Ten Miles of Autumn Leaves 十里秋叶 (Hana ✗ Sen)

[Mu]

Her expression was priceless. The bitten piece of fruit fell in her lap, almost rolling to the dirty - dirty compared to everywhere else - tatami mat. He had frowned as he watched it fall, sadly gazing at the persimmon fortunately trapped between her legs and her yukata. "That was a fine piece of fruit, you are going to finish that, aren't you?" He raised his eyebrows at Kiyoko, almost as if he was daring her to waste a piece of fruit that had been grown on his fine soil. The earth here was filled with minerals for growing plants that could be found nowhere else. Discarding it would be a blow to the god of the West's heart.

Seeing as she was going to have to leave to make a somewhat passable dinner for the night, he was ready to relax and close his eyes for a nap, dine on the remaining fruit in the meantime and wait until the sun sunk into the mountains and be replaced by the waning moon. The night time view was just as beautiful as the mornings, and sometimes he wished somebody would take it slow and admire the stars with him. Even a god could be lonely, but he wasn't going to say that out loud.

Turning away from Kiyoko's face, he didn't notice that she had stood up, but his eyes flickered to her swaying and unstable figure. What was wrong? His lazy expression flashed concern for a moment, was one cup of sake enough to make this alcohol-virgin lose her sense of balance? Nishibyakko barely had the time to react when she fell over, losing her footing and landing right on top of him with a yelp, followed by a shout of his own. The priestess scrambled to find her bearings, her elbows finding ground on his chest. It was an uncomfortable feeling of having weight pressed against him like he was having heartburn, causing discomfort and growling from Nishibyakko. He found himself staring at the priestess with wild and confused eyes, shock still flickering in his hazy, violet eyes. She was quite close to him, enough for him to feel her breath on his face as she stared back at him. There was a suddenly hardness to his face as a spark of recognition and... something else, appeared on his face for a split second, like he was seeing something in the priestess now that he could get a good look of her. Her brown hair sprawled out around them, long and soft... the only difference was her eyes - so uncanny and blinking red. He could only guess that many found them unsettling, but they reminded him of the scarlets of the autumn seasons.

Instinctively, his arms curled around her waist. Kiyoko was smaller, but in the moment, did he really notice that much of a difference? But it was then when he realized what he was doing, and who the girl in his arms was. The saddened, shocked and surprised expression changed into a teasing one as his smirk returned. "Oh? Do you like me that much? You know, if you really wanted to get close to me, you could just spend the night with your god." He sneered before chuckling, loosening his arms around her petite figure. "Maybe I should get you to drink more if this happens everytime," Nishibyakko winked at her.

 

[Hana]

Mother of- Did life really hate her that much that she landed right smack on top of Nishibyakko? The curses she was about to let loose died on her lips as she realized how close she was to his face, staring into his eyes. They were very, very violet this up close, and not at all a shade found in humans - something she had already noted to herself before. Light played in those violet depths, light that naturally came in from the outside. And in that moment those eyes were looking back at her and showing actual shock, so different from the usual indifference and laziness she usually saw in his face. He was staring at her and it looked as if he wasn't going to maul her for even daring to touch his godliness. What was up with him? He stared at her, and Kiyoko wondered why she was in no hurry at all to scramble right the fuck off of him like she could have. Like she should have. Instead she stared back, fascinated by the strangely open - strangely human - look on his face.

What was he feeling to look at her like that? Like he was seeing something? Kiyoko couldn't even begin to describe what she was seeing - her thoughts were a bit disorderly in those moments, touched by just one cup of sake. Maybe that sake was what was causing her to stay still on his chest. Maybe. It had nothing to do at all with the seconds of vulnerability on Nishibyakko's face, something he had never shown in her presence before. He confused her. One moment he wanted to hurt her and intimidate her, and the next...

He was tightening his arms around her waist, holding her the way she only saw her father holding her mother. The way some men would once hold girls' waists in the village. The foreign sensation around her waist pulled her back into reality, and she froze at the awkward positioning she realized she had on him. Legs sprawled on either side of the god, lying on top of him as if it was okay to do it with a stranger - she had never even gone this far with her first and only experience with love. "W-what are you talking about?" She flushed at the sneer and suggestive tone he was using, immediately scrambling off of him as he loosened his grip on her. She landed beside him, but at least she was off of him now.

"Fuck no. You're not going to get me to drink without a good deal of hardship," she growled at him. Of course, considering who she was the growl probably didn't sound intimidating at all, but Kiyoko could dream. This time she was careful as she stood up, taking a deep breath and then another to clear her head. That damned sake. She turned away before he could see more of her reddening face at his implications, hurrying out of the room. Why did she think this was a good idea, again?

 

[Mu]

He watched her leave the room with an amused gleam in his eyes, but it soon faded away as he sunk back into a comfortable position. The room was suddenly quiet now with the god all by his lonesome, with only the random cricket chirps outside and the rustling of leaves as his companion. With no one to drink with him, Nishibyakko lifted his head to drink straight from the flask, letting the alcohol flow into his mouth and overwhelm him. The room around him began to spin and rotate out of control, the details and muted colours of the temple swirling together. Even with his senses so dulled, the god could still feel the lingering warmth on his chest, where her hands and elbows had pressed against his pale skin. Then there were flashes of skin against skin, heavy breathing and a pounding heart. The sound of his heart was so loud, thrumming against his chest like a drum. A laugh and a chuckle, followed by sounds that made Nishibyakko twitch in his drunken drowsiness.

The heavenly gardens of the world above, where the plants sparkled and gleamed like emeralds and the waters shone like pearls, a god taking a goddess by her hand. The one who looked like a young man held an expression of joy and liveliness, and although the girl seemed tired and exasperated, her eyes were shining with happiness as well. He could almost smell the dyes he used to work with, the smell of freshly woven fabric and the oil he would apply to the joints of the loom. Only more alcohol would be able to drown these unwanted thoughts, and so he drank more and more... until he collapsed into a dreamless sleep.

 

[Hana]

Since it felt like this was going to be yet another cold evening, Kiyoko decided on making a hearty vegetable and mushroom stew. There were root crops that had turned out quite well as she had picked them earlier this day, and those would do quite well in a stew with a mushroom base. Daikon radish, carrot, pumpkin, and soft taro, perhaps? The wild mushrooms were flavorful enough when used for the stock. "Oh, and some sweet potatoes." She started boiling water for the mushrooms to first stew in to let the flavors seep and make the broth, before preparing the rice. They were quite fortunate there was still some rice left over. There was likely going to be a shortage again in the future, considering how hard it was in the village with only three water oxen for the farmers to use to plow their fields.

She didn't want to step foot into Nishibyakko's 'napping room' until supper was done. Hurrying away his room earlier had left her in a disoriented state, and as she had slowed her steps down in the quiet hallway she had realized - her heart was beating faster than it should. There was a nervous energy left in her after that god's antics, and he was likely uncaring about it either. He was, after all, drunk. Kiyoko wondered how he would feel if he was in a more sober state and remembered how he had just tried to share a drink with the miko he sneered at most of the time.

"Would you like some soft sweet potatoes, Yuta-chan?" She reached over to scratch behind the feline's ears as one hand steadily stirred a wooden ladle in the pot of stew, not looking over but hearing the responding purr from him. "Thought so. Where have you been? He's been drinking earlier, I could have used some backup over there." Despite her annoyed huff, she still smiled as she started chopping up the root vegetables to add to the stew. The pumpkin was more finely chopped so it would disperse in the broth as well. "He's strange." Confiding in her cat was still something she refused to drop as a habit. It helped her keep her sanity. She didn't know what to think of what Nishibyakko just did earlier. Why did he hold her like that?

Shaking her head, Kiyoko huffed and pulled her hand back to sweep a stray hair away from her face and continued on making supper.

​

"Nishibyakko-sama? Dinner's done!" Kiyoko called, frowning as no reply was hollered from any of the rooms. Could he be still sprawled out in his napping room, or already in his sleeping room? Shaking her head she sighed at her cat, who wa already seated prim and proper at his side of the low table. Their dinner was already prepared, a large steaming bowl of the stew wafting over the scent of food. Soft sweet potatoes were resting on top of the bowl, already peeled of skin and soaking in the broth, and she had taken pieces of them and placed them on top of the bowls of rice, right on top of the fluffy white grains. All in all it looked like a pretty good dinner, didn't it?

She headed out of the room to search for the irksome god, not finding him in his sleeping room. "Is he still there?" Pursing her lips, the girl turned and hurried towards the outer rooms.​

​

 

[Mu]

Nishibyakko laid sprawled on top of the cushions, nestling on top of the tatami mat floor. He was snoring away comfortable, the now empty sake flask rolling on its side beside him. Half of the grapes had been eaten, but the persimmons were untouched. The room smelt strongly of sake the closer one would get to the god, whose face was peaceful and calm in sleep. Gone was the scowls and the frowns he always wore, and in his dreamless sleep he looked like a newborn baby that had no troubles in the world. It was clear he had been tossing and turning for a bit, as the sash around his yukata had loosened even more, baring most of his chest and exposing pale skin. It was flushed from drinking so much alcohol, and it was obvious that it was still in his system with how hot he was to touch, almost as if he had a fever.

With a grunt, he rolled over onto his arm, using it as a somewhat comfy pillow. Discernible grumbles began to emanate from Nishibyakko as he drew his yukata around him for warmth, his face twisting into a scowl and one of discomfort for a split second. To a stranger, it looked as if he was having a bad dream. Perhaps it was because the god was used to it, used to the memories that his brain would make him sort through when he slept. He didn't consider them to be dreams, much less a nightmare. Was it a punishment for his sins, for disrupting the peace of Heaven and Earth?

 

[Hana]

Upon entering the room, the strong scent of sake immediately flooded her nose and she winced. It permeated the air around the god, and when she laid eyes upon him, she raised a brow. He was knocked out cold, there was no other way to describe it. "And the mess-" She took one look at the area around him and snorted. Mature and powerful God of Metal Autumns indeed, he was more like a lazy cat that made a mess of things wherever he pleased. Still, she was a bit irked that he chose today to get drunk - just when she thought she was getting some incremental improvements in her cooking. He did love to criticize it, and now that she had something to show for her work he was snoring away.

She approached him, her usual footsteps not even causing a stir in the slumbering man. When she was close enough to reach out to him, she knelt down. "If he leaps at me just like last time I attended to him while he was unconscious -" Kiyoko groaned and shook her head. "I must be out of my damn mind." He looked odd in his sleep, less like the savage beauty she had seen in him when he laid at her feet unconscious and hurt. Daring to look at his face, she frowned as she noticed the flush suffusing his pale skin, right down to... "Indecent god." He suddenly moved, shaking her out of her embarrassment. Kiyoko blinked at the troubled look that crossed his face for a moment.

What did gods dream about, anyway? Was it something bad?

"Oi. Nishibyakko-sama. Wake up, food's ready." Reaching out, she laid her hand on his shoulder, shoving at him slightly. If he wouldn't wake up from it, she would just have to shove him again. If he did, draw back immediately just in case he thought it was a good idea to attack her again.

 

[Mu]

He barely even noticed Kiyoko had entered the room, much less trying to shake him awake. Maybe to the sleeping god it was a rocking boat, or the ground shaking under his feet. Or maybe the sound of his roar filling the skies, the swords and spears of the soldiers that wielded them against him vibrating and shaking before crumbling like dust and rock. An irritating itch at his side made him turn his head, making the soldier that was brave - and foolish - enough to climb onto his leg and heading upwards to find a good place to stab his puny little weapon into. With a chortle, Nishibyakko swept the man away, and at the same time pushed away Kiyoko's hands as his face twisted into different emotions.

With an exhale and a groan, the god turned onto his side away from the priestess, snoring away comfortably. "Stupid, stupid-" he grumbled, mumbling in his sleep at a scene being played out that no one else could see but the god. He wrapped his arms around himself, curling into more of a fetal position as he tried to find a more relaxing position.

 

[Hana]

For a moment she thought he was going to wake up. Kiyoko tensed her hand on his shoulder, preparing to flinch back at the thought of glaring eyes and bared canines - the first time he opened those eyes and turned on her, she was helping him out of her own volition. "Come on..." She murmured, licking her lips nervously when a sudden chortle startled her and her hand was unceremoniously shoved away. "Eek!" Like she had just touched a hot ember, she flinched away and raised her hand. After a moment, when she blinked and realized she was still intact, she stared down at him incredulously. He was still asleep. And grumbling. The position he curled up into was not like how she imagined him to sleep at all, considering he was all over the cushions earlier.

When she shook him again, to no avail, the priestess sat back and groaned in frustration. Scowling down at him wasn't going to do anything, and there was nothing in his stomach aside from all that alcohol and some grapes. A god he may be, but that wasn't the way to end the night. Kiyoko sighed and raised her gaze to the ceiling. "Kami help me, I'm going to drag him around again." She did it once, she could do it again. Especially since he was weighed down by his heavy clothing that first time, and he was no just clothed in a - she flushed at the descriptor - flimsy yukata. No wonder he was cold. He didn't get to his futon.

Might as well get it over with, she thought despondently. She reached over and firmly moved his arms away from his middle, repositioning him more properly. Kiyoko poked and prodded the sleeping god, realizing that certain shoves made him move on his own in a way that would help her. And then she laid his head on her lap, put her own arms underneath his, and stood. "Why did you have to be so damn tall?" Dragging him out of the room by stepping backwards carefully, she looked over her shoulder and started dragging him across the halls. The god's long legs dragged across the wooden floors, causing a squeaking noise that hopefully would be annoying enough for him as it was for her. And then he would wake up.

 

[Mu]

He grumbled again as he was re-positioned, but did not wake up when the priestess began dragging him out of his napping room into a proper dining room. It meant several hallways, which were thankfully clean and spotless, pass many corners and unoccupied rooms. His yukata was pulled along with him, almost acting like a rag for the already dustless floorboards. If not for the sash around his waist, she may have very well pulled off his clothing as she moved him down the hallway. Still, Nishibyakko was happily snoring away as if nothing was happening, and nothing was disturbing his sleep.

Just as Kiyoko was about to haul him into the dining room where a colorful dinner had been left out, the cat keeping watch, the god's foot caught itself by the door, jolting Nishibyakko awake as sharp pain shot up his leg. "What the fuck-" he flailed his arms to set himself free from the priestess holding him - though he was unaware she was behind him - and colorfully swore as he landed on his back and head, smacking against the tatami mat of the room. He looked around the room with groggy eyes, one hand rubbing his eyes clear while the other soothed the bruise on the back of his head with a confused and slightly irritated expression on his face. He spun around to look up at Kiyoko, sighing loudly when he spotted her as if he had expected no less. "What the heck did you do?" he narrowed his already thin and slitted eyes at the girl, swaying drowsily on the spot, orientation of his surroundings still out of whack and unstable. "... My head hurts."

 

[Hana]

The trip to the dining area wasn't as long and taxing as the time she dragged him all the way to the temple from the edge of the forest, but it sure as hell felt like it. Kiyoko scrunched her face up as she pulled him along the thankfully smooth floors which eased her job, huffing as she tightened her grip underneath his arms. The priestess privately thought that if she hadn't carried her own materials and things all these years, she probably wouldn't have been able to carry him. It was like carrying ten times a small sack of rice and then some. A snoring gargantuan sack of rice with sharp teeth and slitted eyes. His snores were filling up the silence of the temple quite nicely, it was a novel experience in itself.

"Ack-!" She hadn't noticed the god's foot slamming into the edge of the door and jolted when he suddenly sprang back from her, flailing her own arms. Stepping back, she raised a brow as she realized she had just heard him swear in rather colorful words. Unbecoming of a lady, huh...? How about unbecoming of a god now? Her lips twitched, and then she snorted, crossing her arms and returning an equally narrow-eyed look at Nishibyakko. "Really? I'm not surprised considering someone just drank an entire bottle of sake earlier." The memory of him goading her to drink one cup caused her expression to sour slightly.

"I made dinner." Peering down at him, she blinked. "Tch. Can you even feed yourself?"

 

[Mu]

He frowned up at her. "Dinner?" he repeated, eyes flickering to the table where he could see wisps of steam rising from the dishes on the table. For the first time in a while, she seemed to have cooked up a colourful feast. It was better than the meager meals she could scourge up from that sad mess of a pantry. Nishibyakko questioned how she survived on vegetables and rice all year around, it didn't look like she fished a lot during her days here either. But now, thanks to him, there were delicious mushrooms and more meat for her to experiment. May not taste good, but it was still protein.

With a groan, the god crawled towards the table, peering groggily at the spread laid out before him. Just as he was about to reach for the pair of chopsticks resting on top of the bowl to eat, his body gave way as his forehead came to a rest on the polished wooden table. "I'm tired," he sighed, still visibly annoyed at his headache that was throbbing painfully. It felt like his head was about to split open at any moment, and there was nothing he could do to soothe the pain, much less feed himself. Nishibyakko lifted himself up to narrow his eyes at the girl, "You. Come here, feed me."

 

[Hana]

It dawned on Kiyoko just how out of sorts the autumnal god was as his gaze drifted from her to the food on the table, that ever-present knit between his brows becoming more pronounced. She knew he had a headache from most likely imbibing more sake than was good for anyone, even a god such as him. Gods were surely capable of some things as humans were, and she was learning that they were capable of feeling very human things. In addition to that, he had come to her temple in poor condition a week ago, and now he was drinking himself far too much. Her eyes narrowed, this time in concern. How could she have forgotten?

"Ordering me, really? Fine, I'll feed you. But only because you look like you need help." It was something a miko would do for an ill person, or a bedridden one, if those sorts of people sought refuge at the temple. Feed them and clothe them, show them hospitality. This temple used to have kind people who did what they could to help the villagers and the travelers. She inwardly rolled her eyes at his commanding tone, he was using such a tone with her even in his sorry state. Figures. Approaching his side of the table, the girl sat herself down beside him and picked up his bowl of rice. "You really shouldn't have drunk too much, you know. Yes you're a god, but you just came to this temple shot with arrows a week ago."

Reaching for another empty bowl, she started spooning the broth. "This is a vegetable stew. Those are good for ailments." It wasn't exactly what she had in mind, but at least she knew what they were good for. The miko peered at him as she drew the deeply concave spoon closer to her, a clear steam rising from the mouthful of stew in it. "I'm going to be busy in the village tomorrow, don't expect me to come back until sunset." She blew gently across the broth, cooling it slightly and then held the spoon out, bringing it close to his lips. "I'll leave your offerings in the offering room and some food in the pantry for you to make for yourself."

 

[Mu]

"That wasn't even an amount you should be concerned over," the god guffawed, recalling the parties he would often have with the other gods. There were definitely plenty of party gods, each and every one of them heavy drinkers. They loved to thrust cups of sake into the hands of other gods no matter what rank, intent of bringing the 'true joys of the world' to them. Nishibyakko sighed inwardly, before meeting that one goddess, he wasn't much of a drinker. It was for a reason he forced himself to drink moderately, but now, who really cared? He watched carefully as she began to pick at the food to give to him, it looked delicious. Maybe it was because he had been drinking himself silly and only eating fruit, but the idea of broth and vegetables made his stomach rumble with hungry protests. Vegetable stew... he licked his lips.

Nishibyakko allowed himself to be fed, opening his mouth to accept the spoon of food before savouring it slowly. The umami flavors dominated the lasting taste of the rice wine, a lip-smacking light but filling vegetable broth wave hitting his taste buds. His face glowed with pleasure, and his chest began warming up - a different warmth that accompanied alcohol. "Hm..." he hummed, narrowing his sharp eyes at her, before leaning in close with a single swift movement. Close enough for her to smell the alcohol on his breath. "Until sunset? Then, as your god, am I allowed to punish you if you are late?" he hissed, but not with a lilt of danger or hatred. Instead, his eyes and tone seemed playful and joking, poking fun of the miko in his drunken stupor. The god leaned back, groaning as he changed his mind. "Leaving the hungover god alone in the temple... and I have to cook myself! Preposterous." A tongue swept over his sharp fangs and lips before his gaze returned to Kiyoko. "Feed me more."

 

[Hana]

She watched him closely, with eyes intently set upon his face as he took in the mouthful of stew. It was really quite bewildering how he was able to winch his way to making her feed him so closely when only a week ago he was trying to attack her. Kiyoko still wasn't quite sure if she was taking in all of this believably. Now she was worried about how he liked his food or not, of all things. When a look of enjoyment spread across his face, undoubtedly genuine, she didn't anticipate the satisfaction to well up in her. He liked it. That was a victory, right? Why the hell did she care whether or not he thought her cooking was delicious? The miko hovered awkwardly between keeping quiet or asking him what he thought as she pulled the spoon back, before getting interrupted by a sudden movement approaching her.

Her hand came up to smack on his chest. "Oi! Stop getting in my personal space-" That was the second time today, she thought, that he just thought he could lean in close without warning. Kiyoko squeaked as he hissed at her and dug her fingers in his chest to push him further. "Punish me? What?" Her eyes narrowed in confusion and wariness as she leaned away slightly to put more space between them. He still reeked of sake. What was he going on about now? He would be mad at her if she was late? Such an entitled... The girl paused as she saw the look in his eyes. "Are you... Playing with me?"

Kiyoko narrowed her eyes at him and pointedly blew at another spoonful of broth, before sticking it in front of his face. "I don't think hungover gods make much sense. You're weird." And fucking rude, arrogant, and scary, and - there were a lot more adjectives she could use to describe him, but she doubted Nishibyakko would be amused to hear them. "Do you like it? The stew?"

 

[Mu]

Nishibyakko burst into laughter, snorting at her reaction. His face was incredibly flushed, both from the alcohol and the laughing, leaning back as his eyes gleamed at her with emotions that people no longer associated with his personality. The god's breathing was deep and heavy, his usual threatening or teasing eyes replaced with something akin to forlorn and sadness. In many ways, Nishibyakko couldn't stand to look at the miko. She was anything but the stereotypical housewife-material, modest and submissive. The one he ended up having was the complete opposite, she was loud-mouthed and rude and swore just like those ruffians that frequented the sea and delightfully caused trouble for the Emperor. Rolling his eyes at her behavior was the norm here.

But, there was a bit of her that reminded him painfully of the past. Or, at least, people he'd rather forget. The way she seemed so passionate about her duty here in the temple, despite what sort of god he had become, surprised him. Sometimes, when he was out of her vicinity, he'd watch quietly from the shadows her peaceful expression when 'her world' was quiet thinking her god was asleep or busy elsewhere. Or, that small smile she sometimes wore when she came back from town or from her little farm patch just out of the temple. Or maybe it was even the smallest of actions, like when Kiyoko would tuck a lock of her brown hair behind her ears as she tried to cook something for the two of them eat.

He shook those thoughts away. She was gone, gone a long time ago. And Kiyoko was not her. She was nothing, nothing like her. Nishibyakko leaned back in for his second spoon, savoring the umami. "It's edible," he commented. He did like it, but he wasn't going to compliment her that much. "It is a big improvement from your meager lifestyle. Who do you have to thank?" Almost as if he was in some drama performance, he flicked his long ponytail back with a prideful expression.

 

[Hana]

Even with all the differences between them, maybe she had just come to know him a little bit better today. Even if she was almost always doing her duties around the temple while he just lounged around. He was stubborn and even when it was blatantly obvious to someone, he still refused to acknowledge that he was enjoying something. Just learn to admit that you liked it, bastard. Kiyoko knew when she had seen that look of bliss spread on his face just moments after she had fed him that first mouthful of her hard work. She certainly wasn't going to let it go, and as she pulled back the spoon from him after another bite, she sighed at him. Unlike her previous sighs where she sounded annoyed and put-upon, there was a note of smugness and even the beginnings of teasing in her voice as she murmured, "Oh, how hard it must be for some people to let down their pride and be honest. I guess even the gods aren't above that~"

Hell, if he wasn't going to admit it but she definitely saw it, she was going to bask in the satisfaction it brought and not let him belittle her. The fact that he was exhibiting all these idiosyncratic traits - his dramatic, sometimes ostentatious words and movements, his arrogance making it difficult for him to admit the little things? Sure, he was exasperating most of the time. And he was still dangerous. But maybe he amused her just a little. "And who must you thank for taking care of you, oh great drunken western god?" She tilted her head, a smile on her lips.

"Hmm?" She raised a brow at him, a flash of defiance sparking to life in red eyes as she took in his hooded gaze and disheveled state, holding up another spoonful and puffing at it. "I could play this game for as long as you would play it."

 

[Mu]

He rolled his eyes at her. "Yes, yes. All thanks to the holy mother Amaterasu for blessing me with an encounter with the most wondrous and caring girl in the world," his voice was a monotonal drawl, his so-called praise adopting a tone that was just dripping with sarcasm. "Amaterasu and her siblings are all life changers, eh?" Even if Kiyoko wasn't aware of the true weight of those words, it didn't matter. First, the goddess that made him genuinely smile and see the world with new eyes. Then, that joke of a god that destroyed that in one swipe. Lastly, the grand goddess that played with fate, and led him to this... miko.

"I can feed myself now," he snapped, taking the bowl and spoon from her after eating her offering. At least the god made sure his movements were slow enough as to not frighten her, wasn't he considerate today? "My head feels clearer now." He looked into the content of the bowl and began speedily shoveling the content down. "You should eat something, otherwise you'll yell at me for being hungry." Nishibyakko licked his lips, "Foolish miko who yells at her deity." The god pointed his chopsticks at her accusingly, "A long time ago they would have burnt women like you."

 

[Hana]

Resisting the urge to spill the rest of the hot stew into the jerk god's face took all of Kiyoko's willpower. In the end, she raised her chin and scoffed, scooting over to sit in front of her own hot meal. Thankfully, it was still warm even when she had taken time to feed her own deity. "Then aren't I damn lucky I wasn't born back in that time?" She rolled her eyes at him. Digging into her own bowl of stew, she lifted her own spoon to her face, murmuring, "Nothing ever remains the same as time passes." Well, that was what her parents said. She knew there were things that were just improbable to change, such as the way the village regarded her. "Though I guess you gods like to think you are immutable to time." They were more human than they thought, closer to these earthly beings they watched upon. Especially if they were to walk amongst them.

Despite the snappy back-and-forth between the two that bordered on immature bickering, to her inner horror, there was a growing sense of familiarity. Or maybe it was just because Nishibyakko wasn't one to tolerate awkwardness and he just simply barged past personal distances and politeness with not a care in the world that there was no space for it. Still, Kiyoko had just teased a god and had gotten away with it. And the miko wasn't even that aware of the significance.

For the first time in a while, the temple didn't feel as empty as it had been for years.

​

True to her word, the small priestess had left the temple in the morning with a fresh batch of plants and herbs to bring to Hotaru-obaasan, a basket of fresh pumpkins and harvest for farmer Goro and his family, and a surprising and unfamiliar skip in her step. Kiyoko was in an oddly good mood today, maybe because for once everything felt alright at the temple. She had risen early and cleaned the temple floors to a shine, swept the early morning fallen leaves from the yard, and even had an actual breakfast - even if it was only rice and pumpkin.

Even the elderly apothecary had noticed the young miko's good mood, smiling and asking her what made her smile so much that day. So did farmer Hayato when she had come to his home to give him the harvest in exchange for more rice. "What'cha smiling at, girl?"

"Nothing much, today just seemed like a good day," she mumbled as she accepted the rice. "Everything just was in place back at the temple and I even finished a lot of things today. And I learned a lot from Hotaru-obaasan~"

It was nearing sundown when she departed the village proper to go home. She had spent most of the day at Hotaru's home, arranging herbs and plants for storage, as well as learning to make poultices and medicine with the kindly old woman. All in all, she had learned things. She wondered if Yuta was alright back at the temple. Most likely, he was lounging around with a hungover god. And speaking of that god... Maybe he was feeling better by now? "Unless he drank himself into a stupor again," she mused out loud. "And then he's once again passed out and unaware of what's happening. Idiot god," she muttered under her breath.

As she was talking to herself, she was on the path towards the temple grounds. It was shaded by lots of trees and bushes except for the path cleared out for people to walk on.​

​

 

[Mu]

The shuffling in the bushes went undetected. She was a mere mortal, after all, and they far better than mortals. They hid in the darkness offered by the trees around them, watching her, waiting for their signal and the right moment. God hunters like them were powerful, influential figures. The Emperor favored them, even more so now that deities were beginning to spend more and more time down on the mortal plane. A long time ago, they were nothing. Simple men and women who had weapons that had the blessings of certain gods... but what use were they? Then, fortune struck. The God of Fortune smiled upon them, and that White Tiger flew into a rage. He destroyed so much land, crushed so many lands, that the Emperor took notice. Anyone who brought the head of that god would be rich, and their lives would be filled with luxury and comfort for the rest of their lives. A living legend! The men's eyes twinkled at such a prospect in this dying land.

And this girl was going to be their key to victory. They might not be able to step foot on holy grounds without being detected, because of that man - that god - they knew it was him, he had taken on the shape of a mortal man in order to recover. And this girl was one of the miko that worked there, and held up the faith that people once had in the great Nishibyakko Okami. The hunters had no idea why they were living together, but since he seemed to be taking a long-term residence in his old temples, that only made their jobs easier. It took a lot of work to chase him all the way here, and even then it looked like effort wasted when he fled to his home land. A group of over 50 men and women had to run him down like some sort of wild goose chase all over the country, passing him like a baton in a race. But for the first time ever, they managed to injure him. He was bleeding his golden ichor blood, worth plenty of money if sold in a decent amount and they savoured their short victory.

If she meant anything to him, he would come. He wouldn't let his precious, precious little believer perish, right? He was so close to becoming a Forgotten One. Nobody in their right minds would believe or trust in him anymore. What would it take for him to come find her? Humiliation? Her cries? Torture? ... Even worse than that? A man licked his lips, smiling to himself.

It was worth leaving all those bottles of sake for the god to find. He was probably drunk silly. Plenty of time to have some fun after so many long days of work. And easier for them to do what they needed to do now without being detected.

A shadow snuck up behind the cheery girl, his straw hat blocking the harsh sun rays from his face. He was clothed in orange and red leaves woven together expertly to form some sort of coat or shawl, matching the shrubbery and the autumn trees of Ochiba-mura. Lifting his sword high in the air, he brought it down, smacking the handguard of his weapon down on the girl's skull.

 

[Hana]

Don't sleep don't sleep wake up danger-

Something was whispering frantically in the hazy darkness of her head, bringing her out of the heaviness that seemed to have settled in her limbs. Kiyoko groaned, the last dregs of her forced sleep heavy on her eyelids as she cracked them open. The back of her head was pounding painfully, a continuous throbbing that thrummed in perfect sync with her heart. She whimpered out as the pain seemed to magnify as light flooded her vision. The room was blurry at first; it took moments for it to clear and at first she was confused. Where was she? What had happened? She was kneeling on a dirty floor, in what looked like an empty room. The light that caused her head to still pound painfully came from a lantern that was placed across from her.

"What's going on..." Her worry increased exponentially upon regaining feeling in her arms. They were bound by rope behind her back! Despite the pain in her head that sent a flood of clarity, her eyes widening as she started struggling against the bindings. This was - she startled when she realized what looked like wooden windows were actually bars, as if to keep someone inside the room. There was no one in sight yet, and she bit her lip. A cold sweat was gathering at her temples and the back of her neck, and she felt the beginnings of a panic settling in as she took a shallow breath.

Step, step, step...

She stiffened as the sounds of footsteps echoed outside the room, out of sight past the bars. Slowly, a shape took form in shadow on the floor. The shape of a man, a very tall one. Kiyoko swallowed a lump in her throat, mouth going dry.