The Mountain Guardian (ArgentAconit and Tinder)

[Tinder]

[[We've all had that happen. You're good. :)]]

Narihira had his doubts about what Kaito said. Not about the other spirits, but his own intentions. Kaito had looked very intimidating the first time they met and looked the same on each of his following visits. The only reason that Narihira had relaxed around him was because he believed the spirit when he claimed to be a protector of the mountain. A guardian had no need for such trickery and a trickster had no need for such kindness. If Kaito only intended to trick him, then why would he take his job as guardian so seriously?

His quandary was quickly forgotten when Kaito supplied the answer to his question. A swell of happiness filled his chest when Kaito mentioned visiting sooner which then was replaced by flustered panic. "Needed? No! I only…that is—" His sentence stopped short when he ran into the tree branch and promptly kicked a root which sent him stumbling a few steps forward. He brushed his fingers through his damp hair to shake loose the leaves the tree left behind. The perfect example of the kind of hopeless man he was.

He cleared his throat. "I've been fine these last few days. Just…a little lonely, I suppose." His blush darkened. Perhaps he ought not to bother Kaito with something so trivial when he had a whole mountain to look after. Although stopping now would look like he was only seeking attention. "I haven't had the chance to meet very many people since I first came to stay here and all of my neighbors live too far away for me to visit them until my ankle heals properly. It is very peaceful out here, but…I miss the city. I miss how lively it is and being near my friends and family. There's no one to talk to out here. Except you." Perhaps that was why he found it so easy to overlook Kaito being supernatural. He was one of the only people who Narihira had spoken to more than once since he arrived a few weeks ago.

And he sounded like he meant to guilt the spirit into visiting. "But I don't mean to bore you with my moping. I will have to make more of an effort to get out and visit my neighbors once my ankle is better," he said, forcing a cheerful lilt into his voice.

 

[ArgentAconit]

Automatically Kaito reached out to stabilize Nari when he stumbled and fought with the low hanging branch. Not that it seemed he needed it, because he righted himself before he met Kaito's outstretched hand. The edges of his lips tipped down but a quick glance over him told the spirit that his human was mostly unscathed by his trip. It didn't bode well though, with the darkening sky and the knowledge Kaito had of human eyesight.

He concentrated on their surroundings for a moment and turned to a maple that nearly vibrated in his presence. The nurturing spirits of the trees had helped him last time, and it felt like this tree was enthusiastic at the idea of being of some use. Kaito pressed his palm against its trunk, a faint shimmering ripple waving away from his touch over the surface and returning softly. A pair of plump, bottom-heavy Kodama crept through the bark and onto his hand, their heads a wispy gradient from the dark red of their bodies to the peach tips of the 'flame'. They cast a gentle, warm glow around them both, and chimed happily as they wavered on the fabric of his sleeve.

Kaito turned toward Nari with his elbow bent so that they hovered close to his chest, and cast his eyes back up to the human once he was sure they had their footing, "Come here." The Kodama stared curiously at Nari, little arms inter-locked between them and small white eyes blinking quickly. "Cup your hands," He instructed, nodding down to them and hoping the other male understood. "They'll help you see as the others had a few days ago. Don't crush them, and make sure you thank them."

He was lonely? Hadn't he heard a conversation a few days ago between him and the little device he carried? Or… Perhaps it was contact that he missed? He hasn't been able to visit his neighbors because of the walk it would take. It may still be a few days before he had the strength to make that trek again. The tengu offloaded the two small spirits into Nari's hands once he considered them to be sufficiently placed and watched as they curiously examined the valleys and hills of his fingers, before settling, leaning against one another in the low point of his palms.

"The one who brought you here… He will make a trip to the shrines soon. He hasn't been in some time and is due for a visit." Even to him that sounded like a vague hope. Kaito dropped his arm and waited for Nari to adjust to the subtle weight of his temporary companions before he turned back to their path, "I will check to make sure you've stayed home before I tend to my duties tomorrow night." The false cheer in Nari's voice made him wonder if his loneliness carved deeper than he wanted to admit, but it wasn't his place to pry. Kaito could at the very minimum give him a couple of hours before he went to bed to try and keep his one human charge happy.

 

[Tinder]

Narihira peered over his shoulder as Kaito touched the tree, his eyes stretching wide as the two tiny spirits emerged. They looked so much like the creatures he once thought to be mere products of ancient artists' imaginations. Maybe those paintings had come from firsthand experience rather than a need to personify the unknown as he once thought.

When Kaito held them out, Narihira tripped over himself to do as the spirit asked. He stared as the little creatures crawled onto his palms, almost weightless like he held a handful of leaves. For a moment, he thought they might burn his skin and yet they felt perfectly cool against his palms. He lifted them up to examine them closer, a smile spreading across his face. "Incredible." Maybe this was a good reason to be out in these old mountains. It was scary hearing all of the ghost stories he thought to be just that, stories, were true, but seeing sights such as these banished those anxiety riddled thoughts. It must have been ages since any human eye had beheld these creatures. Suddenly, he wanted to paint again and knit these wonders into a landscape like the artists of old.

A thought which quickly reminded him that he held literal gods in his hands

"Thank you for your light," he added, lowering them a respectable distance so as not to crowd them. Their light made the path easier to see, more so than any manmade might have, almost like their bodies reflected sunbeams gathered during the day.

He snapped out of his revelry when Kaito told him of his plans for the next day. "Really?" he asked, his obvious eagerness bringing more color to his face. He cleared his throat. "I will try to remain at home then." Perhaps he would find more of those books in the attic so that he could learn more about these spirits. If he would be seeing more of them, he wanted to understand them and find a way to live in peace. He only intended to be here for the summer, but he wanted it to be a good summer.

"I hope to see more of your mountain as soon as I am able to move around freely again. It is so beautiful, I can only imagine what the vistas looks like from the higher peaks." His eyes moved to his little companions as he bit his lower lip. "I…paint for my living. I came out here to find my inspiration again. Sights such as these have my hands itching to take up a brush again. I never imagined any of these stories were true, but now that I have seen them, I want to put them to paper."

He looked to Kaito. "Would that be permissible? If I were to try and paint some of these things that I have seen? No one will ever believe me and I would never tell anyone the truth about this place. I only want to share the beauty of this place even if they think it is all the delusions of someone who spent too many days alone on a mountain."

 

[ArgentAconit]

Kaito hummed shortly in response, knowing that while Narihira would promise to stay, there was no telling what would eventually lure him out. Tonight had been a clear example of that if anything else. He, however, was surprisingly pleased that… This human wanted his company. Not just the company of another living being but possibly specifically his.

In just a few short meetings Narihira had gone from petrified to welcoming. It was… strange, but interesting. Even before Kaito had been revealed his tenant had been interesting. Watching as he ritualistically started locking his doors and windows, pulled his blinds closed and every now and then double-checked his work to make sure he hadn't forgotten. Watching how the young man with bright eyes would look around at the trees Kaito had raised from seedlings and stood guard around them as they sprouted to paint the sky in a canopy of greens. Yes, it seemed his entertainment was far from over. Or maybe he was looking for the silver lining of Narihira's innocent mind that would undoubtedly get him killed if Kaito had been any other spirit.

"If you go into the mountain alone, I suggest you go and come home while it's still bright out," Kaito said it with the slightest hint of warning. "Remember that your path back is always downhill, that you should find the sunset to be safe." He pushed back more branches and waited for Narihira to duck underneath them before letting them go this time.

The warm light of the two spirits cupped between Nari's tanned fingers cast long shadows behind them but lit him up like the evening sun. Kaito tried not to stare, curious but not trying to unsettle him any more than he had already been tonight. Instead, he thought about the request and something deep in his mind told him to ignore the bells and whistles that screamed in his ears. They curved their path around a thicket of brambles and Kaito grazed his feathers over their tops absentmindedly, listening to the faint giggle that only he could hear.

"Leave the faces of any spirits blank, or put a mask on them," Kaito relented. He looked at him again, turning his head just enough to make eye contact, "Most humans don't believe in spirits anymore, or think of them as bedtime stories- something to scare or entertain their young… but there are still some who wish to catch them, prove to the world that they were right, show them that danger still clings here. Little ones, like these," Kaito pointed to the two contentedly leaning against one another, looking around and chiming to each other softly, "have yet to grow their faces. Many humans will draw them however they please. They won't need masks. If you can tell one spirit from another, you should consider how much you should paint, Narihira."

 

[Tinder]

The additional warnings about being out after dark, while ominous, seemed logical to Narihira. Being out too late in the city could get him mugged or worse, so he only had to think of the mountains in a similar way only with supernatural creatures rather than gangs. He had already wandered the paths after dark and he wasn't eager to do so again. Walking through those dark trees, thinking he was alone yet watched, had nearly stopped his heart.

Though he felt none of that terror tonight. As dark as the forest around him was, he had the light of the spirits in his hands and presence of the powerful spirit beside him. He felt the same sense of security he felt in the old shrines where it always seemed like something bigger and older than himself resided.

The second response, however, made his eyes widen. "That's why the old paintings always depict the spirits in masks?" He blinked, processing all that Kaito had just implied. "I thought it was a style choice, but those people all saw spirits, real sprites, as well. Or perhaps a handful had met them and passed the knowledge down to their offspring until it became a tradition." He nodded. "I promise never to paint your faces then." He looked back at the pair in his hands. "I think it might breathe some life into my work if I included the unseen, just hints where people may not see them unless they examine the piece closely."

It made him excited just to talk about the idea. How long had it been since that was true? "My paintings haven't been very good lately. I began incorporating modern, urban settings with Ukiyo-e, and it worked for a time, but now all of my ideas have gone. Now everything I make is just some cheap imitation. My paintings have so soul." The excitement drained from him as he thought about his struggles.

He blinked when he realised that he had devolved into bellyaching. "I'm sorry. You have more important matters to concern yourself with than a washed up artist. Are there many more spirits living in these mountains? I have seen you and the kappa and these…kodama I believe we call them. Are there many others?"

 

[ArgentAconit]

"That, and some humans have never seen the true faces of spirits before either." Kaito agreed. He guided Nari around a ring of mushrooms, red eyes firmly planted on the human's feet to make sure he didn't step past the edge, "If you come across a spirit who is already wearing a mask, be respectful of their wishes. Don't ask them to take it off, even if you should grow to know them for some time." He had seen some humans skinned for even suggesting it to a couple of spirits.

The panicked trill of the apricot tree started to ease the closer they came to the clearing around Narihira's home and Kaito felt the tension in his shoulders start to slacken. "You've dug yourself into a ditch."

His head turned to examine him just one more time, take in the bright shine of his eyes as he spoke about painting, about styles that Kaito only knew faintly these days. "Repeat the same motions every day and never find the future that you desire. You may become the best person to write the kanji for strength, but it will become weak without heart behind it. Monotony stirs bitterness. Paint what you have yet to create."

Kaito was wordy tonight, and maybe it was because he knew talking kept humans calm. Or maybe it was that he felt comfortable enough to talk. Crickets buzzed and night owls hooted around them as the night settled in, making him even more glad that he had brought out the twin spirits in Nari's hands. He may be able to see in the dark, but the warm light no doubt eased any discomfort Narihira felt now that he could see if anything intended to attack him. "The Ukiyo-e style has had a long life. My shrine during the Edo period had a mural in that style. They turned me into a crow," He frowned at the memory. He was much better than a crow. "I am not. A crow."

 

[Tinder]

That funny, jittery feeling returned when Kaito reached out to guide Narihira around some obstacle that his human eyes failed to see. It wasn't fear, yet what else it might be escaped him. He felt a little foolish worrying about it. If he continued acting so odd, the spirit might begin to question why he had bothered to save him twice already. All Narihira seemed capable of was causing trouble for others.

His unhappy thoughts dispersed when Kaito offered his advice. The profound musings sounded like something that ought to be passed down from grandfather to grandson, something befitting of a creature as great and old as Kaito. Those wise words settled amongst his own thoughts, igniting a spark that he hadn't felt in some years. Such inspiration rarely came from the familiar and yet there he hadn't changed for years now. His paintings were no copies, but they took no chances. He lived in the same place, talked to the same people, watched the same media, and almost never experienced anything new. Maybe he'd caused himself to stagnate.

A laugh escaped him when Kaito grumbled. Narihira quickly cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. I agree, you look like something much more beautiful than a crow." But it was cute to see a creature as old and wise as Kaito offended by such a simple mistake. "Perhaps they lacked the ability to paint you as you appeared. I tried to replicate just one of your feathers the other day and it was impossible." He sighed. "They must have tried their best to please you."

He glanced over at the spirit and bit his lower lip. "If you don't mind me asking, do you know much about the world beyond your mountains? About how it has changed? It has been a very long time since the Edo period."