Ibaraki-doji no Hyakki Yagyo

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Name: Koji & Sakura
Clan & Species: Shihaku Clan, Kirin
Location: Park
Interactions: Lairen and Sairen (@RaineSensei) and Ibaraki-Doji (@Crow)

As the female oni spoke and then introduced herself as Ibaraki-Doji, Koji blinked with surprise and looked at his sister for a small glance and the two shared small thoughts before turning their attention back to her. Suddenly a small creature arrived and spoke to her quickly. the twins didn't really pay attention to what was being said but then nodded slowly as she disappeared and left the twins alone with the other twins. What do we do...? I would like to have a small chat with them.... If you say so Imouto... Sakura turned her attention to the twins and spoke in her normal polite manner.
"It is a pleasure to meet both you two."
Her red eyes looking directly into both of their golden eyes, she then looked around and sighed as she tugged her cloak again. Speaking up and stepping up beside his sister Koji looked at the two of them.
"Would you happen to know a place away from prying eyes? Our hoods aren't staying on with all this wind... We needed to find a place but we couldn't see one..."
Looking at the twins, the pair looked into the golden eyes opposite to them and tilted their head to the right in unison waiting for a reply.

((Haha don't worry~))
 
Asa Yomikawa​

Asa was no psychic nor did he have ESPer abilities but he was a good judge of character. From the moment he had met that Kyokotsu, he could already smell the malice he radiated a mile away. To think that Arisu couldn't sense it as well as he did was alarming. And judging by his response to one of her suggestions, he didn't really take kindly of the idea of asking the Hyakki Yagyo for aid. This kid is more dangerous than most yokai he encountered.

After Arisu's declaration, he stealthily followed her back to her room, taking care that not a single life notices him. He had previously assigned Remina to inform the other Onmyoji clans that the Tsuchimikado Clan would also participate fully in the mutual fortification of forces. Currently, she is writing the declaration and would send all of them via messenger pigeons afterward.

"Don't think about what you said too much, Ari. You said that with the interest of thee clan in mind. However, you should have anticipated that there are traditionalists present among us. That Kyokotsu in particular, you should be cautious of him. He is a lot more dangerous than any Yokai you've ever faced. And I think we just made an enemy of him. II'm good at telling a person's character and from that brief rebuttal, I saw loathing, remorse and worst of all, blood lust. Even so, I'd like to think that he wouldn't do anything rash such as stabbing us in the back. If I lose faith in one of my sworn brothers-in-arms, that would be the day I would quit being an onmyoji. However, you have to act a lot more cautiously. Plan your actions before you decide to act. One wrong move could cost you your life, much less your position." Asa said solemnly with a grim expression on his face.

It was then that the petite, silver-haired Remina barged into the room after overhearing what Asa had said. She firmly stood by her master's side and held his hand with much conviction before looking at Arisu intently.

"You may not believe it but I have clashed swords with Nurarihyon before approximately 1500 years ago. Back then, my first master, Haruto Hibarigasaki was convinced that Nurarihyon and his Night Parade of a Hundred Demons were responsible for the monster attacks that plagued his hometown. He sought him out and we fought him for three days and three nights non-stop. It ended in a draw and Haruto-dono had to take a long dump afterwards but anyways, Nurarihyon explained that another group was responsible for the attacks. He agreed to help us purge the demons that were attacking his village and from then on, until my master's death, we have been helping each other ever since. Even if that person entrusted the position of Supreme Commander to someone else, I firmly believe that he chose someone who would uphold his ideals. The Hyakki Yagyo are a group of trustworthy and noble yoka!" Remina stated, her voice filled with indomitable conviction.

Asa beamed at his partner and ruffled her hair vigorously before speaking once more.

"Remina has a point. I'll personally coordinate with the Hyakki Yagyo. I'll be the judge if we can still have a mutual partnership with them or not... Besides, it is my dream that one day, Humans and Yokai could co-exist." He said in a melancholic voice before patiently awaiting Arisu's response
 
Lairen & Sairen
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Sairen continued to stare at Koji and Sakura, her eyes drifting over to the male Kirin in particular. Meanwhile, Lairen thought over their question. Had their shrine not been torn down and replaced, he would have immediately invited them over. But it was different now. The Komainu twins rarely ever stayed in one place and had no specific place to call home.

"Sai, know any places? "

"Not off the top of my head..."

"Same. Kinda makes me miss our shrine..."

"Stop it," Sairen said with a deathly glare. She didn't like bringing up the past; it only made her hate the humans even more, and Lairen knew fully well.

"Sorry..."

"Ahem. Anyways. Now that I think about it, there is an abandoned shrine nearby.... it's pretty isolated and surrounded by trees. We've been passed there a couple of times, but never really went in. Perhaps we can check it out?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Arisu Tsuchimikado
​
Arisu listened to Asa's words while laying down, covering her eyes with her arm, but not because she was crying. No, it was because she had wished that she hadn't seen such a look directed towards her by one of her own, especially her general and one who trusted her so much. From just Kyokotsu's look, she already felt like a worthless leader and one that could bring down the entire clan. In all honesty, she was frightened despite her usual calm appearance. What if she makes a bad decision? What if many die because of her? What if her own subordinates start to hate her? The thought of those questions scared her. It made her think that Asa would have been a much better Leader than she.

"I....I do not hate all demons, only those who cause destruction and chaos. I'm not against allying with the Hyakki Yagyo, because we have worked with them once before a long time ago. However, I cannot help but doubt them. If we fight with just our clans, there's only so much we can do to such a beast, so I'd like support from whoever and wherever we can get it from. But if I make the wrong choice, I could be responsible for killing hundreds of people and possibly yokai as well. Be aware, Asa, I do put my clan before my life. That also includes Kyo. Even if he ends up betraying me, I won't ever hate him. I know his past, so I can understand why he was so angry and why it was my fault. But even so, do not speak ill of him. "

Her eyes then began to tear up at the thought of her fellow onmyoji dead and teared up even more so when she remembered Kyokotsu's infuriated expression.

"I do trust you, Asa and Remina, from the bottom of my heart, but there's a chance that the yokai won't take kindly to you. If that ever happens, you must return here immediately. I don't want to lose you. Also, I want to meet the Head of their clan before we settle the partnership, if it comes to that. This is not a request, but an order."

Her voice was low and unsteady, but she was at least confident about meeting the new leader.
 
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The door slid open in a slow fashion. Within a few seconds, Kyokotsu appeared in the hallway. He looked nervously around as he straightened his robes before heading towards Tsuchimikade-dono's room. He noticed that there was another figure inside the room, and he guessed that it was probably Yomikawa-san. Kyokotsu didn't really want to eavesdrop... it would be rude, after all. Instead, he patiently waited for a whilst he reflected on his actions.

He needed to apologize to Tsuchimikade-dono for his demeanor. He had no right to question her choices, because he was a mere general-- inexperienced and weak-- while Tsuchimikade-dono was the head of the clan. She was wise, brave, strong, and insightful. Kyokotsu felt that he had insulted Tsuchimikade-dono to the highest level, and had already prepared himself for a possible demotion. He was really disrespectful of everyone in that room for he had voiced out his unruly and untamed opinion without giving consideration to the thoughts of his superiors; he was guilty of his crime. Of course, Yomikawa-san... Kyokotsu felt that he had also disrespected the legendary officer. Again, he needed to apologize to him. While it was true that Kyokotsu had better travels than Yomikawa-san, there was a reason why the latter was chosen for an S-Category mission to Yamanashi while Kyokotsu was assigned to B-Category and A-Category missions to Chiba and Kanagawa. Truly, he had been an officer unworthy of his title.

Kyokotsu raised his fist as he knocked softly on the shoji door.

"Tsuchimikade Arisu-dono... Yomikawa Asa-san... may I enter? I would just like to apologize for my behavior which is unbecoming of a general of the Tsuchimikade." Kyokotsu announced his presence in a soft voice as he kept his head bowed with the hood covering his orange locks.

It has been a while since Kyokotsu had lost his temper in a meeting. It was terrible, and it made his mind think of crazy things. He had chickened out the last time, but this time... he was going to set things right.
 
Asa Yomikawa​

"Ore? Did you just indirectly confess to me, Arisu?" Was his mischievous response before backing off with Remina in tow. He opened one of the windows but paused for a little while, slowly taking in a breath of fresh air. "I don't want to lose you". The words repetitively ringed in his head. He could sense the pain in Arisu's voice. 8 years ago, he should have died if it weren't for a miracle. When he came to, Arisu had already assumed him to be dead and was already grieving for him. The face she made that day... he never wants to see that again. An expression filled with nothing but longing, regret and despair. The reason he wanted to become stronger was not for the sole purpose of protecting Arisu alone but he also wanted to protect her smile. As someone who had supported her even back in their childhood, he

"Do not fret. Remina and I would be able to handle ourselves and if things turn out to be ugly, our other friend can pull us out of the fray in no time. Besides, I'm not the Vice-Commander for nothing. Even so, I'm not stupid enough to push things beyond my power. I know my limitations so you shouldn't worry about me being reckless. You, on the other hand, need to watch what you say from now on. We don't want a repeat of what happened earlier. During these times, we need to stick together. We already have enemies on the outside. We do not need internal strife to do us in too."

At that moment, both of them heard someone knocking on the door followed by the familiar voice of Kyokotsu. He was planning to leave immediately but with the general's sudden arrival, he had to postpone his departure in order to keep an eye on Arisu. With the fiery conviction and animosity he displayed a while ago, he wasn't going to leave him with his childhood friend alone any time soon. Call him paranoid but that's just how much he was protective of her.

"The door's open. You may enter. " Was Asa's simple yet authoritative response. The two of them waited for the young general to enter, with Asa increasing his guard secretively under the facade of a calm expression. He had to consider all possible scenarios as Arisu's bodyguard from the best to the worst possible outcome.
 
Arisu Tsuchimikado
​
Arisu silently dismissed his response. Usually she'd have responded with some sort of comeback or something, but she didn't have the will to, especially when she was crying. Instead, she remained silent as he went on with talking and took in everything he said. When he finished, she gave a small nod to show that she had heard him, but mind seemed to be thinking about something else, or rather a number of different things.

Just then, she heard a knock at the door followed by a voice, Kyokotsu's voice. It caused her to sit up on her knees immediately. She fixed her hair, which had gotten slightly messy when she was laying on the ground. He said he was going to apologize, but Arisu didn't know why when she was the one in the wrong. "Come in," she said, composing herself to look respectable. Her eyes were still watery and it was quite obvious that she had done a bit of crying.
 
Kyokotsu slowly slid the door as he solemnly entered the room, and sat down on the floor almost immediately. He bowed a little bit before focusing his gaze on Tsuchimikade-dono. His shy and timid demeanor was back, now finding it difficult to look at the face of the one who he respected the most. Kyokotsu opened his mouth, but then he closed it again... This went on for a few seconds before he finally voiced out.

"Tsuchimikade-dono... I sincerely apologize for my recent behavior. I know it wasn't right, and it wasn't respectful. My actions were unbecoming of a general, and for that, I am heartily sorry. It's just that, you know my story more than anyone else, and it was a shock for me when it was said. However, I know my place. You are the head of the clan, and I am but a mere general. I know that I should have more faith in your plans, because not only are you wise, but you've never failed the clan even once. I believe in your vision, Tsuchimikade-dono, and I will do everything in my power to make it a reality." Kyokotsu bowed, now looking at Yomikawa-san.

"I understand if your trust in me has been tarnished, Yomikawa-san, but please let me assure you that I am very loyal to the clan. I would never do anything that will put in jeopardy. I apologize as well for my behavior towards you. As second-in-command, you should have been addressed better." Kyokotsu raised his head.

"Know that my respect for the clan is unquestionable, and I will do anything to keep it alive." Kyokotsu smiled softly. "I will not question any demotion that you might impose on me, Tsuchimkade-dono, but at least, allow me to keep fighting for the Tsuchimikade. I await your next orders, Tsuchimikade-dono."

Dying for this clan is the day worth living for...
 
Ibaraki-doji continues to hover over, before finding the right spot. "I've been through this process a few umpteenth times."

There it was. After a while of flying over, she had identified a familiar building from above. She nudged towards Kenta. "Alright, we are ready to land. Like always, we'll need to decellerate as we get closer to the ground. You know the drill, don't you, big guy?" With a wink, whatever weight her entire body had submitted to gravity, closing in to the ground. When she was five metres above ground level, she did her bizarre 'mid-air jumps', causing her falling speed to slow down drastically, ensuring a safe landing.

With that, Ibaraki-doji was a mere ten metres away from her headquarters - the Hyakki Yagyo headquarters. She turns back to gaze upon her avian friend.
 
"Of course, Ibaraki-chan. Hundreds of years of flight has made this natural for me. You might say it's more natural for me to fly than an ordinary bird.", he chuckled, and swooped down gracefully, slowing as he neared the ground, and tucking his wings up as he landed, walking a few paces before seeing her hop down from the sky. "We're not too far from the headquarters, Ibaraki-chan. Of course, you don't need me to say that.", he smiled down at her, and walked at a leisurely pace towards the headquarters. "I wonder what our friends in the night parade are up to now? Which ones should we send this time around, do you think?", he asked, as they neared the gates. He raised his hand, and used a little magic to swing open the heavy doors, before filing in behind their little leader. "Ah, there's no place like home, Ibaraki chan..."
 
Name: Koji & Sakura
Clan & Species: Shihaku Clan, Kirin
Location: Park
Interactions: Lairen and Sairen (@RaineSensei) and Ibaraki-Doji (@Crow)

Once the other pair of twins spoke of an abandoned shrine, Koji and Sakura looked at the with interest, they had never heard of this so called abandoned shrine and for them. that would be a lovely experience, in their minds anyway. Imouto... Can we go oniichan? Hai, Imouto let us go... We shall allow the others to lead. Looking up at them Koji gave a nod and allowed them to take the lead in the direction to the shrine. The twins weren't ones to start a conversation so they stayed silent allowing the other two to talk if they did so find needed. Not that they cared if anyone spoke or not, they were too interested in the shrine now.

((SORRY IT TOOK ME SO LONG~!!!))​
 
Asa Yomikawa
​

Asa sighed tiredly when Kyokotsu apologized to him as well. Indeed, he can no longer give him the same amount of trust he had in the general after that incident but Arisu was right that he must still have faith in him. He understands why the general wanted to apologize to Arisu but he need not apologize to him as well as he had done nothing to offend him.


"I understand your point of view, Kyokotsu even if I am not aware of your past. Indeed for millennia, Yokai and Humans never really did get along that much except for a few special cases but even though there is a possibility of a betrayal, there is also a possibility that we can unite as one to defeat a greater evil. Arisu saw that possibility and as her Second-In-Command... no... as her friend, I will put my complete faith in her plans. In the event that a betrayal happens, I will assume full responsibility and make sure our brothers and sisters get out of it alive... or die trying. The Tsuchimikado has never failed us. I am confident that Arisu will not break that record any time soon. However, certain pre-cautions must be set before we can even fathom of making an alliance with the Hyakki Yagyo... for example, we must investigate and confirm that this new leader has the same ideals as Nurarihyon. Once we do that, we also have to make sure that they are willing to form an alliance. And even if they are willing, there will inevitably be some qualms from both sides about working with each other. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Preparations will take time and I cannot vouch that they will be completed before this evil decides to attack. For all we know, it could strike any moment. But this is just a fail-safe... a backup plan in-case the possibility that we cannot fend it off becomes a reality. I will personally oversee the negotiations and the preparations." He said nonchalantly with a deadpan look on his face.

Remina had gone quiet beside him. She was definitely on guard yet is displaying the same level of calmness as Asa. She normally is a lot talkative whenever she was with him or Arisu but in the presence of others, she becomes like this. Cautious, quiet and calculating. In fact, she only ever trusts two people in the entirety of the Tsuchimikado Clan... Arisu and Asa. And it is this quality that is both her and her master's saving grace.
 
Lairen & Sairen
​
After seeing the other set of twins nod, Sairen began to lead them through the streets and trees. All the while, Lairen stared at the Kirin's horns. The fact that it was spiraling and pointy made him extremely interested. He wanted to touch it, but his sister was keeping him in check. Though one could barely tell by his mask, he was pouting.

Soon enough, the four came to a small, traditional, single building shrine. It had long lost its vibrance and the building was slowly chipping away, but it still made for a decent, temporary place to stay. The Komainu led the others into the shrine to see the inside. Compared to the outside, inside was much more well kept and looked only slightly run down. Inside, was only one room, enough for 6 people to sleep in.

"Here it is. I hope it's good enough."

"It's been forever since we came here."

"Indeed."

"... Hey, Koji, Sakura, can I touch--" Lairen began only to be jabbed in the stomach by his sister.

"Don't be rude, Lai," she said simply before adjusting her mask.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Arisu Tsuchimikado
​
Arisu's gaze never left the orange haired boy as he talked and even when Asa spoke. Hearing Kyokotsu talk so shyly and sincerely caused her to smile only briefly. It reminded her of when Kyokotsu would always talk to her when giving reports with a shy face, like today, and it made her happy to see. Once the two finished talking, Arisu exhaled and began steadily and seriously, like the leader she wished to be.

"I must apologize as well, Kyo. I mentioned such a thing in your presence, and as a result, I made you angry. As the leader of this clan, I felt as if I've failed. Above everything else, I wish for the happiness of my clan, yet I went and did the exact opposite. You may not respect me anymore, Kyo, and I'm okay with that, but do understand that I will always think of you as a precious person to me. I've chosen you as my general, and as my general you will stay. Even if you displayed an act of hatred towards me and hit me a thousand times, I'd still choose you as my general a hundred times over, Kyo," she said with a heart warming smile before letting out a soft sigh.

"As Asa said, we plan to investigate more on the Hyakki Yagyo and their leader before we can even be sure of an alliance. If there is a possibility that the alliance can be established, then I will personally talk to the leader myself. However, if I or Asa deem the Hyakki Yagyo as too dangerous to work with, then we, the onmyoji, will handle this situation ourselves. Is that acceptable, Kyo?"

 
Kyokotsu sighed in relief, it felt good to have Tsuchimikade-dono's approval and trust once more. The general bowed before straightening himself. It still irked him that their clan was still considering the negotiation with the Hyakki, but then again, he wouldn't question Tsuchimikado-dono's choices. Still, he needed more exposure to the impending threat on their clan, and besides, Kyokotsu felt that this exposure would help him experience more mature decisions. Then again, Yomikawa-san's comment on the main house's vulnerability was one to consider. In this case, Kyokotsu had one request from the head.

"I thank you for your forgiveness, Tsuchimikade-dono." Kyokotsu smiled briefly before hiding his face again. "That is why I long to earn more of your trust. Therefore, I have a humble request... Allow me to oversee our clan's operations and defenses in Yamanashi, Kanagawa, and Chiba. This will not only help me get a better grasp of the threat, but also allow quicker mobilization of our forces since my squads are already stationed in the vicinity. In addition, I believe that what Yomikawa-san said about the thin line of defense in the main house is true. I believe that it would be better for Yomikawa-san to be stationed here in the main house since most of our fighters have been deployed to the different areas. Yomikawa-san's strength is legendary, and as such, it would prove useful should some rogue demons try to launch a surprise attack here in the main house."

Kyokotsu rubbed his chin in thought. "Besides, while Tsuchimikade-dono and Yomikawa-san will try to negotiate with the..." Kyokotsu paused for a moment. "--with them, I will try to monitor the situation in those three locations, and will notify you when the need arises."

He looked at Tsuchimikade-dono, his nerves eased at just her face. "Should you, Tsuchimikade-dono, approve of my request, I shall depart for Yamanashi in two moons."
 
Name: Koji & Sakura
Clan & Species: Shihaku Clan, Kirin
Location: Abandoned Shrine
Interactions: Lairen and Sairen (@RaineSensei)

As the finally made it to the shrine the twins took their hoods off and allowed the soft wind blow through their spiral horns and closed their eyes as the sunlight gave them energy. Softly taking a deep breath in and then a deep breath out they sighed softly. As Lairen began to ask them something they blinked softly as Sairen told him he was being rude. The twins looked at one another in slight confusion. What was he going to ask Oniichan? .... I.... Don't know... Wait. A smile crep up on Koji's face and he laughed softly. Confused Sakura looked at her brother and then the others. What's wrong? Ah he wants to touch our horns. Laughing and chuckling softly, Koji looked at Lairen in amusement and SAkura looked at him also with a similar expression.
"Do our horns look that strange?"
Touching her horn lightly Sakura pondered why it seemed as though everyone wanted to touch their horn.​
 
One of Minami's Okuri-inu barked as Ibaraki Doji approached the gates, drawing the attention of its owner. Minami sat up and smiled faintly as she watched the leader's spectacular landing, getting on her feet and jumping down the roof of the gate after the doors had opened.

'Ibaraki-san, Kikarou-san, welcome back.' she greeted them with a slight bow of her head after meeting them halfway to the gate.
' Ibaraki-san, I would like to request to join the mission to apprehend the Purple Mirror, Murasaki Kagami.' she stated in a somewhat formal manner.
 
"I have arrived," Ibaraki-doji bowed and rose. "I believe the message was conveyed. A full night parade will not be prepared. Instead, we will be sending a few volunteers, and certain warriors I believe will be capable of aiding us..."

Ibaraki-doji hears a certain request from Manami, a young fox spirit, specifically the Gumiho, which was closely related to the kitsune. "I like some determination early in the morning. Technically it's evening but... it's evening. Pretty close to night. Very well."

Ibaraki-doji crosses her arms and smiles, "any other volunteers to perform the usual, once-every-few-months ritual?"
 
Kiritsu was pleased to see that their leader had finally returned. Of course he had already heard the message about the Purple Mirror, and he and his fellow Namahage had been busily discussing the problem. It would be irresponsible of them to do nothing in the face of such a threat to good law abiding people everywhere, so they were all too eager to act. But it was apparent that not all of them could simply bound off on this mission together. They resolved that only one of them should go, and as their leader, Kiritsu believed it was his responsibility to act. He strode over to Ibaraki-doji and those that had gathered around her.

"I volunteer. It is the duty of all good beings to do what they can against a threat."
 
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