Fandom Norgami: A New Era (IC)

[The Secret Archives]

Location: Kyoto City Streets, Near SSA Office
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 4:09pm​

Shorn, God of Despair & Disdain
Interactions: Karcen QuirkyAngel

There was a moment during their conversation Shorn had been listening to Azani intently, but her approach, it threw him for a loop. Wordy Bastard? Damn, I didn't think I spoke that much. A smirk grew across Shorn's face, and he couldn't help but laugh at Azani's berating of his own character. "I...I'm" He sputtered out the words amidst the hearty laugh, he waved his hand dismissively in front of him, "You ca- - can't be serious! A wordy - - bastard, huh?" He practically coughed out the words trying to fit them in between the laugh. It was likely to be rude, but without Azani's title, status, and overall legend surrounding her, it felt as though a smaller child was taking stabs at him. It oddly amused him, he just couldn't help it.

He looked between the new comer, and back towards Azani, he didn't encroach on Azani's conversation. Seemed like it was pretty important, but Shorn's head perked up at the mention of this one being a Goddess of Death. Maybe I can ask her about Kaiyo. There was a deep sadness, but mixed with joy engraved on the words as they crossed Shorn's thoughts. He didn't know if the Goddess was capable of communing with those who passed, but he needed to know. If there was even a slightest chance to hear from Kaiyo, it felt that he could move past that which loomed in the back of his mind.

The words of Azani were not far off, Shorn was lost, but maybe not in the way that she expected. Since the death of Shorn's longest human travel companion, Kaiyo, he felt as though there was something always missing. It had nothing to do with lack of knowledge, but a lack of drive and deeply rooted sorrow that grew steadily creating inner turmoil as Shorn continued to fight off his true nature as a God. On top of this, if he desired to remain under the protection of the Goddess of Vitality, and adhere to their oath he was forbidden to contract a regalia of his own. He hadn't the slightest clue of why, perhaps, just maybe, 'fool' was much more befitting a term for a god struggling as much as Shorn was. All he knew was that he couldn't adhere to that oath forever, especially if times were as dire as Azani had spoken.

After Azani finished speaking, Shorn stepped forward, "Excuse me miss Goddess, but I have two questions for you." He looked back to Azani, and then towards Nana once more, "Though, her matter seems far more pressing." He bit his tongue and stepped back, "If you could just answer what the SSA is for me, I would deeply appreciate it." Even if Shorn laughed at Azani's comment, he in a way, did not know many gods or goddesses outside of his own circle. He didn't want to continue to bother her if he didn't have to by being... overly wordy. He once again tried to suppress a snicker, murmuring and shaking his head, "Wordy bastard..."

Perhaps the SSA was something that was merely stationed here in Kyoto. But he didn't really know anything about it, or what its purpose was. Based solely off inference it seemed to be a place for rogue spirits, perhaps even lost spirits. An orphanage for lost spirits, seems like quite a lovely idea. Good on whoever put it together. The constant stream of information was rapidly being sorted by Shorn, he didn't know what was important, but he would keep in mind even the slightest bits of info. Who knew what would be useful, or when it could be brought up again as a kind of bargaining chip.

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Location: Sumiko's apartment, Kyoto City
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 4: 30 pm​

Kami_X (God of Hackers)

“Sure do. I just need your credit card information and billing address.”

Not many humans carried with them a wad of cash these days so it was only natural that he set up a credit billing system to make things easier. Or rather, designed his own app for that. Certainly humans were so ingenuitive these days that he could probably find and purchase one online, but where was the fun in that? Once the transaction was finished, Kami_X found a blank notebook in her apartment and waited for her to be settled before beginning his lecture.

With a marker he pulled from his pocket, He drew a Venn Diagram, labeling one circle ‘far shore’ and one circle ‘near shore’. “I’m not sure how far Kokoro-chan went into the explanation, so we’ll take things from the top. The world isn’t as simple as you humans would like to believe. It’s divided into two metaphorical ‘areas’ so to speak: The far shore where gods, spirits, phantoms and other supernatural creatures reside, and the near shore where humans such as yourself reside. The area in between,” Kami_X shaded the area of overlap. “Is where you currently are. All humans will cross over to the far shore when they die, but every so often we get people like you that get stuck in between. It’s not especially unnatural—so don’t go thinking you’re a crazy, freak or something. Humans near the beginning and end of their lives are more prone to this. As a baby, for example, you could probably see us~ Animals and old people too. We gods, phantoms, and spirits—the ones living on earth at least—have walked among you the entire time.”

Kami_X drew interchangeable arrows. “However, as you become an adult surrounded by other near shore residents, living out your mundane lives, you get more drawn to the near shore and gradually forget. That’s just the order of things. Humans are supposed to remain the near shore until they die. I’m a fairly young god so I don’t know the specifics, but I believe it’s the very first gods who made it that way. One of Heaven’s oldest mandates—which is why defying death is such a big taboo.”

Kami_X shrugged. “Though there aren’t many gods around that time anymore, so I can’t really say. It’s just a fun theory Tenjin and I go back and forth about when discussing the borders between the two realms over a game of shogi. Nothing you should take to heart.”

Kami_X smirked, changing the topic. “You’re unusual, Sumiko-chan, because you aren’t at an age where you should be seeing us—but I can think of a number of reasons why that could’ve come about. You’ve seen, and or experienced, death, you’ve been blessed (or touched) by a god at birth, or you hail from a family lineage that have had previous interactions with far shore residents. Those are the common possibilities at least—not that I can say for certain since every case is unique~”

He flipped to a blank page and drew another circle. “Some gods, especially the more rule-abiding ones, will draw clear lines between Gods, phantoms, humans, and spirits, define them all as separate, but I like to think that everything is interconnected. Gods like myself are born from the wishes of humans and will continue to exist so long as humans still have the capacity to desire. In short, we exist because humans fear phantoms. You know, those things you refer to as monster?” Kami_X picked up the tiny black blob that innocently crawled on the notebook. “This thing. It’s called a phantom. They eat spirits, gods, and even other phantoms like themselves. I’m inclined to believe they can eat anything so long as it comes from the far shore. They also love negative emotions. Living people don't need to worry too much about them because they can’t really touch you while you’re alive and maintain a positive attitude towards life. That’s why they’re always trying to drive humans to their deaths—trying influence and possess humans to kill themselves…or others…or just ramp up the gloom for them to feed on. If they grow strong enough, they might even cause the occasional natural disaster here and there, but otherwise they are harmless to living humans…so long as you don’t look at them.”

Kami_X grinned at Sumiko. “You aren’t dead yet so they can’t actually eat you, but if they know you can see and hear them they’ll try to influence or possess you to your death. My advice for you is just to get earmuffs. Block out all the creepy noises and whispers you hear. Don’t look at them. They haven’t harmed you so far, have they? So long as you do that, they’ll most likely leave you alone…assuming you aren’t a bundle of negativity. The way I see it, humans are the ones that call to phantoms with all their fears, doubts, and bad thoughts. You're humans. You can't help it. We gods are just here to protect you from them—because you humans wished for it. The good gods, at least~”

Well, the new phantoms that had been popping seemed like an entirely different breed altogether, and might actually be able to physically harm humans from what he’d seen of Azani’s winged friend, but there was no need to scare her way from the world she was in just yet. Kami_X didn’t want to either. He wanted to show her the positives of the far shore. That the world he lived in wasn’t entirely all bad. Sure there were dangers, but there were funny gods, spirits, and even phantoms, these days as well. If she were scared, she wouldn't want to be involved. And if she didn't get involved, she'd eventually leave it all behind her...and he wouldn't be able to get a repeat customer.

Kami_X stood and stretch, carelessly tossing the tiny phantom aside. “Alright, that’s enough lecture for today. I hope you’re done taking notes, because next is a practical lesson. There’s no better teacher than experience, after all" The red-head winked. "So I’ll introduce you to other gods if you’re up for it~”

A friendly god. One who lived on earth and didn’t hate humans. Kami_X was the type of god that liked making connections, after all. Old ones like Tenjin would only nag and lecture him interfering with human lives. If they were super strict they might even severe Sumiko-chan's ties and make her forget everything. He wasn't the sort of god that could protect her if that was the case...since he didn't have a regalia. Perhaps the god of Justice he’d seen the other day? Seemed like a nice guy—the type to enjoy a hotdog and not act like commoner food was beneath him. Or Lady Hasuna who sometimes visited to view flowers? A stop by her shrine couldn’t hurt either...and hadn't she been speaking to a human the other day? He wasn't sure. He hadn't been paying that much attention to them. Kami_X hummed in thought as he led, practically shoved, Sumiko-chan out the door—since he couldn’t teleport with a living human. Perhaps if she’d learned to separate her soul out of her body that’d be different story…but humans that were able to do that were at greater risk of dying and being eaten as well...so it wasn't necessarily a good thing.

Dante Verren

(mentioned: MrThe Life. Phayne )

 

[MrThe]

Location: City streets near Maruyama Park, Kyoto.
Date: April 1st, 2030
Time: 4:40 PM
Mentions: Nico @Mera

Hasuna 蓮那
(Goddess)
​

Hasuna was quite surprised at Chisato's willingness to believe her, or at the very least humour her. Her questions were easy to answer, but she was sure that there would be more to come in short order. "Gods can be in charge of any number of things, but they are quite often related to each other. Sometimes they aren't though, as in the case of Inari the God of Rice and Foxes. As for why I am not invisible, Gods aren't really invisible. We can be seen by lots of people, but eventually, if they don't remain in contact with us they will soon forget that we have ever met. It's just that it's so rare for me to meet someone who can see phantoms at this age. Babies and animals can also see phantoms but as humans grow older they frequently lose their ability." Hasuna looked over to her regalia to see how he was doing. He seemed a bit grumpy, and she supposed that was expected, Yuuken was a bit on the younger side for regalia and he still had a bit of a childish streak in him. When Chisato asked if Yuuken was also a god he looked like he had been sucker punched and gave a basic response. Hasuna decided to give a bit more clarification. "Yuuken is a sweetie, he is dead but as he was a pure and innocent soul he was reborn and now lives with me. Technically the Regalia are servants to a God, but I view them more as members of a God's household, as an eternal and loving family. Isn't that right Yuuken?" Hasuna gave him a big hug.

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Location: Kyoto City Streets, Near SSA Office.
Date: April 2nd,2020
Time: 4:20 pm​

Nana

Any insult directed towards Nana didn’t so much as phase her, but the casual way Azani referred to the spirits registered in SSA as ‘stock’ made her bit annoyed. As if they were simple tools to be purchased, named, and utilized. SSA found jobs for spirits and looked for good matches based on the god and spirit registered based on the needs of both. They didn’t sell slaves and Azani clearly didn’t know about the procedures her office went through to ensure spirits were satisfied with their new homes. To make sure they were adequately paid for their labor. They didn’t just hand spirits over to shrineless gods off the streets that couldn’t even afford to take care of a regalia. However, Nana didn’t let the dissatisfaction show on her face. There were plenty of gods who saw it that way—Nana dealt with them all the same.

Her eyes drifted over the other god who had spoken. The ‘lost fool’ as Azani so rudely described. Certainly not the proper way to treat another god and would be considered improper conduct up in the Heavens even if she did think herself the superior god. They were more subtle in their slights. Less…blunt. Nana answered the male god’s question first because she didn’t think his question less important than Azani’s and because it would explain for Azani how SSA—or at least her branch—operated as well.

“You must be a god of foreign origin.” Nana stated, addressing the god who seemed to be muttering to himself. Not that there was anything wrong with being foreign. “My name is Nana, Death God #99 of Earth’s Shinigami Squad. The Spirits’ Staffing Agency, otherwise known as SSA, is the business of all gods who call themselves Shinigami—Japanese grim reapers, so to say.” She wasn’t exactly sure how the foreign gods did things. “We are a collection of gods born from a single wish—to guide the spirits of the dead in the afterlife—and, due to our nature, are born as multiple entities.”

Since the Japanese tend to believe that multiple death gods exist.

“At first we simply went around collecting souls and handing them to gods, each of us working individually, but as the times changed we began to form an organization that has evolved with each new generation of death gods. What we have today is a staffing agency to help Japanese spirits find employment and equip Japanese gods with the help they need. We do provide temporary housing for spirits that need it as a courtesy, but the ultimate goal is to help them find stable jobs and homes for themselves. All spirits registered in SSA are employable and willing to work.”

Nana looked back at Azani. “With that said, I would need to know the name of the god that you wish to find a guidepost for before we can begin any arrangements lady Azani. What are they good at? What type of work do they do? What type of personality do they have? I can only pick the most suitable spirit for the task if I have this information.”

If they needed a guidepost, it was very likely that they were a young god. First regalia? Nana couldn’t tell if Azani was trying to help the god or insult the god by suggesting a Nora as an option. There was nothing wrong with a Nora being a guidepost or a first regalia, and many Noras were quite experienced as they’ve served multiple gods, but surely Azani knew how many gods viewed strays. Making a Heavenly debut with a Nora as a guidepost was the equivalent of saying the god had no option but to pick one shared by another.

Nana wasn’t even sure if they had a Nora among their numbers.

“Also, it’s up to the spirit whether they accept the job or not.” Nana shared a glance with Hikarumi. It would be easier to do business the god in question was present. However, a business was business. “Our fee for being the intermediary will depend on the experience of the spirit, the income of the god, as well as numerous other factors. If you wish to continue this discussion, please follow me to the SSA office building. You are welcome to come as well, Foreign God, if you wish to see what SSA is like.”

As Nana opened the door to her office building, however, she found herself tacked into hug by her blonde regalia. “Nana! You took so long! I told Ame you’d be back in a couple of hours, but it’s been four!”

“Ame?”

Nana followed Kagemi’s gaze to white-haired regalia she recognized. The dots connected in a instant. BTBG. Nora. Nana sighed. Did Kamatsu not know the other gods that named her? Was he stupid? Given that he even bothered to come up with such a crude game in the first place, she didn’t think ‘stupid’ was very far off the mark. Gods didn’t name regalias they disliked. Only powerful gods could afford the burden of doing so. Nana had her hands full dealing with the emotions of two regalias. Even though she had many options available to her, there was a reason she only named the ones she deemed worthy and volunteered to do the work death gods did. The ones with strong spirits that didn’t balk or turn away at the sight of death.

“It’s been a while, Miss Ametaru. I apologize for keeping you waiting…” Nana glanced at Azani. “…but I may have to keep you waiting a bit longer depending on how this discussion turns out. Hikarumi, can you get all our guests something to drink?”

“Sure.”

“I’ll help!” Kagemi chirped.

“Have you finished the list I gave you, Kagemi?”

“Er…” Kagemi rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “…Not yet...” Seeing Nana’s expectant gaze, the blonde regalia's shoulders drooped. “I’ll get right to it.”

As her regalias went off to do their tasks, Nana took a seat next to the white-haired regalia and motioned SSA’s other guests to do the same. Three guests in one evening. She couldn’t tell if it was a lucky day or not. She just wanted to get everything done with so she could relax for the day.

Karcen The Secret Archives VeiledPariah

 

[Dante Verren]

Location: Sumiko's Apartment
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 4:07 pm​

Yuya Sumiko (Spiritual Human)
Interactions: Kami_X ( QuirkyAngel )


As soon as the transitioned finished between her and Kami_X the god moved to grab a blank notebook. She had several around so it wasn't hard for him to find one. She even mimicked the god by grabbing one of the notebooks and a pen. This was definitely going to be something she took notes on. Making herself comfortable in her desk chair and with a nervous smile, she began to listen intently to the man's lecture. The nervous smile would disappear as she found herself being drawn deeper into the material, this was definitely the most interesting class she had ever had... she could think of a few professors who could learn from this god. Scribbling her notes down furiously she would alternate her gaze from the sheet of paper, in her own book, to the diagram, to Kami_X, the back to the book. By the time the lecture was finished her hand burned from how uch she had been writing and in how little of time she had written it.

With the lecture done she began to get lost in her thoughts. Some of the information was review form what Kokoro had told her but some of it was completely new. The Far shore, land of the mysterious gods, phantoms, and spirits... then the near shore where humans lived. The middle ground between them where was Sumiko existed. Still on the near shore but able to interact with the far shore. According to Kami_X she wasn't in real danger as long as she kept her head down and ignored the phantoms, that was comforting. Although now she had a host of new questions. Why was she in the space between? Had something happened to her family to make her like this, or was it a side effect of some kind of strange occurrence when she was born. She was sickly when she was born so that might have been a factor, but it wasn't uncommon for infants to be sickly and more then likely not all of them could interact with the Far shore. Maybe she would have to look into this.

It wasn't until she was being ushered out of her chair and towards the door that she realized that Kami_X had mentioned a practical lesson. "Wait what!? B-but I can't meet another god! Well not yet! I have to prepare myself mentally, and I need to make sure I have an offering, and practical labs are supposed to be a completely different class!" She stammered as she was ushered closer and closer to her door. Realizing that she wasn't going to get out of this she gave in and accepted "At least let me grab my stuff first." Another thought popped into Sumiko's head, now that she had made this deal with Kami_X that meant that she was most likely his worshiper now, so Kami_X was the name of her god. Well it could have been worse. Though she knew nothing about hacking or any of that. Guess that meant it was time to ask Big Sis Ami for a favor.

 

[Karcen]

Location: SSA Office
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 4:20pm
​

Azani Goddess of Vengence and grudges

There was an anger in Azani's eyes a fire as if they had become portals to the very realm she called her won. Who was this upstart pretender to question who or what she needed a spirit for? She had told them why she wanted one and told them what she needed them for and even the correct qualities she needed in one. She had given these little pretenders enough spirits to equip half of heaven and yet they wanted her to fill out profiles and though they knew what made a good bond. Azani knew she was not the poster child for a healthy bond, but she could tell when a spirit would be a good regalia if not for her then for another she didn't need to match likes and dislikes.

" You have turned the task of finding a regalia into a dating app do i swipe left if we don't match?" Azani said almost angerly at how these youngsters were devaluing something that was a true partnership and relationship down to playing match maker. Azani had no illusions that the thing she was trying to arrange was not truly meant to last, she needed a guide post to teach not to truly bond with that little tech god. " What binds a god and regalia can not be summed up like some mortal hook up app, qualities beyond simple words or money, you can have as many qualifiers as you like but never will you find those qualities" She continued still angered at the simplification of the task and the idea that you could just match gods and spirits. Azani wondered where godhood was going if you could just have a regalia delivered to you if you matched. To Azani she and Kuro already had something more real than any forced partnership here.

Still despite her complaining Azani followed not caring about the wordy bastard of a god, she had given her advice and if he listened was up to him. Still Azani's mood only seemed to worsen with every step, she had to play nice, she had to bow to these gods that had stolen the title of her mother. Izanami was the true god of death and these gods were nothing but westerner influence made manifest, pale imitations of their grim reaper. She would not have to bow down to their ways to get what she wanted, a god knew a good regalia and a bad one, they didn't need delivery services or an evaluation.

When they entered the office and one of the spirits came up and spoke there was a sudden shift in Azani's mood with just one word. Ame was here that was perfect, Ame might have rejected her when she reached out to Kuro, but Ame was one of the most experienced spirits. She would surely make a great teacher for the young god with few strings attached. While one might suspect Azani might dislike Nora because of her view of the sacred bond between god and regalia they would be wrong she disliked the gods that carelessly named spirits then let them roam, they could at least remove their names. Nora's were disliked and outcasts and thus she felt some sympathy, and Ame was the outcast of her own family someone that was similar to her. Ame would surely be willing to help a young god thus all these little profiling tricks were not needed.

" Well it seems i didn't need your services as i have found the perfect person for what i need" Azani said to the death god once they were all in the guest room. She then turned to Ame " I need your help, you see i have found a young god, that heaven has abandoned without even the most simplistic of lessons. He needs someone to guide him till he knows the rules a teacher more than a guidepost in truth" Azani explained her tone far nicer than anyone in the room had heard her speak so far " He thinks he owns the land where he is and that no god may operate without his permission, all because he has grown fond of some humans, really how foolish is that growing attached to them?" Azani explained her voice becoming mocking about getting attached to humans, yet there was a tone of sadness to it " So ame feel like helping a young god understand the world?" She asked not just taking ame away or even trying Azani had been rejected by her once already, hopefully there would not be a second time.

The Secret Archives QuirkyAngel VeiledPariah

 

[VeiledPariah]

Location: SSA Offices, Kyoto City
Date: April 2nd 2030
Time:4:20pm
Interactions: Nana/Kagemi QuirkyAngel Azani Karcen Shorn The Secret Archives ​

Ametaru(Regalia)

The Nora found herself not awaiting the parties entrance much as Nana led the other two Kami into the building and Kagemi rushing to the Shinigamis side rather enthusiastically.
At the mention of her name Ame looked up and stood giving the trio a slight bow but was spared the need for introduction as Nana began freely and asked her to wait a little longer yet.
The Shinigami has always been very forthright and also usually open just like now. Not one to cut corners or beat around the preverbal bushes.
“I understand, you seem busier than ever”
With a simple nod Ame returned to her seat and was now sat beside the seemingly exhausted Kami of lost souls.
Azani was the next to speak and surprisingly the disdain and hate she expected to hear was not present, more over in fact Azani was asking for a favor?
This was certainly unexpected, but who was she talking about?
Was it this other Kami whom she did not know.... from the sound of the particulars that was not the case. Whoever it was it required Ame and Azani to go elsewhere.
“Mistress Azani, I will do as you ask if truly necessary,It’s just that I need a little time, before we depart...I need Nana’s help with something but it must wait until she is available if that is alright”
The girl replied not trying to offend either goddess that stood before her.
Ame had an affinity for knowing what various Kami wanted to hear or how they wanted her to act, only rarely were most regalia afforded the opportunity to speak their minds, yet Azani was used to it by now. Ame or rather Tsurugi had been known to her for a long time despite the strained relations between her master and the goddess of grudges.
The man seemed a different story, Ame could sense power in him not unlike that of a god of calamity but all three gods in the parlor with her were necessary in the balance between the near and far shores.
The regalia crosses her legs sitting more appropriately now that the gods had shown up and both of Nana’s regalia had set off on their tasks.
“Kagemi was a great help to me and the lost spirit I had brought here, I imagine it was her diligence and care to me and the spirit that caused her to stray from her tasks, I am sorry for that Nana. My return has been....eventful”
The young woman glanced towards Azani but moved her eyes back to the Shinigami once more hinting at the Phantom encounter the two had shared but as she promised. She would keep the secret partnership as just that.
A secret.
Her business with both goddesses would have to wait it seemed.
Her cerulean eyes looked outside the window once more as she rested an arm against the chair she was seated in.
Something was stirring, like a tension or build in an orchestra. As the notes crescendo and strike before the entire swath of instruments join in unison.
The calm before a storm, she needed to know the answers. Not for herself anymore but to understand just what was happening in Kyoto, the whole of Japan.
The appearance of sentient phantoms, deaths of gods, the Atheism movement.
There was more to this, and these events were just the beginning she knew it.
Still the steps to be taken towards the truth had thus far eluded her and to be honest Ame was just grasping at straws now. Any strand of information, and sliver of hope for the people she cared for.
For now though the girl would wait as instructed and hopefully this waiting would turn out some useful information or at least another lead...


​

 

[The Secret Archives]

Location: SSA Office
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 4:23pm​

Shorn, God of Despair & Disdain

Interactions: Karcen QuirkyAngel VeiledPariah

Shorn got caught a bit off guard by the use of the term Foreign God. Sure he was sheltered, and not very frequently seen out. But, he only knew the grounds of Japan, perhaps she knew more than he did. Maybe it was his demeanor, are Gods of foreign countries more polite? Is that why she labeled him as one... He shifted to glance towards Azani using her as a point of reference. Well, maybe she's like a teddy bear. Taking another look, he corrected himself, A small stuffed teddy bear, and if that's the case, I'd hate to see more ill tempered gods. He shuddered, and tuned into Nana's introduction as one of many Death Gods. He followed the large majority of her description, and it made him reappraise his original thought on the SSA, much more like a business than an orphanage. He simply nodded in response, and allowed himself to follow towards the building known as the SSA.

As the goddess Azani began to speak in a form of anger, Shorn wrinkled his nose, Alright, scratch that, she's a Teddy Bear with claws... As they walked along, Shorn took in his surroundings, running the concepts through his head. He didn't say too much in response to anyone yet, but that wasn't for a lack of questions, for that he had plenty. It was a matter of deterring further digression or collapse of the very thin layer of peace that Shorn figured was currently present. Sure, Shorn could have thrown out plenty of smart ass comments, but he would instead bite his tongue and work towards some form of diplomacy.

Nana seemed quite knowledgable, similar in some aspects to how Azani warned him before. They obviously both had their strong points, whether built by personal experience or by their age, Shorn had no way of telling. Though, the professionalism of the Goddess of Death seemed to be nothing to scoff at, she seemed streamlined on the business that Azani had mentioned not long before.

The atmosphere of the Office was a change of pace, peaceful, clear, and most of all clean of outside influence. Shorn didn't know how they did it, but the Office gave Shorn proper respite for the first time since setting foot in Kyoto. It brought a genuine smile onto his face as his mind felt crystal clear. With a great inhalation through his nose, Shorn threw his arms up into the air, stretching, his shoulders popping as he did so. It felt wonderful. He took note of Azani's change in demeanor, Nana's interaction with her Regalia, Ame's own speech patterns towards Azani versus the Death Goddess. Each, and every single thing came in crystal clear.

Shorn looked around, and took after Nana's action, dropped down into the seat with an audible thump. The chair tilted way back, nearly falling over, before swaying back into place. He stretched out, crossing his legs and began to slip down further into the seat, no longer sitting up straight. "Ahhh..." He let out a groan of satisfaction, "You have no idea how much I love this place already Miss Nana. The air here is crystalline in quality, and I feel like a million bucks!" He snapped his fingers, and turning it into a thumbs up before he finally stopped slipping down. "I know, this action is inappropriate for a business place, but it's been a very, verryyy long day. Let me just indulge in this, and I'll do a minor favor in exchange. Introduction following, you have my word."

He shifted his eyes around at each person in the room, especially honing in on the conversation between Ame & Azani. That change in Azani's speech pattern was certainly peculiar, and the nicest tone coming from her made him lift his eyebrows in response. It sounded like she was playing this other person. Ame, wasn't it? Phrases like, 'perfect person', 'I need your help'... Things like these made it seem like she was lifting the importance of Ame to increase the likelihood of her assistance. Shorn knew nothing about their relationship, but he wouldn't sit idly during this supposed fallacy. There goes the brief diplomacy that existed, right out the window.

He waved a hand in the air, hoping to garner attention. His chin towards Azani, he spoke, "It isn't my place to pry but the 'friendly'," his fingers making a quoting motion, "Teeny plush cuddly teddy bear here doesn't seem like she is the type to throw out favors for free." Within the short time spent talking to her, and the dismissal he gained in short fashion, he didn't buy what she was saying. For her to aim to help a god she found, similar to himself not long ago, what would be so different. Shorn was a god under guidance of another, that was the only thing he drew as a potential difference. But, Azani told him he lacked street smarts, was that not something that could be as lethal as the lack of a potential teacher? So, why did this other god gather such a different approach, maybe he was just missing something. Or maybe there was more to the story.

He pushed himself up to be seated normally, and Shorn looked over to Nana, and then towards Ame, "My first impressions of this Goddess are filled of comments of being 'foolish', 'lost' and a wonderful nickname of the 'wordy bastard', so perhaps my judgement is clouded. I know nothing of her. Nana... Ame... I look towards the two of you in response to this, do you two believe everything is being said?" Shorn's face remained unreadable following his statement, it was a reach, but that's why Shorn looked to Nana, and Ame to potentially confirm his statement. Perhaps there was just a bit of an eye for an eye intent lingering behind his statement for her rudeness before.

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Location: Hotel, Kyoto City
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 6:00 pm​

Uroko (Regalia) + Ryuujin (God of the Sea)

While Ryuujin poured over a large map of Kyoto city, splayed over a table, Uroko opened the door for their two visitors, assessing the two humans before glancing back to Ryuujin. “They’re here, Milord.”

Given that the former Towako had managed to escape their grasp with his newfound abilities, his master, the King of Ryuju-jo, had been in a less than pleased mood. Fortunately, for the city of Kyoto, Uroko was there to calm the raging tides. That was job. For all dragons were dignified, but righteous in their fury when slighted. Uroko wanted to avoid punishment from the Heavens at all cost because he knew, if it were ever to happen, he would forsake his name to defend his current master.

Uroko had dirtied his hands with regalia blood for his king after all.

Neither had been in the wrong then. Not the travel god nor his lord. However, justice would always go to the stronger…and it wasn’t as if he didn’t care for Chisako as well. More than the lives of ordinary humans. He hadn’t hesitated. He still didn’t believe he was in the wrong. However, even now he remembered the face of the regalia called Harume who shielded her god from a certain death blow. Just as still remembered the once kind face of the spirit that used to be called Towako.

Ryuujin didn’t forgive traitors. Any blight was dealt with firmly and decisively. Some might even say harshly. However, he was also fair—at least in Uroko’s eyes—, righteous, and noble in his actions as a god who protected the sea should be. Therefore, even if some gods and spirits whispered about his temper—not to his face of course—Uroko would always remain loyal.

Even if his king sometimes gave him a headache.

As the golden eyes looked up at the two humans who entered his room, Uroko prayed for clemency from which ever god or goddess ruled over the state of mind that enough time had passed for Ryuujin’s temper to settle. Even if he didn’t know them very well, Uroko didn’t dislike humans, least of all one who bothered to shelter him from the rain. Kindness was repaid with kindness and wrath repaid with wrath. That was the way of the sea.

“What are you doing just standing around like an idiot for, Uroko!? Hurry up and introduce me!”

Introduce? Didn’t they go through introductions yesterday…?

Uroko glanced back at the humans. Right. The girl hadn’t met Ryuujin-sama yet. Rika Murakami, if he remembered correctly. His lord likely wanted to maintain a godly image in front of humans…though it’d been a slightly different case for Ryotaro since the young man seemed to know exactly what he was doing and who he’d been talking to. Uroko wondered if Rika Murakami being female had anything to do with it as well…though he doubted it given the case with Otohime.

Uroko sighed and cleared his throat. “Presenting Lord Ryuujin, Dragon God of the Sea, Protector of the Oceans, Patron of the Fishermen, and King of Ryugu-jo.”

If they’d been the palace there would be a line of regalias and maybe even some fish spirits playing trumpets, but alas, hotel rooms didn’t really have the space for that—especially since Ryuujin had sent the -ten family regalias, his armors, back to court. That left only Uroko to protect his master while the god remained in the near shore. Not that anything could really protect Ryuujin from bragging about his wealth though. Or spending money like it came out of a fountain when he had a perfectly good shrine near Biwa Lake. Uroko half believed the thieves came because his lord couldn’t resist showing off his jewels.

“Well, what do you want, Human?” Ryuujin growled. “Haven’t you caused enough trouble already? The deal is done, so why are you here?”

Lucem

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Location: Kyoto City Streets, Near SSA Office.
Date: April 2nd,2020
Time: 4:25 pm​

Nana

“Actually Miss Ametaru, it would seem my prior business has concluded faster than I would’ve expected.” Nana replied calmly as Hikarumi set the tray of teacups down. Whether Azani chose to partake of the offered hospitality or not though was up to her. Nana could tell Hikarumi was irritated at having to serve tea for a guest that so frankly insulted their business, but a guest was still a guest and a goddess was still a goddess. Except for a mild glare directed at Azani, the redhead said nothing though.

Nana maid a mental note to raise Hikarumi’s pay.

“Kagemi would appreciate your words, but you have no need to apologize for the work my regalias fail or don’t fail to do. They are very aware of their responsibilities and making sure a visitor feels comfortable is but one of many.”

Serenely taking a cup in both hands, Nana sipped on the drink Hikarumi brought out as the god she assumed to be foreign—due to his lack of knowledge regarding SSA which had branches all over Japan—very candidly questioned Azani’s integrity. As expected, Hikarumi chose the soothing taste she knew would ease away Nana’s stress. She didn’t mind that the foreigner was expressive. Nana dealt with all kinds of gods. The ones that preferred quietly obedient regalias. The ones that valued honesty in their regalias. Even the ones that preferred Noras over regular regalias because the work they did was on the shadier side. The wrong god for the wrong spirit would only lead to blight for the god and suffering for the spirit. Some gods and spirits could endure it—perhaps they might even build a stronger bond from it.

But those were few in number.

More often than not both parties simply suffered. Broken bonds when things didn’t work out. Forced smiles as spirits tried to adhere to a god they simply didn’t agree with. Long gone were the days Death Gods simply handed their reaped souls to the gods of Heaven with the expectation that the spirits they were in charge of protecting would be happy where they were. She’d seen it far too often. Abusive gods. Spirits quietly enduring. Losing the light in their eyes as they tried to fit into the mold of Heaven. Nana did teach regalias about the ways that Heaven—and most gods—preferred but she also watched them. Some of them preferred to live on earth. Some liked to swim. Some were religious and already had gods they preferred, even if they couldn’t remember it in their past lives. Certain fears they just couldn’t erase no matter how hard they tried.

Nana saw it all—like a record—no matter what form they took.

Therefore, even as Azani insulted her business by degrading as a simple ‘dating app’, Nana remained unaffected because she didn’t believe herself to be in the wrong. She had her own way of protecting spirits under her care regardless of whether or not other gods agreed or disagreed with her methods. The fact that Azani couldn’t, or wasn’t even willing, to name the god she wanted a guidepost for told her all she needed to know. She didn’t mind that Azani didn’t want to do business with SSA. What she did mind though was the flagrant insult of her work in front of another god. A foreign one at that.

Such things were not conductive to business. As the manager of her branch, she was very well aware of her own responsibilities to both the regalias and death gods that worked under her. The slight wasn’t just aimed at her. It was aimed at her work—the work of all those who found employment at Kyoto’s SSA branch.

Still…this and that were to different things.

"I'm glad you find this office comfortable." The office was designed so spirits could find peace away from phantoms, though she found it curious that the gloom outside could so heavily affect a god. As she listened to the foreign god’s logic she, she noticed the fallacy in it as well and Nana was nothing if not honest—to a certain degree at least. Too honest had its flaws as well, especially when dealing with certain gods, but Nana rarely lied about her opinions. At best, she simply didn't voice them. “I believe Azani to be mistaken on multiple accounts.”

She dropped the ‘Lady’ since if Azani insisted on being disrespectful to her and her work, she had no reason to return the favor. “However, I have been given no reason to doubt her authenticity. Rather, her crudeness seems to be a sign that the opinions of other gods do not matter to her. Whether truth or fiction, she will believe what she wants to believe. Since I do not have the name of the god in question, I cannot verify whether her statements regarding said god are true or not, but I have been given no reason to doubt her desire to assist said god either. There are many factors involved in why a god chooses to do anything—whether it’s personal feelings, first impressions, nature of the god, or otherwise. As you yourself said, you do not know much about the goddess.”

Nana paused to sip her tea. “Along that line of thought I do believe she’s being a little too inferring with what should be a personal choice between the naming god and spirit—but it’s not uncommon for the gods of Japan to give regalias to each other.” The Heavens did so all the time when they wanted to control a god after reincarnation. It was also the reason for Noras. “Miss Ametaru isn’t an employee of mine or a spirit under my protection so I have no say in where she chooses to work.”

‘If necessary’ was the word Ametaru used. It implied obligation rather than desire…which would make sense. She did not know the god she was being requested for. She had no reason to like or dislike him. However, she would serve as his guidepost out of duty. That made Nana sad. However, Nana made no mention of it in front of other gods, for she knew of the Nora’s strength and pride. Nana’s goal was to build a world where such things wouldn’t be necessary.

One step at a time.

Eyes opening, Nana’s orbs were as cold as death when she redirected towards Azani though her overall facial expression and tone remained the same. “I will, however, ask that you refrain from commenting on how I run my business, Azani. Just as I do not comment on how you run your business, I request the same courtesy. The souls collected and reaped by SSA’s Kyoto Branch are mine to protect and, so long as I manage this branch, I decide whether the god meets the standards necessary to name them.”

Death gods weren’t strong individually, but the strength of the Shinigami lied in their collective force. Seeing as Azani didn’t even want a spirit of SSA and chose Ametaru to make her request to, it didn’t seem to be issue at the moment. She didn’t think Azani would assault SSA for a spirit either. However, Nana had to make it clear she had no intention of backing down on that matter—to both the foreign god and Azani. To the regalias that believed in her and to Ametaru as well. Whether it was the gods of Heaven, gods of Earth, or even a god of Yomi, she would only give the spirits under her protection to a god she trusted wouldn’t do them harm and no amount of pressure would change that. That was her responsibility towards those who chose to work under her.

Karcen VeiledPariah The Secret Archives

 

[Karcen]

Location: SSA Office
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 4:26pm
​

Azani Goddess of Vengence and grudges

Azani could ignore the little lost god, though for once his wordy nature was toned down he actually didn't spend minutes on what could be said in seconds. What did anger her again was the mention of her being a teddy bear, just how stupid was he, she was Azani a god any noname foreign god should fear for none would call them should she drag them to Yomi. She was the one who had once stopped a fight with a god by speaking about that secret no god wished to speak of. Ame was at least agreeable and Azani was willing to let her take her time, she didn't force spirits to remain regalia or become her regalia so she couldn't force them to become others. though the death god, the pretender just pissed her off demanding curtesy and respect when Azani did not at all respect the business, or the fact it was a business when it should be not be used for profit or gain it was something sacred. Azani could not respect the demeaning and belittling of something that all god had always done and made it little more than a for profit child protective services and orphanage of lost souls. How heaven allowed such an insult to god and spirit alike to exist she could no phantom.

Azani turned to the god to dense to see he was being treated like a child " It seems i need to retract one thing as you managed to not blather on for one, that some progress. However there should be a limit to your ignorance as a no name god having to be sheltered by another should know better than to try to anger Azani the goddess of vengeance and child of yomi with cute names" She said almost having a smug smirk though it might be clear she only disliked the name because it was cute and not fearful, she was one that cultivated fear and had chosen to be feared and not loved by others, well who aside from her mother would love her anyways.

Azani then turned to nana the flames of hell once more seeming to flare in her eyes " Well now that i have found who i was looking for" She started making sure to use who not what " I figure the whole room could know a few details and the obvious favoritism and why it exists" She continued before pointing back to the foreign god " You wonder why i seek out a regalia for another but insult you and don't want to find you one, the answer is simple, the god in question Kami_X a little god of technology is on his own you are seemingly content being treated like a child and being sheltered by another god. She explained her hand lowering slowing she would help the lone god, the one that needed guidance for even she had a teacher " Heaven has forgotten it's duty to at least make sure new gods understand a few of the rules, and as they have failed it falls to me to correct that mistake"

She then looked back to Nana " Is that enough information for your business?" She asked her tone becoming sharp at the word business " The god is Kami_X a forgotten little god of technology fairly young and left to roam with a need for something to guide them before he runs into someone less forgiving than me." She spouted though her tone again changed from anger to almost pity as she explained the god's circumstances

With all that cleared up Azani h ad just one last person to talk to and she was the only one who Azani actually wanted to ask anything of Ame. Azani had been and was being nice to her as Ame could and should not be forced into anything, she had been through plenty. Ame was the best teacher that Azani knew of and in truth Azani knew she was trust worthy as without even being named she had kept the secret. " How long do you need?" Azani asked " If you can not leave in an hour or two i fear i will have to put this off for the day as my feathered friend might not wait forever" She explained once more being calm and more kind to Ame than to the other gods " And if so then I may have to see just how well the deaths gods are at playing match maker, as i can't exactly forces you into leaving" her tone slightly mocking towards the death gods but far less condescending. She did wonder for a moment how the others felt seeing her act this way towards someone many gods might not given her nora status, and how many gods even in heaven would be demanding or forceful if they wanted a spirit and she was letting the spirit tell her when she was ready.

QuirkyAngel The Secret Archives VeiledPariah

 

[VeiledPariah]

Location: SSA Offices, Kyoto City
Date: April 2nd 2030
Time: 4:30pm
Interactions: Nana QuirkyAngel
Shorn The Secret Archives Azani Karcen ​

Ametaru (Regalia)

No sooner had the girl looked out the window to allow the gods to speak had the tension within the lounge become as built as the storms outside. Azani he seemed to continually look down on Nana and the way she handled the SSA, and Nana retaliated. Even the unknown god had spoken out calling for both the Shinigami and Noras opinion on the validity of her request.
“None of you are incorrect, and none of you are liars, I do not know your name but should you feel the Mistress to be using me then you are free to do so, just as she feels the SSA is wrong, and Nana feels it is right...My opinion does not matter.”
As soon as he had let the words escape his lips, Azani spoke in turn.
The situation was getting out of hand and quickly but the Nora knew of a way to salvage was left of this conversation that was becoming to strained for simple words.
Not that any of the gods here could really do anything to the SSA seeing as neither had a regalia on hand but....she was here.
If it did indeed become a fight and Azani or Shorn chose to name her she in fact would be made an enemy of the SSA. Not to mention the fact that if she denied the naming then she would be an enemy of Azani herself and Kuro.
This was becoming a little to much and that was precisely why Ame usually stayed out of politics such as this.
With Azani’s retorts finished the girl stood from her seat and spun around bowing to all three in a most respectful manner.
“Mistress Azani, I had in fact intended to make a request of Nana and the SSA but it shouldn’t take long. I appreciate your patience Kami”
She had not wanted to make such a request in front others and had preferred to have this conversation alone with Nana yet it didn’t seem to be helped at this point.
“Mistress Nana...”
The regalia up to this point had never referred to the woman as such as the pairs last encounter had resulted in them speaking less formally to one another from then on.
She did it to exude the seriousness of her following request.
“I...have a request more a favor if anything, I wanted to know if you could tell me whether a Kami and regalia are indeed gone from the denizens of the far shore....and no longer with us. My Kami....his name is Ude and his regalia is Inbu”
The girl brought her hand to the left side of her neck her fingers gingerly skating along her skin where the name had once resides but had now faded along with a few others that could not be seen while she was clothed.
“I am losing names....and have searched for their reincarnations but I can’t feel them...”
Her voice was starting to strain and choke back emotions that’s anted to forced themselves through her calm facade as the wall she presented was beginning to fade just like the names she has once bore on her body.
“I normally wouldn’t ask this of you... but I am desperate, and have no where else to turn please”
Ame bowed once more to the Shinigami.
A regalia bowing to another god was normally seen as disrespectful to their own master however in certain exceptions it could be shown as a sign of endearment or thanks and even as a sign of utmost respect if the god was endeavoring to assist the regalia for their own god as Ame was asking of the SSA now.
“I can work to pay off the debt I know I am asking of you, I will do anything. I just need to know if they are alive”
The female held the bow a moment longer after speaking before raising her head a single tear streaming down the right side of her face her eyes muddled as she held back the wave of emotions that were attempting to break through.
Ame was in fact more sincere now than she had ever been since arriving to the city. After this regardless of her old acquaintances answer she would leave with Azani to meet this Kami X though she doubted that would be easier said than done.
If he was indeed a god who was reclusive and hidden from Heavens sight then he likely didn’t want to be found, or was busy trying to make a name for himself.
Still that was a conversation best saved once Azani and Ame were out of earshot from the rest of the participants in the lounge.
This unknown god was another story, whether he would stay here, follow them, or.... who knows what he was doing. Yet the energy she felt from him was draining and for a moment she felt as though he was the reason she felt more at this moment than usual. What kind of god was he? And was he inadvertently affecting her ability to contain her emotions as she normally could?
Still she awaited the answer or lack thereof before she would inevitably be carted away.


​

 

[The Secret Archives]

Location: SSA Office
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 4:33pm​

Shorn, God of Despair & Disdain

Interactions: Karcen QuirkyAngel VeiledPariah

There was a lot going on, an almost icy thin layer of the atmosphere outside in the streets of Kyoto could be felt by Shorn. He shuddered, immediately kicking himself off the chair stumbling to his feet ungracefully, and raising his hands in a submissive manner. "Azani, I know not what you speak of, or even whom, but the atmosphere of this location is darkening. Your title is not important here, nor is this 'child' of Yomi you speak of. That matters not to me in the slightest, I am simply concerned for the purity of this environment." He shook more noticeably, once more over, and looked around, "Our tensions are merely polluting the air around us, and that is quite harmful to this environment." He tensed himself in an attempt to dwell the feeling that wanted to emerge, and continue to absolutely desecrate the purity of these grounds.

He turned to Nana, and looked with an almost pleading gaze, "We must postpose our differences, and settle them another time." He sighed, and crossed his arms in an attempt to look stern despite his own pleading look contradicting his body language. "If we do not..." His voice trailed off as the whole environment returned to its absolute crystal clear purity.

It was like nothing had happened, he released a long drawn out breath of anxiety. There was much he wanted to say, but first... Shorn turned towards Azani with a determined look on his face, "I accept all you have to say without denial. There is, however," He pointed his finger at her, "one mistake you continue to make. You assume I did this of my own accord, that I had a choice to be sheltered. There was no choice." Shorn growled the words out with great deep levels of disdain, there was enough imbued to be felt hover in the air with absolute certainty. Sure, Shorn felt indebted to the Goddess of Vitality, and her helpful nature towards Kaiyo, but it wasn't like he enjoyed what life he was given. After all, forced into a corner, Shorn made his oath to save Kaiyo, but that was long ago.

Shorn facial expression twisted, and he reached out a hand, enclosing it upon the area where he let loose his disdain. It vanished, plunging deep back into the very depths of his core. He did not need any Gods, Goddesses or Regalia near by to lash out at him for what they may take as an act of hostility. He lowered his head uttering an almost immediate apology with very clear meaning backed behind it.

From what Azani had said, this Kami_X fellow sounded interesting. There was little to go on. One thing Shorn did know from the conversation earlier, Kami_X seemed to like humans just as much as Shorn did. He didn't deny the fact that Kami_X could be easily injured if not worse by the sound of the situation.

There it was, Shorn utterly winced at Ame's opinion of herself, her opinion didn't matter? Those words bit deep, and he turned his head away thinking immediately upon the statement. It was the words of something, not someone. But, he knew that wasn't her fault, and more than likely the time spent doing what it was she was used to most. Though, her immediate movement from sitting to a respectful bow was caught in his peripheral vision, he didn't move. He dug deep, he wanted to bound away every ounce of despair, disdain and anything else within his inner self. If what he thought was coming were to occur without proper preparation, he wasn't sure he could contain his inner-most nature. With the purity of the SSA Office, Shorn fortified himself, and slammed shut his inner self. It was an immediate shift in how he would present himself, there would be no slip of the tongue, and his judgement would be precise, albeit, he couldn't rid his smart-ass personality. That was just simply engraved to be himself.

With all the precautions, it ended up being less than he expected from her. Without proper fortification, his own presence did tend to draw onto the source that wrought the most pain to those around him. Not only was Shorn drawn to all forms of negative emotion, but he brought them out in full force as naturally as a flowing tide takes sand from beaches. He too, would take from their deepest pains if left unchecked or locked away. It was certainly a curse, one that Shorn didn't even know the purpose of. Perhaps, people sometimes just needed to feel these emotions, but that was no excuse for the pain it could inflict while doing so.

Regardless of how odd, bizarre or utterly out of place it could be, Shorn walked forward towards Ame. Likely after the display shortly earlier with his slight slip up, it would be interpreted wrongly. Though, he hoped they wouldn't just cut him down out of spite, perhaps a nagging, but reasonable thought considering their situation. Shorn placed his hand gently upon Ame's head, "I apologize." He knew that it was probably his own fault that it was occurring, though, he felt responsible for the sorrow, even if the reason behind it had no reason to do with him. He thought back to her statement earlier, how her opinion didn't matter. The contact, under normal situations when not locked away would be utterly dangerous, but here it was normal. Just a consoling touch upon the head, "Ame, do not forget that your opinion matters. Loss is difficult, but you can get through it, no matter the struggles present now." He took a deep breath, before forcing out the words, "There isn't enough darkness in the entire world to snuff out the light of one little candle." He snapped back from her, and turned away quickly as a surge of burning welled within his throat. Uttering a phrase filled with as much power, or hope as this one didn't leave Shorn unharmed, it had certainly burned him. If not scorched his very vocal cords for the time being.

He stumbled backward, and just sat himself down into his seat. He motioned to Nana, pointing at his throat, hoping she would understand his meaning. His elbows dug into his legs, and he rested his forehead against the palms of his hand, hanging his head in utter pain. He even coughed a few times, and tried clearing his throat too.

 

[Lucem]

Location: Hotel, Kyoto City
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 6:00 p.m.​

Ryotaro Hirai
Good, he has a shirt on. Ignoring the growls, Ryo walked further into the room. As he suspected, Ryuujin was upset. However, it didn't seem like the god was angry enough to kill him on sight. He was still alive, so this was a good start. "Unfortunately, I believe I'll always find myself in some sort of trouble. It comes with the job."

Not bothering to take a seat, he wasted no time answering Ryuujin's question. "The student may have been freed from the possession, but the deal is not done yet. I still haven't given my payment." When Ryuujin decided to take on this request without demanding an offering, Ryo imagined that he might have this conversation at some point. Unfortunately, it wasn't under the best circumstances.

"I'm a businessman, so I'm all about fair deals and proper compensation. I also have a nagging feeling that a certain spirit won't like it if I don't show proper gratitude for a god's generosity. It's understandable if you doubt my motivations. After all, I gain nothing by coming to you and offering payment, so it's natural to be suspicious. If hearing a more selfish reason can ease your worries, then I can provide one. You said that you didn't need anything from a human, but there's always the possibility that you could decide to collect an offering in exchange for your favor in the future. I like to make sure I'm prepared for everything, so it'd be more convenient for me to choose how I pay you back now instead of waiting for the chance that you might do something down the line."

He claimed he intended to repay the god and offered two possible motivations. While there was truth in what he spoke, there was another reason he came here. It could be said that it was his real motivation, making everything else secondary. "Of course, you can just think of that as an excuse." He didn't hide anything, speaking honestly and without hesitation.

Taking his hands out of his pockets, Ryo looked straight into the god's eyes. His actions were not intended to be disrespectful. He was simply trying to make himself clear. "I don't regret my decision to save my classmate. He's safe now, and that's all that matters. However, the fact remains that my ignorance led to an unforeseen complication. I need to make up for that mistake. To do so, I'll locate the phantom that escaped."

While he hadn't stayed to see the result of the confrontation between god and phantom, he was able to guess what happened as soon as he entered the room. Ryuujin was looking over a map with a displeased look on his face, which told him that he was looking for something. That wasn't enough to assume that the phantom got away, but it made the most sense, considering the timing. He knew a bit about Ryuujin's personality, and he had a feeling he wouldn't be sitting in a hotel room if he knew where the phantom was. His mood made it clear that this was a sensitive issue and that he couldn't just let the former jellyfish get away.

"It's undeniable that I played a role in how things ended up, even if I couldn't have predicted the result on my own. I figure it's only right that I take responsibility the only way I know how. As you already know, nothing can escape my Divine Eye. Once I locate the phantom, I'll relay the information to you. After that, you can decide what to do. I'm only human, so this is all I can do to make up for my own weakness. Again, I'm aware that you don't need anything from a human. You may not even need my assistance. However, even if you don't accept it, I still intend to act. I have a policy about not looking away from things, even if they're inconvenient for me. If I did, my business's reputation would plummet. This case can't be considered closed until the phantom is found, and I intend on keeping my perfect record."

Ryo was going to find the phantom. That was how he could offer payment and make up for his mistake. Even if he was rejected, he would still follow the trail. He wasn't sure what would happen after he was reunited with the tainted spirit. He had his own feelings on the matter to sort out, but that could wait. Right now, he had the opportunity to do something. True to his promise to never look away and act whenever he could, he'd focus on what was in front of him.

"That matter aside, there's another reason I wanted to speak with you in person." Placing a hand on his chest, Ryo bowed his head to the god. "Regardless of how things turned out and how you may feel about me, I still want to show my gratitude for what you did. Even if you may have had your own reasons for accepting the request, the fact remains that you protected both me and my classmates. For that, I owe you my thanks. No matter what happens from now on, these feelings of gratitude will not diminish. Thank you. I thank you as well, Uroko." He didn't have the opportunity to properly thank the two after the exorcism. If nothing else, he wanted to convey this message to them. His father wouldn't like it if he had to watch over an ungrateful son.

QuirkyAngel

 

[Karcen]

Location: SSA Office
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 4:35pm
​

Azani Goddess of Vengence and grudges

Azani still hated how Ame didn't stand up for herself even if it was to say no to her request Azani would have liked that more than her pretending her opinion didn't matter. Azani was looking for her to be a guidepost where her opinion was what was needed and her words would hopefully influence that idiotic god into a proper path that would lead to a longer life. Azani could not have her believe that, it was annoying like the god who pretended he didn't have a choice, everyone had a choice even if it cost them everything. Even if he thought he had no choice then Shorn had a choice now he could leave now and be free instead of kept like a child. That was what he was Kami_x was far smarter and far more mature than this fool content to be a child forever. He didn't need a guidepost he needed to grow up. Azani saw him in a situation where the goddess helping him didn't trust or respect him, and he would never gain either of those for long as he simply went along with them. The news of yet more name vanishing was something interesting Azani had not been aware others were again vanishing, those atheists had yet to regain their strength so gods fading was far more rare. This should not normally happen, was the same happening below was Izanami in danger? What of Enma Azani had not visited him in years, could he to be gone? Finding out abotu the names was in truth more important than playing babysitter to some minor deity Azani would rather not divert Ame away from such a task for her own whim.

Azani looked to Shorn " You truly are the god of the oblivious" She said " But whatever now isn't the time to teach a child new things " She continued with a dismissive wave of Shorn not really feeling like fighting with one who accept being just a child to another god.

With that Azani got out of the chair, which might be a bit more dramatic if not for her child like size " It seems I have come here in vain today, what I needed for my whim is not here" She said starting for the door, though she lacked her normal fire and fury despite her insulting words " Ame just forget my request I don't really need you I will find another" She continued using harsh words so that Ame wouldn't try to contradict her or stop her.

Azani got to the door before turning as if getting an idea " Oh and Nana I will return or maybe I won't the god is at Shirotome High just send me the bill, he is likely far to poor while I have plenty of cash" She said before existing the room to leave the building so she could return to Kuro, leaving Nana to do her job, Ame to work on something more important, and the child to be an idiot.

VeiledPariah QuirkyAngel The Secret Archives

 

[Dante Verren]

Location: Kuro-Kyogi's Impenetrable fortress (Hotel Room)
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 4:36 pm​

Phantom (Pride)


"There! Now my defenses are perfect." the phantom couldn't help but snicker as she stepped back and admired her handiwork. Not one to sit idly by and wait for her opponents, Kuro-Kyogi have been using the time to turn the hotel suite into a fortified fortress. For starters she had moved the two lounge chairs, tipping one over onto it's side and placed it not against the door, but just enough in front of it that it could only open far enough to get one person through at a time. The second chair she had flipped upside down and placed onto of the first, she even used he knives to sharpen the ends of the leg supports so that if anyone tried to force their way through the door they would find themselves impaled on the spikes of the chair. That was only the beginning.

To make sure she would have no intruders come through the windows, she had turned the beds on their sides and pushed them against the glass. Using the bedsheets she had woven a web of fabric above them to make sure no one would simply go over them. As extra insurance, she had even hid some of her feather daggers in the sheets, meaning anyone who climbed through them would receive a few nasty cuts as they crawled through. One way or another her assailants would have to come through the door or the windows, both which had defenses. This left the phantom sitting on a small coffee table in the middle of the room. From here she could move quickly to intercept her enemies at either front. Now all there was to do was wait. Glancing over at the entrance to the bathroom she pondered if she should fortify that as well. Eventually she decided that she didn't need to. No god would lower themselves to enertin through a toilet or drain.

"I wonder how many will come" she said softly to herself. "Will it be 10, 20, maybe even 100?" She pondered what foes she would be up against. Though she was confident in her ability to defend this room, she was uncertain of how far the gods would go to bring her down. "They might level the building, or even the whole city for that mater." her wings flapped in both excitement and nervousness. Grabbing a nearby pillow she raised it over her head and looked up at it. A pure white cloud used for comfort, soon it would be soaked with the blood of gods. A fitting end to a tragic betrayal.

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Location: Sumiko's apartment, Kyoto City
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 4: 35pm​

Kami_X (God of Hackers)

Kami_X chuckled and stopped just at the door to let Sumiko-chan grab whatever stuff she needed. Yep. It was definitely cute seeing how flustered she got over meeting a god. Certainly some had strengths and abilities far beyond the average mortal, but it wasn’t like they ate completely different foods, shopped at completely different locations, or enjoyed completely different things. The ones that lived on earth anyway. He hadn’t a clue the sort of things Heaven offered.

Or perhaps it was just Kami_X. Since he often just handed any phantom-related jobs to other gods, most of the things he did on a daily basis ended up fairly mundane. Fix a computer here, teaching a coding class there—the stuff any human with above average level of intelligence could accomplish. The only difference between him and any other hired tech expert on most days was the fact that very few people noticed him. He was also extraordinarily good at his job—the ones that involved hacking and coding at least. Otherwise Kami_X never really saw himself as all that different from those that called themselves his worshippers.

Smarter, maybe.

Hands in pockets, Kami_X mentally chose their first destination while Sumiko-chan got ready. The shrine of Hasuna, goddess of hearth and home, seemed like a stable choice. Not much to fear from a motherly goddess…though he did hear rumors that she’d joined Heaven’s Army ten years ago following another god. It amused him that such a kind, loving-natured goddess would choose a warrior’s path, but he supposed that even a mother bear would defend their cub.

War was kind to no one.

Kami_X mostly avoided the main fighting, since weak gods without regalias wouldn’t be much help, but even he’d been forced to pick up a weapon when bullying at Shirotome ran rampant and accusations of being religious ran left and right. The waves of phantoms had been endless then. Fortunately, the SSA of Kyoto had been willing to lend out some of their willing spirits to any god that needed it given the time of crisis. While Heavens Army ran around Japan, going where they were most needed, the who remained at home defended their homes to the best of their abilities. Kami_X was no exception. Reminded of Renka, his first regalia who he’d released back to SSA once the war was over, Kami_X wondered if the little girl ever found a god that suited her needs.

They…just never really clicked.

Truly, he’d never met a more difficult spirit in his life—with the exception of Pinky of course~ While he could’ve certainly applied to keep her, as many other gods that borrowed from SSA did during the war, Kami_X didn’t really feel the need to. Nor did he want to at the time. The jobs he did on most days didn’t require a regalia and it made no sense to hire an employee before headquarters was built. Seeing as Benjiro had decided to stall making him a shrine until exam season was over, Kami_X didn’t expect to get one at least until another month.

Though, given his interaction with Azani and her feathered friend, he might have to find one faster than expected. A jellyfish had evolved out in the fields of the school as well. Not just one of the new talking phantom thingies, but TWO appearing at the same time was clearly a sign that he’d left the gloom alone for far too long. The resident spirit detective had gotten involved as well…and brought Ryuujin along for the ride. It never hurt to have insurance in these sorts of situations.

Grinning, Kami_X called to Sumiko-chan. “Ready? We’ll be taking the subway to Hasuna’s Temple so be sure to bring your card. A good pair of walking shoes as well.”

A good god might’ve offered to pay for both tickets, but being too good was asking to be walked all over on. A god’s gotta make a living too. Kami_X wasn’t by any means poor, but he wasn’t rolling in dough like Inari either…not unless he went back to his old ways.

Location: Subway, Kyoto City
Date: April 2nd 2030
Time: 5:00pm​

As the rode the underground train to their destination, Kami_X continued to chatter away, explaining to Sumiko the way of the gods. Despite all his talking on the crowded train though, no one, other than Sumiko-chan, really noticed him. Then again, no one really looked at each other either—too busy gawking at their phones or focused on their own lives. Some had phantoms on their shoulders. Some didn’t. “You know that drunk man wearing a kimono that we passed at the station? That was the god of Crossroads.”

Smirking, Kami_X paused to let the information sink in before continuing. “Even if you could see us, that doesn’t mean you really notice us. Gods that live their lives on earth don’t go out of their way to advertise themselves…usually.” He shrugged. “Depends on the god. Even if they did, most wouldn’t believe it. You didn’t believe it when I told you I was a god the first time, did you?”

Kami_X winked, showing that he wasn’t particularly offended. “Other gods are the same. Not all of them are flashy or strong. Some live ordinary lives, doing the everyday good deed, without ever getting a shrine or thanked for it. Look over there for example.”

The red-haired god pointed to a peaceful-looking woman holding a baby in her arms. A silvery butterfly fluttered above her. Anytime one of the phantoms on the train got near, the butterfly glowed brightly, causing the phantom to recoil and looking for food elsewhere. “That’s a baby god. My guess is that the mother made a wish for the child’s happiness, or something like that, and her strong desire manifested into a god. I doubt she even notices it. And, even if she does, she’d likely just think it an ordinary butterfly. Gods are beings of hope. Even during times of despair, as long as humans still have faith and wish strongly enough, hope can be born…that’s the theory behind it anyway.” Kami_X shrugged. “Some humans can do it and some can’t even though they wish equally as strongly, so there are probably other factors involved, but I have no idea what they are.”

Or how he was able to be born either. He simply existed. And just like the other human kids he watched, he struggled to find the meaning of his existence all the same. The difference between their them and him, he supposed, was that he had a lot more time to do so...so long as he didn't fade anyway.“Regardless, it’d probably still do what it can to protect the mother and child for as long as either of them live…though I the world won’t necessarily cater to their whims. If the mother loses her house or family, for example, her negative thoughts could spiral and I doubt a god of that size will be able to do anything against all the phantoms drawn. In that case, it’d more likely end up as phantom food. Humans are capable of good as well as evil. Which reminds me, not all gods are nice, or are good for you, either. If you run into a pink-haired girl in a high school uniform, walk away, no matter how cutely she smiles at you or offers to help.” Kami_X whispered his advice like sharing gossip with his client. “That’s Bimbogami. She’s not a bad person exactly…but she’s a walking money disaster waiting to happen. If you think I’m expensive to ask for help from, she charges by the lifeblood…and the tab adds. Just hanging around her for a week is enough to drive a person to financial ruin and I doubt she’s even trying. Fortunately, I hear she’s in Tokyo right now, wrecking havoc over there, so it shouldn’t be an issue, but just take sound advice from a god that like to keep himself well informed like myself~If your goal is financial wealth, don’t make her your friend.”

Kami_X didn’t know what Sumiko-chan’s goals in life were. Beyond the little peek at her profile, he didn’t know all that much about her. Her dreams. Her aspirations. Depending on what they were it was more probably more prudent to worship a god affiliated with her life goals, or whose belief she aligned strongly with, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t he wouldn’t attempt to make her one. Or help her if asked. Humans might encounter one, or many gods in their lives, but who they ultimately chose to worship was up to them. Even though he helped many people, he could really only call the kids in the Shirotome High Computer club his true believers. They were the ones that would try to spread his name. Weirdos though they may be, they were the ones who revered him as some sort of epic genius that would help them win all their competitions and they were the ones Kami_X counted on to ultimately build him a shrine. Or multiple shrines.

Azani hadn’t necessarily been wrong to refuse his offer. She had her own reputation to protect. Her own believers. However, even if he didn’t always act like it, Kami_X had his own form of honor as well. He felt he owed it to the people who believed in him to make sure their school lives remained peaceful and that they grew up to be happy, well-functioning adults. He would do whatever he had to ensure that happened. Those who called on the name of revenge cursed themselves as well and he knew how contagious gloom was…and how easily it manifested in person. When he’d been younger, he'd been too weak to take action.

That wasn’t the case now.

“Humans can also become gods after they die you know~like in the case of Tenjin or Oda Nobunaga. If they do enough respectable deeds, or the feats they performed in life were great enough to inspire worship, humans might build them shrines and their spirits become deified after death. So if you’re the type to inspire others, you might end up being someone else’s god, Sumiko-chan~No two gods are the same. Some to choose live on earth, some choose to live in Heaven, and some…” Kami_X paused. “choose to live elsewhere. Anyway, the goddess that we’ll be visiting lives up in Heaven, I believe. Though she visited the near shore yesterday so she might still be around. We’ll know once we visit her temple. It’s the next stop I think.”

Location: Hasuna's temple, Kyoto City
Date: April 2nd 2030
Time: 5:15pm​

Steps.

All the steps.

Hasuna’s main temple wasn’t the 12,000 steps of the Fushimi Inari-taisha that took two to three ours just to climb and down, but for a god that lived a sedentary lifestyle of teleporting everywhere he wanted to go, it wasn’t exactly easy on the legs either. Sometimes he wished he could just float like ghosts.

“For us gods, shrines act like a gateway to Heaven, in a sense. Some shrines are big enough to live in. Some aren’t. Depends on the size of the god and their living style as well. Gods hear it when prayers are made there, so depending on the connection to Heaven, they could act as landlines for you call for them as well. Any questions so far, Sumiko-chan?”

If Hasuna was busy, she might not even show up, in which case, it’d be a waste of a trip and he’d have to find another god. He wasn’t even sure what Hasuna liked as an offering. The traditional 5-yen coin? Flowers? Baby food? It was a good opportunity to get to know the goddess of Hearth and Home on a personal level as well.

For future reference of course.

Once they reached the top, Kami_X cupped his lips and called. "Hellooooo! Anyone home?" Hopefully a regalia would at least answer. Otherwise, it'd be a little embarrassing, but it wasn't a bad thing to visit shrines whether or not the god was there. Shrines or places of prayer offered peace of mind. A place to reflect and leave behind thoughts that only a gods could hear. Gods didn't really judge. The more professional ones anyway. Their job was to grant wishes. To bad for others, Kami_X never really considered himself a professional...at least in the godly sense. He granted the wishes he liked or sounded fun to him. Lived the life he wanted. If he should somehow fade because of it, well, it'd have been a life he didn't regret at least. If he was going to be born a god, he figured he should at least enjoy the life a god. Being a stickler all the time was such a bore.

Dante Verren MrThe Nico

(mentioned: Karcen )

 

[Dante Verren]

Location: Hasuna's temple, Kyoto City
Date: April 2nd 2030
Time: 5:15pm​

Yuya Sumiko (Spiritual Human)
interaction: Kami_X ( QuirkyAngel )


Not wanting to keep the god waiting, Sumiko hurried to grab all the stuff she thought she would need. Grabbing her laptop bag she carefully slid her computer into the bag along with a small stack of notebooks. Whether or not some of them were blank or were books used for school she didn't stop to check. The fact was that if she was meeting another god she definitly wanted to take notes, plus if it was a long tip she could always do some studying on the way there and back. Next she grabbed her phone, wallet, and of course her keys. The comment from Kami_X reminded to double check that she had her subway pass in her wallet, which luckily she did. Returning to the door she slipped on her normal everyday shoes and locked the door behind them. Turning to Kami_X she gave him a nervous smile "Alright I think I am ready".

The walk to the subway had been uneventful, the pesky small phantoms seemed to stay away along as she was near Kami_X and other then that the only other thing that peeked her interest was a similar sweet smell coming off of a drunkard wearing a kimono that the two passed by. The scent was similar to the one that came off of Kami_X which meant that the man was at the very least a denizen of the far shore. This was confirmed by Kami_X as the two of the stood together on the subway. "So that is how gods smell" She murmured to herself. It was then that Kami_X began his mini lecture.

Following the motion of Kami_X's hand she focused in on the small butterfly as Kami_X spoke. Closing her eyes she focused on her sense of smell, which in a crowded subway is a bad idea. Something that she quickly found out. Pushing through the less then pleasant smelling crowd of people she found what she was searching for, that faint heavenly scent that came from the butterfly. Once again she found that it was a very similar scent to the one the god next to her gave off. Opening her eyes again she looked back over to Kami_X as her senses returned to normal, at the very least along as she as around him she would basically have a walking airfreshner. The part about the goddess of financial ruin brought up another question for her "Is their really a goddess named Bimbogami or did you make that up?" She fully believed a goddess of financial ruin existed, just not that her name was bimbogami.

Eventually the mini-lecture and subway ride would come to an end, which lead to the next part of the journey. By the time they finally made it up the steps to the shrine Sumiko was out of breath. Taking in deep breaths she merely shook her head as the god asked her if she had any questions. Of course she had a dozen questions by now, but those could be saved for later. After all she would probably have a dozen more by the time this meeting was done, and right now she just wanted to catch her breath.

 

[Karcen]

Location: Kuro-Kyogi's Impenetrable fortress (Hotel Room)
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 5:00pm
​

Azani Goddess of Vengence and grudges


Azani had done all she could and all she felt like doing, really she was being to kind to all these stupid gods running around without a clue and without a will to fight. Shorn had been nothing but a fool who didn't seem to even want to get out from under the thumb of his protector and Kami_x was his own kind of hopeless. It was almost like looking in a mirror and Azani hated it. While she and that god were not very alike they seemed to both make the mistake of getting attached to humans. Azani could remember that time she had gotten to attached to one, but that had been so many years ago that their face was hard to recall. It was funny once she would have never forgotten a single detail about them and now it was all fuzzy half forgotten memories with only the pain left behind. Once could get attached to humans, but love, now that was something else. Love brought with it only the pain of loss when at last that human used up their short life span. Well it was up to Nana and Kami_X to stop that from happening.

Before returning to the hotel Azani had decided to finish her request from earlier, killing the teacher in her house instead of at the school. If that stupid god had just asked her to do this before hand so much could have been avoided. Still Ame had brought up something interesting the vanishing gods, that was something that would again shake heaven up. Azani wondered if perhaps it was time that she to changed after all she could not be stagnate forever and with so many vanishing who would contest her right to change her domains. Azani would need a few things, namely mortal followers that could worship in the open, and for that she needed a priest. That could be done and if Enma wasn't around then she could try to take over his role and become ka truly great god like her sister. Azani Ōmikami had a ring to it, the rulers of heaven and hell. First she needed to get back to Kuro as who knew what she could have gotten up to.

Azani would appear in the hotel room getting around the carefully thought out defenses that would hold a combat god back for maybe a minute thanks to her ability to move through Yomi. The room had been transformed into a makeshift fort and Kuro was there with a pillow looking oddly pleased with her work. Azani could not think of any reason that Kuro would have turned the room into this it wasn't like Azani had any allies to call on to slay phantoms. Really Azani was a little saddened by the sign of distrust by Kuro. Azani had told her where she was going and sort of why, after all if she just wanted a regalia there were still those roaming the streets. It also meant Kuro didn't get how Azani held to deals, if she made one she would not look for wiggle room or ways to get out of it, she held to deals.

Azani let out a sigh her hand traveling to her face, her sigh clearly that of disappointment, her expectations had not been met fully. " Kuro what did you do all this?" She asked " I told you what I would be doing, it might have been stupid but I wasn't hiding anything from you" She continued her voice actually sounding hurt. A god hurt by a phantom, not physically but emotionally now there was something new. " Who knew I would make the mistake of getting attached to fast again" she chuckled sadly before sighing again " Kuro I don't betray people, not even phantoms while you can be a bit to arrogant you are a better fit for a companion than most any human spirit. So I am not going to get some none existent allies to get you, you are about my only ally anyways" Azani explained really wishing she didn't latch on to people a little to much, she was just running in circles. Azani pushed people away as she always lost them. " So please don't do this again" She finished not even asking for trust just to not destroy a room and leave Azani black out of a nice hotel to stay at.

Dante Verren

 

[Dante Verren]

Location: Kuro-Kyogi's Not So Impenetrable Fortress (Hotel Room)
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 5:05pm​

Phantom (Pride)
interactions: Azani ( Karcen )


Still holding the pillow over her head, Kuro-Kyogi began to swing her feat back in forth in anticipation. That was part of the reason why she was so surprised when Azani merely popped into existence in the room. With a bit of a yelp unbecoming of a phantom of her caliber, She shot into the air and drew her feather daggers ready to cut down her attacker. The only thing that stopped her from attacking was the sigh and the heavy negative emotions coming from the goddess. Phantoms were drawn to negative emotions. Even those felt by gods could draw forth phantoms and those dark feelings put off by Azani were not one of anger or hatred.... it was disappointment and sadness. This confused the phantom enough to actually cause her lower her daggers and actually listen. As the phantom listened a sense of conflict fell over her. Her phantom instincts wanted her to latch onto those negative feelings and drive this goddess further into despair, yet another part of her wanted something else. What was that feeling? What was that emotion that was stopping her from raising her daggers again against this goddess. Was this sympathy?

Quickly she flicked her head to the right towards the windows then to the left towards the door, looking for another enemy, an excuse, a reason to raise her daggers again... but there was none. She could tell from her senses as well, that Azani and herself were the only denizens of the Far shore at this hotel at this moment. There was no army of heaven waiting to claim her head, no gods of death with scythes raised gunning for her life, or really any of that sort. It was only Azani, the goddess of grudges and vengeance... standing there alone...Frustration grew rapidly inside of Kuro-Kyogi and just as quickly as it had appeared it fully boiled over. With one clean toss she through the dagger directly downwards, the feathers impaling into the table she had been sitting on a moment prior. Flapping her wing furiously, she shot over to the windows tearing the bedsheet web apart with a single tug on the weakest part of the web. As the daggers she had hidden in the web fell free she snatched them up and tossed them into the table next to the other daggers. Next she pulled on the sides of he beds cuasing them to fall back down on for legs like normal. With an angry grunt she pushed both of them back to their original positions. www

Last but not least was the chairs. Dashing across the room with a single flap of her wings, Kuro-Kyogi grabbed the chair that she had sharpened the legs into points and dragged it over to it's proper place. Luckily she was quite a good craftsmen, making extra sure to sharpen them all to the same point the chair could still stand up straight and aslong as no one particularly heavy sat in it the legs would break. The second chair was easy to deal with. All it took was dragging it back and putting it up right in it's intended spot. Even with all of her work undone she still felt that annoying frustration. "Curse this goddess! How dare she make someone as perfect as me question there own judgement! How dare, how dare, how dare, how dare!!!!!! she screamed internally. Kuro-Kyogi the phantom born from pride and vanity just had her pride wounded, and she was not going to take it lying down.

Deciding from the air and landing in the center of the table that was now decorated with feather daggers impaled into it. Her crimson eyes born filled with fury fell upon Azani and she raised her fan to cover mouth. "I refuse. I refuse!" she snarled as she stomped her foot on the table. "Do not speak to me in such a tone. You are a goddess of grudges and vengeance. Phantoms have been the enemy of gods for millennium. It is only reasonable to assume that gods have grudges against phantoms and therefore what other reason would a goddess of grudges have with a death god if not to recruit their help in snuffing out a grudge." She practically snarled the last part. Moving the fan away from her mouth she pointed it directly at Azani and fluffed up her wings to their full extent, "Brace yourself goddess of idiots who seeks to befriend the phantom of pride. For as long as we work together, whether it be one more day, one more year, or even an eternity. I will never allow you to be disappointed in me again! Do I make myself clear!" Lowering her fan, the phantom's fury temporarily subsided but returned again as she started to stamp her feet. "If I am truly your only ally then I will be the greatest ally that any stupid god of any stupid era of any stupid world has ever had... so don't you dare be disappointed in me! You are only allowed to be proud of me! Understand!?"

 

[MrThe]

Location: Hasuna's temple, Kyoto City
Date: April 2nd 2030
Time: 5:15pm

Hasuna 蓮那
(Goddess)

Hasuna heard someone yelling and asking if anyone was home. That was a bit rude since she had a Prayer Bell, but Hasuna was nothing if not a gracious and forgiving host. It didn't mean she wasn't going to have a little fun first though. She teleported behind the Red Haired God and gave a big smile before saying "Hello, welcome to my shrine. How may I help you?"
QuirkyAngel Dante Verren​

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Location: Hotel, Kyoto City
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 6:10pm​

Ryuujin (God of the Sea)

Ryuujin had never met a more stubborn and talkative human in his life. Not that he went out of his way to meet that very many humans in the first place, but not that many had the audacity to look him in the eye, insist something wasn’t done when he said it was, insist on paying him back while at the same time suggesting that he might be the conniving sort to pull up favors later, demand they be given a chance to rectify their mistake, and thank him all in one setting.

When was the last time someone defied his authority? Right. The little wind god that insisted the slow method of finding the thief that stole his Chisako was the better option than just dropping the boat into the sea. Ryuujin almost wanted to punish Ryotaro Hirai in the same manner as the god. There were two reasons he didn’t. The first was that the situations weren’t the same. The human wasn’t stopping him from doing anything. Rather, he seemed to be telling Ryuujin what he intended to do whether or not Ryuujin agreed to it or not. While Ryuujin demanded obedience from his servants, regalias, and even the fish spirits within his domain, that did not apply to humans who weren’t his subjects.

The second reason was that the kid seemed to have a degree of personal accountability. If all humans had that, the sea wouldn’t be polluted with filth as it was. If humans remembered to thank the fish they consumed for giving up its life, phantoms of the sea wouldn’t be born. Ryuujin had read the records. When his first incarnation encountered the fishermen of Japan that were hungry, he’d led them to an area abundant with fish. Fish did not resent their deaths. They understood the cycle of life. However, should the murders become indiscriminate, not for survival but for pleasure, phantoms would cloud the waters and taint the fish spirits as well. His first incarnation had warned the humans of that. They promised that they would abide by that law.

They forgot.

Another of his incarnations did favors for humans in return for keeping the oceans clean.

That was forgotten as well.

Ryuujin was always the one that had to sever his airheaded daughter’s ties when she fell in love with another one. So, yes. Ryuujin had many reasons to distrust humans. From the ones that pirated and stole treasures from his sea to the ones that broke promises as if forgetting was enough to excuse the hurt they’ve caused, it seemed—to him anyway—that humans would never change. However, just as the current Ryuujin wasn’t the same as his past lives, Ryuujin could also acknowledge that Ryotaro wasn’t the same as his ancestors either. While Ryuujin could feel indignant over all the things his older regalias, named by his previous incarnations, had told him, it wasn’t as if he’d personally lived through all those events. He’d seen enough of humanity to know that what both the records and his regalias told him are probably true and, except for that one time with the kidnapper that stole Chisako, he’d mostly kept his distance from humans.

Until now.

Ryuujin’s response when Ryotaro finally finished was to scoff. “What job? Fortune teller? Salesperson? I don’t care what you do. If you think your ‘divine eye’ can find the phantom, Ryotaro Hirai, be my guest, but it’s not my problem if you die.”

Golden eyes returned to studying the map.

Location: Hotel, Kyoto City
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 6:10pm​

Rika Murakami

“What the hell is your problem?” Rika couldn’t help but blurt out. “He’s showing you honest gratitude and that’s your response?”

She didn’t care how many titles Ryuujin had. Someone she considered her friend admitted his mistake, offered to pay his part of the deal, and even expressed his gratitude, yet the supposed dragon god brushed it off like it was nothing. Was that what a king did? A god? From what she saw, Ryotaro had been nothing but polite. She wasn’t even sure what the ‘mistake’ Ryotaro made was, or why he felt he needed to look for the jellyfish turned human phantom either, but she didn’t think he deserved a verbal lashing for it.

Ryuujin sneered. “You heard him, right? He’s thanking me for his own satisfaction and he’s getting involved because he’s doesn’t want to be indebted. Because he feels he needs to rectify the trouble he’s caused and intends to do so regardless of whether I agree or not. What did you expect? A medal?”

Rika bristled. “What trouble?”

Ryuujin rolled his eyes. “Getting involved even though you’re so ignorant…This is why the Heavens don’t want gods to interact with humans. Whenever they’re involved, it causes nothing but trouble.”

“I wouldn't be ignorant if you explained it to me!" Rika replied hotly, her face growing red. "And what does being a human have to do with it?"

“Everything!” Ryuujin snarled. “You wouldn’t know, but gods always end up fighting because of you humans! The dumb ones fall in love and end up forgetting their duty! From storms to the new currently evolved phantoms, every time problems brew in the Heavenly Realm a human is involved somehow!”

“I fail to see how the first two parts have anything to do with humans!” Rika responded to the first two accusations stubbornly, her eyes blazing. As for the later…”A human has
already apologized for any inconveniences he may have caused because of lack of knowledge regarding phantoms and is trying to fix it! If I you’re going categorize us all into one, then should I ask if all gods are so unforgiving and pigheaded they can’t accept offers to help!? Ryotaro acted because Kenji’s life could’ve been in danger if he hadn’t! Not that you would care!" If Ryotaro hadn’t made the deal with Ryuujin, it was unlikely the god would’ve noticed Kenji at all. “Besides, just because two events happen consecutively doesn’t mean they’re correlated!”

Rika and Ryuujin glared daggers at each until Uroko added his input. “Rika Murakami has a point, Milord. We don’t know anything about how these greater phantoms started appearing. Rather than jumping to conclusions, I think it’s more prudent to take this as a learning experience. If we find out exactly what Ryotaro Hirai did when he created his dreamcatcher, perhaps we can get to the bottom of this mystery and prevent future cases of phantom evolution.” Looking between the human and the god, the regalia sighed. “I also don’t think collaboration is a bad idea. The more eyes we have looking for our target, the sooner we can get this done.”

“I still don’t understand what you mean when you say trouble.” Rika restated her earlier inquiry. “What’s an evolved phantom?”

Ryuujin and Uroko shared a glanced, before Ryuujin gave a derisive snort and gestured for Uroko to do the explaining since the regalia was the one that suggested collaboration. Uroko sighed. “Ten years ago, vents to the underworld opened up in great numbers as phantoms lead a coordinated assault in against the Heavens and the Earth in what is currently being considered the darkest age in the history of the gods—or at least the ones ruled under the Sun. It had been led by what we consider to be newly evolved phantom, though we have no name for them yet, nor do we know the exact origin of their existence.The sea was no exception. We repelled it, of course. However, since then, it’s as if something in the world has changed. More of these evolved phantoms have started appearing…and they are much more powerful than what could be expected of the average phantom.”

“More dangerous as well,” Ryuujin added, seeming to want to impress upon them of the severity of the situation. “They seem capable of higher thought process. More malevolence. In the end though, they are just phantoms—feeding on the negative emotions of humans, consuming spirits, and causing disasters wherever they go. Beings of Aramitama—if you could even call them that. It’s been that way for 10 years now.”

“My Lord has a…personal…reason for wanting to find the phantom that escaped.” Uroko explained, glancing at Ryuujin who only shook his head and went back to looking at the map. Uroko looked at Ryotaro. “If your divine eye could truly locate it, that would be a big help.”

Scouring the entire city was a pain. The risk of Ryuujin losing his temper was greater the longer it took for them to find it as well.

Uroko tilted his head, seeming to study the strange human. “Also, you’re welcome.”

Lucem

 

[Life.]

InemaruLocation: A nearby mountain, Kyoto | Date: April 1st, 2030 | Time: 4:50pm | Mentions: Phayne

Progress had been made in infuriating the creature. As Shiro took the lead in guiding the Phantom away from civilization and over to the nearest mountainous area. Little phantoms and harmless spirits had split away from the duo as they pummeled down street but they made sure to disappear from the scene when they saw the raging salamander Phantom. Inemaru glanced back as he saw the creature attempting to lash out its long, sticky tongue from its mouth, but the god was prepared for that type of attack. With its mouth wide open, he slipped out a makeshift grenade that contained holy water and heaven's blessings. Like a skilled quarterback of an American football team, he tossed the explosive at its opening and watched as it swallowed it with ease. The object was so tiny compared to its size that it didn't even feel the tiny bomb until it exploded some part of its face.

A roar of anger mixed with a squeal of surprise gurgled from the beast as it stopped for a moment in its track to regain its senses. But Inemaru knew better than to let his guard down as he pulled out another grenade, ready to throw it in its direction. Just as he predicted, it returned its attention on them, angered even further from the pain. "Okay Shiro, our friend is officially out to kill us now. At least now he doesn't look as ugly. He's just a tad mutilated."

As their scenery transitioned between city streets of suburban paths then to the ground dirt of nature, Inemaru kept glancing back at their pursuer and made sure that a fair distance was kept between his partner's tails and its tongue. With more trees entering his line of sight, Inemaru leaned forward to talk to Shiro, "Alright, there should be enough cover for me to hide and catch him by the legs. I think I still have some rope in my bag that I can trip him up with. But this area should be good enough for you to go wild." He pulled the bag that was slung onto his back forward and opened the zipper to reveal a few tools, one being rope. "Yes. Alright, well I shall be helping in the sidelines as much as I can." The god zipped back up his back and fixed it back onto the right spot before standing up on Shiro's back. Having worked with the regalia for years now, Inemaru had learned how to balance well on him when he was running. So currently he stood, barely wavering in his position. But he didn't plan to stand on top of Shiro for long as he gave a single, strong pat on his back, "I'm off!" With a single, clean jump the god dived into the shadows of the forest.

 

[Lucem]

Location: Hotel, Kyoto City
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 6:10 p.m.​

Ryotaro Hirai
Ryo wasn't bothered by what the sea god said. His response was reasonable, and he felt the same way. It was his own fault if he died. Ryuujin wasn't responsible for anything, and he wasn't required to feel anything for his death. He was content with just being able to do as he wished. However, Rika seemed to feel differently about Ryuujin's attitude.

She might really flip him at this rate. It didn't matter if the person she was talking to was a receptionist or a god. Rika seemed to have no problem getting rough when she wanted to. He understood where she was coming from, and it wasn't like he didn't appreciate her coming to his defense, but he was leaning toward Ryuujin's side. He didn't think it was necessary to argue over something like this right now. Although, he was partially to blame.

Before he could make an attempt to calm Rika down and break up the argument, Uroko stepped in. The spirit eased the tension and explained their current situation, persuading his god to see reason. In that moment, he felt an odd kinship with the silver-haired man. They both had it rough with their more hot-tempered companions. He seemed to have a lot of experience calming the raging waves.

Ignoring how heated things were a moment ago, Ryo focused on the information given to him. His earlier suspicions about the phantoms were confirmed. Ryuujin also mentioned something interesting. Aramitama, huh? That word alone gave him an idea. No, it's only April. It'll have to wait. It was a ridiculous plan, even by his standards, but he'd run it by the pair at a more appropriate time.

"Finding the phantom is only a matter of time. Even if it's constantly on the move, I can predict when and where it will appear. There's the small issue of me possibly dying before I can tell you its location, but we can worry about that later. For now, I plan on returning to the school so I can examine the remnants left at the field. I was able to get a look at them earlier, but I'd like to get a better idea of what I'm dealing with. I believe I already told you about my ability to see more than just the remnants themselves." To better grasp the situation, he'd need to see the past firsthand. That was the best way to understand the phantom.

"I can tell you more about the dreamcatcher, but there isn't much to say. I just made it. This is the second time I've used charms in my work, but I decided to take a different approach. My theory was that a phantom's negativity could be affected by targeting the source. In this case, I attempted to do so by reuniting the jellyfish with its bones. As you already know, that backfired. It seemed to amplify those feelings instead of removing them. Its trauma is much greater than I imagined. While other phantoms may react differently to this type of charm, I've already decided that it's for the best if I don't continue. Even if it may make things easier for me down the line, I'm not willing to create more risks." Charms like the dreamcatcher may prove useful if he tried using them on other phantoms, but it may end up causing them to transform. The costs outweighed the benefits. It'd be better if he used the other type he was familiar with.

"If human-like phantoms only started appearing recently, it makes sense that I wasn't able to predict a development like this. Still, after seeing what happened and hearing what you had to say, I have an idea of how they came to be. Like with regular phantoms, negativity is the source, and I can guess where it came from. If you say that this started a decade ago, then there's only one major event that can be tied to this dark age. The activities of AFAH and the spread of anti-religious sentiments caused a large spike in negativity within those ten years. I can personally attest to how gruesome it was. Things have become harder for humans, as well as the gods. Such a large amount of negativity would affect phantoms in some way, especially with gods losing favor among the population. It's not any different from how living beings grow when they eat. If there's a lack of negativity coming from humans, it can likely be supplemented by the emotions of phantoms themselves. It makes the most sense, and it implies that phantoms may be more than the mindless manifestations of blight they appear to be. If there are those that posses an ego, which recent events suggest, then there's still a possibility that their negativity can be erased, just like it can be erased from humans. However, this is all speculation, and I've already said that the method carries too many risks to try again. This appears to be a personal issue for you as well, so I'd rather not breach that territory without your consent."

It was clear that Ryuujin and the phantom had a history. He was taking that into consideration, but there were still many unknown factors. Because their relationship was painful for the phantom, it was possible that it still could've transformed if he hadn't used the dreamcatcher. A simple meeting may have been enough to serve as a catalyst. A confrontation between them was inevitable, but it was unknown if it would cause another change. It might even be safer to let another god handle this. After all, there was a lot of negativity between them. He'd understand that better once he was at the school.

Reaching into his pocket, Ryo approached Uroko with his usual smile. "I'll get out of your hair for now. I'm sure you two are very busy." He took out a business card and handed it to the spirit, pointing to the contact information near the bottom. "Just call here and I'll save the number you use. I'll contact you when I have something to report. Of course, I won't mind if you call just to chat."

Moving to Rika's side, he placed a hand on the girl's shoulder and gently ushered her to the door. "It will be easier to move around the school while there's still light outside, so it's best we leave before the sun sets. It'll also create some trouble if someone finds us here together at night." Putting that aside, Rika could probably use some time to calm down and digest everything she heard. Unlike him, she was learning about a lot of things for the first time.

"Ah, just one more thing!" As the door shut behind him, Ryo looked back toward Ryuujin. "I'm not a fortune teller. I'm a detective." He maintained the stare until the door closed with a soft click.

As soon as the door closed, Ryo leaned back, letting out a sigh of fake exhaustion. "Whew! That sure was tense, huh? Well, they seem fine with us getting involved, so everything's good for now." Peeling himself off the wall, he started walking down the hall, facing Rika with his hands behind his head.

"It's better if we head straight for the school, but I don't mind making a quick stop if you're hungry. I might feel pretty sick after what comes next, so I'll pass on food for now. If you want, I can also cook something up at the office as soon as we're finished. I guarantee a heavenly taste."

QuirkyAngel

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Location: SSA Office.
Date: April 2nd,2020
Time: 4:35 pm​

Nana

Nana’s expression, which remain unchanging but for the coldness of her eyes, shifted a bit when Azani named the god she wanted a guidepost for. Death Goddess #99 of Earth’s Shinigami Squad blinked confusedly. Kami_X? The one #4389 helped out briefly when the school he’d housed himself found itself suffering a phantom outbreak during the war? The one that had #4389 returning and crying about being forced to live in a closet? The one that gave his business card out to nearly all of the local gods he encountered?

That god?

Certainly he was a young, shrine-less god that could use a good partner to straighten out his life and help him obtain a bit more godly pride, but he seemed like the type of god that knew what he was doing. Wasn’t he under the wing of Inari? Worked cybersecurity for some of the businesses she protected? For a stray god, he seemed to be doing fairly well for himself. Wasn’t eating out of trashcans—as far as Nana was aware anyway—and knew how to suck up to other, bigger-named gods when it came down to it.

That sort of god wouldn’t make it to the top of Heaven’s hierarchy, but he’d have himself a safety net should he tumble—working under another god. Had he somehow tricked Azani into thinking him pitiable? She didn’t think him any more pitiable than a god who had to take shelter with another god until they could make their own grounds.

Life for gods was tough these days, especially given the lingering ideals of AFAH which made it even harder to establish themselves within the hearts and minds of mortals.

However, even more shocking to Nana was Ametaru’s response. The girl’s belief that her opinion did not matter saddened Nana, but it didn’t surprise her given some gods viewed their regalias as just weapons. Heaven was especially prudent at convincing spirits that the sacrifices they made were ‘for the greater good’. Nana hated it, but it wasn’t as if a simple branch manager of SSA could do anything about traditions so deeply rooted. What she hadn’t expected the Nora to bow to her and beg for information regarding another god and regalia. Were those tears in her eyes? Dumbfounded by the sincere, yet wholly unnecessary display of desperation, it was ultimately the foreign god’s words that shook Nana back to her senses.

How could she forget how contagious gloom could be to spirits, especially the younger ones? How easily it could spread and taint the ones she protected if emotions ran too rampant. Mentally cursing herself, Nana set her teacup down.

“Kagemi!” Nana called to her blond regalia who’d been secretly peeking at the argument from her desk. The girl rushed over at her name. “Could you double check the seals on the spirit room and redraw borderlines as necessary?”

Kagemi saluted and ran off to do as told.

She glanced to her other regalia. “Hikarumi, pour more tea for our guest please. Help him drink if he can’t.”

While the redhead helped the coughing god who seemed to be…sick?...Nana’s attention focused on Ametaru. She hadn’t expected a Nora, let alone a former Imperial Regalia, to be so choked up by the death of gods, but it only went to show how much she valued the gods that named her. That, no matter how strong she was, she was still a spirit that used to be human. The sincerity Ametaru displayed touched Nana, but it also made Nana cautious.

The idea that gods were sinless didn’t come from the fact that they could do no wrong, but rather that no matter what they did, they could not become phantoms. That didn’t apply to humans…or those who used to be humans. As a goddess of death, Nana knew best of all how lack of acceptance of death, or uncontrollable grief, could bring out the worst result.

However, Nana had no intention of lying to the white-haired girl either.

Nana didn’t so much as turn to Azani as the goddess of grudges made her exit. Her eyes were only for the regalia that bowed to her and her voice gentle as she lifted the girl’s chin so their eyes met. “He’s right, you know." She still didn't know the foreign god's name. "Ude wouldn't want to see you like this.”

As a goddess with regalias of her own, she knew she didn’t want them stuck grieving her—unable to move on. She paid them so they wouldn’t be dependent on her. So that even if she did fade, or die in the line of work, that they’d be able to continue their afterlives without her. Shinigami didn’t reincarnate the same way other gods did. Their individual names didn’t have much value. There were no shrines dedicated to Nana. There were shrines for the Shinigami. Therefore, should she die, it wouldn’t be Nana that would be born again. It would be another Shinigami.

“I’d like to bring you good news, but I truly do not know. The death of gods is not my jurisdiction. 'Death' doesn’t apply to gods.”

Not in the traditional sense at least. They could live eternally so long as at least one remembered their name and they avoided a dangerous life. If they became enshrined, their names were preserved even if they did die. However, the phantoms of 10 years ago were clever. They attacked the very faith in which gods derived their existence. Possessed humans of AFAH. Weakened gods by killing off their worshippers, destroying shrines, and spreading sentiments of anti-faith. Some gods survived the dark days of disbelief into the new era and some didn’t.

The ones that joined the Heavenly Army and took part in the main fighting were the ones at greatest risk—confident that they would reincarnate so long as they’d been enshrined and uncaring about their deaths.

“What I can tell you is that ten years ago, SSA was swamped with work. I spent most of my time working—collecting dead souls, protecting the spirits of SSA Kyoto, and delivering pure ones to gods that needed it.” Or broke theirs. “Since it was a time of crisis, I was more lenient with payments/payment delays and allowed volunteers to assist with the war efforts if they so desired, but I don’t remember interacting with the God of Creativity and Invention.”

A good sign, she supposed—that he hadn’t needed a new regalia. Seeing as SSA had its main headquarters up in Heaven and business couldn’t run without the gods, it was natural, to Nana at least, they assisted their fellow gods in a troubled time. Though…she heard some branches decided to raise their prices due to the economic boom for death gods as well. It was up to the manager in question.

“There is really no way for me to know if any enshrined gods lost during that period have died permanently or if they are simply taking their time to reincarnate…” It was an on-going debate in the colloquies. “Though I’ve heard some whisper that dark sorcery must’ve been involved…”

Losing names meant that the god’s very existence had faded from the world. It wasn’t just deep slumber with hope of reemergence, which some gods fell into when they were mostly forgotten, but still had a chance of coming back. It could be seen as unnatural…but it might also be a sign that times were changing. New gods would grow from the ashes of the old. The struggling youngsters would have an easier time establishing themselves with niches being opened up.

Nana wiped the tear from Ametaru’s eyes. “Regardless, death isn’t something to be mourned, Miss Ametaru. It’s simply a part of life. Proof that they had lived and, given your tears, been deeply loved. For gods who have lived a very long life, rest is sometimes necessary.”

Gods could feel the emotional pain of their regalias. Nana knew when either Kagemi or Hikarumi suffered. It was a warning to her. Let her know when something was wrong. When something could be improved so she could more properly care for them. It taught her about emotions. Sympathy for the pain of others. Such things were hard to distinguish when gods had too many regalias. Nana wondered if the gods that named her could feel the Nora’s pain. Perhaps it was better that she let it all out instead of letting in fester and twist into something impure.

VeiledPariah The Secret Archives

(mentioned: Karcen )