
Yato, where are we going to put this? [ she asks as she reaches forward to rub the muzzle.
ooo soft. ]
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He almost comes over to check on Hiyori, but figures that she's probably just overwhelmed by the splendor of gift number twelve~ After all, how could anyone not fall in love with this cute (not so little) face when they lay eyes upon her?? She's amazing! Especially when it comes to the craftsmanship. Why, she almost looks like a real reindeer! How cool is that?
After Hiyori is on her feet, he gestures eagerly for her to come closer, petting the plush's flank with one hand.]
I was thinking maybe in the entrance to greet visitors! It could be like having a pet dog that runs to the door to meet people!
[He beams at her once her hand touches fur, eyebrows raised in search of approval. Soft, innit??]
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In the...!? N, no! You'll scare people away! I'll get scared coming home!!
[ ok, yes, it's soft. she's still rubbing her muzzle and trailing along the head to stroke up the nose toward the forehead. ]
C-can't we put it outside? By the snowmen we made or something?
[ not like they have storage. under the treehouse, maybe. pet pet pet.
this gift is too much, but with yato beaming at her like that, she can't tell him to send it back. knowing him, he's already named it. ]
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For better or worse.]Awww... But why would you be scared of Rainy?! Isn't she just the sweetest thing??
[Yes, he's named her. Now they have a family of three plushies! How could they ever send her back, like a rejected foster child?! Yato throws himself across the deer's back, legs flailing in the air.]
Outside?! But she'll get ruined, Hiyori! She's not meant to be an outdoor display...! Though she would look cute with the snowmen...
[He hums in thought, going limp for a time. Think, think, think... Where to put her...]
How about in a corner of the living room, near the fireplace? That way we can see her whenever we're just chilling during the day, but she won't get underfoot! Or overfoot.
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She looks like a real reindeer! Those don't belong in houses, Yato!
[ RAINY. can he PLEASE just see this logically, hiyori begs inwardly. nope. he's going to throw a tantrum. she's amazed rainy can hold yato's weight.
by the FIREPLACE? in the corner isn't a bad idea. maybe if they decorate it like they did with the tree it'll look less real. and terrifying. it's not that she's NOT CUTE. reindeer are cute, but it's the whole having it in the house that startles her. and it being life-size.
... as if hiyori wouldn't let a baby deer into the house if it lost its mama. she would. ]
I...! [ hiyori peers at the reindeer's face. angry eyebrows. antlers. wait, if it has antlers isn't it-- nevermind. it's a plush. she can let yato believe what he wants. eventually, her gaze lands back on yato's pleading puppy-dog look. ] Fine. In the corner, near the fireplace.
[ that decided, she lowers herself into her new beanbag with a sigh. ]
Yato, you didn't have to get me all this stuff...
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[Thank goodness for his godly lightness, huh. It'd be a tragedy if he broke one of Hiyori's gifts on the very morning of giving it to her.
Sliding off of Rainy just in case, he still drapes an arm around the neck like he's about to take the damn thing out on a date. She's a dear deer! Can't Hiyori see that?? Those sweet, big doe eyes...! It's nothing but a really tall, slightly lankier baby deer, after all!]
Pleeeease? [He hugs the reindeer with both arms, casting a pleading look towards Hiyori. One that screams 'deprived kid who wants to be able to enjoy his new toy.' Even if it is supposed to be for her and not himself. Makes one wonder who it was really for. Probably them both, to be honest.
When she finally folds, he throws up both hands in an enthusiastic cheer.] Yaaaaay~! I know she'll be perfect there, just wait and see!
[He pets the plush's neck, glancing down at Hiyori with a smile.]
I know. But since Santa made a mistake, I thought you deserved something to make up for it.
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good, he can take it out on a date. with those doe eyes. like looking into a mirror. seriously, who is this gift for again? yato, right?
despite herself, hiyori feels a small smile tug at her mouth when he cheers so happily and strokes at the plush. well, one of them is happy.
aaaand she tries not to wince. what she ends up doing is glancing away, guiltily. ]
But I told you it wasn't a big deal. I probably have presents fr- AT!! At my parents, s-so it's not like I won't have anything...!
[ SHE MADE A MISTAKE. but she just couldn't! stomp on yato's hopes and dreams!! she can't do it! he believes in santa so much. ]
It's not like I didn't get any gifts, either! I got that really beautiful pendant from you and another from Ereshkigal-sama! And Zelda-sama got me this lovely little harp...
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It's for her, of course! B-But there's nothing wrong with him getting some enjoyment out of it too, right? In fact, the more joy it brings, the better!
Thankfully Yato is so engrossed with
hisher new gift that he doesn't notice any strange reactions from Hiyori.]I know~ But while you're here, I wanted to show my appreciation for all you've done. You've been a huge help since we arrived here, after all...
[He grows quiet then, glancing down at the floor as he pets Rainy. Though when she mentions getting a musical instrument, he perks back up and leans forward enthusiastically.]
A harp? Really? Are you going to learn to play it? Then with the dress I got you, you could really be my goddess~!
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I-I haven't really- it feels like you've been the one helping me. [ teaching her how to cook. saving her in candyland. drawing her that picture of touno when he was SICK. it's hanging in her room now, by the way. right over her desk.
"while she's here". does he think she's going to leave? yet this being about his appreciation makes everything hit differently. something in her softens, considering the gifts under a new light. still too much! but different now. it's not just yato showering her with presents as another one of his strange ways to show he cares.
CALL HER HYLIA.]Yeah! I'd like to learn to play it. I'm not too musically inclined, but playing an instrument sounds fun! [ JUST GOING TO PASS OVER THE GODDESS THING. EMBARRASSING. ] Eventually. Right now, I'm learning how to embroider from Zelda-sama.
Can you play the harp?
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No way! You've gotten me out of so much trouble, and helped me when I needed Yukine's guidance. All I've been doing is playing support.
[True, they've both saved each other, but more than cooking, she's shown him so many better ways of doing things, like handing out inari for Christmas and advising him on marketing himself better. Things he would've struggled to come up with or do on his own.
So even if she is far away from home, he can't help but be grateful for her continued presence here. Which is why he has to make up for the fact she can't be with her family or friends at this time of year. She only really has him, though thankfully she's almost made friends here, too. But as her God of Fortune, her happiness is his responsibility. He takes that very seriously.
YES HYLIA-SAMA]I'm sure you could do it if you try! Maybe we could even go caroling with it if-- if we're still here next year. [It's a sobering thought, one he does his best to smile through. He doesn't even remark on the lack of remark about her being his goddess.] Embroider, huh? Man, you really will make an excellent wife.
[He smiles a bit ruefully over that, and the fact that this Zelda person is worth a -sama but not him. Just who does she think she is, huh?? He'll have to find out one of these days... For now though, he just shakes his head lightly.]
Not the harp, but I have a little experience with the koto and shamisen.
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Support is important, too.
[ very important. people need support. being without her friends and family hasn't been easy, but yato has made it far more tolerable than if she was alone. if yato wasn't here, she wonders if she would have the same mindset as that girl she ran into on christmas. when she was handing out inari. the one that asked her how she takes it when she doesn't know how long she'll be away from everyone.
by having faith, hiyori said.
even if they're here next year. she can't imagine. a year of potentially missing school. of worrying her family by being asleep for a year. they would think she's gone into a coma. poor yukine, too. she cleches her fists in her lap at the sound of "next year". it's not that she dislikes this place, either. and she would miss everyone here and it feels just as terrible to want to leave because she's come to really care about some of these people that come from other worlds. ]
Eeeehhh-- I want to hear you play the shamisen! Hehe, heh...
[ and she calls her zelda-sama because she's! like!! BASICALLY AMATERASU-SAMA IN HER WORLD. he lost his chance at sama when he complained about san! ]
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wait what did he ]
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[ well. like. one day?? maybe?? BUT NOT FOR A WHILE, OKAY.
she has to be a doctor. ]
Y-You're always bringing that up!!
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trainingdiscipline, tho. Thankfully he hasn't done much of anything to warrant it here. Yet. Give him time.]True. Still.
[He wants to be able to do more for her. To be her Prince Charming, even if it doesn't involve setting up some dumb, kooky scenario where everybody shuns her. After all, it shouldn't be the other way around - he's the god in this relationship! It's his job to protect her and ensure her contentment!
...which he seems to be doing a piss poor job of by bringing up the possibility of being here for a whole year. He sees those fists. The tension running through her body, sapping away what joy they seemed to have been building up, at least temporarily. Thankfully it doesn't seem to last too long, if her laughter is anything to go by. That's good, he would've hated to have spoiled their good cheer with a thoughtless comment.
His smile widens slightly at her enthusiasm to hear him play. It's been a long time since he's practiced, but still, it could be fun to see if they have one of those instruments here, or something similar, maybe.]
Heh... In that case maybe I'll ask around. See what's available.
[Okay, that seems fair, but--! He's still a god, too!! All he wants is a little respect, dammit!]
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W-Well, yeah! Because that's the kind of life you deserve-- a happy one filled with someone who will love and cherish you, and kids if you want...! A normal human life...
[She can totally be a doctor and a mother! She's strong enough to do both!]
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why can't they protect each other and both want each other's happiness, huh? he's the god but as far as she's concerned, he needs it just as much as she does. if not more than she does.
and he does have her respect among... other things.
frustration currently. embarrassment, too. he's so focused on her meeting some guy, getting hooked up, and being a wife. after HOW many times making a spectacle of himself by proposing to her!! ]
I am happy! [ he sounds like her mother, sometimes. talking about husbands and kids. she has a happy life with people who love and cherish her already, doesn't she? m-maybe not kids but that's a long way off! she still has a normal human life, too. right? groaning, she flips over in the beanbag to bury her face in it and kicks her feet once (like yato's flailing on rainy earlier) and then goes limp so she can mumble into the beans. ]
I keep wondering if I finally find someone to go on a date with, will that make you happy...?
[ tenjin mentioned it, too. everyone is always asking her about it.
also, yes, she could absolutely be a doctor and a mother but woof, that's a lot. ]
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Which is why he's so insistent that she be able to live a normal human life. That's what humanity desires, right? To hit all the important milestones such as obtaining a desired career, finding a marriage partner, having children... All he wants is to help her achieve that. To keep her on the trajectory towards a bright future.
At least, it's what he should want for her...]
I know, it's just-- [He clams up at her groan, biting his lip. Does he have it wrong...? Abandoning the plush reindeer, he takes a couple steps closer to her, one hand raised hesitantly as color spreads across his cheeks.]
No--! I mean-- Yes? I-I don't know...!
[Dropping his hand, both clench into fists as his head dips down so that his chin is touching his chest and his eyes are fixed on the floor. He knows what he wants, but that's not important or relevant. Only Hiyori's happiness is.]
I-If you're happy, then I am, too!
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and that he shouldn't pigeonhole her into those milestones. sure, they're good paths to take and she'll get there. but... she doesn't want to lose everything she's gained at the far shore. her friends. her experiences. all of it. the hurts and the joys. it's all important. things she can't forget again.
at his first, vehement no she lifts her head and looks over her shoulder in surprise. her brow furrows at the confused yes. finally, she shifts and stands up at his flustered "I don't know". which is it?
she sees his clenched fists, too. ]
You... don't look happy though. [ hiyori points out, reaching out for a fist where he held himself back. truthfully, she didn't sound too happy SHOUTING she WAS, either. ] Or sound it.
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It's something he doesn't realize he's doing, which could be part of the reason he's so conflicted on everything. He thinks wanting the best for her means following the path others who are happy have followed. Although... there is a small, selfish desire in there. He wants Hiyori to leave behind a large family for him to look after and care for. A legacy that will last until the end of time.
Realizing his outburst was so strong, he colors slightly, scuffing a socked foot against the floor as his fingers dig deep into his palms. He's sending mixed signals, he realizes that. But... both his feelings are true. He knows that now. That he wants what's best for her, but he also longs to keep her for himself. His two sides, warring against one another.
Maybe it won't make sense from a human perspective, but to him it's something he can't help feeling.]
.....dunno. Maybe it's because I know you can't actually be happy being stuck here with me. [Not that he's bad company or anything, even though sometimes he is. He's totally lying to himself and her, though. That's not the reason at all. He lets her take his fist, trying with some effort to stop clenching it.] ...whatever makes you content is what I want, Hiyori.
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for how deep he dug his fingers into his palm, she has to work on loosening them as she listening to yato all but demean himself right in front of her. mixed signals don't matter as much anymore when he does that. she takes the hand she's loosened and holds it to her heart with an intense look in her eyes. eyes as hard as the gems in that pendant. ]
Don't you dare assume how I feel. That's not true. I've already told you I want to be with you longer.
[ there might be mixed signals with hiyori sometimes, too, but she thought she's made at least THAT MUCH clear. ]
I like being with you. I said that, too. I wasn't lying when I said either of those things.
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Kidding. Mostly.Though she might not be able to see it, the strength of his nails digging into his palms leaves red marks in their wake, the pain helping to get Yato focused. At least, as focused as he can be when she all but presses his hand to her chest. Color creeps further up his face, bridging his nose and making him feel overheated as he finds himself captured by her gaze. Held in place, his breath catches momentarily at both her actions and words.]
...even if it means being stuck in a dream world, separated from everyone?
[That part seems to surprise him (stupidly enough); he figured she'd want to hurry home to her parents and brother, to keep them from worrying about her extended sleeping spell. That she might actually be okay - or hell, even want to stay with him - here comes as something of a shock.]
Y-Yeah, I know. I never believed you were lying. ...I'm sorry if I gave you that impression.
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yeah, she hasn't realized where she's put that hand as of yet. since he's not moving, she going to continue to not realize and keep it there. ]
... I'm worried, but that doesn't mean I can't also be happy. It wouldn't be fair to myself if I didn't enjoy things here, too.
[ there's no rule saying that she can't be both. being separated from everyone isn't ideal but she isn't going to let herself be miserable about it forever. that's silly. self-destructive. yes, she does want to go home but what can she do? and she's not going to forsake yato like that. not when he's always trying so hard to make her happy. to be her god of fortune.
besides, like she told helga, it's not all bad here. yato is largely the reason it's not all bad. ]
Don't you feel the same? I know you're worried about Yukine-kun, but you're not letting yourself be upset about it all the time. Or you wouldn't have gotten me all these gifts or have been trying to build a shrine here and gain followers or have fun teaching me how to cook or help save the Ice Queen or any of those things.
[ perhaps as stupidly as him, she grips his wrist with her other hand and moves a step closer. ]
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Yeah, that's very true. I wouldn't want you to be fretting all the time over something we have no control over. It's not like it's all bad here.
[Once again, Hiyori proves to be the more mature, rational of the two of them. This is one of the reasons humans are the ones to guide the gods, aside from the fact they were made for them. To fulfill their wishes. It makes Yato wonder if he can manage that, or if he's only making things more difficult for her by being a stupid, stubborn ass.
Hopefully not. He is trying his damnedest to be a good God of Fortune, even on his own without Yukine's help or guidance.]
Of course. I swore to you and him that'd I'd become an existence that can make people happy, and I can't do that if I'm a sad sack, myself. [Now being grappled by her with both hands and having his space invaded, he inhales sharply and glances away, fingers finally twitching in her hold.] I just... want to make sure you have the best time here that you can. It's one of the few things I can do on my own, here, right now.
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see, though, he gets it! she relaxes slightly after that. happy enough for a small smile to tug at her lips once he agrees with her. it's not all bad. there are ups and downs, just as much as there is on earth. and they're safe, too. so far.
hiyori doesn't pick up on the twitch of his fingers as his words slam into her more forcefully. she's proud of him for realizing that much in that first bit. the next part? the honesty carries on. ]
You being here is...! [ but stutters. although she doesn't realize where his hand is, she realizes what she says next might be one of those THINGS that makes yato do creepy scary things. ]
Y-You... being here is already doing a lot to make it better, Yato.
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Really, he doesn't think it's such a bad place even with all the craziness that's happened to them over the course of just a couple of months. A lot of it's been fun and exciting, and he feels closer than ever to Hiyori. Especially when she goes so far as to say that his presence has been a big help in making her stay better.
It's... different than her just saying she wants to be with him more. This is... it's her finding comfort in his existence. Something nobody else has ever said. Even Yukine has barely acknowledged that much. But Hiyori... she...]
T-Then I'm glad we ended up arriving together, and that you didn't have to face this alone. For me, too, it's been a blessing to have you here. I... I'd be really lonely without you.
[And his heart would be longing for her, but there's no way he's going to spit that out.]
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the reason it isn't bad is because he's here.
oh.
oh...
OH.
oh no. anon-san said something like this. that the person they were in love with made every place feel like this. they discussed this on the roof. safe. comfort. like home. yato's words almost go in one ear and out the other as she is shaken by this revelation. is she... really... actually...? n-no. no no no. ]
Y, yeah. I... [ there, she's noticed his hand and promptly lets go and steps back to give him his personal space back. her eyes are wide and her face feels like it's going to burn right off. she can't look him in the face at ALL. ]
I, um. Yeah. [ what is WRONG with her. ] L-let's move Rainy to the living room? I, I'll pick up this end and you can pick up the other.
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He can't do it. Even to himself, he can't admit it. Though he knows in his heart what this feeling is, what it means, acknowledging it is a far different story. If he allows himself to accept it, then it'll be unrequited. Agony. Better he just do his best to pretend there's nothing there. Or that he at least isn't conscious of it.
At her suggestion, he nods, glancing down at his now free hands and flexing his fingers. It felt nice, having her holding onto him. So warm. Comforting.]
Ah, yeah. Let's do that. Tell me if she's too heavy for you, okay?
[He did manage to haul her in here himself, but he wouldn't mind the help this time. He grabs the reindeer by the front since that's the heavier end, letting its head peer over his shoulder like some weird lurker. Glancing back at Hiyori, he smiles.]
Ready?
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Yeah. [ STOP SAYING YEAH. ] I, I mean! Ready...
[ the longer hiyori has time to think, carrying rainy silently from her room and down the hall and into the living room where she agreed to put her, the harder it gets to deny it to herself. these last two months make it especially difficult. she keeps trying, anyway. keeps telling herself 'no way, no way, no way' but then she thinks of the plaques, too, and she's suddenly grabbing rainy for dear life as they set her down by the fireplace.
something is--
she hasn't let go and she stares unseeingly, like her life is flashing before her eyes. it kind of is? but she's going to ignore it. like her life depends on it.
or at least until she can sit down and... figure it all out. act normal, act normal. ]
There! She's in her home for the foreseeable future now! W-welcome home.
[ PATS HER SIDE. seems like hiyori has gotten over the fact that a life-size plush lives in their house now. also, hopefully, whatever he was making in the kitchen didn't burn or anything... ]
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As they traipse down the hall, Yato's heart does little flip flops from him dwelling on the Feelings He Definitely Doesn't Have. From the lingering ghost of Hiyori's hands upon him, to her words of reassurance, there's just really no getting around it. He definitely lo... lo... He cares for her. A lot!!
Pushing that thought out of his head as they arrive at their destination, he strokes the plush's snout, trying to meet Hiyori's eyes but finding it nigh impossible. He just... can't do it right now. Not when his emotions are so raw.
If he had been able to, he might've noticed her vacant look as well. Is it a good thing or bad that he doesn't? Only time will tell.]
Y-Yeah! Welcome home, Rainy! Hey, maybe we should decorate her for the holidays? Like drape some garland around her neck and put ornaments on her antlers! That'd be cute!
[Thankfully there's no burning smell coming from the kitchen, so it should be safe? (He was preparing to cook eggs, though thankfully he didn't get around to lighting the stove.)]
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dragonballpaingami.it's totally fine if he can't meet her eyes because hiyori can't meet his. fair's fair. as if looking into that bright blue will just nail the truth home even harder that she's holding back by a thread. ]
Yes! You know, I was thinking the same thing! [ HAHA WEIRD. ] We haven't taken the tree down yet, so why not? [ they probably SHOULD take the tree down soon, though. it's already the sixth of the month. they're going on three months in reverein now and have no sign of going back. if anything, there are signs that more people are coming here. ]
I think there were some leftover ornaments I put away that there was no room for on the tree! I'll go look for them!!
[ before he can get a word in, hiyori darts off back down the hallway in a pink blur. there's a small closet nearby yato's room that they've tucked a few things away in. extras. she's pretty sure this is where they put them.
her mind runs a mile a minute. though she does her best to think of other things such as embroidery techniques, what she's read so far in those anatomy books, she keeps coming back to one thing. one person. one god.
why did she talk to that anon? she already KNEW she was lying to herself. pretending that she was "just friends" with yato. as she told masaomi!! it shouldn't be this hard to find ornaments... ]
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At least they're on even footing even if they don't know it. Pair of dweebs. There's nobody here to call them out on it, either, so the passivity stand-off continues. (Cue the tumbleweed.)]
Great minds and all that~! [Or weird minds, as the case may be.] Right? And even when we do, we can leave Rainy dressed up to keep the festive cheer going! [The tree is getting pretty dry by now, though... Pretty soon they'll likely need to take it outside and find a place to dispose of it.]
Ah, yea--
[That's all he manages to get out to her retreating back before she's gone, disappearing into the hallway leading to their bedrooms. Blinking, he stares after her, hand still on the reindeer's face. Her odd behavior makes him momentarily forget about his own love-torn heart.
What...? What was that all about? Did he say or do something wrong? Maybe she needed the bathroom and was just being polite? Either way, he continues standing there in a daze for another minute or so before letting his hands drop. Ah, right... He should clean up in the kitchen. Or better still, finish making breakfast for them. He's hungry.
For a lot more than eggs, but that can't be helped. Scratching at the back of his head, he sighs at himself and wanders out of the room. Stupid self...]
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surely, eventually, someone will call them out on... something. they need it. yato isn't the only idiot this time. once she gets a handle on herself, she closes the closet door behind her and takes a deep breath. she can be normal. so what if she doesn't have strictly... platonic feelings for yato? they don't have to be l-love feelings. they can be!! a lot of like feelings. more than normal. big fondness! adoration.
... this isn't helping.
yato isn't there where she left him when she returns, so she looks around while opening the bag. one of their handmade ornaments is pulled out and she hangs it on an antler. then another on another antler. she does so very slowly and very meticulously for no reason other than she feels like it. ]
I can't... [ she mumbles to nobody in particular, under her breath.
but
she does. ]
He's weird. And confusing. Completely shameless... [ another bauble for rainy. enjoy. ] Attention seeker. Rude. Full of himself. [ less so now. ] He possessed my body, wears my uniform whenever he wants. He's insane. Has so many secrets, I still hardly know a thing--
[ hiyori looks insane muttering to herself over in the corner. ]
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Something somewhere is definitely going to have to give eventually. There's no way they can continue on like this indefinitely. Doubly so if they plan on going out to hunt noctaere. They'll need all their focus for that, not distraction-fueled lapses in concentration.
Although... for now... what can he do? There's no way he can just spit it out, burdening her with his feelings unnecessarily. Not when they're stuck in this strange world, living under the same roof. She already said he brings comfort to her. He can't risk spoiling that and causing her to leave either in anger or fear.
Frowning to himself, he whisks the eggs and milk together, adding a dash of salt and pepper followed by a touch of soy sauce. His own special mixture to give the eggs a bit of interest.
He hears Hiyori faintly out in the living room, but can't make out any of the words. He assumes she's being cute and talking to Rainy while decorating her. Maybe complimenting their new plush roommate on her good looks. Who knows!]
What should I do... Sakura...
[Sighing, he pours the eggs into the pan and lets them sit. Omelets for today. Something fun to eat.]
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indefinitely? no. for as long as she can hold out? yes. which is becoming more difficult as hiyori moves one from trying to convince herself that she can't to she might. there's a reason he caught her eye the first time when they passed by as strangers -- his eyes. she didn't know eyes could even BE so blue. ]
He can be cool, sometimes. He cares. He cares a lot about Yukine-kun, it makes him a good father to him. He really does try his best. He wants to be better. Always gets his job done... except mine, I guess. Sometimes, he's funny. And more thoughtful with the things he says. There are so many times he's saved me and he wants me to be happy. It's really important to him, as a God of Fortune.
[ the more hiyori talks to herself, the deeper the rabbit hole goes. there's more. there's actually more to like. ] Talented at so many things and willing to teach. Tidy, surprisingly. Good cook. [ just goes to show that hiyori is in over her head if there's more. ] Can play intruments. Learned that today.
[ one important aspect to yato she doesn't know where to place. good or bad. he's proud of his status, so it must be good. ]
A god.
[ that ornament bag is half-full by now. rainy is properly decked out in a holiday look. her finger pokes one so that it swings back and forth for a while in a mesmerizing way. while yato has his back to her, hiyori peeks into the kitchen and simply observes him work. when yato thinks nobody is watching, it's the most difficult to convince herself that she can't.
it needs to be interrupted or else-- ]
I smell eggs. Don't faceplant into your omelet again, okay? [ a legit concern ]
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Essentially it's become a battle of attrition, to see which of them can hold out the longest before folding and revealing the truth to the other. The one advantage Yato has over her, it's longevity. He's used to going long stretches of time without revealing his secrets. Although he's never had one quite like this, where he was living with the subject of said secret. Already just being near Hiyori is testing his willpower and ability to remain impartial, detached.
He scoots one finished omelet to a plate before starting on a second, garnishing the first with a light sprinkling of spring onions. Frowning at the pan, he murmurs under his breath.]
I should... just keep it to myself, huh. It's easier that way. Better for us both.
[He knows deep in his heart that's not what his beloved shinki would have him do. She likely would've encouraged him and told him to be brave, to have faith in Hiyori. But without Sakura here to impart those words for real, he can't bring himself to dare trying. He just can't. He treasures what they have too much, and is too damn scared of rejection.
Only once Hiyori speaks up does he realize she's there, jumping a little in the process. Thankfully he doesn't upend the omelet. Turning it over carefully, he scoffs with a faint smile.]
I won't. That was a reaction to being ill, not one to my cooking. [He eyes her for a moment before holding out the plated omelet.] Here. Before it gets cold.
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hiyori has the advantage of being stubborn as all get out. despite that, there's a part of her that isn't too inclined to keep it a secret. why? it feels more like a habit than anything else. how long does it take for habits to break? that's the question hiyori needs to ask herself.
she only catches the tail end of his mutterings as she peeks in, so can't make much sense of "--us both." could be anything. it doesn't feel right to ask either. not right now.
there's an apologetic smile on her face for scaring him, but she crosses into the kitchen to take the plate. ] Thank you. [ he turns back around, but she doesn't move to their little dining room table quite yet. one second. two. three. four.
an arm winds carefully around his waist. slower than the other day, on christmas, when she all but slammed into him and hugged him for a few seconds before running off. this way is gentler and more of a side hug than anything. her nose gets buried behind his shoulder and she holds this position for another second longer before letting herself slip away to finally sit at the table. grabbing napkins and utensils for them both along the way, her heart racing in her chest. ]
Yukine-kun would be proud of how well you handle the household these days.
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He can hopefully give her a run for her money in the stubborn department. He hasn't maintained his dream of becoming the highest god in the land through being weak-willed, that's for sure. Although when it comes to Hiyori, all bets are off. Nothing is certain where she's involved, especially not him.
He accepts her apology with a smile of his own, expression softening further. And he thinks that's the end of it. That she'll go sit down and eat. Instead, she hovers nearby. Why...? Out of the corner of his eye, he watches her. Yet somehow in the time it takes his attention to wander, she's got an arm encircling his waist.
His entire body stiffens, leaving him barely breathing, like her arm is a boa constrictor that might smother him if he shows any signs of life. Except that it's... nice? Warm and soft and gentle and-- and-- His face heats up like the pan, hot enough to cook eggs on. And then to make matters even more confusing, he feels her face burying into his back, forcing the breath he'd been holding out in a shuddering exhale. His hands shake just as much, so much so that he has to let go of the pan to keep it from rattling on the burner.
W-W-What was that all about?! It was almost like she-- she--
Swallowing hard, he ducks his head while one hand grips the counter tightly. Whatever the reason, whatever that was about... it was... nice. It takes him several long moments to compose himself enough to answer, and when it does, it's slightly strained.]
I-I'm sure he would be. But if he show's up, you're not gonna tell him! I don't want him hounding me to do this all the time. This is just for you, since as a human you need to eat and maintain your body!
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it's the most huggiest hug she's probably ever given yato. with the first being a hug she split between yato and yukine. it's a hug specifically for yato, done in a certain way for yato. what hiyori realizes belatedly is that while he may be okay giving hugs, maybe yato is less okay with receiving hugs. and that's the reason he sounds so strained and looks so... stiff.
all at once, the fuzzy warmth in her chest and head dissipates and she's unsure of herself. wondering if she needs to apologize. he's been through a lot, and she hardly seen a whisper of it. just the beginning.
she's distracted, easily. ]
Wh-what? Why not! Yukine-kun was once a human, too! [ another part of her is doing her best not to start blushing that yato so easily admits that it's just for her. the wide smile is even MORE difficult to stamp away. ] I think it's good for you. We can all take turns on things, just like we do now.
If you don't work, are you just going to lay around while Yukine-kun and I do all the chores? He would like your cooking too, you know. Even if he didn't say it.
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It is the warmest hug he's ever received, too. That's part of the problem. It was one specially done for him, from Hiyori. Only him. And one that wasn't borne out of a threat to his life. It came calmly out of the blue, full of... love? It sure felt like more than a friendship hug, at least to him. Although maybe it's his feelings that are coloring his impressions of it...
Now he doesn't know how to take it, and he's afraid to ask. What if he's wrong? Or worse, what if he's right? What then, if she shares his feelings of being in l-l-lov--
Heat colors his cheeks as his eyes follow her, bright and blue and full of an undefined emotion. It's not a negative, at least. No, it's more like he's admiring her shyly.]
Like I said, he'd get on my case to be more self-sufficient. ...I like it when he cooks for me. [It makes him feel like a proper god, being catered to. Plus he likes the taste. But like hell he's going to say as much. He goes quiet at the suggestion of them taking turns. That... doesn't sound so bad.]
No way, I wouldn't just be lounging about! I mean, I guess we could all split up the chores. Or at least take turns with the cooking. ...I'll make sure to fix him the puffy pancakes the next time we see him, too. He deserves that much.
[He does need to take better care of his shinki, he knows. It's just hard sometimes. He's not used to having a kitchen readily available and ingredients to work with.]
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a hug full of whatever this emotion is that she refuses to name. that. hiyori has to avoid the intensity of his eyes as she works on cutting off a piece of her omelet and putting it in her mouth as a distraction.
but if it's the warmest hug he's ever gotten, that needs to change. she can do better than a side hug. ]
Because you need to be self-sufficient, that's why, but I get it now. You like being pampered, Yato. [ if she thinks about it, that isn't too surprising. yato wants to be a big-shot god with a ton of followers, doesn't he? or that's what he wanted before. now he wants to make people happy. reminding herself of that change makes her smile to herself.
if yato was simply HONEST, that might take him pretty far.
they're talking about him like he really will show up, though. her smile spreads wider on her face, finally looking up from her plate to aim her grin at him. yato would make the souffle pancakes for yukine! ]
You would?! Hehe, good!! I know he'd like them as much as me. [ is that possible? she was obsessed. like yato, though, yukine wouldn't admit it that he liked them. those two are too similar sometimes, but it's funny. ]
I-I shouldn't cook, though. I still need a lot more practice.
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Full of mystery emotion...! It certainly was a loaded action, but one he wasn't at all displeased with. In fact, he'd like more, but he can't bear to bring himself to ask for it. She was so warm...
Maybe someday he'll be brave enough to. As is, he can barely stand being called out like he is as she hits the nail on the head, first try. It leaves him hunched up over his omelet, feeling exposed.]
S...So what if I do? Wouldn't everyone? And I can be self-sufficient. I am an older god. [He just enjoys knowing that there's someone willing to dote on him and go through the effort necessary to care for his lazy ass. That Yukine does so with minimal grumping fills him with a special kind of joy.
It's a shame he can't really get out the words necessary to articulate that fact.
Either show up, or they'll go home. Either way, he has to maintain faith that they'll see Yukine again soon. He misses his shinki and longs to hug the kid again. Finally taking his plate over to the table, he seats himself across from Hiyori and takes up his fork.]
Of course. I wouldn't keep that from him. No reason to. Plus he deserves a treat, too. [He doesn't mind the idea of fixing the pair of them breakfast more often. In fact it sounds kind of fun, especially if they work together to serve up juice and the like to go with it.]
You're getting better. Simple things should be fine. Especially if I'm there to watch over you as you cook.
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everyone probably does like being pampered. in yato's case, too, he has probably, hardly, if ever, been pampered because of how his attitude used to be. hiyori thinks back to when she first met yato and how he demanded things instead of asking for them. yeah, no.
she wonders if her old self would have been so willing to care for a sick yato like she was last month. making him rice porridge and that honey lemon tea whenever he asked for it. they all but napped together on the couch, too. she remembers waking up to yato comfortably snoozing away so quietly. in complete contrast to her teasing about his snoring.
when he's not sick, they take care of each other.
she smiles at him around her fork - yukine does deserve a treat - but she looks bashful for the praise after. but it's not!! good enough! it's not nearly as good as when he helps her. even his omelets are better. argh. ]
Thank you... but I'm glad I haven't fallen asleep yet while doing it. Maybe I have a better handle on my soul than I thought. [ hopefully, he's always here to watch over her as she -- what a selfish thought. ] That's another thing I should train in. I don't know if I can ask anybody how, though. Do you think working out my real body would affect it? I could go running in the mornings.
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There's also the fact that for so much of his life he was alone aside from Hiiro who isn't exactly... the most emotionally available person out there. She took care of him when he was injured, sure, but there was never any warmth behind her actions. It was simply what their father wanted her to do: keep him alive.
Then there's Hiyori, who, without being asked, offers to look after him when he sick out of the goodness of her heart. Who gives him shrines and capyper inari for presents, and goes to theme parks with him despite her misgivings. How he got so lucky, he can't even imagine. But he is truly grateful for everything she's ever done up to this point. Hopefully that shows through with his gifts and gestures like breakfast.
He can't help smiling a bit at her uncertainty. Of course she has a better handle on her soul - she's been practicing with it more often, growing stronger in that regard, too.]
Before you know it, you'll have it down to where only stressful situations can drag you out of it on accident. [He takes a bite of his food, pondering her question as he chews.]
There's no harm in making yourself stronger physically, that's for sure. If anything, it might serve as a way to better ground yourself in your body so you won't fall out so easily. Kind of like the opposite of meditation. Though it also might not hurt to ask around here if anyone has experience with spiritual forms.
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nora is someone else she's been thinking about more often. both back on earth and here. yukine saw her before she could guide him to his birthday surprise but what was she doing there? was she lonely like yato? she must be, with all those names...
maybe she needs that irreplaceable someone, too. just like yato.
yato, who has a great idea??? she stares at him, speechless. why didn't she think of that? there are so many different types of people here! surely someone has more experience with the spirits. maybe... maybe there's even someone who has a similar problem that she does!! ]
That's it! [ she all but stands out of her chair, putting her hands on the table and beaming at him. ] I'll start working out and... and ask about it in the journals! That's what they're for, right? Anon-san asked about love, and I've seen a lot of other questions, so I should be able to ask about spiritual forms. That's so smart, Yato! It's worth a try.
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Maybe it's cruel, but for him Nora has basically been relegated to the back of his mind, to only be focused on in the context of fighting his dad. Though he doesn't wish her any ill will, there's just currently no place in his life for her. Not with the way things are between her and Yukine. And it's not like he can give her another name.
But still, hopefully one day she'll be free to live a better life herself, away from their father. He'd like to make sure of that, at least.
Though there's a more pressing matter he has to deal with: the intense weight from Hiyori's eyes upon him. W-What is she staring for...? Is there something on his face? Was it something he said?? He fidgets in place under her scrutiny, poking at his omelet. Until she abruptly stands up, startling him.]
W-What?? [The bit of egg on his fork falls off back onto the plate, his eyes going wide.] Oh... Well, yeah, o-of course it's a good idea! It's mine, isn't it? One of these yahoos here must have some clue that can help you out. You just need to reach the right person!
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it's not cruel. nora hasn't been particularly... kind or forthcoming towards any of them. she works for his father and yato's father is the enemy. in every way. with yato releasing her, nora might feel like father is the only place she can go, too. it's all--
complicated.
and her heart is already tearing itself up inside since recalling that anon's words the first time. since it's becoming more and more clear. that feeling hasn't left, but she's glad for the distraction of finally (potentially) finding a solution to her half-phantom problem after all this time.
yahoos? they're not that bad. why is he calling them yahoos now? ]
It's brilliant! [ what's that behind her? yep, her tail. tail wagging. she hasn't seemed to realize yet. ] I've already met one person who can see spirits, just like me! Maybe they know...! [ BUT IT WAS ANON-SAN. WHO ARE YOU ANON-SAN. slowly, she sinks back into her seat, the excitement fading away. ]
But I don't want people to think I'm weird if I write about it. Seeing spirits, much less turning into half of one, is probably really strange. People will think I'm crazy.
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Deceptive and cruel is more like it. Whatever their dad wants her to be at any given moment. Like a puppet on a string, dancing to do his bidding for a little praise. Something he couldn't continue to do anymore and refused to in the end. Hopefully he can maintain the distance he's put between them for a while longer whenever they get home.
At least while he continues to try searching for a way to help fix Hiyori's body. He still hasn't given up, even if all his leads seem to have hit dead ends. Surely there must be a method to secure her soul back inside her body permanently. They just... need to find it. Even if it means going to others for help. He'll take it if it leads to tangible results.
As for the people here... He's still bitter about his advertisement, okay. Yes, still. If he had a tail still, it'd be twitching too at how she's gone and done it while they're talking about it. Sheesh... Some people's humans...]
Heh. Of course~ [He does have a thousand years experience, after all!] Can't hurt to ask! [Don't sit on your sleeping body, Hiyori.....]
...Hiyori, we've dealt with candy corn monsters, dangerous mirrors, affectionate flying sea slugs, and hell of a lot more. If anybody thinks you're crazy, they need to get outside more. It'll be fine.
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and yet, hiyori is starting to think it's not completely nora's fault she is the way she is. the same way it was with yato. beneath all that peacocking and self-absorption, he was so lonely. he was seeking purpose. someone who wanted him to stay, his dream. someone to remember.
which makes it all the more important that she must.
... and to guide him through things like an advertisement that fell flat and he feels bitter about. hmm.
she hasn't learned she's dropped it yet. when she sits down, her body just... phases through like always. he makes a good point, too, and she looks abashed at being reminded. reassured, though, too. she smiles. ]
Yeah. Yeah, it probably will. You're right. It's just, it's weird where we come from and I think it's harder to shake that feeling. But you're right. We've dealt with a lot of insane circumstances since being here. Weird is normal.
[ what's next? ]
Speaking of new and strange things! Did you get those pretty orbs, too? And I got another pendant...
[ she's just wearing yato's today, though. ]
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so do munsNo, they're both products of their upbringing, although Nora has always been strange, a lot of her maliciousness was learned or at least instilled by their father. He doesn't blame her entirely, and if at all possible he wants to save her when eventually he...
Well, that's for a later time, when he gets back home. No need to dwell on it now. There's nothing he can do about it, anyways.
At the moment he's better off focusing on Hiyori and what he can do to help her here, both about her body and in other ways.]
Happens when you're in a dream world. And while your condition is rare, it's not entirely strange. So... don't feel too self-conscious about it, okay?
[He tries to sound reassuring and offer her a smile, but it's kind of lopsided as she phases through her body. He opens his mouth to point it out when she continues, startling him into silence for a moment.]
Yeah, sure did. I think they're-- Wait, what? Who from? Is it some guy?!
[He doesn't know how to take this bit of information. Why is she telling him...? So he'll get jealous? She isn't showing it off, so... Is it prettier than his? More elaborate? Why?? LET HIM AT THIS GUY!!]
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muns are the most mysteriouswhen push comes to shove, she believes yato will do the right thing when it comes to nora. because if anybody knows how she feels, it's him. ]
I'll try. [ hiyori replies softly, feeling strangely bubbly inside with all of yato's effort at comforting her. he may not have been able to cure her so far, but he's doing a good job in having her believe it'll be alright.
aaaaand just as quickly, he's doing yato things. she fights a sigh. why is he like this. does he or does he NOT want her to--
to what? date? actually date someone? here? ]
No, I don't know who it's from. And why do you always assume it's a guy!? It could be a from a girl. And, even if it was, it wouldn't mean anything! [ OUCH, HIYORI. ]
... I can't tell what you want. Your answer earlier was even more confusing.
[ it is not prettier than his at all. she told him because she got three pendants, THREE, within a week after not having jewelry. it was funny, but it's not so funny anymore. ] I told you I would tell you if anybody interested me. Plus, you cut all my potential soulmates at the Divine Council before saying you would pick my soulmate for me. [ and then kofuku did before he could. ] You have some fixation with my love life and... I know it's because you care and because you think I'm some perfect potential w-wife that deserves the best, but I just--! [ AM NOT
INTERESTED IN
ANYBODY BUT ]
I want to be a doctor before I ever think of being a wife. So, will you please stop assuming I'm meeting all these guys and I'm getting gifts from them? You've been covering that already and I'd rather keep it this way.
[ SHOVES A LARGE BITE OF EGG IN HER MOUTH. take that as you will, yato. ]
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no method to their madnessDepending on when she asks that question, the answer could vary wildly. He may have said he wants her to find a husband and get married, which he does! And yet there's no getting around the fact he wants that man to be...]
Because jewelry is a gift guys give when they-- [Like someone.] W-Well, girls too, but... [Her reassurance that it wouldn't have any meaning curbs some of his ire, turning it into embarrassment from her confusion.]
...like I said, I want you to be happy, end of story. But that doesn't mean I want you hooking up with just any old guy! H-He's got to be perfect for you! Nothing less will do...!
[It's like this place is conspiring to make Hiyori into the target of somebody's affections, and he's not going to allow that to happen! Nobody gets to play matchmaker for her except for him! Although as she continues he gets the feeling that even that is starting to grate on her nerves.
He listens to her without protest, remaining quiet for a time once she's finished. He does kind of have a thing about her having a family - eventually - and part of his reasoning is selfish, yet he's not lying about just wanting her to be content with her life.]
It's not that I think you're falling for a bunch of guys. It's more I worry about them falling for you and trying something. [He gets that out, then, several moments after, registers the rest of what she's said. K-Keep it that way... WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?? He can make assumptions and it leads to an interesting conclusion. One that has him turning a lovely shade of red as his fork goes limp in his hand.]
......you dropped your body again.
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when they what...?
she doesn't know what he cut himself off from saying but that yato thinks she's just going to HOOK UP WITH ANYONE is almost laughable. for whatever reason, her plaque kept getting tied to losers. but that's not her taste!! it's not!! BELIEVE HER.
if they weren't interrupted by kofuku taking her plaque, how long would yato have sat there going through every guy? looking for the perfect partner for her. she colors in her cheeks, red and rosey, not having anything to say to that other than what she's already pointed out. doctor first.
and she is happy.
hiyori isn't oblivious to yato wanting her to have a family either. to pass on the lifeline of memories so he's never forgotten and never disappears. did he really place his faith in her to do that? she doesn't want to think about it.
and guys falling her for HER? yeah, right.
hiyori falls more than they ever would. literally. her poor body. ]
............. Heh? [ she looks behind her, watching her happily snoozing face smile and drool and tip to the side to fall onto the floor. her arms stretch out to catch herself instinctively, ]
No, no, no--!!
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Even now her plaque is tied to a loser, some might say. Deadbeat hobo god with few prospects for a prosperous future. He's not worried so much about Hiyori's choices anymore as he is someone unsuitable pursuing her. Who knows what sorts might have ended up in this crazy dream world. Some psychos, no doubt...
Although some might wonder who's the psycho, with his obsessing over her, her relationships, and future romantic status. Really, if he wasn't a god, he'd probably be labeled a creep.
If he isn't already.Though of all the aspects of Hiyori he frets over, one would think his desire to have a continued lifeline the most understandable, given his only other option.Of course, they have to make sure Hiyori's body makes it that far. Which it won't do if she drops the damn thing at times like breakfast, for goodness sake. He shakes his head with a sigh, getting up from the table to come around so he can pick up her sleeping form.]
Think you got a little excited there. Here. I'll put you back in bed for now, until you can get back in. Okay?
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hiyori would say that yato is a dummy, surely, but he's not as much of a deadbeat hobo anymore. his future is prosperous because he's aiming to be a god of fortune. he is one. he and yukine have been working hard together and he has his little plot of land in takamagahara. ]
Okay.
[ wringing her hands, she watches and follows behind as he carries her back to her bedroom. her drool-covered cheek rests against his chest and she's so embarrassed for getting it on his clothes but ponders if she were in her body, would she hear his heartbeat? before forcing herself NOT to ponder on such a thing.
she hovers in the doorway, watching him set her down on the mattress, with her tail flicking behind her. after saying she had a better handle on her soul, too. sigh. figures.
she's just going to observe what he does. silently reaching for her tail and bringing it around to her front to hold. don't mind her. ]
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Once in Hiyori's bedroom, he makes sure to draw the sheets and blanket back enough to properly cover her, making sure her feat in particular are snug underneath. He then carefully lifts her head, smoothing out her hair before adjusting the pillow. There. That should make sure she wakes up well rested.
He can't help smiling down at her sleeping body, looking ever so peaceful. Forgetting that Hiyori herself is still behind him, he starts to lean in-- then abruptly catches himself and turns pink. Instead he switches to simply petting her hair, hesitating a moment before turning around.]
T-There you go. All set. Shall we finish cleaning up breakfast? I'll fix you something else later once your body's awake.
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she stops breathing as he leans in, sucking in a breath sharply and suddenly. when he turns around, she is bright red and wide-eyed. she saw that. she saw that. what was that? WHAT WAS THAT?? does she ask? has he done that before? her mouth doesn't work. she says nothing, only nods at the suggestion of cleaning up, while trailing behind him again back to the kitchen. they almost make it too before hiyori snatches the hem of his shirt, curling her fingers and bringing him to a stop.
whatever it was she was planning to say? gone. her mouth just opens and closes a few times. ignore it. pretend it didn't happen and move on. he could have just been looking closer at the drool on her mouth because that's a thing.
he wouldn't do that other thing. while she's sleeping.
his clothes are released and she bundles her hands up close to her neck, near her gemstone pendant, nails digging into the back of her palm and her eyes cast down. ]
Thanks for...! That. [ carrying her to her room? tucking her in? making sure her feet don't get cold? almost doing that THING he didn't do and pet her hair instead? all of the above? ]
It'll be nice to wake up in bed for once instead of on the ground. I saw you... made sure I was comfortable. It was thoughtful.
[ that's not what she wanted to say but that is what she is saying now. ]
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L... Lucky is not his name today, it would seem. As he no sooner gets part of the way down the hallway when he feels a tug at his shirt, preventing him from moving forward. He turns slowly to face her, not all the way, but enough to show that she has his attention. Please don't notice the color in his face...
Watching her with both a keen interest and something resembling fear, he keeps his eyes on her hands instead of higher up. It's the best he can do under the circumstances.]
Uh... Y-You're welcome. I just... wanted you to be comfortable. [She must be talking about how he handled her head, right? Right?? Not for not... getting closer. She would've decked him if she thought he was trying anything like that! Yeah. Of course.]
That's how you should be waking up. [He wants to apologize for not being able to make that happen, but her next words stop him cold. It.. doesn't sound like what she intended to say.] You... saw? Oh-- Um, right. I try to be! Hehe...
[Wondering if he can make his escape now, he gradually starts backing up, raising a hand in both a wave and to brush aside her thanks.]
I-It was nothing! Really!
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Wait, don't run off!!
[ it's a plea. but what happens after this? when they're both bright red, so hot in the cheeks she's surprised that they haven't started to steam up the entire house. this is what she gets for sidestepping and ignoring yato, isn't it? that when she wants to talk about the something, he's trying to brush it off and move on. this just feels so different! and he must realize that too or else he wouldn't be running off. he would be playing it up more. ]
It's not nothing, i-is it?
[ what is she asking? it's not like she wants to know what he was doing but her heart has taken hold of her tongue. ]
It felt different! I wasn't creeped out or anything like I usually am when you take things too far! [ hiyori. ] It was like those other things I enjoy! [ holding hands. new: hugging. hanging out on the couch together. being together. ] But I had to watch it... s-so that was a little off-putting...
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I'm not...!
[He totally was. But he stops anyway, as does his breath. Briefly for that, at least. Though his face only continues to redden as they face one another properly, this time he finds himself looking directly into her eyes instead of elsewhere. It's like she has some kind of spell over him, one he fears almost as much as his dad.
What if... this is what drives her away? What causes her to leave him finally, for good? Without noticing, his hands begin to shake, leading him to clenching them into fists to try stilling them.]
M...Maybe.
[Where to go from here, though? Should he come clean and explain what he was trying to do? No. No way. That would give everything away, expose his heart to her... He couldn't bear it. Thankfully Hiyori continues, surprising him until his eyes are wide with shock at how brazen she's being - at how much she didn't mind what he'd done. That she... actually... like it?]
O-Oh... T-Then, I won't do... that anymore, unless you're in your body. 'kay? [That should make things right, right?]
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"maybe"...
despite her guilt, she doesn't look away as their eyes meet and yato stumbles over a response. her stomach flips around itself, and her hands clutch to her pajama bottoms in a white-knuckled grip. ]
O, okay. [ she murmurs with a tiny nod. what thing is he making right? nothing was... wrong, per se. if anything, watching as a spectator might have been the sort of separation she needed to see she would be fine with it. that she wants--
whatever IT was.
only hiyori and yato would have this very specific problem of him IT'ING her unconscious form for her spirit form to watch. ]
Okay. [ she says in a tone of more finality, nods more firmly, and thence continues down the hall and back to the kitchen. heart somewhere up in her throat. beating so hard it hurts. yes, it hurts. ]
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It's truly a wonder that she didn't smack him, demand to know what the hell he thought he was trying, and and-- he wants to know, too. Get a grip, Yatogami...! At least pay attention to your surroundings if you're gonna try to plant one on your follower! Geez... He's such an idiot.
But wait, does that mean that she actually wouldn't mind if he... Or did she just mean the whole putting her to bed bit? Which in itself is one hell of a leap in the relationship department, he feels, but what he'd intended to do was decidedly non-platonic. But does she know that? He can't imagine that she does.]
Y..Yeah. [This is definitely a Them problem, for sure. So ridiculous.] Alright.
[His own heart continues to pound as Hiyori heads back, leaving him standing dumbly in the hall alone. Then he's burying his face in his hands as he lets out a shaky, nervous laugh. He's still got to face her during clean up.]
...shit.
[His feet feel heavy as he slowly drags himself to the dining table, mind elsewhere as he picks up their plates and heads for the kitchen, nerves shot.]
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yato takes the empty plates and she works on cleaning the table, wiping it down.
it's silent as they work. typically, hiyori makes small talk about this or that because she's interested to hear yato's opinion on things. she doesn't catch his curse at any point as she's lost in her thoughts, too. doing her best not to look at him in the kitchen as the water runs and she can hear him scrubbing away at plates.
what's going on? living in this dream world is changing her. at least, it's certainly changing what she can and can't tolerate from yato. it's making her nervous to talk to yato and not in the way she was when she was unsure if he was a scary guy or not. is this because they live together? is this why yato and yukine are so close? daikoku and kofu-- she can't think of them. she can't compare them.
while he's finished the second plate, hiyori appears with the pan and utensil he used at the stove and hands it over. ]
Here. I brought you these, too.
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Also stuck in his own head, he doesn't realize how odd the silence is for them, not when his mind is loud enough for two. Part of him is screaming at himself for being such a damn fool for trying to place a kiss on her forehead, and the other for being such a damn fool for not trying it on Hiyori, herself. In the end he comes to the conclusion that yes, he is indeed an idiot.
He mutters as much under his breath while he washes the dishes, face still heated from the incident. This is... definitely a dangerous situation. Maybe one of them should move out...? It would have to be him - he couldn't ask her to leave. But... he likes living with Hiyori, no matter how tempting it may be. Maybe she does, too...? She said she didn't mind, so--
He visibly jumps when the subject of his thoughts makes an appearance, offering him the pan and spatula. Swallowing hard, he nods and takes them from her, struggling to get his voice to work normally.]
T..Thanks. I'll be done in just a minute. So you don't have to worry about helping with the rest.
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not the guts for garters line, fortunately. or pretzel yato. that's already been crossed before.
all this because of a forehead kiss he couldn't go through with when hiyori has already kissed the back of his hand. wh-what would a kiss on the forehead be! hah!!
(a lot.)
it was never dangerous before. they only have to go back to that "before" again. she wouldn't let yato leave unless he had a place to stay, anyway. going out there and sleeping outside in the trees or something isn't going to happen. she wouldn't be able to live with herself. it's hard enough knowing brc is doing the same dang thing. ]
I want to help. [ as ever, but she can take the hint. it looks as though she wants to say something, but just bites at her lip. suddenly she reaches up, cups his hot cheeks in her hands, and gives him a probing look.
]
Alright. I'm going to my room. Thank you for breakfast.
[ just as quickly, she drops her hands. hiyori bows her head in gratitude toward him and then walks out of the kitchen to leave him be.
once in her room she sits down at her desk, opens up her new diary, and writes:
January 6th.
Today was the last day of Yato's advent calendar. My final gift was a life-size reindeer named Rainy. She's in the corner right now. It was too much, but I have to admit it was fun getting presents every day.
Something happened today with Yato, too. I'm not sure what.
???????????????????????????? ]
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For Yato, there's no going back once he acknowledges his feelings. Which is why he's doing his level best not to. To ignore that ache that seems to grow stronger with each passing week. Leads him to doing stupid shit stuff like what he just tried. In her presence, no less!!
What makes it worse is when Hiyori suddenly lays her hands on him, giving her both a good feel of how hot he is and how hard he's breathing. His eyes go wide as they gaze at each other, although he's not sure what he's seeing in her expression, it's so unreadable.
And then just like that she releases him, giving a proper-ish bow before leaving him all alone. For the longest time he merely stares after her, breathing hard as he leans against the counter to catch his breath. He needs to go cool off somewhere.
He finishes up the remaining dishes in a rush, throwing the towel over the sink edge when he's done. Taking up a pad of paper and pen, he scribbles down a note that simply says, "Gone out. Back later." and leaves it for her on the dining table. Then he hurries to his room to change and teleports away to the restaurant part of town. Even at this early hour, he needs a drink.]
Sender: Kazuma ĺ éşť
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1/2
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You're talking about hanakotoba, right? Do you know the language?
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1/2
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Well, I certainly hope so. I am her blessed vessel after all.
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Yellow roses have two different meanings- jealousy and infidelity. Hopefully, you will never be on the receiving end of one of those.
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I'd hope if someone is either jealous or unfaithful, they would just say it to my face.
Why are you bringing those up?
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It's just an interesting tidbit that flowers could also have negative meanings to them as well.
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so she can't argue that point. ]
Has Bishamon-san ever sent you flowers?
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[
Like with Tsuguha.]no subject
And if you told her, Bishamon-san might send you flowers because you like them. But she can't know until you do.
Besides, negative feelings aren't inherently bad. It's natural. Nobody can feel positive all the time. What's important is to resolve them and not let them build into something worse.
[
ERGO TSUGUHA. ergo yukine...]no subject
You can say that but need I remind you that despite how often you do spend time with gods and shinkis- you do not understand everything about how things are handled between the two. You are not a shinki nor a god.
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I'm not, but I want to understand.
More than that, shinki are still human. They're still people. And gods may be gods but I've experienced enough to have my own beliefs, too. Nobody is infallible. Gods need their shinki as much as shinki need their gods.
But this goes for everyone: Nothing gets better by being silent. If anything, it only hurts more.
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When you become a shinki I would take your advice into consideration, until then perhaps we should focus on friendlier matters? Do you think it would be wise to stick with plastic vases or should we look at some glass vases?
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which is the reason why, after the initial hurt, she doesn't hold when you become a shinki against kazuma no matter the intent behind it. he doesn't know that shinki are people that were killed, does he? shinki only know that they've died.
if she becomes a shinki, it's because she died too soon. that she wanted to live. a thought that makes her blood run cold. despite that, ]
I'm trying to be a good friend by telling you this, Kazuma-san. I think your way of doing things is too short-sighted. [ unintentional glasses joke ] I don't want you to get hurt in the future because you kept your silence for whatever reason. You're still a person like me, aren't you? A good person. Not just a shinki. Not just a good shinki, either. Why do the two have to be separate?
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I would say glass vase because it's prettier. Even if they're easier to break than plastic.
[ because yato..... is a literal child sometimes ]