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"Quiet, you!" he snapped at the miko on the ground, his legs finally being let down to rest on the ground, though the rest of his body remained immobilized and frozen like stiff ice. The long-haired man smiled fondly at the tiger god, as if he was seeing a long lost friend for the first time in many years. With a snap of his slender, pale fingers, the beads that were wrapped around his arms fell loose, swimming through the air like a snake before landing in a neat pile in Kiyoko's lap. Nishibyakko's eyes narrowed at his fellow god. "What do you want, Eastern Beast? Have you come to laugh at me too, like that chicken?"

There was silence between them before the man shook his head. "No, only trying to help you. You are angry, suffering. You do not know what sort of position you are in right now." This was a god who could make even the most angered and vengeful of humans forget their worries. He was a god of spring, so similar to him with the creation of life yet so different. His season was the symbol of change, the turning of the seasons. It was the time to regrow as a human being and to let go of all the past deeds one had done whether they were bad or good. A god of forgiveness. "I tire of seeing you getting injured by fooling around with mortals. Those god hunters relish in seeing even a drop of ichor. You are growing weaker and weaker every time you venture out." His eyes flashed a dangerous blue. "I insist you stay here, with a miko who truly does believe in you."

Nishibyakko glared at the miko. "Her? She is not even a Hayashi, despite living in the Hayashi temple. She swears with her foul mouth, so unlike a proper lady!"

"Perhaps not a lady, but a girl. What would Wakahirume say if she were to see you now, mistreating a girl? She's not of age yet, youngsters will be youngsters." Azumeseiryuu's ever present smile always annoyed the tiger god. "For someone of her age, she has been tending to the temple well, even on her own. Even you agree, though admitting it is a whole other story." To that, Nishibyakko only grumbled inaudibly. He hated getting lectured by the 'god of forgiveness'. Though in a way it was better than Kitagenbu. He sighed, "Your followers are lessening year by year, why do you treat her so? Stay here for a year at the least, when I will put the barrier down."

The god raised an eyebrow. "Just a year?" he asked to confirm, seeing light at the end of the tunnel.

"Within a year, you will be stronger and have recovered well. So yes, twelve full moons will be enough."

Nishibyakko snorted. "Very well."

"It wouldn't do you harm to do one good deed a day either. If you do not do anything to help this girl out, I might just increase-" The man said with a beaming, flowery smile. Azumeseiryuu was scarier than the tiger god had thought.

"Alright! Alright!" Nishibyakko growled, using his now free hand to swipe at the god. With a last chuckle, his hand passed through the apparition of the God of Spring, dissipating into clouds as if he was never there. "You, mik-" he halted. "Kiyoko. Let's go back, looks like this will be my new home for a few moons." He held out a hand for her to pull herself up with. This was a gentlemanly act, right?
 
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"Y-you..." She was so tired of being dismissed for what she was saying in plain honesty. He had just turned away and dismissed her again, hadn't he? After he had threatened her life just mere moments ago, after he had come so close to tearing at her with his teeth? Kiyoko wondered bitterly if he was even much better than the people of the village. No one had even come half-close among the long-remaining villagers when she had tried so hard to tell them that it wasn't her family's fault. All that misplaced and unrightful blame placed on the deceased, who had actually died protecting the temple and the sorry hides of everyone in Ochiba. She felt her hands clench so tightly into fists that they started trembling, fingers digging into and crumpling the white seals she held on. After a moment, she forcefully relaxed them and took back her prayer beads.

Hearing the god speak again, she tilted her head upwards and snuck a glance at him. Who the hell was he talking to? There was nothing, no one else here but her, this stupid, ruthless god, and her cat. Yuta wasn't even around anymore, when she cast a second look around. Feeling even more abandoned, the miko grit her teeth and looked down. It was beyond unsettling to watch Nishibyakko gesture and glare at thin air, had he finally gone insane? It could certainly explain why he was acting so furious and ready to kill at one moment, and mocking as well as dismissing her the next! She wasn't able to look at him without feeling a dangerous concoction of fear, anger, and hurt. Why had she helped him when he would just be like this? A madman. That was what he was. That was what her god was. If she tried to 'believe' him now, about what he was saying or speaking, it seemed like he was talking to Azumeseiryuu.

Kiyoko flinched once again when hearing him speak about her and feeling his glare. "I know already," the miko hissed quietly, hanging her head. This was the most pathetic she had felt in a while. Clumsily fallen in a heap on the ground before a god who all but loomed over her projecting his anger and his own bitterness. The heavens must really hate her. She didn't even care that thinking such a blasphemous thought was unbecoming of a priestess.

And now he would offer his hand to her? With that neutral expression, Kiyoko wasn't so sure if she just got angrier or if she was just too past the point of caring. Staring at his hand as if it was a poisonous snake, the miko knocked it away as hard as she could and stood up by herself. "I can stand up on my own," the words were all but snarled at him. She was looking at him as if she no longer recognized him, red eyes wide with a mix of emotions she couldn't even care to think about now. He wanted to leave, and now he wanted to stay? For twelve moons? "Your new home? Fine. It's not as if I can refuse you, and you know that." She laughed bitterly, shaking her head. "You've done nothing but push me around and hurt me since yesterday," she spat, before stepping away, putting more and more space between them. "Normally, I wouldn't care. You're not much different from other people despite all your lofty claims."

She turned away from him and took a deep breath. "I have nothing more to say to you." Kiyoko hurriedly walked away, not looking over her shoulder as she hastened to get to the temple and further away from him. Her eyes stung slightly and she angrily rubbed the back of her sleeve against her face. "Dammit." There was no way she was going to shed tears over something like this. It was just another shitty thing in her shitty history of things fucking up in her life. The only right thing was the temple, and now she had to live with him for twelve months. Rubbing her face against the sleeve even more quickly, she sighed. She would have to take time to regain her bearings, but if he had to live with her that long... She had to learn not to let him get to her anymore.
 
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Nishibyakko pulled his hand back, blinking at the miko. Why was she upset? He wasn't going to hurt her anymore, and he wasn't even allowed to. Since when he had hurt her, she was still able to move and function and her limbs were still intact. Compared to how he handled his enemies and those out for his head there was nothing for Kiyoko to fuss over. He sighed and shrugged, frowning as he trailed after her. Humans were strange, he didn't understand how their mind and how their logic worked at all. Did she just compare him to humans? The god cocked his head, confused. Gods and humans were completely different. He wasn't greedy, only sought to protect what was his. They both trudged back to the temple in silence, her back turned to him the entire time, uninterested in what he had to say. Not that he had much to say in the first place to her, to a girl who had gotten angry at him for a minor reason.

She seemed to be ignoring him, pretending he didn't exist at all. Aside from offering him food she did not turn to him once. Whenever he tried to speak up, she merely turned her head and acted as if he did not say anything in the first place. Nishibyakko couldn't understand nor fathom what was wrong with her. Did he need to apologize? But for what? He did not draw blood from, did not kill her nor harm her. Jumping at someone was not an excuse to ignore one's god. The thought of apologizing to her for something so small was incomprehensible. He pursed his lips, if he said he was sorry, that was only a sign of him being submissive to her. That wasn't an option for a god like him, a god trying to repent to a human? He shook his head, Nishibyakko needed to find another way.
 
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The young shrine maiden was fuming, unable to look at Nishibyakko and not even desiring to. Kiyoko wasn't certain if she would just further burst into tears or do something stupid, and she had already done a lot of foolish things ever since last evening. Saving this god? What ever did he need saving for? It was clear that he thought her opinions as something worthless and saw her as an insolent child. "And maybe I am," she muttered underneath her breath, cursing all the while as she wiped at her face with her sleeve. Not that she was going to be sorry for what she said. He was the one who barged in on her life, and even if he had any right to, she could let herself feel resentful. Yes, resentful, for all the good it did. She tensed as she heard him catching up to her with long strides, and hurried further ahead. No, she didn't want him to walk beside her.

"I'll bring your offerings to your room," she snapped, twitching her head slightly in his direction over her shoulder. Kiyoko didn't quite look at him and hurried off the stone path once they stepped into the temple grounds, making way towards her home. At least he didn't want to step foot into her parent's house. It was like a haven away from him, if he was going to be here for the next twelve months. Why did he even suddenly change his mind about staying? To impress upon her further? Would he even answer her if she asked? As she entered the house's threshold, dusting off her hakama to get rid of the dirt and grass, she shot a dismal look at the prayer beads. "Are you trying to help me or trying to get me killed?"

Whoever had heeded her prayers and used them against Nishibyakko, she wasn't even sure if she could trust. Considering her own shrine's god was like this, what did that say about the other symbols? The other kami? Did they think it was right to just meddle in human lives like this, to think them so... So disposable? "And really, aren't we?" Sighing, she rested against the wooden wall and closed her eyes. She had never once tried to question this temple's teachings, but as that god had said, she was an outsider. She wasn't a pureblooded Hayashi at all, she hadn't been indoctrinated in this clan's beliefs since she was born. Dully, she opened her eyes and stared at the shoji panels. No, she wasn't someone who had relied on gods to take care of herself as this family did.

"Yet they still loved them. Heh." Such blind devotion or loyalty to beings that were far beyond human understanding, Kiyoko mused. Shaking her head, she pushed away from the wall and headed for the kitchen. She still had to get those fruit offerings and then be done with him for the day.

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After finishing up with her cleaning duties in the morning, the miko departed from the temple without a look back. He could do as he liked, she had a feeling he was too egotistical to want to tarnish the temple grounds, and that lessened the likelihood of her coming back to a messy or trashed shrine. She was holding a bundle in her arms, briskly making her way to the main village proper. It was daylight and she wanted to get her work here done as soon as possible. This was another of her livelihoods aside from being the temple priestess. Kiyoko sold and traded things certain villagers needed, so long as they were willing to interact with her. Gathered carefully in a woven box were the herbs she had so carefully gathered and preserved, as well as medicinal plants that could be found in the forest grounds.

The red and white attire of the priestess stood out like a sore thumb among the duller, more worn clothes of the villagers. Kiyoko sometimes wondered at why the clothes used for uniforms were made of fine material, but the Hayashi had been wealthy enough - prosperous lands and all - to afford it. She could feel the people's gazes burning into her back and stiffened, straightening. With a stubborn set to her chin, she pasted a rather forced-looking grin on her features. Cheerful enough. It did vex the villagers when she looked annoyingly happy, after all. No need to change habits.

Glancing around, she sighed as she ascertained that the more troublesome types were away. Probably working in the fields or doing carpentry work, since she knew they made furniture and bowls. And the ladies were probably enjoying lunch time or whatever they did, all she had to do was avoid the village square where lots of people went to gather. Flashing a smile at one frowning old lady's disapproval, Kiyoko playfully stuck out her tongue and hurried off before she could hobble her way over. Hearing the high and creaking voice shout insults at her made her roll her eyes. "Geeze, even the elderly." Yet those old people were too afraid to actually do anything to her. The witch. At least there was one elder that wasn't this stubborn about holding on to old grudges.

"Obaa-san?" Having reached her destination she rapped twice on wood to the old woman's house. There was a responding 'Yes' from inside, in a kindly old lady's voice. Much better than that old crone from earlier. Kiyoko's smile became less forced, and more soft, as she saw the old woman push open the door.

The lady's face was lined with wrinkles, yet it was clear that at one point in her life she had once been very beautiful. Greying hair with only remnants of brown was pulled up into a bun at the back of her head, and she wore a smile. Her eyes were a clear, warm brown and they never once looked at Kiyoko with disdain, and that was enough. "I've been waiting for you, Hayashi-sama." Kiyoko ducked her head at the honorifics, shaking her head ruefully. She never could get this old lady to call her by her own name. The lady stepped back from the threshold, her posture still straight and prim despite her age. Taking the invitation, the girl took off her sandals, holding them in one hand and stepped inside.

"Would you like a drink before we start sorting out the stock?"

Kiyoko shook her head, she wanted to stay away from him as long as possible but it wasn't going to help. "Thank you, Hotaru-obaasan. But I must head back to the temple soon." They had relocated to a small room, sitting down across from each other. She sighed as she laid out the box, opening it and showing the plants and herbs she had sorted. They were tied together, the same kinds, with small pieces of string. The dried ones were separated from the fresh. But she couldn't avoid the old woman's probing gaze, and upon meeting her eyes fidgeted slightly.

"Have they been troubling you again?"

Her eyes widening, she shook her head at the question. "Not more than they usually do," she mumbled with a chuckle, inwardly relieved. Hurrying on she changed the subject. looking up with a smile. "I'll bring over some of your favorites from my garden when they're ripe, obaa-san. And.." Hotaru thankfully didn't pry any more as they moved on to their work. Kiyoko didn't really have to help the elderly healer, but chatting with Hotaru had always helped her unwind. The old woman was kind and a little lonely, with no other family in Ochiba aside from her widower son. And it wasn't too bad to keep her company.​
 
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Nishibyakko had awoken to a quiet temple and a plate of fruit after curling up for a quick nap, freshly blessed from the statue that sat out near the front. He groaned as he sat up in his crumpled yukata and looked around at the sparse room. He couldn't sense her presence... but he might as well check if she was hiding somewhere. Outside, the halls were astonishingly clean, the yard swept and taken care of. But she wasn't there in the kitchens nor in any of the rooms he had walked past. The god paid her absence no need, munching on a delicious pear and enjoying the peace and quiet.

He recalled his conversation with the dragon of the East earlier that day, and how the miko had hilariously ignored him their entire walk back up until he retreated to his room. It was going to be difficult not to lash out at her when that was how he solved every single situation. But it was true he needed to regain his strength and power and maintain his peak condition before stepping out of these protective boundaries. That fat serpent wasn't going to let him anyway. Rolling his eyes, he lounged back on the patio, ears twitching at the slightest of sound. If he got too comfortable, who knows if his tail is going to start growing out?

But as the god waited and waited, he realized it was already past the time for lunch, but the miko had still not returned. She was nowhere to be seen, and he could not sense her anywhere in his territory. Even though the girl annoyed him to earth's end, Nishibyakko found his mind wandering to her questions of her whereabouts and even worse, if she was hurt. He sat up straight at a thought, what if she had run away from her duties as a miko at his temple because he had jumped at her? No, that wouldn't be good for him. Imagine the gods laughing at him now! But... "Women are weird," he muttered to himself. How was he even supposed to get her to come back? What did girls like?

"What would I like to see you do? What about cooking? Women always cook, I want to see you cook for once, God of Autumn." A voice reminded him. Ah, of course she would know. He had asked her that question himself. Living a life of rocks and swords really did not open up his mind to the world. Even in the midst of weaving, she seemed to always have time to answer his questions. Seeing as it was autumn season, the miko would likely have grown autumn crops, which would be perfect for a Mid-Autumn festival feast. He licked his lips, those meant fresh water crabs and pumpkin and taro, didn't it?

He rushed outside where he had last seen a cluster of crops grow, where Kiyoko tended to them by herself. There was a small pumpkin vine growing, with buds appearing where fleshy and plump pumpkins would eventually sprout from. It was still too early in the autumn days to see them grow, but that was no problem for Nishibyakko. With a twirl of a finger, a bud shuddered and shivered before engorging, gaining on size and transforming into a fully ripe pumpkin like it had traveled through time. Being an autumn god, harvesting season was an easy task for him. Cutting it loose from the vines that held it, the god carried to an unsurprisingly clean kitchen. She had everything, though it was small. One could easily see that this used to be a temple where many people came to visit. Placing the pumpkin down with a thud, the god returned to the farmlands, peering down at his feet. A single wink of light in his eyes shimmered before he brought down a shovel to the ground, sinking it down into the earth for taro. Four gigantic brown objects found its way to the surface, collected and delivered back to the kitchen. With finesse and speed, the god left the temple for a nearby river infested with river crabs during this season. They were delicious and filling, perfect for a meal. And he was sure the miko hadn't discovered this treasure of gold, since it was hidden deep within a forest. After wrenching a hairy crab from the banks of the river with his bare hands and collecting a grove of edible mushrooms, the god quickly went to work.

Hopefully he wasn't going to be given cooking duty after this.
 
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"Are you sure you don't want to eat?"

Kiyoko shook her head and smiled sheepishly at the concerned and inquiring look the elderly herbalist was shooting her, stepping further out on the main threshold and entrance of the house. "Oh no, I really need to go now." She had already stayed long past the time she was intending on leaving. Hotaru was such a sweet old lady, it was hard to turn down the offer of a drink the more time wore on her and the soft-spoken conversations had, admittedly, worn down her own determination not to talk about herself. Before long she had to watch herself from talking about that certain god who was currently lounging around in the temple. "Thank you for having me, obaa-san. I'm always happy to help out," she added with a small grin.

She moved to get her sandals, bending over the small assortment of slippers and sandals placed off to the side when the doors to the house slid open. The priestess was in the motion of putting on her sandals when she looked up, and gasped in surprise. "Oh!"

Asato was the village herbalist's widower son, supposedly taking up his mother's trade. When the incident years back had swept over the small community, the man had been... Crippled. He couldn't speak much and what he could get out came in a high, wobbling and whispery voice that belonged more to a frail old man than a man in his early thirties. What she knew of what had happened to him was that he had once tried to go into the cave past the boundaries of the Hayashi grounds, that one place that held so many bad memories for everyone. He had a kindly face, but that one milky, blinded eye that didn't move the same as his other functioning one did made looking directly at him mostly unnerving for the villagers.

"Asato-san!" She met his eyes directly and straightened, eyes shifting over to Hotaru in uncertainty. The miko never quite knew how to deal with Hotaru's only relative. He was gentle, and while he had his speech impediment he was very helpful around the house for his mother. Still, there was a childlike, broken sort of fragility about him that made the priestess feel an unending sense of guilt. Having his one light brown eye, the same beautiful shade as his mother's, stare on at her without judgement or anger, but that simple kind of friendliness, made her want to flinch away. After all, his wife . . .

He smiled down at her gently, a tall and lanky sort of frame lending him an even more frail appearance. Asato was all spidery thin limbs and thin wrists that looked like they could snap easily. A hand rested on the priestess's head, ruffling the top of her hair gently. "Kiyoko-chan. How is. Yuta-kun?" And he liked her cat. It made not talking to him rather difficult when he was always so happy to hear about Yuta.

Cracking an awkward smile she ducked away from his hand. "Yuta is probably enjoying a cat nap somewhere back at home, but I'll take him here next time to play with you." Scratching her cheek she looked from mother to son and then shook her head. "I really need to go now, thank you Hotaru-obaasan!"

"Take care, and don't let whatever the others say get to you, Hayashi-sama. Come in at any time!"

The priestess hurried out of the house and down the village paths as quick as she could, not wanting to linger around any longer. Kiyoko had to admit that she did feel better, staying away from the temple—and she usually hated being parted from it—and away from that god for a small while had let her relax. Yet the temple was supposed to be her own haven. Damn. "Fucking god." She was going against so much of what she should be saying, should be doing, as a follower of the tiger god. Yet he was still the one who had so flippantly barged into her life as if he had any right to it.

More lost in her thoughts than usual, the priestess was unaware of the new set of eyes that followed her white-clad back.

"That's her, then?"

"The only priestess in that godforsaken temple of the White Tiger? Aa."

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Yuta mewled at her in greeting at the entry to the temple, uncurling from his comfortable position on the veranda and stretching. Kiyoko quirked a bemused smile at her own pet before stepping in, taking off her sandals and padding down the hallway. "Coming back after leaving me earlier?" She sighed as the feline merely blinked at her, cocking his head questioningly. What was the point of even asking her animal companion if he wasn't going to give her any answers? Approaching the hall with the god's room, she frowned at the sight of it left empty. He wasn't on the veranda, what rooms could he have gone into while she was away? The offerings room? She had left him fruit, but was he looking for something else to eat?

At the thought of food she was reminded that she hadn't cooked lunch for herself and Yuta, either. The priestess raised her index finger and thumb to the bridge of her nose with a groan. What was she going to make - a porridge from some rice? Kiyoko wasn't a great cook by any means, but she knew enough to keep herself sustained. More often than not she just ate fresh vegetables over a bowl of rice, anyway.

Wait. She stopped short. There was something amiss, and it was in the form of some kind of faint scent wafting over. It tickled her nose and made the pang of hunger in her stomach more pronounced. "Eh?" She turned around, narrowing her eyes. "Where is this-" Beginning to walk quickly, Kiyoko hurried tried to follow the strange aroma from somewhere. Opening and closing the sliding doors as soon as she found them empty, she finally chanced upon the source.

Only to blink owlishly at the spread on the table, and then at someone she had been hoping to avoid for most of the day. "Huh?!"
Was she just seeing things or was there a cooked meal spread on a usually empty table in the temple, right before Nishibyakko Okami?
 
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A feast had been laid out on the table in front of the god, he looked bored as the miko had entered. Dishes and plates with glistening red and orange and green colours winked up at her. Bright green vegetables boiled with stock until it melted easily on the tongue, seasoned with soy sauce. Stir fried pumpkins cubes with juicy mushrooms with spices and sauces Nishibyakko had thrown together. The star of the table was crab, its legs coiled under its body after having been boiled. The umami scent of the seafood was already present in the small room, captured by the closed doors. The god had already shelled its main body and detached the legs, arranging the pieces delicately so it looked like it was one whole piece. For such a violent god, the White Tiger of the West was quite capable of doing tasks with careful hands.

He looked up at Kiyoko when she stepped in. His normal scowl appearing on his lips. "There you are. I was beginning to think I had to go out and smell you out," the man growled. Averting his eyes from the miko's scarlet eyes, his voice lowered into a pleasant murmur... that didn't have the cynical bite that it usually had. "Good to see you have not abandoned the place," he mumbled as if he was speaking to himself, scratching his face. Nishibyakko would be lying if he said he didn't mind the miko leaving the temple to rot over time, as he had seen many of his followers do so.

"Sit," he commanded, tough attitude returning. "I have only been here for one moon, but your cooking skills are appalling for a miko," he stated as a matter-of-factly. A god could see all, they always said. The previous night and earlier this morning had not shown him any signs of capable cooking talents from the girl. "I cannot have my followers starving themselves with... with peasant food. Eat up, and bring your cat too." He pushed a bowl of pumpkin - not soaked in broth - towards Kiyoko before crossing his arms grumpily. At the subject of her cat companion, however, his expression softened. "Unsweetened pumpkin is good for digestion for cats."
 
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"W-w-what is-" The miko cut off, scanning the table up and down again with mouth hanging agape before she turned on Nishibyakko. "... This?" She ended lamely, usual prickliness dropping in favor of shock. The spread on the table definitely wasn't any of her usual fare, much less anything she even could make by herself. Living a rather frugal life when it came to her own needs, she hadn't seen so much food spread out on a table since—since her family died. "Did you-" Her eyes widened as she caught pale violet turn away from her, confusion flooding her expression. How did he get pumpkin? Where did he get the crab?

She pursed her lips and looked away as well, dragging her gaze back to the unexpected sight on the table. "Of course I wouldn't abandon it. It's my home," she pointed out, brows drawn down as she fixed her gaze on the food. Kiyoko wasn't sure if she heard right. Did he just ask her to sit down and eat? Ordered her, more like. For a moment, she considered turning around and walking out after hearing his very vexing comment on her cooking abilities, before taking another look at his face. The god's face was angled away from her. And he was talking about her cat as if he cared about it.

It's not like he's going to poison me, right?

A brush of a small warm body against her leg made her turn around partially and look down at her cat. "Yuta." Interestingly, both the miko and the god's expressions were softer when it came to the only animal companion in the room. Yuta purred at her before he swept past, green eyes already set on the small feast laid out on the table. Against her own will she felt her lips curve upwards at the sight of the glow in her only friend's eyes, she hadn't been able to treat her cat to much due to her own simple life around the temple. It was already a wonder he stayed around all those years ago.

Hesitatingly, she looked again upon Nishibyakko, before padding across the threshold to sit across from him. Tucking her legs underneath her, she stared hard at the impatient-looking god. "Why?" What were his motivations for doing something like this? Her question came out sounding more like a demand, but she wanted to know why he even bothered. Before she could get out another word a sound escaped into the room that had the miko's face turn crimson.

That was her stomach, unmistakably. As if in amusement, the small dark-furred cat mewled pleasantly.
 
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The god raised an eyebrow at her. "Why?" he repeated, a hint of amusement in his voice. He wasn't actually going to say he was worried about her, or the fact that he was a little troubled with the way the miko had snapped and yelled at him earlier in the morning. Nishibyakko tried not to mull over problems, he was spontaneous - problems should be solved quickly and swiftly - whether it through bloodshed and chaos or something more civil like cooking a decent dinner. His instincts were telling him that if he said the truth, Kiyoko would never let him go on it. The god raised his head, eyes narrowing at the mortal sitting across the table from him. "Because you are horrendously thin, it is a miracle you can even keep the temple clean and proper without energy," he rambled. "Vegetables and rice will get you nowhere, you need protein." His people always offered him meat back in the days gone by, livestock and crops given to him in return for rich soil and blessing their crafts. Even after what had happened, Nishibyakko always loved to chase the cows and ox in the fields, devouring them if he was hungry. "I wager you have never had river crab before," he grinned at Kiyoko, baring his teeth and flashing pearly white fangs.

From beside him he pushed forward a small wooden bucket with a lid, concealing fluffy white rice with seasoning he had managed to find and a rice paddle along with an empty bowl. The mortals always said that no meal was complete without the grains, and even on its own the god had to admit it was tasty. A staple to the people in this world. "Help yourself, your cat, too." He grumbled before flicking his long ponytail behind his back, a long extension of his dark hair. He was silent as he scooped a generous amount into his own bowl, vivaciously devouring his meal.
 
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Kiyoko took a moment to recollect herself from her embarrassment, shaking her head furiously and turning her face away from the amused expression of the god. Green eyes followed her movement lazily as Yuta licked at his paw. "Oh, I have enough energy to put up with shit from other people," she muttered, an eyebrow arching sardonically. It was getting stranger and stranger to listen to a god of all beings begin spouting advice on how she was to manage her health. "The produce from this land is good." It was produce from this land, his land, that was currently gracing the table between them. Produce that he put together and cooked with his own hands. The thought made her pause, crimson eyes flickering to Nishibyakko's grumpy facial expression.

"Where did you learn how to cook, anyway?" She was admittedly curious. How did a god learn how to cook so well? The food meticulously cut and placed into bowls reminded her more of a woman's touch. Her mother's touch. Kiyoko glanced at him once again with arched brows before looking down at the food. "Here, Yuta. You go first." Taking the small bowl of pumpkin, she lowered it towards Yuta with a gentle cooing noise. It was a good thing he was happy for any food to come to him, the cat purring as he lowered his face to the chunks in the bowl. His mistress reached out with a hand, scratching softly behind his ears.

After hearing a satisfied sound from deep in the small animal's throat, she turned to her own food. Kiyoko crinkled her nose slightly as she took her chopsticks, poking at the food. "I don't go deep into the forest anyway. Unless it's to forage." Fidgeting for a moment more she finally took a piece of the crab curiously. She was quite certain that even the villagers who fished didn't get to have this often. They were rather too afraid to venture into the forest past the temple borders, after all. Eyes flitting to Nishibyakko warily, she popped the morsel into her mouth and made a startled noise. It was flavorful and tender, and not at all horrible or poisonous like a voice in the back of her head was chanting.
 
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He raised an eyebrow at her, lowering his chopsticks after scooping in a mouthful of rice. "A god has his secrets," he mumbled, voice muffled by the mouth full of food. He was pleased with that he had managed to create out of a small list of ingredients. The crab and the broth, although it hadn't been sitting for long, was rich and tasteful, lip-smackingly good. They quietly continued to eat in silence, munching on the soft pumpkin and juicy mushrooms, sucking out the meat from the crab legs. "Do you need your god to teach you how to feed yourself with decent food as well?" he suggested, a playful lilt to his voice. The meals he had seen from her were meager... how did she even manage to survive? At least cats were versatile creatures, Nishibyakko assured himself, looking at her feline companion.

A miko like her who never mentioned far into the forest... that was expected. It was a dangerous place in some people's eyes, but of course Nishibyakko was never afraid of his own plot of land. But maybe she was terrible at cooking because she couldn't find good ingredients. The rivers and streams nearby only had plain fish, nothing that he particularly like. And only certain fruits and normal mushrooms could be found near the outskirts of the forests. "If you ask nicely, I can show you some nice gathering spots..."

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Several days had passed since his arrival at the shrine. It was the same routine almost every day, the miko would wake up ridiculously early and eat her breakfast before beginning to clean the temple and the grounds, tend to her plants and vegetables before heading out to town to trade her harvests or whatever goods she had to offer. As for the White Tiger, he spent his days lounging on the patio, watching the sun rise and fall. Sometimes he could go to his gathering spots and pick out some crabs and fish to store in tanks for the priestess to cook. Or fill up baskets of mushrooms and berries and plants to set aside whenever he was bored. Nishibyakko never worried that Kiyoko would not return, because she seemed loyal to the place in the days he had been around.

The one thing he did miss was sake. Glorious sake, that sensation of such a holy liquid slipping down his throat. Being stuck in one location was starting to bore the god. It was a harsh punishment indeed, from the Azure Dragon. With a grunt, he pulled himself up, pacing around the temple in search for a bottle of sake that maybe Kiyoko had not told him about.

And there it was. Hidden behind some jugs. A polished, white bottle of sake, labeled with a red sticker. He licked his lips, time to get drunk.
 
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The arrival of a god, with all his danger and his lingering anger, might have disturbed the small pond that was Kiyoko's world, but as with all changes, one learned to settle into an everyday rhythm. Even she herself wasn't aware of it, the curiosity that had been sparked to life on that second day as she saw his hands offering, to a mortal, food that had been made by himself. The smile that was more bared teeth and contained violence but in the end was still a smile, the playful lilt that he found himself using - she wondered if he even realized it. He still very well could hurt her, and had almost done so - a thing that lurked in the back of her mind, but that afternoon had almost made her think he wasn't so lost and violent, a rogue in a god's skin, as he made himself to be.

A curiosity had been awakened and the priestess of Ochiba was none the wiser. His arrogance may repulse her, may annoy her, but the seeds were sown.

... Then again, it was easy not to realize when Nishibyakko was lounging around the temple like a lazy, oversized feline and teasing the already easily irked miko whenever the mood struck him and he thought he could get away with it. Considering he was a god, he probably could all the time. Kiyoko couldn't remember such a time when she had always been in a perpetually annoyed mood than when she was around him, either. The villagers weren't even this annoying nowadays. It was a good thing she was usually bustling about the temple grounds, sweeping away leaves and dirt on stone pavements, or drawing water from the well, or watering her crops, or - heck, she was busy all the time.

How did Nishibyakko even find opportunities to creep on her and annoy her? If not in body his presence was always a reminder in how there was someone else around the place and that was just strange.

... He did help her find some good gathering spots. It helped her get more mushroom, plants and herbs to sell for a living and to feed the two of them. And oddly enough he hunted and fished so she could learn to cook passably. Just because she never had her hands on such ingredients before.

Coexisting with him was odd.


"Round, round, go round,
Waterwheel, go round
Go round, and call Mr. Sun
Go round, and call Mr. Sun
Birds, bugs, beasts, grass, trees, flowers
Bring spring and summer, fall and winter
Bring spring and summer, fall and winter"

A woven basket swung from her arm as she walked past the temple gates, a pleasant singing voice filling in the empty silence. She was in a relatively good mood after coming back from Hotaru's house once again, and visiting the kind farmer and his family. Singing was always a good way to fill in the silences in the temple, and it was practically a requirement if she was going to be a miko who did rites and dances. Kiyoko smiled at her cat as he paced leisurely ahead of her, sighing before repeating the idle lyrics of a folk song she had heard from her family when she was young. It seemed repetitive and meaningless, but it was nice to the ears.

She paused on the threshold to the temple, finding the patio empty of its usual lounging god. "Where is he now?"
 
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Before Nishibyakko or Kiyoko realized it, a week had passed in the lazy days of Ochibamura Temple. The same blue skies, the same gusts of gentle wind brushing the ground the thin autumn leaves. The routine Kiyoko followed everyday was rhythmic. Despite his personality, the god found himself relaxing out here in the countryside. He had declared one of the outer rooms as his napping room, the sliding doors thrown open so he could watch the trees sway to a silent song as he lounged about without a care in the world. Although he never indulged the priestess with his ability to make her crops grow with a single click of his fingers, he had taught her how to search for a variety of food - and trusted her with a handful of perfect spots where things grew wild but edible.

His boredom had been quenched by the bottles of sake he had been finding near the temple grounds. He could only assume the men that used to live in the temple stored away their alcohol for festivals and the like, when they were still a thing back in those times. Nishibyakko returned to the same place every night to pour himself a nice jug of the liquid before returning to either his room or the napping room before drinking himself silly, and today was no exception.

He was seated inside his napping room, clothed loosely in a yukata with no shame and bearing heavy-lidded eyes. The door was left open, though the patio he usually lounged on was left alone. Even with the howling wind, he could hear her voice as clear as day. "Over here," he called out, almost stuttering over his words. The god's pale skin was flushed, eyes clouded with the pleasure of drinking. "Why didn't you tell me the Hayashi's hid such good booze?" Nishibyakko hiccuped, raising a cup in her honor.
 
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Was that a heaviness in his voice, or was she hearing things? Kiyoko squinted as his voice sounded from somewhere inside the temple, the priestess looking down at her basket and at the remaining fruits at the bottom and shrugging. The farmer had refused to take all of her harvest today, pushing more into her hands and telling her to make something for herself. He probably didn't know that she had more food than usual because of the god who fished and gathered sometimes. She sneaked a glance at Yuta who seemed almost to shrug at her, and sighed as she set off for the god's favored lounging spots. He had a 'napping room' he claimed as his own somewhere, didn't he?

Kiyoko's brow twitched as she saw the sprawled 'sitting' arrangement she found Nishibyakko in. Staring at him for a long, hard moment, she muttered, "How the hell did you even find those?" She wasn't a stranger to seeing drunk people. There were farmers who enjoyed a cruder form of rice alcohol, fermented from some of their harvest, down in the village. But she usually despised having to deal with them. And this god... "Have you no sense of decency?" Well, he didn't care that she was seeing him in such a slovenly, disheveled state. Immediately averting her eyes upon catching a glimpse of his bare collarbones and chest, she stayed at the edge of the room and lowered the basket.

Eyeing the god's face for another second, she pushed the basket forward. She couldn't help it, there was something novel about the way this stranger was once again almost incoherent towards her. The first time was when he was injured. Now he was drunk, like a mortal man. The cloudiness in his eyes left no room for doubt, the once sharp and cutting violet depths now a hazy amethyst. There was a flush across his cheeks and nose that contrasted against his pale skin. "I didn't think gods could get tipsy."
 
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From his awkward position, the god sat himself up with a groan and a mutter. Stretching and flexing his back, both of them hearing unsettling cracking and popping sound that resulted in a comfortable sigh from Nishibyakko. Setting the small sake cup on the table, he took a deep breath and sighed with pleasure. The usual sneer from his face was gone, replaced with a more pacified and peaceful expression. The sash of his yukata was not tightened enough, leaving the fabric to pool around his chest, revealing pale skin with a sheen of sweat. He didn't seem to care that the priestess had full vision of his bare body. "Hm? Oh, in the kitchen... behind some pots. Very nice booze," he murmured with a yawn. Nishibyakko looked liked a mortal more than anything, a being who had not a care in the world.

He scratched his head before laughing. A genuine laugh that held a tinge of sadness, not an emotion the god of the west would ever expose to anyone. Tough and angry, the image he had created, could only crumble when it came to alcohol. "Gods drink themselves silly when they have the chance. The sake of the heavens is the most beautiful liquid that will ever touch your lips," he chuckled. "I know a certain goddess who would steal sake regularly." His eyes were peering out of the open doors, glazed amethyst eyes looking at something that nobody else could, swaying slightly on the spot. Nishibyakko had plenty of memories that he didn't need to be reminded of, and even though sake could drown them away, they would also flood his mind with them. All those people he would have been better off forgetting came back to him, capturing him in a trance.

Grabbing a nearby cushion, he threw it on the floor beside him, beckoning Kiyoko closer. "Sit. I bet an innocent little miko like you has never even tried sake before," he smirked at the priestess. He poured her half a cup of the rice wine, pushing it to her side of the low table. "Sit down and join me." The god blinked down at the basket of food she had brought along with her, his smirk fading a little. "You could have brought better drunk food."
 
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Mentally slapping herself, Kiyoko sighed as she learned how he located the hidden stashes of sake around the compound. She shook her head, before she found her eyes drawn towards him, her being drawn to the sound of a god's laughter. What was so different about this laugh? She couldn't detect the anger and threat in it, and it seemed almost... Genuine. Like it was just simple laughter and he was amused at something, but it sounded sad. Even she could hear it in his voice. Hesitatingly, she seated herself at the far end of the room across from him, watching the way his dark hair fell around his face. It was tousled much like the rest of himself and his yukata.

This was a god? He didn't seem much different from a human in moments such as this. "A goddess?" Her curiosity was getting the better of her. Which goddess was he speaking of? How many gods and goddesses did he know and speak to in his lifetime? She knew Nishibyakko Okami was a major god, but did all the gods across the land mingle and talk with each other, or did they roam around by their lonesome like she found this one? He didn't seem to hear her well, caught in some kind of remembrance as he stared with distant eyes past the open doors. She stared at him, a frown forming on her lips.

Hearing him beckon for her to come sit with him, her brows arched high up. Come drink with him? Kiyoko thought on declining, then realized this was one such chance where she could learn more about Nishibyakko. And for the record, he seemed awfully alone just sitting there lost in that drunken stupor, a look on his face that was neither happy nor sad. She scooted her way to the end of the table where he placed another cup for her, wrinkling her nose. Sake didn't smell good, she didn't know why people enjoyed it so much. "It's food, Nishibyakko. I think it's better than nothing. And you're inviting one of your innocent little miko to drink?" She snarked back, trying to catch his eyes.
 
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Nishibyakko's smirk returned, his clouded eyes winking at the priestess. "Back in my day, the mortal women made the sake but never drank it," he said, throwing another cup of the sake down his throat before pouring himself another. For his current state, the god's hand was still steady as he held the flask, filling up his cup with the slightly milky liquid. "You ladies and your weak amazake, pft." He growled, tilting his head upwards to shoot a glare - but not a hostile glare - at Kiyoko. "Girls who worship me aren't pushovers, so drink some of the strong stuff." The voice of a goddess he had not seen in a long time rung in his mind, she would have gladly taken up his offer for a drink, and probably end up drinking more than Nishibyakko through the night. "As someone I know would say, drink all your troubles away."

He reached out for the basket and pulled it closer, plucking out a bunch of the crimson-purple grapes and cocking his head back to lower the bottom ones into his lips, leaning backwards into propped up cushions he had managed to find. It was a very informal sitting position, definitely one a major god would not sit in, but Nishibyakko could care less. He never did. "What did you do in that village this time? Still full of drunkards who still want what is mine?" Although there were days he wished he could tag along with her and stretch his legs, the god was also not pleased with interacting with people like them so soon. Knowing them, they were cruel and power-hungry. Why else would they live so close to his borders? "Their sake is crude compared to this."
 
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"Why do people even like this stuff?" Arching a brow, the priestess watched as the god threw back another cup of sake before turning to her own cup. It smelled awful, like some kind of vinegar or other strong scent that came from fermented things. She was pretty sure it tasted awful too, from what she heard the villagers say of it - only yes, their drinks were cruder than the sake from the temple. Kiyoko snorted at Nishibyakko's words, muttering, "I don't even drink anything but water or tea." One, she knew how to make tea for herself and how to gather the leaves, and how to dry them. She blinked at him in shock as he glared at her, and then after another look at him and hearing his words, glared back.

Taking her cup, she followed his example and downed it in one gulp. It took one moment for the foreign and strong taste to kick in, causing the girl to gag and cover her mouth. The sake burned slightly, a warm sensation as it slid down her throat and the heat and taste lingered in her mouth, stuck on her tongue. Kiyoko glared at the god with red eyes slightly watering, hand still covering her mouth, and pointedly let out a disgusted groan. Why did people like this?

"They only become drunkards in the evening, unlike you," she snipped back after running her tongue over her teeth, making another disgruntled face. The taste just wouldn't leave so easily, would it? "Besides, Hayato-ojiisan and his wife are good people. Not like most of this place." If it weren't for the few people who even wanted to trade with her or help her, she would have had a much harder time. Kiyoko couldn't farm rice, even if the lands left around her were fertile and could have produced many more crops beautifully. Reaching out to take a persimmon out of the basket, she hurriedly peeled the skin and bit into the fruit to get rid of the taste of sake, not even caring that the juice trickled from her chin.
 
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He laughed at her reaction, chuckling as he threw the stems of the grapes back into the basket of fruit. Lapping away runaway droplets of grape juice from his fingers, he reached out for the rest of the bunch. The sweet, sweet grapes were plump and surprisingly paired well with the sake he was drinking. "I love seeing first-timers drink, it's so amusing." He flashed sharp teeth at the priestess, eyes sharpening slightly behind the cloud of drunken thoughts pleasure. "You're better off drinking the weak stuff, then." He rolled his eyes at her as he listened to her remark, "Disappointed. I thought you would be able to handle at least this. Sake is better than tea and water." The way she was peeling the persimmon amused the god, so desperate in trying to get the taste of such a nice drink of booze out of her mouth. "You'll come to like it once you get used to it, but something tells me you don't appreciate me forcing sake down your mouth," he leaned forward a little, his hand pressing the tatami mat between then for support. Nishibyakko could see the twinkle of her eyes, the shrinking of her pupil. Close enough to smell the outside world still clinging on her clothes. Close enough to take a bite out of her persimmon. Without warning, the god chomped right down on the other end of the persimmon before leaning back to settle comfortably, chewing and swallowing his bite of the sweet fruit within seconds. "Poach the fruit next time and eat it with cream," he said, using his tongue to lick around the edges of his lips. "You need more excitement in your life, girl."

Laying down on the cushions, he placed his arms behind his head as a pillow, blinking up at the roof of the temple. It was clean, and he couldn't imagine how much work she would have put into her tasks to even be able to reach up and polish the wooden ceiling of each room. And as a single person doing all of the cleaning, it certainly deserved praise. And she would have gotten some if he weren't the god he was. "If he was a good person, he would be able to step foot on this land," he grumbled. "Right now, you are the only person who can. So consider yourself lucky."
 
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Still nibbling at the fruit in her hand, she grunted in annoyance at his words. Man didn't live on sake alone, did he? Tea and water were natural, were healthy and the plants in tea could even having healing properties! She learned from Hotaru, too. What did this fermented drink do for people other than addle their brains in the evening? People were incredibly weird, she mused, to even want their brains to be muddled. And then they turn into stumbling, stuttering idiots who couldn't even walk in a straight line back to their homes at night. She had seen them. Narrowing her eyes back at him, Kiyoko suckled at the juices from the persimmon, before she stopped short as he leaned close. And bit on the fruit between them. For a second she felt his breath tickle her face, tainted with the scent of sake and her gaze flared as she caught the lazy amusement in hazy violet eyes. What the fuck? For that moment it felt like she lost her own breath, and dropped the fruit on her lap, wiping at her mouth with her hand.

Like hell she was biting into that fruit after he so - so - forwardly did that! What was he even doing? She glowered at his smug face before she caught a glimpse of the way he licked around his lips. Something about the action made her feel embarrassed just to look at him. It felt indecent. But who am I to talk about that anyway?

She stared at him and sighed, before looking over his sprawled form at the open sliding doors that showed the outside. It showed the same autumn world, trees with reddish leaves still on their branches swaying gently in the breeze. It was late afternoon, she would have to prepare dinner soon. Perhaps make some tea for herself, she wasn't going to drink any more of that sake. "I'm going to make myself tea," she muttered, before standing up.

Maybe both of them underestimated how strong the sake was for a human woman, maybe Kiyoko was just that weak with it. But a series of things happened as she stood: her head felt light and the room spun for one second, blinking out with how sudden she pushed herself upwards. "Whaa?" And down she went, legs not quite steady. Kiyoko braced herself for hitting a hard floor but struck something... Well, not soft, long brown hair whipping over her shoulder and falling on... "Gah!?" Her small hands scrambled on top of the surface she fell on and made contact with warm skin, unknowingly finding Nishibyakko's chest as she pushed herself upwards on her elbows. And then she gaped at what she saw.
 
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