Fandom Norgami: A New Era (IC)

[Lucem]

Location: Hirai Office, Kyoto City.
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 9:15 p.m.​

Ryotaro Hirai
"Well, I'm used to not being liked. Fortunately for him, I have a big heart. I love everyone, including people who hate me." Filling his cup with more tea, Ryo thought about the confrontation between Rika and Towako. The phantom's response was expected, but something else stood out to him. His comments about death and the exorcism made him feel conflicted, but he decided to save that topic for later. Right now, he had to think about his next move. An ace detective couldn't disappoint.

"For now, I'll call the hotel and speak with Uroko. He and Ryuujin need to know about what happened at the school. In situations like these, information and communication are important, so we need to keep them updated. We've officially been marked as targets, so it's also necessary for us to take safety measures. Talismans and other tools help in a pinch, but they're no substitute for the real thing. Ryuujin is our best offense and defense. We can't afford to make the same mistake twice. It'd be bad if one of us hurt or got captured, but if we die, it's game over. We need to be prepared for emergencies like this."

Taking a sip from his cup, Ryo considered his current options. It'd be nice if Ryuujin or one of his other servants could watch over them as they conducted their search, but he didn't think the odds of that happening were very high. Ryuujin had plenty of other servants, and it'd be better for everyone if the investigation could be conducted without worrying about injury. However, he couldn't guarantee that the god would see things that way. He also wasn't sure what the current state of the palace was like. Finding Towako was important to Ryuujin, but that wasn't his only duty. He also had to protect his domain, so he may not be able to spare one of his servants to protect two humans, even if it would ultimately benefit him. Ryo also considered asking another god for assistance, but that would make him indebted to them. He'd do so if the situation demanded it, but it wasn't optimal for many reasons. He doubted Ryuujin would like it if he sought another god's power, as if the might of the sea wasn't strong enough. This was also a personal issue for him, so he probably wouldn't like others getting involved, especially after an annoying detective already did so. It'd be best to ask for Uroko's opinion on the matter.

"Once I've made the report, it will be easier to strategize and prepare for future situations. I need to consult with them before I can make a decision I'm comfortable with. Protection aside, I'd also like to ask them about how spirits travel. Obviously, they can just float around as they please, but that's clearly not what happened at the school. I got too absorbed in what I was doing, and the phantom was able to catch us by surprise. I've already mentioned that I can predict where and when spirits will appear, but if I can find out how they're able to get around so quickly, it'll help me decide how to approach the situation."

Ryo raised three fingers and asked for Rika's complete attention. He was about to give a little insight into how he operated, and he would prefer it if he didn't have to repeat himself in the future. "I usually handle phantom cases in one of three ways. First, there's simple tracking. If I follow the remnants, I'll eventually find who they belong to. It's simple and works best on weaker phantoms that don't have much intelligence. Not that it doesn't work on the stronger ones, but there are more variables to consider when the phantom can think. The method is effective, but it takes time. In situations where the first method becomes less optimal, I'll switch to the second. This approach involves predicting where the phantom will appear and setting a trap that will spring once it arrives. To better understand how it works, try thinking about how the sky looks before it storms. Before the thunder booms and the rain falls, the clouds turn dark and the air changes. In this case, the remnants are those storm clouds. Because I don't completely understand how spirits move, I can't provide an in-depth explanation. If I can get the information I need from Uroko, I'll be able to do so." He understood what his eyes did and why, but he didn't understand everything that happened behind the scenes. He wasn't even sure if this was the limit of what they were capable of. It was tough being the only person with these eyes. There was only so much he could learn from books and family records.

"At the moment, I think it's best to focus on the second method, but continue using the first as we keep a lookout for those storm clouds. If we hit a wall or I need to understand something important, I'll look into the past once again. That's the third method. I peek into a spirit's past so I can gather clues. It's useful for learning what a spirit has done and what it will do next, but it also helps me decide how I should handle people's emotional issues, which are the root of most problems. Living beings don't have remnants, but looking through the eyes of a phantom sometimes allows me to see the emotions they keep locked inside their hearts. Occasionally, a victim's deceased friends and family members are willing to cooperate. Not all of them have the ability to communicate as well as they'd like, so being able to experience memories from their perspective is useful. This would be a really convenient ability if it weren't for my bad luck. It can take a long time before I actually find what I'm looking for. It was really bad at the school. If you think waiting two hours for me to finish was boring, try imagining how long I was stuck in that palace and being used as a fork. Maybe I should start reading horoscopes and carrying around lucky items. You think that would help?"

While asking for advice on how to improve his luck, Ryo thought about the other reason he wanted to speak to the divine duo. He had a plan in mind, but he didn't want to mention it to Rika just yet. She'd probably flip him if she found out about it, so he'd keep quiet until he got an opinion from the experts on phantom control. It was a crazy idea, but he thought the odds of success were decent. Honestly, even he felt conflicted about it. He would've preferred to resolve things in a simpler way, but there was also a part of him that wanted to take the difficult and dangerous path. Things would be easier if Ryuujin could just slay the phantom. If Ryo could just find the jellyfish and report it, his job would be done. He could go back to his daily life. It was the easiest and safest option for him. If he had no other choice, he'd prioritize their lives and cut off the feelings that were pushing him toward the dangerous path. However, there was something inside of him that didn't want that, trying to fight its way out. He wanted something else.

Resting his chin on his palm, Ryo looked at the spot where his dreamcatcher once rested. "I'd still like to have a proper conversation with him. I don't like it when misunderstandings are left unresolved." He was someone who wanted to understand everything, so he didn't like it when he came to the wrong conclusion. He also didn't like when people misunderstood each other. It led to dumb, pointless, and petty conflicts. He didn't like it when his actions were misunderstood. He could honestly say he felt that way right now, but it contradicted his other feelings. After all, he purposefully gave Ryuujin the opportunity to misunderstand his motivations, thinking it would help ease any worries the god might have. If Ryuujin was like him, he'd be suspicious of someone offering to help when they didn't benefit in any way, so he gave him a reason that would make his motivations seem more selfish. He allowed himself to be misunderstood, going against his current feelings toward Towako. He also didn't want people seeing behind his mask. He didn't want to be misunderstood, but he didn't want people to understand him. He wanted to understand everything, but he wanted to be misunderstood. His emotions were a mess, caught in a web of hypocrisy and contradictions. He understood that. It was just his nature. Right now, he just wanted to clear up this misunderstanding between him and Towako. It probably wouldn't change how he felt or what he wanted to do. It definitely wouldn't change the things they had already done. However, that's what he wanted to do. He couldn't deny that the former servant's memory made him feel a certain way. They weren't the same, and their motivations were completely different, but they shared something. They were both liars hiding behind a mask.

"I think I'll skip class tomorrow so I can keep investigating. I'm still not sure how limited our time is, so I'd rather not waste it. My grades are perfect, so it won't hurt if I play a little hookey. If you decide to go, we can meet up here or somewhere else. Although, I have my reservations about splitting up. I'd rather not have a repeat of what happened today."

Until he made his report, there wasn't much else to say. For now, he wanted to rest. It was possible that they wouldn't have many opportunities to catch their breath during this investigation, so it was best to do so while they could. Rika was still adjusting to everything, so he wanted to give her a chance to relax. It wasn't easy dealing with phantoms, especially ones that looked like humans. He doubted she had the mental strength to easily shake off that experience. It took time to develop that kind of fortitude. Stress and fear created openings for phantoms, so it was important to manage those feelings before they worsened. Being able to control your emotions was a skill that could easily determine whether you lived or died.

"Still have room for dessert? The owner of one of the downtown bakeries gave me an extra gift as thanks for the last job I did for her. It's a pretty popular place, so it's guaranteed to taste great. I've been watching my figure lately, but we all deserve a little treat now and the-" Before he could finish speaking, Ryo was cut off by the sound of his phone. He pretended to pout, faking how upset he was about someone interrupting the dinner for two, but he stopped with jokes when he flipped open the phone to see who was calling.

Ryo stopped himself from making a visible reaction. Instead, he calmly got up from his chair and walked away from the desk. Taking a few steps toward his bedroom door, Ryo slightly bowed his head. "Sorry, I have to take this. It won't be long, so hang on to your appetite." He chuckled as he opened the door and kept the laughter going until it was closed.

As soon as he entered his bedroom, Ryo collapsed on his futon, earning complaints from his aching muscles. With his face buried in the soft pillow, he let out a sigh of relief. He was lucky that he fell asleep at his desk last night. If he hadn't, he would've rolled up his futon this morning. Thanks to the miracle of insomnia and an inhuman work ethic, he didn't crash onto the floor. He let out another deep breath as he rolled onto his back, and the smile fell from his face. His fingers felt heavy as he pressed the button to accept the call.

"Sorry to call so late. I hope I didn't wake you up."

The voice he heard was calm and hoarse with exhaustion. Nothing about it was threatening, but listening to it wasn't easy for him. He didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to be heard either.

"No, it's fine. I'm still working." His voice lacked its usual cheer. There wasn't any energy in it, completely void of emotion. It perfectly reflected the blank look on his face. He wasn't angry, happy, or sad. He wasn't annoyed, scared, or spiteful. This wasn't even a conversation. He was just responding. This was normal for him. This was how he lived and wanted to continue living. This was their relationship, and he wanted to keep it that way. This was just the kind of person he was and wanted to be.

"Can you stop by the house tomorrow? I need to talk to you about something."

He didn't want to go. He didn't want to invade that space. He didn't want to see or be seen. He didn't want to hear or be heard. He didn't like it. He avoided it. He was devoted to staying away. However, it wasn't always possible for him to do that. He could not deny this person's request, nor did he have the desire to do so. He was contradicting himself again.

"I understand. I'll be there."

"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow then. Um, try to get some rest, okay?"

"I will. You should do the same, Morimura-san."

"Yeah. Goodnight, Ryotaro."

He didn't like it when that voice said his name. "Goodnight."

As he ended the call, Ryo sat up and faced his mirror. He stared at his reflection, looking into the empty eyes that looked right back at him. He brushed his unkempt hair to the side and licked his dry lips, trying to bring his other face back to the surface. He poked his cheek, remembering all the times he stared into the mirror before he got to where he was now. This was the face he was used to seeing until last year. It was getting harder to recognize this person, and that made him feel relieved.

Grabbing the nearby dresser for support, Ryo got back on his feet and slapped the smile on his face once again. The phone call was a bit of a mood killer, but he wouldn't let it slow him down. He had a visitor, and a good host's job was to entertain their guests until everyone left feeling satisfied. Only smiles were allowed in this office.

Sliding the door open, Ryo returned with a skip in his step. "Sorry about that. It was an important client, so I couldn't make them wait. Now for that dessert." Walking into the kitchen, Ryo opened the fridge and pulled out a white box marked with cute designs and the bakery's logo.

After grabbing some silverware, Ryo returned to the desk. He placed a fork on each side and carefully pulled out the sweet contents from the box. One of the bakery's trademarks was baking deserts into cute shapes, so he wasn't surprised to see that the little cakes were shaped like cat faces. "Almost too cute to eat, don't you think? I think she said this one was made with chocolate mousse and caramel. That one might have cream cheese, and that one looks like blueberry. I'll go with vanilla and coffee, so pick which one you want. I couldn't eat all of this myself, so it's a good thing you're here."

As he moved his chosen piece onto his plate, Ryo decided to inform Rika about the recent changes to his schedule. "There's been a small change of plans. I have to make a stop tomorrow, so you'll have to wait if you plan to skip school with me. I'll be going alone, so you can sleep in for a while longer. You can also hang out in the office, if you want. It doesn't have anything to do with the jellyfish, so you don't need to worry. It shouldn't take too long, so I'll finish up as soon as possible and meet up with you afterwards. If you're gonna go to class, you can just forget what I said and meet me after your club activities are over."

Ryo twirled his fork between his fingers, mimicking one of scenes he saw earlier. "Come, Joyoki." Stabbing his own little Uroko into the cake, he watched the cream slowly spill out before taking a bite. It looked like his face was melting with delight as he chewed. "It's like I'm biting into a cloud. This really is the best place to get sweets. I hope the owner makes another request soon."

QuirkyAngel

 

[MrThe]

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

Hasuna 蓮那
(Goddess)

Hasuna giggled at her successful prank and responded by saying "Then maybe you should have tried the prayer bell instead of just shouting. I actually have more than one person who visits my shrine these days you know!" Upon hearing that the person he brought with him was no ordinary mortal she visibly brightened, excitedly hugging Kami-X and practically jumping for joy. "You are the best! I can't believe I get to meet TWO people who can see us! Within the same week no less!" Hasuna turned to examine the unusual Girl and seeing the girl do a respectful bow she immediately regained her composure. Switching from an excited friend to a regal hostess, Hasuna returned the bow as far as her pregnant belly would allow and smiled warmly. "The honor is all mine Yuya-san, and please just call me Hasuna-sama. Is it true you would like something to drink? It must have been tiring to climb all the way up here up the Men's stair entrance. Next time if you need to come here please use the entrance for women and children, it used to be a pulley and basket system but I believe the humans have replaced it with an elevator." Hasuna was a bit sad Yuya was not here to ask for a particular blessing, she was quite beautiful and should really be married by now. So many spinsters plagued the whole of Japan that Hasuna was quite worried about the future. A woman like the one before her would never have remained unwed for so long in the past. But this thought was overcome by the idea that here was another rare discovery, a human who could see and interact with the far shore.​

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Location: Hasuna's Temple, Kyoto City
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 5: 16pm​

Kami_X (God of Hackers)

“But I don’t have a pr—mmmph.” Kami_X found himself caught in the embrace of a surprisingly excited maternity goddess before he could finish his sentence, the scent of fresh flowers wafting across his nostrils. Lady Hasuna seemed represent the happy glow and beauty of a pregnant woman about to give birth rather than the moody, depressed version which sometimes came about when hormones come into play in what could be considered one of the more difficult, yet rewarding, experiences in a woman’s life. Then again, it wasn’t as if the goddess actually had a child in her womb so who could say whether hormones factored into anything? Births for a god operated in an entirely different manner. Kami_X never had a mother. One could argue whether he even had a father. However, he’d watched enough movies, seen enough humans, to know that Lady Hasuna embodied the ideal mother…without actually being one.

Kami_X coughed.

Well, it wasn’t as if he knew her well enough to discern her personality like he did Lady Inari. He’d visited her once when greeting all the local gods (within Kyoto)—dropping his business card at their shrines—and maybe a couple of times during New Years for his usual shrine pilgrimages, but it wasn’t as if he really had any desire for family or children so it’d been more for formality’s sake and maintain a positive relationship with his fellow gods, than possessing any particular prayer. The shrine itself seemed to be catered more for women anyway—which made sense.

Men weren’t the ones giving birth.

Though, he could imagine a husband and wife couple going up together to wish for a successful, painless start of a family. Took two to make a kid, after all—for most species anyway. Hands slipping into the pocket of his jacket, the red-haired god mentally snickered at how nervous Sumiko-chan looked simply being in Hasuna’s presence. To think, he’d even gone out of his way to choose a relatively safe goddess. He could imagine her fainting if he’d taken them to Yasaka shrine instead and Susanoo actually showed. Either way, his tease meter had gone up several notches, but Kami_X held it in so as not to ruin Sumiko-chan’s second god encounter.

Mostly. Discipline had never been one of Kami_X’s strongest suits.

“Aww, but Sumiko-chan wouldn’t leave me to climb all those steps by myself, would you Sumiko-chan?” Smiling innocently at Sumiko, Kami_X shrugged, though he was laughing his head off inside. “Besides, I heard that the amount of effort put into the pilgrimage up the shrine is the proof of the visitor’s devotion to the god or goddess.”

That was what Inari’s regalia told him when he complained about the climb up Mount Inari being too long anyway.

“The more the better,” Kami_X winked at Hasuna, a bright smile on his face. “And since we’ve both proven our love and devotion of you, Hasuna-sama, we deserve a good blessing of snacks and refreshments, no~?”

Befriending a goddess of maternity and family would only bring Sumiko good fortune down the line. Even if she wasn’t interested in it now, the future held many possibilities. More so if she had female friends and family members as well. Though, regardless of whatever relationship Sumiko developed with Hasuna, Kami_X had been hired to open her eyes to the world of gods, spirits, and phantoms so that was what he intended to do—until it was time for his favorite anime to air at least. All work and no play made for a very sad day. Sad god as well. “Word through the godvine is that you’re a very good cook"

MrThe Dante Verren

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Location: Shorn's New Room, SSA Office
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 5:50 pm​

#4389 (Spirit)

Number 4389’s eyes brightened wonderingly at the at the beautiful pendant given to her, her gaze drawn to the enchanting, galaxy-colored jewel at the center. “It’s very pretty.” The girl agreed. The way she held the pendant carefully in both hands made it clear that loved it, despite its worn state. However, the spirit shook her head and waited for Shorn to finish writing before giving him back the pendant to its rightful owner.

Number 4389 knew better than to steal, after all. She was one of the older spirits that remained, and continued to remain, in SSA despite her appearance. She was taught by Jizo Bosatsu, who she used to serve, about the world which they lived. The dead walked a fine line between good and bad. Between keeping their purity and having eyeballs pop on their skin if they crossed the line. A god could carry the burden of their sins, but even gods couldn’t hold out forever if they chose to take a darker path. Ablution wiped the stain. Regalias who were fortunate enough to have a caring god would do everything they could to keep the spirit from straying down the wrong way. However, ultimately, they were beings that used to be human—some spirits anyway. Therefore they sinned.

Number 4389 had fallen prey to it too.

She couldn’t remember his face anymore. Any feelings she had for him were cut cleanly so that she could be free. However, she knew that there was a reason Jizo released her down to earth and it had to do with a human she’d grown attached to. It wasn’t anything she regretted. The living had their own lives to live. The dead as well. It was the way things were supposed to be. Number 4389 knew that. Rules were put in place for a reason. However, every so often, she’d get an itch for more. Her curiosity would become too much. She’d get bored.

It was one of the reasons she couldn’t really see herself returning to Heaven.

Besides, Number 4389 liked SSA. She liked Nana, Kagemi, Hikarumi, and the spirits registered in the Kyoto Branch. So she helped when she could. When a spirit needed an ablution and a third was required to perform it, Number 4389 took on a name. Did temporary work. She could see herself working permanently for SSA, seeing as she loved everyone there, but Nana told her to hold out until she found a job that called to her heart. A god that called to her heart.

Sometimes, Number 4389 couldn’t help but wonder of Nana was being stubborn or purposefully obtuse.

The girl showed Shorn her nails. “This is my favorite color! But I like all dark colors really~ Something beautiful and entrancing like the night sky…” Sighing dreamily, number 4389 reached into her purse and pulled out an assortment of markers to pass to Shorn. “We’ll be coloring in this book. All the pictures in here are colorless and sad, so we’ll be making them prettier.”

Humming, Number 4389 placed the coloring book on the floor and opened it to an uncolored picture. Plucking a blue marker from her purse, the spirit laid in a relaxed position on her tummy, her forearms supporting her as she continued her work of making the book prettier. “Kyoto’s branch didn’t use to be so boring you know, with more spirits playing out in the offices and free rooms, but the war 10 years ago changed many things. You’ve never seen the Spirit Room, have you Shorn? It was where many of our registered spirits hid during the war when phantoms ravaged Kyoto in great numbers. Now it’s been remolded into highly fortified and secure safe area where SSA registered spirits stay. Some even say the war isn’t entirely over and the ones who started it are just biding their time,” Number 4389 shrugged. “But who knows. We haven’t been hearing anything from Heaven lately.”

Wasn’t like gods didn’t already fight phantoms on a daily basis.

“It’s also a defense against gods that try to claim an unwilling spirit under our protection.” Hikarumi added.

“That too~” Number 4389 giggled in memory of the last god that tried to enter the Spirit Room without permission. SSA was a well-respected organization, but every so often they got the dumb, arrogant gods who thought they could push their way past the anti-violence charms in place. Death gods certainly weren’t the strongest gods individually, but they weren’t slackers when they came to their work either. They had a lot of experience in the field, fighting phantoms, and the ones who worked her up to the branch manager position, like Nana, could probably hold her own against a big name like Ryuujin.

Maybe.

Possibly.

Well, the leader of SSA probably could at least. The oldest Death God in existence—a legendary figure whose name and face had never been seen. However, he supposedly held a high rank in the Heavens which was why SSA was generally well respected as a business organization. Gods don’t typically fight a death god doing their duty unless they wished to oppose Death—who could very well start an army of his own if he felt the Heavens were acting unjustly. Gods used to fight all the time. For territory. For people. For differing ideologies. Or at least, that was what Jizo had told her. However, it was the justice/subjugation of the Heavens brought peace to the Land of the Rising Sun.

Heaven had to be the presider of right and wrong. Their will must be absolute because, if it wasn’t, foreign gods could invade or gods could fight themselves like animals over worshippers and territory like in the past. Wild brigands like Ryuujin could drop another tsunami on Japan if he wasn’t controlled or calamitous gods, acting on their natures, could bring the country to ruin. Coexistence of gods was made possible by the Heavens and colloquies were held to discuss the direction to take the world. The presider of the Heavens, keeper of balance, and the one who shouldered all the burden was Queen Amaterasu, goddess of the Sun, herself. Therefore, even if there was the occasional wrong here and there, even if their justice didn’t always make sense, Jizo told her trust the Heavens…because their ultimate goal was peace.

Living in the near shore and staying at SSA Kyoto showed number 4389 a different perspective. Colored her world in different shades. “Would you like to color with us too, Hikarumi?”

“I’ll pass. I’ve gotta help Kagemi finish up data entry.” Hikarumi sighed as she exited Shorn's newly appointed room. “With the pace she’s going, it might take all night.”

The Secret Archives
(mentioned: VeiledPariah )

 

[Dante Verren]

Location: King Enma's castle Hell
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 5:20 pm​

Phantom (Pride)
Interactions: Azani ( Karcen )


Dissatisfied with the denial of her plan, Kuro-Kyogi's face turned into a momentary pout. If she had to endure being around these distaste full lesser phantoms being used as slaves then it was going to get on her nerves. She was a creature of pride and only put value in a creature if it demonstrated pride, mindless beast and slaves like those had no pride. That meant to her, they were of no value or worth, even if it was a gift from the mother of Yomi herself. That pout would not last long as she put the pieces together, if Azani didn't want it hurt while she was around... then Kuro-Kyogi could always remove it later. The sad part was Kuro-Kyogi likely wouldn't get the chance to kill it personally. After being dismissed by Azani, the pitiful creature likely wouldn't even make it. A shame really.

Her attention was brought back to Azani as the goddess explained how the brushes worked. The goddess even through in some smooth talking which would be very well received. Smirking the phantom flapped her wings to rise up in the air a few feet. "Oooh don't stop there, please feel free to sing my praise as much as your heart desires!" She commented with a bit of a giggle. Still the mentions of those brushes able to create mask to control phantoms. Would it even work on a phantom as powerful as her, and if it did how would it work? Of course Kuro-Kyogi would never allow herself to be named unless she acknowledged that person as her superior, and getting Kuro-Kyogi to acknowledge someone as a superior was... a difficult task to say the least. Taking a seat on the top of the head rest of the throne not in the actual chair she looked over at Azani, "So what now? You have a new realm but that doesn't just make you the queen. Do you have a plan to start winning over the humans?" she asked rather curious to hear what Azani was scheming.

Location: Hasuna's Temple, Kyoto City
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 5: 18pm
​

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


Sumiko's mouth practically fell open as the regal Hasuna pulled Kami_X into a hug that shocked even the god being hugged. Her exclimation of excitement added in to Sumiko's suprise, apparently this goddess had recently met someone else like Sumiko. Sure she had learned there were others like her, but she didn't expect that she might have actually had a chance of not only meeting more gods... but to get to meet people similar to her as well. Once again her surprise grew again as the pregnant looking goddess turned to Sumiko and even bowed. That surprise soon turned to relief as she was told about the woman's entrance. Thank the kind and benevolent Hasuna-sama! If Sumiko ever came back her those stairs were going to be the death of her! This was also an opportunity to get back at Kami_X for making fun of her.

Turning to Kami_X she gave him a jokingly apologetic bow, "I'm so sorry Kami_X-sama but it would be disrespectful to Hasuna-sama and her followers if I didn't take the woman's entrance from now on." Standng back up straight she shot a bit of a smirk to the red haired hacking god. That being said, between Kami_X's mention of snacks, the walk then climb to the shrine, and the fact that it was dinner time and she hadn't eaten since that morning meant that Sumiko was rather hungry. Her stomach even growled a bit at the mention of cooking causing her pale white skin to flush bright pink in embarrassment. "....sorry..." was all she could manage to say in a high pitched voice as she covered her face with her hands. She was meeting gods for crying out loud! Why couldn't her stomach had just kept quite so she didn't have to embarrass herself!

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Location: Office Building, Kyoto City
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 8:10 pm​

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

When the clouds gather,

When the earth begins to wither.

Bring it down, bring it down, bring it down.

The merciful tears of Heaven to dampen the fields and tame the fires.

As Uroko finished his song, drips of rain began to fall from the sky, dampening the flames that had started to spread around the office building. With the building, and surrounding area, drenched with continuous pouring, fire would have a hard time catching and spreading—though the source of the flames was still burning. Uroko glanced towards the blue-haired god shaded with an umbrella beside him. Probably didn’t want to get his human clothes wet. “Are you certain this is phantom-caused, Milord?”

“Of course I am!” Ryuujin replied his eyes locked onto the room where the source of the flames had chosen to burn himself alive. A possessed human who was intent on taking out himself, and his workplace, with him in sea of flames. “You’d have to be blind not to notice.”

A storm was already beginning to gather as other humans pointed out the fire, gloom rapidly spreading under the light of the moon. Phantoms were most active at night when the line separating the far shore and the near shore was at its weakest.

“Could it be the target?” Towako never seemed to Uroko like the type to mess with fire, but phantom was no longer Towako. It may wear the guise and memories of Towako, but it had already crossed the line. How much negativity would it have already consumed? How many spirits would it have already eaten? The former exemplar of Ryūgū-jō was now nothing more than a phantom and putting it down was his lord’s responsibility. Ryuujin’s responsibility. That was likely why his master didn’t want the two humans involved—among other reasons.

“Who knows,” Ryuujin scoffed. “But only one way to find out. Let’s go.”

The two figures teleported into the burning room where heat strong enough to cook a fish emanated. At the center of the room was a flaming human. Was it even human anymore? With hair gone and skin blackened, pieces of flesh melting off, it looked more like a monster from a horror movie. Regardless, Ryuujin reached out and grabbed the flaming creature by its tattered collar. “Come, Joyoki! Just like last time.”

Stabbing the divine trident into the human, no blood spilled out. Instead, the flames dissipated, leaving behind the unconscious, severely burned body of a human which Ryuujin laid on the floor. He then stabbed the ground. "This Land of the Rising Sun and your desecration will not be allowed. Hear me! I am Ryuujin! I now lay waste with the Joyoki to expel thy vast defilement! --- Cleanse!"

A dragon of water appeared to wash away the rest of the flames and clear the area of any unneeded lesser phantoms it touched, purifying it. The room was still a mess. Scorch marks still marred the area where the fire once burned. However, it wouldn’t cause any more problems…for a little while at least. Even the strongest purification spell wouldn’t last without proper maintenance. Humans would likely think it a miracle that the flames were put out so quickly. Or they figured someone found the fire extinguisher in time. Regardless, gods of the proper kind didn’t do their duties to be thanked for it.

“Tend to him, Uroko.”

Back in his human form, Uroko checked on the burnt human. “I don’t know very many healing spells.”

“Just make sure he lives,” Ryuujin growled. “ I’ll look around for any signs of the one we’re looking for.” Hands in his pockets, the king of the sea marched off to search the office building with an irritable look on his face.

Uroko sighed. He wondered if the two human children were having better luck at finding the jellyfish phantom than they were having. Both seemed quite arrogant in their own way—the one who had seemed quite confident in his eyes and the one who argued with Lord Ryuujin. It was the first time Uroko had seen it. Humans arguing with Ryuujin…but Uroko didn’t think it was a bad thing necessarily. His master claimed to hate humans, but, according to the records, every iteration of Ryuujin seemed to have interacted with them in some capacity. Even his current lord had watched modern humans long enough at least to know the types of clothes they wore. He claimed it was to not stand out when they traveled to the near shore, but was it really? Spirits like him couldn’t lie without blight, but gods weren’t under the same restriction. “It’s probably a curse of some sort…”

Peckinou
(mentioned: Lucem )

 

[Karcen]

Location: Queen Azani's castle Hell
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 5:13pm
​

Azani Goddess of Vengence and grudges

Despite what Azani said she wouldn't mind getting one of the better brushes, just in case, as there was no telling when some god might go after kuro and her being some form of regalia might help. Still that was just and idea in case of emergency as Azani didn't know if the brush would affect Kuro in a negative way and Azani herself while nearly immune to the blight was not completely immune and naming a phantom might still harm her. Azani decided to shelve the idea for now until she and Kuro had a little time apart so Kuro wouldn't know, as the threat of the brush to Azani would do more damage than a surprise naming would. The problem of getting humans to start spreading word of her required a two pronged approach in Azani's mind. Kuro was underestimating her reach as while Azani might not be a goddess worshipped in the open, she had been active for a long time and oh so many peopel had called on her, people of all ages so plenty were around now. She could use these existing followers to start, it would be a simple matter to get them to obey as she would offer them a way out of torture for eternity by coming out into public and spreading word of her. While Azani didn't want to change to much she figured one more domain could help make humans like her more, redemption, she would offer her followers and all others the chance to save themselves and others from the fires of hell for worship. The other method was the need of a rallying figure, a priest, but not just any priest Azani needed a priest with a story and with the ability to lead. Then the final matter was a shrine which should be easy enough once she had a priest and the backing of her followers, perhaps she would have one of the shrines of a dead god destroyed and hers erected over it.

Azani chuckled " All gods even I have a following and mined unlike all others are very sure I exist and so very eager to do what I command if they can lessen their punishment" Azani explained " Changing their minds and the publics should not be to hard when thousands all over come out speaking of the queen of hell, the goddess of vengeance and redemption Azani-ōmikami " she said relishing the last words " While it won't change everything it will get my name and that new little domain out in public, then all I need is a priest to gather them and together they can build my shrine where people that fear hell, people that wish to save others from hell, and of course those seeking revenge can come" With that Azani paused " Not a half bad plan right?"

Dante Verren

 

[The Secret Archives]

Location: Shorn's New Room, SSA Office
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 5:55 pm​

Shorn, God of Despair & Disdain
Interactions: QuirkyAngel

It made Shorn happy to see #4389 hold the pendant with such care, and to agree that it was a pretty object. It gave him a little bit of an idea of how she looked at things, although, if the sudden question of wanting to color wasn't enough to see some of her nature, he wasn't sure what would. Though as if she wasn't projecting her own personality on her... Well, she didn't have any sleeves, so the phrase didn't quite apply, but it was still quite apparent. It became further emphasized by her demeanor when outwardly showing off her dark painted nails, and exclaiming it to be her favorite color. It was a shame, Shorn felt sorry in some ways for someone with such a vibrant personality like this to be coped up in the SSA as she seemed to be. Yet, it didn't seem to diminish any playful quirks she may have, but it could be some form of loneliness too.

He jotted down a quick response, It's a wonderful color! He tapped the tip of his pen on the paper before adding, If you're ever looking for practice, feel free to paint mine too. He didn't care much for things of the sort, but it seemed very apparent that #4389 was excited to show off her nails. If anything, maybe it was something she enjoyed doing, it wasn't as if Shorn would show them off, his gloves would cover them most of the time. Her statement made Shorn pause, 'colorless and sad', he never thought about the concept of something that lacked color to be considered sad. It was an oddity, but it painted a rather nice picture, so to speak, and he mused on the concept further. An apt description of a monochromatic lifestyle, though, would it be more accurate to say it was to escape such a style.

He took a few of the markers from #4389, You've got a neat purse, what would you call that design a... He paused shaking out his right hand a few times, a cramp growing apparent from this continual writing. Didn't exactly help when thinking about how he was about to be coloring too, Jellyfish or Squid maybe? Shorn didn't know what the design was supposed to represent exactly.

Shorn listened carefully, shaking his head as #4389 spoke about the Spirit Room. Apart from the brief tour, it was the first time Shorn had ever become aware of the SSA. Actually I'm sorta new to the city, I was originally just... Visiting, I suppose. After she read the note, he placed it onto the floor carefully before taking off his jacket and folding it up.

Shorn laid his jacket onto the bed before coming over taking a seat on the floor across from #4389. He looked down to the coloring book, and the numerous colors that he'd been passed, thinking.

It sounded like Kyoto was really turned on its head 10 years ago, all while Shorn was none the wiser of the events occurring. It sounded as though spirits were fewer now than they had been. Was it because of the rampant phantoms, or had many spirits fled the grounds of Kyoto for safety elsewhere? It seemed plausible, the very air of Kyoto felt polluted with negative energies that probably served as a point of power for the phantoms that did rear their heads. Yet, for that to be true, he felt quite lucky to have not run into contact with a phantom yet. Though, it certainly wouldn't last if he stayed put here in Kyoto, which seemed likely given he just took up a job in the very city infested with such possibilities.

The last statement tossed onto the end by Hikarumi seemed like a direct jab at him, perhaps it wasn't, but it sure felt like the words of someone who didn't exactly trust who they'd just hired. Guess I shouldn't be surprised. Perhaps I was too optimistic in thinking otherwise. I know how people can be trusting in others can be hard. It seems especially true for Regalia if they're protective of their gods. Shorn let out a deeply audible sigh as Hikarumi left the room, and he shifted from his seated position. Now, laying down on his side with his head supported by his arm, he moved the purple marker across the page gingerly, being sure to keep within the pictures guidelines.

As he 'colored' in the book, it became blatantly apparent that Shorn was seemingly dreadful at this. Despite being entirely patient, taking his time, he still managed to constantly jut outside the edges of the guidelines. He let out a drawn out sigh, jotting a few words down, Turns out I'm no God of Coloring. He took another look at the poor job, then at her portion of the picture, In comparison, you've got more godly talent than I do here. Do you by chance take on apprentices? When it came to this kind of stuff, it seemed easier to Shorn to make jokes at his own expense than to let silence dictate things. After all, coloring wasn't something he had done regularly before, in fact, it might be the first time.

Shorn tapped on the picture book, sliding his notebook over so she could see what he wrote again, So #4389 have you colored anything really pretty lately? He paused, turning it back to himself hesitating for a long period tapping the tip of the pen over, and over again. He looked back at #4389 and shook his head, quickly jotting down his thought unsure if it would be a mistake to ask or not. What kind of God do you think I am? He didn't know much about about her, but it felt like asking this question was an opportunity. A new face, a new impression... If all his effort of a hundred years was enough to change, then that was something that he felt he needed to know.

 

[VeiledPariah]

Location: Maruyama Park
Date: April 2nd 2030
Time: 8:35pm ​

Ametaru (Regalia)

The young girl found herself after some time at a small family styled park. What would usually be a breath of life and happiness was dull and seemingly lifeless at night the only humans being a couple of hooligans who hung around the entrance just loitering and complaining about how their lives could be better and when they were going to hit it big in the world and be free from the grips of their parents.
Ametaru didn’t bother with them as she walked past invisible to their eyes and took a seat in one of the swings slowly kicking off the soft sand so she swung back and forth the cool night air bracing against her face as she sighed.
After her time at Udes shrine the girl had realized that she was no closer to an answer on what was happening in Kyoto. The missing Kami, the lost names, an enemy to face. All were hidden and squirreled away from her reach. She felt like a small child whose mother had taken away a toy and hidden it on the top shelf out of her reach.
Her breath escaped her mouth visible as the warmth of her body reacted with the air that escaped into the chilled sky.
She had thought to go back to the SSA but if the Shinigami needed her they would call, the girl slowed her swinging to a halt retrieving her phone from her pocket and checking it. The light from the screen illuminating the features of her face as she saw that no new notifications had arrived. Returning the device to her pocket she looked around the chains creaking as she cranes her neck taking in the still life of the darkened park.
Ude was gone, Inbu was gone, a thought long lost to the depths of her mind came back when the trio spent the day at a place like this Inbu delving into his books as Ame then Hagaka tried desperately to pry his attention so they could practice his regalia arts. Ude smiling exuding pride for the Nora and regalia that he had come to call family. She wished that day could have lasted forever.
They had lived so much more in such a short time compared to her longevity while dwelling in the far shore.
Yet no matter how many faded and were lost to her she always seemed to remain.
Is that just how it was?

Spoiler: Ame battle theme

Would she forever be shackled to the fate of wandering the world and watching others pass the divide regalia, human and god alike.
The girl shook the thought and leaned back her hands holding the rubber insulated chains as her hair fell back leveling herself out so she laid horizontally her eyes meeting with the hot steaming breath of a phantom. Her own eyes gazing upon the various ones that dotted the beasts grotesque skin.
“Smells nice!!, I wish you would play with me, smells, be my friend, smells nice smells nice, SMELLS NICE!”
The ayakashi reeling back its head before crashing itself into the swing set but finding it didn’t find purchase with its bite intending to swallow the young girl whole. The swing she had been in falling straight downward smacking the now flustered phantom in the face.
Ame flipping above the beast twisting her body so her hand faced it. The various eyes wildly focusing on her as she uttered the words gravity bringing toward the monster.
At the sound of the crash the thugs had ran thinking a security member had shown up meaning no humans were around, good because this was about to get messy
“Regalia Art!, Bullet Driver!!”
The halberd shape she made with her fingers facing directly downward towards the phantom her thumb cocked back like that of a revolver her eye trained behind it as she was actually shooting the phantom with a gun her intent solid. Her boundary drawn.
Ame let her thumb fall against the rest of her hand as the light emanated from her fingertips and shot forward like a bullet penetrating the phantom and causing it to recoup allowing her to land deftly amongst the dust and wreckage of the swing set. The phantom which resembled that of a demonic silk worm shook the attack off and turned its twelve eyes onto the spirit once more. As the smoke screen settled her blue eyes piercing through its veil before she was gone in the blink of an eye. The confused beast not sure how she accomplished such quick movement.
Ame reappeared behind the phantom as another borderline slammed into it causing the worm to crash forward into the ground. The girl walking forward slowly her halberd burning brightly like a star in the night.
“Beast with no name, hear me now, I judge you for your sins and grant my verdict from this day you will no longer reside between the shores, I erect this border for those you intend harm against and it is absolute!”
The Nora began the incantation as the silk worm writhed and began clambering toward her spewing sticky thread towards her.
“Repel!”
Her eyes widened before she sent a a borderline down at her feet and jumped off of it the line reacting and propelling her high into the air once more the strands of noxious bile missing their mark.
“Bordeline Barrage!”
She spoke her icy tone naming the intent of destruction of the phantom before her as the border lines formed before her nine in all a wave of her hand sending the maelstrom of blades made of light toward the phantom as it was shredded into pieces and turned into a collaboration of violent flashing light and then imploded on itself and evaporated in an instant as she landed once more beginning to dust herself off.
“I need to get off the streets, phantoms are pretty brazen these days....it’s so stormy tonight”
She regarded to the night sky as she made her way out of the park getting on the street that passed by Shirotome High school.
The lights of the streets fluttering the electricity that was being supplied to them faltering every so often probably due to the lack of services.
Ametaru sighed once more bracing herself against the cold wondering if she should grab some food before she retired into a hotel for the night.
Unbeknownst to her eyes were watching her from the night, a pair of them with an accompanied smile.
“So this is the power of Japan’s sacred treasure... a pity her master is within my dreams hold”

​

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Location: Hirai Office, Kyoto City.
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 9:20 p.m.​

Rika Murakami (Human)

“Come—what now?” Rika sighed as she watched Ryotaro Hirai twirl his fork before stabbing the cake in front of him. There was no denying that the detective was weird in many ways—even for someone who saw the things they did. Playing with his food was probably the least of them.

What did he mean being stuck as a fork? What did a fork have to do with anything?

Cutting into her own piece of cake, Rika considered everything Ryotaro had to say. She knew of some of the things he spoke up…probably. Her grandfather had referred to them as ‘storms’ as well. Like whisps of darkness in the air, they sometimes looked like condensed clouds of darkness—an area saturated with negative emotions. A great many phantoms tended to hang around in those areas. However, according to her grandfather, such sightings marked places to avoid. Yet Ryotaro chased after them like a detective searching for clues.

There was little doubt in her mind Ryotaro was crazy…and she was crazier for following him. Gods fought phantoms. She knew that. She saw such things in her childhood—the heroes fighting off the monsters—but she’d never really interacted with them—except for Uzume, who she’d never even realized was a goddess. And now, Ryuujin. Perhaps that was really what irritated her about Ryuujin. Expectations. Standards. She’d unconsciously placed them on the holy, divine beings—the phantoms fighters—that were meant to save humanity.

The ones humans worshipped, thanked, and build shrines in honor of.

Yet, seeing Ryuujin look down at humans, even disdain them to a degree, broke that illusion. If gods weren’t happy about being thanked, then what were the shrines even for? What was the point of building monuments for beings that weren’t even grateful for them? Uzume had saved her. During a time of loneliness when she had no friends and phantoms haunted her, Uzume had been there. Ryotaro had saved her from becoming the sort person she wouldn’t want to become—someone who turned away from the suffering in front her eyes. Those were the people she believed in.

But it wasn’t a blind faith.

“Maybe you can afford to play hooky, but I can’t,” Her grades weren’t high enough to skip lectures—or any pop quizzes that might show up. Math wasn’t her best subject and Ms Kiyomi was a strict teacher. At worst, her father might be called if her absence was noticed. Ryotaro didn’t seem to live with his parents so he had it a bit easier, but Rika had another year before she became legalized as an adult. Another year before she had to choose what to do with her life…assuming she lived until then, of course.

A target on her back.

It was a fitting description.

“I’ll meet you after classes are over.” Judo season was over so there wasn’t much to do in left in terms of club activities. Rika may have been team Captain, but she wasn’t the club president. Besides, exams were coming up so many of the club activities were put on hold…though she heard some were still fairly active. Not that phantom-hunting couldn’t count as an after-school club activity of its own. It wasn’t like Ryotaro was being paid to look for the Jellyfish-Human Phantom so one couldn’t really call it a job. Mentally snorting at the thought of Ryuujin actually paying Ryotaro for all effort he was putting in to help, Rika let the sweetness of the cake and the lightness of the tea calm her mind. Uroko at least seemed grateful, despite the fact that Ryotaro claimed to be doing it for himself.

To fix a mistake he’d supposedly made.

Was that really the reason Ryotaro pushed himself so hard? It’s good to be responsible, but there were limits to responsibility if it meant chasing down an upset man-phantom. What did he even intend to converse with it about? Apologize? Ask why it’d clung onto Kenji like a leech? More interesting to her was what Uroko said. There’d been a war 10 years ago she wasn’t aware of and that was when the humanoid phantoms started appearing. Was that why she saw less gods these days? Rika would’ve been 7 ten years ago. It was roughly the time Uzume disappeared. She’d stopped paying attention then—assumed Uzume ditched her like all others had and sought more normal company to ease the pain of betrayal.

Had Uzume been caught in a war?

Had she been in trouble the entire time and Rika never knew?

Hand clenched around the fork, Rika hurriedly finished her chocolate mousse and caramel cake. “I’ve got to get home before my dad gets worried as well.” She’d texted to him that she’d be home late—that she was out studying with a classmate for the upcoming exams—but she hadn’t said anything about staying over. Sleeping in the house of a guy her age who happened to live alone was the number two cause of awkward misunderstandings. The first was being spotted leaving the same hotel. Forget phantom. Her father would kill her first.

Bringing her plate to the sink, Rika then washed her hands, and grabbed her bag. “Thanks for the food. I mean, it was no heavenly feast,” Rika grinned. “But it was satisfactory nonetheless.” It re-invigorated her at least. “You do what you gotta do.” She thought Ryotaro’s smile looked a little plastered after taking his call, but it might’ve been her imagination. She didn’t know him well enough to read his smiles—which he always seemed to be wearing. Did Hirai have multiple smiles? They really only got to truly know each other yesterday. Even then, it wasn’t truly know exactly. She got a taste of the sort of things her classmate did as a detective—a spirit detective. “But I don’t like to leave things incomplete either so I’ll see things through to the end with you. Don’t do anything too crazy without me. I won’t be there to flip the enemy otherwise. Call or text me if anything happens with Ryuujin's servant. Also…” Rika paused, figuring out how she ought phrase her next statement. “…don’t push yourself too hard.”

Turning to leave, Rika saw that it was raining again.

Fortunately, she remembered to bring the red umbrella Ryotaro told her would ward evil spirits. Would it ward the humanoid phantoms though? Rika didn’t know. There was too much she didn’t know. Consulting a god was probably a good idea on Ryotaro’s part. As much as she found Ryuujin irritating, there was no deny he and Uroko likely knew more about phantoms. Tatsume and Momo as well. Rika wanted to consult with them about what she should do. “What was that English proverb again? April showers bring May flowers? Hopefully all this rain we’ve been getting means we’ll be getting a lot of blooms in the coming months.”

It would be nice if it were true.

Lucem

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Location: Shorn's New Room, SSA Office
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 6:00 pm​

#4389 (Spirit)

“God of silence? God of writing?” Number 4389 guessed as she continued to shade her portion of the picture. “I think you’re a nice god because you’re willing to take the time to color with me. Not even Nana does it often and I think she’s very nice.”

Death gods were generally viewed in a negative light amongst the human population as beings to be feared—bringers of death and misfortune even though they rarely ever killed. All because of their their titles and job. Seeing one was usually a sign of ill-omen…and it probably was. Death gods only really showed themselves to people nearing the end of their lives, after all. No one wanted really wanted to see death—especially those not yet ready to leave—and, even though death gods only wanted to help, they were sometimes turned away by those who feared them and chose to wander on their own. Even some gods disdained death gods because their work often had them dealing with phantoms and blight—which was very contagious.

Not that Number 4389 really had a right to judge seeing that she hadn’t thought very highly of death gods at first either. It wasn’t until she was saved by them and brought to SSA that she saw them for what they really were—social workers willing to put their lives on the line to save souls. Whether they wore spells to change their appearance or masked themselves in the scent of phantoms to avoid detection, no two deaths god operated the same. Some had partners. Some didn’t. Some were better at dealing with specific spirits than others. Shorn didn’t exactly give her the same feeling as Nana and the other Death Gods did…but there was something a little somber about him as well.

Perhaps it was because she hadn’t yet heard his voice.

Then again, Shorn also seemed a little silly. Giggling at the written offer to let her paint his nails, Number 4389 couldn’t deny it was a very tempting offer. It was the first time a god asked her to teach them something as well. Usually it was the other way around. Gods were generally older. Wiser. They were the ones that took spirits in as apprentices to help them do their work. But, looking at Shorn’s portion of the picture, Number 4389 couldn’t blame him. He definitely wasn’t a god of coloring. It was worse than some of the children spirits she’d seen.

“Coloring is easy,” Number 4389 declared, her face still slightly pink from when Shorn complimented her ‘godly talent’. No one ever praised her for something so simple before. “You’ve just got to stay within the lines.”

The girl emphasized that statement by showing Shorn how it was done, taking extra care to follow the lines and keep her colors in the parameter of the picture. “No matter how pretty the color, it’d just look messy otherwise.”

It wasn’t long before she finished her portion and, once Shorn was finished with his, flipped the page so they could start over. Number 4389 hummed, earrings dangling with each rhythmic sway of her head, as she started afresh. “I bought the purse around the same time a I bought my earrings—with the money I earned from working.”

SSA paid her whenever they required her help. All the gods she’d worked with temporarily gave her an income of some sort while she’d been under a name. Even that idiot Kami_X paid her for the month they’d been together—though she’d been volunteering at the time. Nana had always been pretty strict about a god being able to provide for a spirit before naming one. SSA spirits in Kyoto were trained to be employable and chosen based on the needs of the god, so often it was the shrined gods of Heaven requested SSA services since they were the usually the ones that could afford it—though some preferred the traditional method of finding a regalia on their own. It wasn’t as if Nana drew a hard line for shrine-less gods either. So long as they provided proof of upward movement or stability of some sort to provide for the spirit it was usually enough to net one or two spirits.

Not like many spirits preferred numbers to names.

“I think it’s a jellyfish,” Number 4389 shrugged. “But I wouldn’t know. I just thought it was cute. If you’re new to Kyoto, Shorn, I can show you around whenever you’re free. I already promised #10013 that I’d play with her tomorrow, but you can join us if you want! It’ll be lots of fun~”

Nana wouldn’t let them leave SSA premise without a chaperone anyway and getting the new god to go with them might be easier than getting Hikarumi, Kagemi, or any of the other death gods to do it. Number 4389 loved SSA. However, it got a little boring being cooped up with dead people all the time. No one ever changed. Not even her, even though she made attempts to switch things up every once in a while. Buy new polish. Add new color. She would never grow older or come to look like the women in the magazines. She would always be a child. Number 4389 had come to accept that fact. Embrace it even. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t find ways to bring joy to herself, and those around her, all the same. Therefore Number 4389 shot Shorn the same hopeful, puppy look that always seemed to work on adults. Most adults anyway. Nana and Hikarumi seemed oddly immune.

The Secret Archives

 

[The Secret Archives]

Location: Shorn's New Room, SSA Office
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 6:10 pm​

Shorn, God of Despair & Disdain
Interactions: QuirkyAngel

There was a moment of silence following Number 4389's response to Shorn's question, he just laid there. Another brief moment followed before Shorn couldn't help but laugh at her simple response, and the type of God she pegged him for. He found it bizarre, but he couldn't really be shocked, at least his initial impressions had severely improved from where they once stood. It was enough of a change, enough for him to be recognized outside of his nature that labeled him regularly, and that was just what he wanted to hear. He rose his head and gave a brisk smile directed towards her, a simple gesture, one meant to thank her for her kind words in the absence of his speech. Number 4389 was too kind to be trapped beneath a single roof like this, her nature alone seemed to speak outward of being an individual who actively brought any opportunity to lighten the room.

He made sure to keep a close eye on Number 4389 as she showed him the way to properly color a picture. He felt a bit embarrassed for being incapable of doing something as simple as coloring. He took a moment just being as patient as could be trying to follow the generalized idea, while it still looked poor, it was slightly improved. He shook his head, it was simple, yet it seemed like it wasn't something that was made for Shorn to do. He made sure to show her what he wrote down after the minor improvement, You're a true Goddess of Coloring, I've improved already! You're wisdom is appreciated!

Shorn squinted at Number 4389 as she began to give him some kind of look, it fell pretty ineffective upon him. He reached up with the back of the marker and scratched at the top of his head for a few moments before it clicked. She was doing that kind of tactic, one where a person used a look to convey their interest or outright innocence towards a subject. His facial expression went blank for a time, before it twisted, and then erupted into a soft-hearted laugh. Although, given his damaged throat, the laugh broke abruptly halfway through and Shorn started to cough a few times, wincing in pain. He rolled over laying flat on his back with his hand atop his throat, and let out a deep sigh. A few deep breaths later, and soon enough, he seemed fine once more. In fact, it seemed to be on a road to some form of recovery, the pain had lessened. If some degree of time passed further, Shorn may be able to speak regularly once again, so long as he didn't try to scream, yell or overly strain himself once more.

He reached over blindly, eventually managing to grab hold of his notebook, he drug it over before writing a few things down. That whole look is pretty adorable, but it doesn't really convince me... However, If you're interested in having me accompany you tomorrow, I'll join. I think I can find a way to fit it in my very "busy" schedule. He turned the notebook towards her so she could take a look over his statement, before flicking it off to the side and moving back towards the coloring book.

He picked up one of the darker purple markers, and glanced across the picture book. He watched her coloring once more before starting up once more. However, after a period of time, Shorn stopped coloring and began to write in the corner of the notebook. It was a sort of aimless action, he wasn't really thinking, but simply acting on an impulse. He couldn't stop thinking about how the spirits of the SSA were given only numbers in place of names. Almost like he was in a kind of trance, his hand continued flowing with purpose to each single thing he wrote down.

It went on for a short period of time, and Shorn littered the blank corner of the coloring page with a series of different names. By the time he realized, stopped, and looked down there was a total of sixteen different names scattered across the paper. He looked absolutely mystified, and a blank expression crossed his face. None of them held any meaning to him, but he felt a bit odd by having just simply jotted them down like they were second nature. Shorn covered the corner with his hand, feeling as though it would be a sort of taunting gesture to just jot names down in front of someone who simply had a series of numbers as a placeholder.

In a sort of guilty conscious, Shorn grabbed his notebook from the side, and placed it atop the spot to hide them once more. He scribbled across the page, #4389, Do you have any other relations to other Gods? Or rather, tell me, is having a number as a name as ridiculous as it seems? Clearly I'm new, but I can't say I agree with the SSA and placing Spirit's names as simple numbers. He lifted the notebook a bit peering at the series of names underneath the notebook and winced a bit, before covering it again.

He tapped on the paper several times leaving deep grooves as the tip of the pencil began to break away. He jotted down a single name underneath his last statement, Sorami (
空海), and circled it several times over. He pointed distinctly to the name on the page, and then pointed towards Number 4389. He let the action sink in, before leaning down and writing once more. I think this is a name far more suited for someone like yourself, than something like Number 4389. "空" is for the sky, and "海" is for the Ocean. He motioned towards her attire, nails and even the blue marker she held in her hand. Therefore... 'Blue' Skies. Then, he motioned to her earrings, And, then we have the Ocean to top it off. In short, 'Sorami'. He made a distinct wave motion underneath the name as he wrote it once more, This is the name I would say befits someone like yourself instead of the SSA's Number 4389. He stopped, then thought about it for a moment, Although, you could replace the '海' for Ocean, and use '実' for kindness instead. I'm unsure, what do you think? I'd like to hear your own opinion. He set down the paper, pushing up to a sitting position giving Number 4389 his attention.

It may have been an implied offer, but Shorn didn't want to outright say it. He just simply thought that having a name for her was much better than aimlessly calling her Number 4389. In a way, that was the lie that Shorn undoubtedly would tell himself. Though, it seemed reasonable that if he were to stay within Kyoto, it would be more than worthwhile to have a helping hand that knew the city. Plus, if there was one thing Shorn could appreciate about #4389, it was how she didn't view him as a God of Calamity, even if she didn't necessarily know the truth.

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Location: Shorn's New Room, SSA Office
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 6:15 pm​

#4389 (Spirit)

Number 4389 waited patiently for Shorn to finish writing, watching closely while the god seemed to be composing a list of some sort. It worried her when his laughter turned into coughs and she wondered if she ought be getting him water. Was Shorn sick? Did gods even get sick? The more she watched him, the less he seemed like a normal god.

It pleased her that he was willing to accompany herself and #10013 on their play date though. Regardless of whether her methods worked or not, the outcome was what mattered…but Shorn’s response did make her wonder whether she needed to work on her cute factor. One of the advantages of being forever young, after all, was being pampered by the older gods. Especially the ones that liked children like Jizo and Hasuna.

Peering over the words in Shorn’s notebook, Number 4389 felt she needed to defend SSA's SOP. “I don’t really think anything about it. Death gods don’t give names to the spirits they reap. Their job, SSA’s job, is to find other gods to do so. Only the ones who choose to work here—like Kagemi and Hikarumi—get named by Death Gods.”

It wasn’t even a lie. She didn’t particularly mind being given a number and never once considered giving herself a name. Gods were the ones that named spirits. That was just how the world worked. There wasn’t any particular name she was attached to either. Regardless of what she was called, Number 4389 intended to do her best work with the god…for however long they were together. She supposed she was like a Nora in a sense. The only difference between her and a Nora was that she was still looking for a permanent home. Still waiting for that one god to sweep her of her feet and be that god she wanted to dedicate her life to—just some of the regalias she’d seen.

Because, deep down, Number 4389 was still a dreamer.

“Sorami~ Sorami~ Sorami~” Number 4389 sang, twirling her hair as she read over Shorn’s list. Sorami was the name circled. Number 4389 thought it was a very pretty name. She couldn’t deny that she was very touched by how thought out it was as well. “I think it's lovely.” Some gods just picked the first thing that came to their idiotic heads. From his actions alone, Number 4389 could tell Shorn was a thoughtful god. Weird, but thoughtful.

“But you know, you shouldn’t tempt a spirit unless you fully intend to take responsibility for it, Shorn~” Number 4389 said playfully. However, there was a serious undertone beneath the young girl’s words as well. “Names…build a sense of attachment.”

A name gave a person a sense of identity. A sense of belonging. It was human nature to want to form bonds. To want something a little more descriptive and colorful to be called. However, she was also taught that names were a blessing. A gift given from a god. Just like how a parent named their child, gods wanted to name the spirit they selected. Therefore, it didn’t make any sense to her to come up one for herself. She wanted someone special to do it for her. “It’ll just make it that much harder for the registered spirit when they end up finding employment elsewhere. Gods generally want to do the naming themselves. Some already have naming conventions they prefer or clan names for their regalia families up in Heaven, so already having a name limits their options a little. Makes the spirit less employable if they’re unwilling to go through name changes.”

Number 4389 shrugged. “Not that I can’t understand the feeling. Numbers are a little boring…but that’s way it’s supposed to be until I’m named.”

Being attached to someone—a human—was what got her released by Jizo the first time. Better she be called something that she could easily discard than something she'd grow attached to. Her experiences with gods thus far have been...less than satisfactory.

“Sorami~Sorami~Sorami~” The girl sighed dreamily as she finished coloring another picture. “Blue skies, huh? How enchanting~" As wide as the skies and as endless as the ocean. If I’m a goddess of coloring, then you’re a god of words, Shorn!”

She’d never really considered the character for names before. Or how meaningful and beautiful they could be. “If I teach you coloring, will you teach me more about words?”

The more Number 4389 thought of the idea, the more she liked it. She was by no means illiterate, but she was no expert on calligraphy or the various ways words could be strung together either. Eternal ‘life’ as a ghost would be boring if she didn’t take the opportunity to learn what she could—especially if it was something beautiful. She closed the coloring book. “After dinner.” Keeping to a healthy, regular schedule was the proper way to live. It was how she lived up in Heaven--as a good little girl should. Nameless spirits didn’t really need to eat to survive, but they got hungry all the same. It was a strange fact of the afterlife. Perhaps it was so they didn't lose their humanity. There were some spirits she met who had wandered for so long they just plain didn't feel hungry. Some who had a hard time feeling anything. “I’ll show you to the building’s cafeteria. The worker that makes the food is always nice to me~”

The Secret Archives

 

[Dante Verren]

Location: Queen Azani's castle Hell
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 5:16 pm​

Phantom (Pride)
Interactions: Azani ( Karcen )


Kuro-Kyogi listened to Azani's plan from her seat atop the headrest of the throne, although it was a solid plan in theory there were some issues. "Hmmm, though I like the idea I feel you are being to optimistic. You have a following which is obvious since you are still here, but I think you may be overestimating how much humans care about the gods. Even if say a thousand people starting calling you the queen of hell and a goddess of redemption I don't think you will earn enough support to make the full transition of power. " Tapping her finger to her chin the phantom began to think. What was the best way that they could get the goddess of grudges an image change. "We will definitely want to utilize your followers, and a priest will be needed. As much as I hate to say this, we will also have to utilize other gods followings as well. The more followings you have spreading the word of the new Azani the more of the common rabble will be willing to listen. It will merely be utilizing resources." she said looking down at her companion.

Thinking more on the plan she was struck with the memory of the small... disagreement they had earlier and couldn't help but smirk a bit, "Well since I am your only proud ally that might be near impossible unless you have some favors to call on. Of course you could get your mother to help, but I doubt she has to much of a human following." her smirk vanished and turned into a sigh. "A good place to start would be to fine tune your own following and get them to accept the change before reaching out to other gods...." her voice trailed off and her featehrs brsitled a bit, she had come to the realization that Azani gaining a priest made her lose the role of exclusive ally. With a now colder tone she continued to speak "That means step one is definitly getting you a priest."

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Location: Nana's Office, SSA Building, Kyoto
Date: April 3rd, 2030
Time: 7:30 am​

Kami_X (God of Hackers) + Nana (Goddess of Death)

If Hasuna was a goddess that brought life to the world—via babies being born—then the goddess currently sitting across from Kami_X was her polar opposite. Nana was a Death God—one who welcomed humans in their eternal rest. Not that ‘rest’ was the right word exactly. If that was the case, Kami_X wouldn’t have to work at all. But, alas, Kami_X hadn’t yet reached the point in his life where he could live out those dreams. He still had to work to maintain his existence. To establish his name.

What he hadn’t expected was for Nana of SSA to call him in regards to a job.

It'd been a couple of years since he'd last stepped foot in the SSA Office Building, after all, and his reception at SSA had gotten a bit...colder...since he'd returned Renka to their office. His parting with Renka had been a little...melodramatic... to say the least and Renka was well loved in Kyoto's office for being a sweet, well-behaved, hard-working spirit always willing to assist. Kami_X snorted. He could agree with hard-working, but sweet and well-behaved only really applied to gods that met her standards. Living with her had been one complaint after another. From his diet to the size of his closet, nothing about his way of life seemed to satisfy the little girl. He was used to it of course. She didn't sting him much either, despite her nagging. However, the real reason for their breakup stemmed even deeper. Kami_X saw Renka's past. He knew what she really wanted. He also knew he couldn't really give it to her.

So he let her go.

It wasn't anything he'd really regretted, but, given the chatty, girly spirit that she was, he was 90% certain she'd shared her woes and laments against him with the rest of Kyoto's SSA office as well. That would explain the subtly cold looks he sometimes got from gods and spirits alike when he entered the office building. Nana and Hikarumi especially. Fortunately, Kagemi was more easy-going about it. It'd probably die down once Renka forgave him...so he'd give it another 10 or 20 years. Spirits like her had good memory. For now, he had Nana to deal with...and the very interesting job she proposed.

“So…you want me to look into Ayame, the goddess of Vitality, because you believe she might be doing something suspicious? Something that could affect Kyoto as a whole?”

It sounded ridiculous to him that a goddess of vitality, of all gods, would stir up some sort of trouble involving sorcery. Didn’t she run a luxury resort of some sort up in the mountains? To promote mental health and wellness for spirits and gods alike? From the way Nana spoke of it, it was obvious, to Kami_X at least, that the death goddess wasn’t entirely certain of Ayame’s supposed criminal activities herself.

“Yes. My new employee, Shorn, brought it to my attention. I can call him over to give you more details, but I’m not sure how much he can tell you.”

“What do you mean?”

“He seems to be…cursed?” Nana shook her head. “I can’t say for certain. But it looks like something is keeping from revealing the exact details of what is going on in that resort.”

Requests for him didn’t always come directly from humans. Gods helped each other out as well. It was how connections were built. There were things some gods couldn’t do that other gods could do better. Some wishes were impossible to grant without the assistance of another god. It was how legends became tied. Kami_X definitely couldn’t help a baby be born if one of his followers made that request. However, he could point them to Lady Hasuna who could. In that way, they split the credit…though he’d probably still get the majority of it since he’d been the one originally prayed to.

The same principal applied to SSA.

Still…

“You are aware of what a hefty accusation this is, right Nana? If you’re wrong it counts as libel against another goddess…and a pretty popular one at that.” Nana may be part of a big organization up in Heaven, but she was only 1 among the numbers. A minor god compared to Ayame, whose name was far more widespread…among 3 religions if Kami_X recalled correctly. Something like this could very easily cost the death goddess her job assuming SSA didn’t want trouble with another god. There were many other death gods to take her place, after all. Kyoto would simply get another SSA Branch Manager.

“I know. And that’s why I want this situation handled as delicately as possible.” Nana looked him in the eye so Kami_X could see how serious she was. “Your job, Kami_X, is to stay at the luxury resort for a couple of days and report to me what you see. That’s it. You aren’t to pick a fight with the goddess, or cause a disturbance of any sort, and will be paid for your services accordingly. Everything you need to complete the task—including the funds for your stay—will be provided to you. Also,” Nana passed him a business card. “You’ll want to get in contact with her. She’s a regalia with a lot of experience so, if anything goes wrong, she’ll be a big help.”

“A Nora?” Kami_X picked up the card, looking it over.

“Yes. One who seems to be staying in Kyoto for the time being. Naming her would be the most convenient way to complete the task, both as a safety measure and a disguise since it make more sense for a god and their regalia to be vacationing together than two that aren’t related, but it’s up to you two how intend to complete the job—assuming you can get her to agree to go with you, of course.”

Kami_X slipped the business card in his pocket. “Got it.” Seems like contacting the Nora was part of the job as well. Would be much easier if Nana just brought her over for him so everything could be discussed in one sitting, but he supposed he couldn’t expect everything to be easy for him. “Is there anything else I should know?”

“Please be aware that SSA won’t held liable for anything you choose to do while undertaking this job. In fact, as far as we’re concerned, this conversation never existed in the first place.”

Kami_X rolled his eyes. Essentially, if anything went wrong, SSA—or rather Nana—wouldn’t hesitate to cut him off. “Of course~” Well, it wasn’t as if he wasn’t used to this sort of thing. Stray gods like him were only ever hired because they were easily forgotten. Heaven wouldn’t even notice if he were gone. A small, shrineless speck amongst the 8 million that lived in Japan. “I just got to ask…how much do you actually trust this Shorn? He’s a new employee, right? A god of Despair and Disdain shows up at your doorstep to give you a warning…and you don’t think he might be lying? What if he is purposefully giving you a bit of misinformation to spread around suspicion and despair?”

“My instincts tell me otherwise, but if that’s the case, it will be dealt with appropriately.” Nana replied firmly. “Do you accept the job?”

“I do,” Kami_X smirked, sipping the coffee he’d been provided with. “I have no reason not to. I mean, getting paid to stay a couple of days in a luxury resort for free sounds like a dream job to me. Whether your suspicions turn out to be true or not I don’t really lose anything by just checking it out.” Except for his life if he was caught finding something he shouldn’t and the goddess of Vitality turned out to be one of those cliché villainesses he’d seen in anime, but Kami_X didn’t really intend on taking big risks for a simple investigation job. Besides, it sounded quite interesting. His curious and nosy nature couldn’t be ignored if it was piqued. “I also have a request to make of SSA—which is the other reason I came today.”

“What is it?”

“I know I said I’d be coming back for a regalia after getting myself a shrine first, but certain things have come up lately that I can’t ignore—like humanoid phantoms and a calamity goddess showing up at the school where I live—and…well…I’m going to need a myself a permanent employee to help with the jobs. They need to not hate kids because the working environment is at a school and at least be…moderately…tech-savvy. I mean, I’m a pretty awesome teacher, if I do say so myself, but if I have to teach them what a computer is, then it may be a while before I can start them on the daily tasks I need them to accomplish—like keeping an eye on the school forum, basic cybersecurity tasks, and organizing wishes from most important to least. Someone who doesn’t hate closets, can work independently, and watch the school while I’m away doing…other…jobs as as well.” Kami_X coughed, carefully avoiding mention of the work he intended to do for Nana. “Experience as a regalia is preferred, but I’ll settle for someone that can at least draw a borderline and isn't too demanding.”

“That’s pretty specific for a god that doesn’t even have a shrine yet,” Nana commented mildy. “Not a Nora?”

“Nora?” Kami_X blinked at the strange question. “Well...it’s not like I have anything against Noras...but aren’t they more on-call regalias that do jobs for multiple gods? I need someone to guard a school 24/7—especially since Pinky still refuses to be named.” Refuses to be named, refuses to register under SSA…it was like she was asking to be eaten by a phantom. Wasn’t a problem yet, but there seemed to be an abundance of negativity lately…and the jellyfish he’d left alone evolved. If that wasn’t a sign of gloom overgrowth, Kami_X didn’t know what was. Kami_X couldn’t deny it was partly his fault. If he’d killed it earlier, like any responsible god would’ve, that spirit detective wouldn’t have gotten involved, Ryuujin wouldn’t have come, and none of that might’ve happened. Granted, Ryuujin did leave the field cleaner than when he first arrived. “And exam season will probably breed more phantoms.” That may yet evolve like the jellyfish. “So a spirit dedicated to the future Kami_X Enterprises is preferred for my first one. Why do you ask?”

“Azani, the goddess of grudges and vengeance, showed up yesterday wanting to buy you a Nora guidepost. I assumed the two of you were friends.”

Kami_X did a spit-take of the coffee he’d been drinking. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “What? Really?”

Kami_X assumed he might’ve made an enemy of her given their last interaction. He’d also pegged her as the colder sort, given her apathy towards killing. Was she nicer than he’d given her credit for?

A slight look of annoyance crossed Nana’s features at the mess Kami_X made, but her tone remained neutral. “Yes. That’s not something I would lie about. Since she offered to pay for your first regalia, I’ll try to send the bill to her, but if she doesn’t pay then the payment falls on your shoulders since you’re the one receiving the services.”

“That sounds fair,” Kami_X agreed. No reason to look a gift horse in the mouth…even if said horse might be taken back later.

Nana nodded and led Kami_X out of her office “Come with me to the Spirit Room and we’ll see what we can find you.”

(mentioned: The Secret Archives VeiledPariah Karcen MrThe )

 

[The Secret Archives]

Location: Shorn's New Room, SSA Office
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 6:25 pm​

Shorn, God of Despair & Disdain
Interactions: QuirkyAngel

It didn't surprise Shorn all too much to see #4389 defend the SSA when he spoke about it in such a way. In fact, it made sense, the SSA gave these spirits a home, and brought them off the streets of Kyoto. Shorn was all too familiar with the horrible state of Kyoto, and another parallel, Shorn had just gotten a job here at the SSA in order to do just the same thing. He couldn't help but frown at that, but he still didn't agree with the way the spirits were viewed, even if #4389's statement made a lot of sense.

Attachment...

That was a strong feeling, it was certainly capable of causing a numerous number of issues. In a way, Shorn's solution could be even crueler than the SSA's method, to give a spirit a temporary name and identity worthy of themselves. Yet, then another god would come by and take away that very identity, then a whole new style of life would be compacted on top of that. If it didn't leave a spirit unwilling, it may demotivate them, or worse lead to potential blight and then abandonment depending on the god. It made Shorn consider the fact that he just created a name for #4389 without an ounce of that consideration or after thought.

Stupid. It wasn't smart, but that didn't matter to Shorn after he saw the way #4389 commented upon the name. He found a sense of pride in the fact that the name was enjoyed. Though, what #4389 said wasn't wrong. Shorn didn't initially think about it, but if things went south anytime in Kyoto having a regalia would be exceptionally useful. But, the contract that protected him forbid such an action, it was passed down directly from Ayame herself. Though, maybe she didn't predict that he would venture out into such a dangerous area or get mixed up in Kyoto's mess of all things. Perhaps there'd be an understanding if he got a regalia, maybe this was his sole chance to actually partake in a god-like action apart from his normal duties.

He jotted down in his notebook, Perhaps it's worth talking to Nana about in the morning. He didn't really expect her to continue on, much less suddenly call him a god of words. He sorta stopped immediately in place kind of freezing at that statement, someone had actually viewed him as something other than a mess that brings calamity. It took him a moment to regain composure, that statement alone was enough to cement wanting to speak to Nana. Though, even if he did speak to her, he intended to be truthful to #4389 before he went through any form of naming. Even if she didn't view him as a bad god, she deserved to know it upright that he was a God of Despair & Disdain. A god that lived opposite to the colorful world that she actively sought. You know, I appreciate the compliment! He wrote real quickly without trying to give away how much it shocked him to initially hear it.

Once #4389 asked about being taught in regards to words, Shorn didn't really mind, it sounded refreshing. Perhaps it could be something to do in his down time at the SSA Office, he didn't really expect to be doing mountains of paperwork like Kagemi, Hikarumi or Nana. Though, he could be wrong, that was hard to say. He twisted his nose dragging out his response to keep her waiting just a bit before he began to write, Sure, I'll teach you what I can. I'm no expert though.

It was a bit humble, when it came to his time at the resorts, he really didn't have much in forms of entertainment. He wasn't normally allowed to interact with guests regularly when he first arrived, and he mainly spent his time with Kaiyo at the time. It was only after Shorn was cleared by Ayame was he allowed to regularly wander the resort without causing mass unrest. But, in the times he was stuck, Kaiyo took to teaching Shorn the best she could given her condition. There was only so much he could learn before it became to difficult for her to teach him any further. Now it felt like Shorn could pass off Kaiyo's knowledge to someone else, and that in a way, seemed like the exact thing she would want him to do.

#4389 shutting the book on a whim, and mentioning it was dinner time made Shorn realize how much time had passed since he initially sat down to color. Did such an activity really eat up this much time, it hadn't felt like they had been at it for long. He nodded to her, he wasn't exactly sure where the cafeteria was, so this was pretty helpful in its own way. He turned the notebook once more towards her, After you, you're the guide now! He tucked the notebook into his pocket alongside the pencil, and casually followed #4389 through the SSA building towards the cafeteria.

Location: Shorn's New Room, SSA Office
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 9:45 pm
​

After his time spent in the SSA, and his time through Kyoto Shorn felt as though the day was several times longer than it should have been. The highlight of the day by far had been the small coloring time spent with #4389 in the latter half, and prior to that, even his new job made the day worthwhile. Was it worth the trip to Kyoto all together, that wasn't necessarily apparent yet, but it seemed that there was still more to come.

Shorn paced across his room, there was a lot he did today, even if it seemed mostly uneventful. He had set something in motion, and took a swing in the dark hoping for some kind of assistance from a Death god. Not to mention, the same death god that employed him. He brought up his execution order, and even set a few stepping stones in place for assistance in his suspicions against The Lilium Getaway Resort. Something didn't seem right, but there was no real way for Shorn to learn anything himself, he was probably the most noteworthy person on the premise of any of Ayame's numerous resorts when he stayed at them. There was always a pair of eyes on him, after all, no one really trusted a God of Despair & Disdain when push comes to shove, he's the first one who is likely to be blamed.

Something had to be done, and it wasn't something Shorn could pry into. Nor could Shorn speak about the affairs on the premise of any of Ayame's resorts because of an Oath taken in his first days on site. In exchange for his Oaths, he was able to gain her extended protection, and a stay of execution to be revisited in a hundred years of reform. Even now, Shorn could still recall how the heavens weren't only going to execute Shorn, but kill Kaiyo too, who had been in his company for far too long. It never seemed right, but things eased up after he was under Ayame's protection.

Shorn shook his head, and opened the wardrobe in front of him, One step at a time Shorn, you've made progress. There's still a lot to be done, but maybe you're finally on the right track. He shifted several suits from side to side aimlessly, I'll have to make sure they're careful. But, how do I go about it? It's bad enough I have a constant feeling of being watched. Shorn grabbed one suit and hung it onto the back of his door. How exactly am I supposed to warn someone when I can't even talk about what's going on? Even if I gave a super cryptic statement like I did for Nana, there's no telling if they'll know what I mean. It would go on like this for long into the night as he continually paced throughout his room.

 

[VeiledPariah]

Location: Unknown
Date: April 3rd 2030
Time: 12:48 am​

Spoiler: Licht

Darkness....a never ending sea of it and like a ship that had wrecked amidst a great and terrible storm he was but a piece of the hull, fragmented...lost.
His senses felt number against all feeling as if any emotion was voided before welling you inside of him like a great torrent. The clouds masking any light from the moon as the dimmed landscape hid from his eyes. The only thing amongst the ocean of black that crashed in waves against his eyes was a single flickering flame of a candle. He did not know who had lit it but as he desperately tried to focus upon the light everything else blurred in his vision.
Suddenly a voice could be heard the soothing words preceded by a iridescent ringing that sharpened until she spoke.
He winced at the pain it caused a palm resting against his forehead as he sighed.
“Please...stop this”
His voice cracking as he spoke his mouth parched not having felt the caress of thirst in days now.
“My love, It is not me who can make this end. You did this and only you can stop it...you know what you have to do”
The figure stood just out of the candle lights reach his eyes unable to train on the one before him but he knew that voice. It was the one that had haunted him all these years...his guilt.
His mistake.
“Ametaru, I did not trap myself here now release me!”
The female stepped into the light a splitting image of the silver haired girl as she giggled at his request her tone dripping with venom and sarcasm.

“And that is the answer isn’t it my love. Release. But tell me Susanoo Release from what?”
The girl stepped forward and cradled the laying man against her chest the smell of reeds and summer night air filling his nostrils as he groaned against her touch but eventually soothed into it.
“....Please,I’m sorry...I..I can’t take it anymore. Reliving it every moment I close my eyes.”
“Then release, Me?, from your bonds of love?, or from life itself? Tell me and I will do what you could not all those years ago”
The god heaved as he coughed heavily his cheeks sunken in and his eyes dulled and pale when usually filled with the strike of lightning amidst a typhoon.
“Sleep Susanoo, and do what you couldn’t.
Be strong for me.
Kill me...promise me you will”
“ NO!”
Susanoo jerked against the female pushing her away with what little strength he had left the force causing him to fall out of the bed they were on and sprawl out onto the floor as he cursed and clawed towards the sliding door that would take him to the exit.
Ametaru chuckled and stepped around the furniture her bare feet sounding off the antique wooden slats as Susanoo made it to his knees and tried to force the door open but it wouldn’t budge, he wasn’t strong enough.
Ame squatted down her fingers grasping his chin and turning his eyes to gaze upon her.
“You know this won’t work, you cannot escape me. You never have been able to. There is only one way”
“I can’t!!! Get me out of here!...please someone, anyone help me”
“You are so sick, so weak, sleep Susanoo, sleep my love. Then maybe you will have the strength”
A sudden wave of her hand and the god fell to the floor into a deep slumber once more. She grabbed him into her arms and replaced him into the bed his shirt climbing up his back a little revealing the vast amount of blight crawling across his body like a plague.
“Not to much longer and the god of storms and heroes will wither to nothing everything is going according to plan”
The image of Ametaru faded into shadow .
-past-
Susanoo awoke the sunlight blinding him as her voice resounded once more.
He was at the village once again.
It had been a month since he had last seen her and in his hand was a ribbon purchased off a traveling vendor. She would always come to the cliff side to meet him, of course a god and mortal relations were best kept in secret. Yet any time he met with her she was cheerful and loving. She had shown him what true commitment was. She would wait for him every day, never forgetting like most mortals did. Always loving him. One who didn’t deserve such intense and honest, pure love.
He could see her making her way up the incline her smile exuberant brighter than the sun making him want to explode out of his chest the words and feelings he longed to tell her.
Yet as she approached her face stained with crimson her eyes hollow sockets and her voice from soothing and kind contorted and strained as if her throat had been burned.
“YOU PROMISED!!!!!!”
The figure suddenly behind him as he turned and stared into the black pits that remained where her eyes should be.
Suddenly in a flash the god was heaving once more now amidst a tiled floor and he knew he was in takamagahara. This memory...
“And what is it you ask of the queen of the heavens?”
His words came instantly almost on instinct.
“I cannot bear to look at her, every time I see her it reminds of Ametaru”
“It as you so shrewdly put is Ametaru, surely you knew this when you named her”
“I want her back not this soulless thing that wears her face!!”
“That cannot be done and you know it, if she is repulsive to you then destroy her, or send her away”
He felt it now just as then the pang against his heart at the course of action Amaterasu suggested.
“But you cannot. You brought her spirit back and cannot bear to release it out of what? Love? Fear? Selfish desire?”
“I just cant”
“You are a fool, and deserve to live the remainder of your incarnation as one. I will handle this but you shall hold the guilt and bear the brunt of what you created. You Susanoo will reap what you have sown”
The memory faded away once more into the sea of black as he reached out once more grasping for anything.
Images raced past of Ame in chains, her body being devoured, him being too late.
Amaterasu threatening him as he was unable to fulfill the deed. The look on her face as he hurt her again and again the only woman he had ever loved. The woman who had died and forgotten him.
The woman he could not tell his feelings to for it would destroy her beyond repair.
Amaterasu making her a whore of gods before his eyes and once again him being unable to do nothing.....
Susanoo melded into the dreamscape once more as the darkness enveloped his body.
-Present Day-
Susanoo’s body writhed as the blight began to react to the incantation and spread a little more over his body the spiritual bruising creeping across his face as he struggled for air in his sleep.
Outside his shrine three masked phantoms stood guard watching over the deity day and night under the command of the shadow.
Susanoo was fading and soon would be nothing, not a god, not a memory, just...nothing.



​

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Location: 2nd Floor Girls' Bathroom, Shirotome High
Date: April 3rd, 2030
Time: 12:10pm​

Rika (Human) + Momo (Spirit)

“What do you think I should do, Momo?” Rika asked her companion as she washed her hands. She had an hour of lunch break before she had to return to her classes. Naturally, Rika chose to spend it with her best friend since entering Shirotome High. Best ghost friend, that is. Whenever she needed advice, whenever she found herself stressed, Rika would go to 2nd floor girls’ bathroom to speak to Momo.

Rika had other friends of course, but none of them knew of the world she could see. None of them understood the worries that plagued her. None except for Ryotaro Hirai. Rika considered him her friend at least—though they really on started interacting 2 days ago. She had never been especially good at holding superficial conversations. It was why she usually came off as cold and blunt. Defense mechanisms came on because Rika hated to be seen as weak.

With Momo though, Rika felt like she could be herself. “Ryuujin doesn’t seem to care if Ryotaro dies. We don’t know where the phantom is…or how it gets around. It says it’ll kill us if we keep getting involved, but Ryotaro doesn’t intend to back down from a job. I’ve never spoken with a phantom before…” Rika hadn’t even thought it was possible given the only the only thing she’d ever heard them say was ‘Smells Nice’, and maybe a couple of words here and there, strung together in the creepiest of voices , but nothing especially coherent or capable of being responded to. “…but it sounds serious.”

It sounded very human to Rika. But the malevolent aura it gave off…Rika shuddered, scrubbing her hands furiously with more soap. She was weak. She might’ve practiced Judo, beaten bigger-looking guys, but she’d never faced off against someone who would seriously try to kill her before. She’d been afraid. And worst of all, the phantom saw it.

“I think you should stop hanging around with that boy. He’s a bad influence.”

“I can’t do that,” Rika replied firmly.

“But you don’t want to help Ryuujin or the phantom.”

“I want to help my friend.” That was enough of a reason. Rika dried her hands. “Isn’t there anyway to erase the negativity of a phantom?”

Momo shook her head. “I don’t know. I only know that phantoms will eat me if given the chance…so I hid when it came here last night.”

“It came here?” Rika’s eyes widened and grabbed Momo’s hands in hers. “Are okay? Did it hurt you?”

“No. I kept out of it’s way.” Momo paused. “…but I saw how it came here.”

“How?”

“Through a hole in the ground,” Momo spread her arms. “It opened like a portal and closed very quickly.”

“The phantom…came from underground?”

Momo shrugged. “That’s what it looks like to me. Wouldn’t a god like Ryuujin know?”

“Ryotaro’s talking to Ryuujin. I don’t really want to,” Even though she knew she had to eventually. Rika knew she was being childish, but the arrogant, delinquent-looking kid pissed her off to no end. He looked to be around their age, but he spoke like a know-it-all. No. Rika could stand know-it-alls. He spoke like he was better than her—a king deigning to speak with commoners. He wasn’t even a dragon.

Rika wasn’t very good at holding her temper in and she didn’t want a repeat of the hotel. It was better that he go alone if he intended to talk with Ryuujin or Uroko.

“Then how about a different god?”

“Where would I find another god?”

“You don’t know?” Momo leaned in to whisper in Rika’s ear. “He lives in the Computer Clubroom.”

Rika blinked. “Are you serious? The room where Benjiro and his friends hang out? There’s really a god in there?”

Benjiro, the computer club president, bragged about it all the time. Whenever the computer club won another trophy, his speeches always went along the lines of ‘Praise Kami-sama X’ or ‘It’s all thanks to Kami-sama X’. She’d thought he was a weirdo. A nerdy boy and his imaginary god. What kind of god was named Kami-sama X anyway? Sounded like some kind of comic book hero. The sort of thing you would expect geeks to come up with.

“Uh-huh. I hate him though.” Momo disliked all boys so Rika wasn’t especially surprised. “But I won’t deny he’s smart.”

“Got it. I’ll stop by the computer clubroom whenever I get the chance.” Finding an excuse to stop by shouldn’t be hard. Maybe she should just apply to join the computer club. Rika didn’t especially have an interest in computers, but it’d make things more convenient if there really is a god. If there isn’t, she could quit just as easily. Some clubs were serious. Others, like ‘The AfterSchool Club’, were just opportunities to hang out. But, regardless of which club it was, participation wasn’t strictly mandatory.

“He’s not in right now. Easiest would just be leave a post on the school forum asking a question or making a request to Kami_X. He’ll get around to it…” Momo rolled her eyes. “Though he’s more likely to respond faster if you phrase it like a prayer.”

“He’ll…get around to it?” For some reason she figured gods would have some magic mojo that let them be all knowing or do things quickly…but all the ones she’d encountered so far seemed so human…with phantom-fighting powers. She hadn’t even thought Uzume was a goddess until it was pointed out to her. Until Momo pointed it out to her. Even so, Rika thought of Uzume more as a friend than a goddess.

Someone she admired.

“He’s only one god,” Momo explained. “And he’s somewhat lazy.”

"How do you know all this?"

"We've been neighbors for 10 years now." Momo deadpanned. "It'd be weirder if I didn't know."

(mentioned: Lucem )

 

[Karcen]

Location: Kyoto prison
Date: April 3rd, 2030
Time: 12:02 am
​

Azani Goddess of Vengence and grudges & Yoshio Seta (human)

Azani had not explained it to Kuro but she had no allies, no friends, nothing among the gods that remained she was alone. It had always been that way, just her and her mothers no one else had ever been needed. Azani didn't get involved with the gods of heaven, she still remembered the time she had met her sister, Amaterasu rarely left her hidey hole in the sky to come to aid her earthly followers, but long ago that had not been the case and Azani had been there. Azani still could recall the hate in her eyes, the distain in her voice. She had been called a monster by the queen of heaven and maybe she was, if she hadn't been one back then she sure was one by now. Really it was much easier to be a monster, to be hated and feared, after all heaven didn't change so why should she try to fit in with them? The other gods tried to please humans, to give and take over and over, Azani had solved that her followers were hers they made a deal and paid now and forever for it, why give and give and give when you could give once and always get returns despite the fickle attitudes of humans. Azani used humans as much as they used her and she made sure to hold that over them forever, their great debt that could never be erased, but now she would used that debt, that black mark that they could never be rid of to sell them absolution.

Azani had taken Kuro with her trough many , many short lived jumps seeking those marked by her. Those humans still knew gods existed and could see their little owner. Some reacted with fear, some with anger, others almost happy to see her. Azani had been active for so many years and the need for her to settle grudges came and went, but never did it end thus thousands of people, even those that prayed to other gods, were marked by her and thus were hers. While Azani would be angered if another god tried to take what was hers she didn't stop fickle humans from visiting other gods, it was just part of the culture. Still this meant she had people marked from every walk of life and in every age group, thousands of people ready to bear her word. She had a new deal for them, a way out of torment. Just like she had told Kuro Azani would outline the changes they were to start to put forth as divine revelation. A street preacher on one corner was nothing, teen on ten corners was nothing, but hundreds of thousands taking up any corner they could, that was something different. Not all took up the new deal, but most did and Azani didn't harm those that rejected her new deal, that was their choice. So after hours of work Japan would have a new preacher in every city and multiple in many cities soon all would hear of Azani-ōmikami, but they lacked a great unifier.

That would change change as in a kyoto prison Yoshio had gathered the needed items, or well most of them as he had to get a little creative with some of the stuff, but he doubted a god would be so very specific and could over look one or two deviations given his situations. Yoshio needed to call her, he could not be free unless Taro was gone, he had to kill him. Still it was a heavy weight to call for someone's death. This was where he had faltered before taking a life. Toshio looked at himself in the mirror the candles , all home made and not exactly real candles, but hey they had fire, were his only source of illumination making his reflection look odd. Yoshio had talked the guards into putting him away from others for a little and looking the other way for a bit, he was after all a friendly guy that had not ever gone against them and even had seemed to respect them and they paid this back after awhile of sweet talk.

" Goddess of vengeance I call to you." he said making up his mind " I seek vengeance, I seek to have my grudge burred. Azani come to me I seek you help I seek revenge and for it I will burn" He finished the chant was short, and didn't really feel magical, and he couldn't say he expected it to work, but he prayed it did, it had to.


Azani had felt the tug of a new follower and had of course taken Kuro with her, she appeared in a prison where plenty of negative energy was lurking and saw the man that must have called her. He didn't look to old and she could tell he had some charm as even behind bars he had managed to call her, a rare feet in truth. Azani sat on the less than comfy bed " You have called and i have come speak the name you wish for me to settle your grudge with" She said with a smile, perhaps she had just gotten lucky.

Yoshio turned quickly as he heard a voice and gasped in shock, it had worked the goddess of vengeance was here and she had brought.... someone with her. No story had ever mentioned a helper or partner, that was strange, but she had to be Azani no one else could get in here. "I are you d di i...." Yoshio stammered

" Yes yes I am Azani come to settle your grudge, though you don't exactly seem like a bad person to me" Azani said to bait him into talking as humans loved to explain things as if she cared.

" y yes I, well given I called you maybe I'm not so good" Yoshio said but the urge to talk was there " I didn't deserve to be locked up, i was framed by a former follower" he started the words flooding out in the presence of the divine. " I used to be a leader in the AFAH, but I never wanted to kill anyone and then that traitor Taro , he killed the priest we had been beating up and blamed me" Yoshiro explained " I didn't want him dead I just thought he was stupid, he believed in gods.... he was right .... you are real" Yoshio finished truly sounding like a fallen man as his old world of rationality was now completely shattered.

" Well the morality of what you did, is not exactly mine to judge, but your people caused so much harm, the murders the suicides the disasters that have been on the rise are all your fault" Azani explained a sadistic smile on her face " You see we gods do more than grant wishes we fight things that are born form the darkness of humanity your little cause caused them to go out of control" Azani explained as Yopshio actually feel to his knees all the good he had wanted to do had only hurt people.

" We didn't ... I didn't know we thought we were doing good, but we were just fools another religion trying to take over and destroy the old" He said on the verge of tears " I have to... c an I... is there a way I can help fix things?" he asked as deep down he was a good man

Azani tilted her head as if in thought, this guy was perfect how could she ask for a better priest? " Well you might be able to, but first you must understand that human belief empowers us gods, it can even give us certain powers" Azani explained making it seem like the gods weren't dependent on humans but simply drew from them. " What you humans need is a god of redemption to wide away the darkness in your hearts and minds and I can be that goddess if people believe" She continued as Yoshio looked up

" I see but why are you telling me this i don't how can i help?" he asked not fully understanding, but he could tell Azani wanted more than the normal deal she wanted him in her serpent like eyes he could almost see a hunger in them.

Azani chuckled " i need someone with Charisma, someone that wants to save people, someone with a grudge, I need a priest. I want you to be that priest to help spread the word of Azani-ōmikami the goddess of vengeance and redemption. Spread word that people's sins can be forgiven , that those souls trapped in hell can be released if only people pray to me. Build a shrine to me here in this city and gather my many followers to create a unified front. With that I could fight off the darkness you have caused" Zani explained " if you agree then pledge yourself to me and then speak the name of your grudge"

Yoshio needed no further prompting and knelt before bowing before Azani " I Yoshio Seta pledge myself to you Azani-ōmikami as your priest please take my grudge against Taro Umeda " he said meaning every word.

" Good now lets fix some of that shattered pride my dear friend Kuro-Kyogi will help you with that" Azani said before pushing a finger to Yoshio's chest sealing their deal and moving awya to let Kuro have her fill.

Dante Verren

 

[MrThe]

Location: Hasuna's temple, Kyoto City
Date: April 2nd 2030
Time: 5:20pm
Mentions: QuirkyAngel Dante Verren Nico

Hasuna 蓮那
(Goddess)

Hasuna was nothing if not a gracious host, and as the spiritual embodiment of womanly virtue and etiquette, she was an amazing cook. She surmised from the triumphal appearance of the newborn God that the timing of this visit was planned very carefully to coincide with the evening meal, but that didn't bother her that much. Hasuna always made extra helpings to be handed out by the shrine at the end of the day so she could easily accommodate the 2 new arrivals. "What kind of Hostess would I be if I didn't properly care for my honored guests? Please, come and share the evening meal, there is plenty to eat for all. As for the quality, well I'm certainly no Kōjin but I like to think I've got the basics down after 2000 years at least." She called over her regalia "Yuuken dearest! Could you please set 2 more bowls for our new guests?" She had just barely finished cooking when the 2 guests arrived, once Yuuken got done setting the table she sat the guests and gave them a washcloth, making sure that Yuya Sumiko was placed furthest from the entrance, while she sat closest to it. Since everyone was hungry she didn't wait too long before saying "itadakimasu" and beginning to eat.​

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Location: Spirit Room, SSA Building, Kyoto
Date: April 3rd, 2030
Time: 8:15 am​

Kami_X (God of Hackers) + Nana (Goddess of Death)

“Hey Ren—,” The spirit who Kami_X had called out to, a young girl wearing a night colored dress who had been walking hand-in-hand with another little girl, ‘hmphed’ before looking away and leading her companion deeper into the maze that was the ‘Spirit Room’. Renka’s companion peeked at Kami_X curiously, but ultimately followed Renka’s lead. Kami_X chuckled, shrugging. Kids will be kids. One day she’d tire of giving silent treatment, but, honestly, he was used to worst from Pinky who outright ignored him sometimes. The other times were insults. But of course, he couldn’t deny he’d been asking for it either, given her general distaste towards males.

It really didn’t take a genius to guess why a spirit would have an unconscious, uncontrollable fear of something. Kami_X didn’t even need to take a look at her past to know. Humans could be cruel. Kids were no exception. “She still hasn’t found a home yet?”

“Number 4389’s state of employment shouldn’t be your concern,” Nana replied before turning to Shorn, her new employee dressed in back. “Always keep an eye on any god you bring in here. Even if there are spells put in place to prevent violence, gods are not beings to be underestimated and—since sin doesn’t apply to gods—are very capable giving into temptation in a room where many nameless spirits are helpless to defend themselves.”

Kami_X waited patiently while Nana took the opportunity to show the new SSA agent the intricacies of death god work—including the incantation to open the spirit room and all its entailed requirements. The finger print scanners and computers of SSA—despite their appearance—operated via spellwork to recognize the agent rather than electricity so it wasn’t as if Kami_X could easily break in even if he wanted to…unless he knew the calculations of the spell, of course. He’d been in the Spirit Room once, when he named Renka, so he knew what it looked like…but it still inspired amazement all the same. A room, devoid of light, lit only by the hundreds of glowing balls of fluff wandering the halls. More doors appeared as he walked along the seemingly endless path, all numbered for the spirit(s) they housed. Occasionally, he’d find one in human form wandering around the halls, but most seemed to prefer their rooms.

The SSA Office Building sat in the area between the near shore and the far shore. However, the ‘Spirit Room’ was very clearly far shore. There was no air, after all.

Nana led them to a booth with an intercom mic. Pressing a button, she spoke in her usual ever-calm voice. “A shrine-less god of hacking called Kami_X is looking to hire a full-time employee to help him clean and protect a school—as well as other necessary tasks to help him establish his name and build a shrine. Requirements are a willingness to work with kids, ability to work independently, and moderate technological skills. Experience is preferred, but anyone willing to put up with his egotistical, slovenly ways will suffice. High patience is a must.“

“Hey tha—,” Kami_X started to object, but Nana ignored him.

“If any are interested in applying, please make your way to the naming-booth”

Rolling his eyes, Kami_X sighed and plopped himself down in one of the chairs. An advertisement like that—especially given the last two lines—wasn’t likely going to net him any spirits at all, but it’s not like he expected very much given Renka was pretty popular in Kyoto’s SSA Branch. If he couldn’t find a spirit in SSA, he’d have to go out and find one on his own…or try his luck at another branch…which was a LOT more work. Being shrineless was already a mark against him and garnering the distaste of SSA (Kyoto)’s mascot sprit was another that likely blew apart his reputation in SSA. Therefore, Kami_X blinked in surprise when two spirits showed up.

One in fluff form and one in human form. “Guys, huh?” Well, it wasn’t a bad thing. Guys were less finnicky about living standards than girls were. They’d understand the awesome-ness of his action figure collection at least. And the older the were when they died, the better they probably were at handling kids, though he couldn't deny a part of him had been hoping for a cute girl as well. "Works for me~"

“You’re luckier than I thought,” Nana commented. “Number 10012, is a new sprit that was reaped two days ago and there hasn’t been enough time to give him any training—at all—but he likely has the technological knowledge to you need given the time period he was born in. In comparison, Number 8889 has served as a regalia for deified monk for 500 years before the war 10 years ago left him without a god, and likely has the combat experience required to protect you against phantoms, but I doubt he has very much experience with modern technology. Which do you want?”

“Both.” It sounded to Kami_X like they both made up for what the other lacked. He had enough capital, from working, to employ two for his startup. Possessing a regalia would expand the types of jobs he could take on—and be a reassurance in case the Nora he intended to work with refused the investigation job. Besides, two employees was better than one—given he had none—and if Azani-sama was footing the SSA service fee for one of them, Kami_X saw not to pay what he intended to when he came to SSA for the other.

Kami_X started with the fluff, drawing the first name that came to mind in air.

"You, with nowhere to go and nowhere to return, I grant you a place to belong. My name is Kami_X. Bearing a posthumous name, you shall remain here on this earth. With this name, I make thee my servant. With this name and its alternate, I use my life to make thee a Regalia. Thou art Ro. As regalia, Ru. Come Ruki!"

로

The spirit glowed as a name landed on it, marking it, and it flew into into Kami_X’s open hand, taking the shape of a red gun. Images flooded into Kami_X’s mind as all the memories of Roka’s previous life became sealed under the new name. Looks like he’d have to turn down the jewelry store request then.

Or maybe not.

Twirling Ruki in his hand around by the trigger guard, Kami_X turned to the spirit in human form. A bald man who looked to be thirties, wearing a decidedly peaceful expression on his face rugged face. Definitely the former regalia of a monk. Why someone with so much experience would choose to work for a shrineless god of modern technology was lost on him, but Kami_X saw no reason to refuse the assistance.

“Since you guys are the very first employees of the future Kami_X Company, you’ll be paid in shares, and your income will increase as the business does. Any last questions before you are named? Any preferences?” MrThe

Kami_X asked number 8889 because the guy was in his human form, so could probably speak, and a lot more experience than Roka did. Five-hundred years more. Kami_X was only 40. Kami_X may like to tease others, and wasn’t much of a rule follower, but he knew how to respect his elders…to a degree. Respect also had to be earned.

Ruki accidentally slipped off his finger and clattered on the floor.

“Whoops! Sorry about that, Ruki.” Kami_X apologized as he picked up the pistol.

Nana rolled her eyes and glanced towards Shorn. "Part of your job as an SSA agent is to oversee the naming process and ensure none of the spirits of have been unwillingly coerced into a name. While not strictly mandatory, it's best to make some visits on the first few days of the trial period to ensure both parties are satisfied with the new arrangement as refunds are possible during this time and any released or returned spirit due to unsatisfactory performance is a mark against us. You've got your list to work on," The was no real time limit since death predictions ranged from tomorrow to next month. Death rates had increased in the last few years, increasing the spirit and phantom population, but not nearly as bad as the warring periods in human history. "so I don't want overburden you on your first day, but if it's not true much trouble, I'd like you to do this for Kami_X and his new regalia(s) since he'll be the one undertaking a...certain job...at Lilium Resort. Any advice you can give him regarding that place be prudent since you used to be a guest there. It'll also be a good experience for when you successfully find employment for a client of your own. Does that work for you?" The Secret Archives

It was really her job to do the trial visits since Kami_X was her client, but giving a new SSA agent experience early on wasn't a bad idea either. She also knew Kami_X didn't especially trust Shorn, or the seriousness of the job with Ayame, so having him give some 'hints' to Kami_X didn't hurt.

 

[Lucem]

Location: Hirai Office, Kyoto City.
Date: April 2nd, 2030
Time: 9:20 p.m​

Ryotaro Hirai
As soon as Rika left, Ryo sank into his chair, quietly laughing to himself as he thought about her parting words. Unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to listen to that request. He didn't like pushing himself or putting himself in danger, but he didn't have a choice this time. He made a mistake, so he couldn't take it easy.

Ignoring his body's protests, Ryo straightened his back and grabbed his phone. He couldn't go to sleep until he spoke with Uroko. Thankfully, the hotel receptionist was quick to answer the phone. "Can you connect me to Ryuujin in room 503? This is Ryotaro Hirai. My friend and I visited earlier today." While he waited for the call to go through, he covered the phone with his other hand and distanced himself from the photo on his desk. "No eavesdropping."

When he heard the click on the other end of the line, his smile grew a bit wider. "Long time no talk. How's your night been so far? I hope I'm not interrupting anything." It had only been a few hours since he left the hotel, but he already had a lot to report. "Sorry if I'm calling at a bad time, but this is important." The cheerful tone left his voice as he recalled what happened at the school. "We encountered the phantom." Out of consideration, he'd refrain from using its proper name. Uroko and his master probably wouldn't like it if he casually threw around the name of their former friend. Towako probably wouldn't like it either. He likely had some conflicting feelings about being called by that name.

"It'd be more accurate to say that it encountered us. It threatened to take our lives if we didn't stay away. This is a serious situation, but it did confirm something for me. My eyes will definitely be able to track it down. I never had any doubts about their effectiveness, but I'm even more certain about my chances now. It wouldn't have bothered doing all that if it didn't see us as a threat." It was small, but there was a silver lining. However it did little good if Towako killed him before he could give information to Ryuujin.

"Normally, I would've been more prepared for something like this, but I got too absorbed in my investigation and let it sneak up on us. The situation is more complicated now, and I take responsibility. I should still be able to predict when it will appear, so I just need to remain vigilant at all times. That being said, I'd still like to know something. How is it that phantoms are able to travel so quickly? I know when and where they will appear, but I don't know how. I believe understanding that will be important. I'd appreciate it if you could provide an answer, along with any other information you think might be useful." If he wanted to be prepared, he had to make use of everything available to him.

"I'd also like to make a request concerning the target that's been placed on our backs. We chose to involve ourselves in this, but I'd still like to avoid dying. If possible, could you send some of Ryuujin's servants to watch over us? I understand they have other responsibilities, but I think the search would be much easier if we could work without worrying about being attacked. Ryuujin would benefit from this as well." Finding Towako was of extreme importance, so Ryuujin might be willing to accept the request if it brought him closer to his goal. The god now knew that Towako saw Ryo's abilities as a threat, which would help convince him that the Divine Eye was a valuable asset to have on his side.

"I'm asking a lot here, so I'd like to give something in return. While I'm prepared to continue my search as planned, I recently thought of another way to find the phantom. It would require less effort, but it's substantially more dangerous." As much as he didn't want to suggest something like this, he couldn't deny that there was a chance it could work. "What if you used me as bait?" Right after asking for protection, he proposed that Ryuujin put him on a hook and wait for the jellyfish to bite. He realized how crazy it sounded, but he brushed off the thought of being swallowed before someone could reel him in.

"There's a target on my back right now, but we may be able to use that to our advantage. If the phantom tries to kill me, then there's no need to search. It'll find me instead. We'd also have some control over where it will appear." As he pitched the idea, some of the cheer returned to his voice. He spoke in a way that would help lighten the mood, but he never gave the impression that he wasn't taking this seriously. "There's a chance that it will attack Rika or someone else instead of going straight for me, so it would be better to place importance on guarding her and places like the school. Still, I'd need someone to stick close to me without being detected. I think it would be best to leave that to you and Ryuujin while the other regalia look after the other areas. I'd be able to escape while you two confront the phantom, but that's assuming everything goes well. In my experience, things don't always go the way you want. That's why it's important to limit the risk as much as possible by having me be the primary target. Even if the plan fails, I'd likely be the only who suffers because of it. But I'd really rather not die, so I ask that you please do your best to make sure that doesn't happen. It's tough being a human during moments like those."

He was well-aware of how dangerous and ridiculous the plan was, but he still wanted to get a second opinion from someone who wasn't likely to flip him after hearing about it. "I understand how all of this may sound, but believe me when I say I'm giving this some serious thought. I'd much rather go with my original plan and avoid putting myself in that kind of situation, but I didn't want to let this sit in the back of my mind. It's best to lay every option out on the table, hear what everyone has to say, and choose the optimal path. Even if this is a stupid plan, I'd rather regret suggesting it and sounding insane than regret not suggesting it later." As much as he didn't want to do this, he'd go through with it if Ryuujin and Uroko thought it would work. If there was a chance it could work, he'd take it. That aside, there was another reason he wanted to suggest the idea. While it had a chance of success, it would also make it easier to speak with Towako.

QuirkyAngel

 

[Nico]

Location: Hasuna's temple, Kyoto City
Date: April 2nd 2030
Time: 5:20pm
Mentions: QuirkyAngel Dante Verren MrThe

Yuuken (Regalia)

Yuuken had learned from his time with Hasuna how to properly set the table. He had learned a lot about tradition from the goddess, which he was sure he knew about before he died but there was no telling. He had no memories of before he became a regalia and he had heard horror stories about what happens when a regalia learns about how they died. Yuuken didn't care about how he died or what his life was before he became who he is today, he was happy with his life, happy with Hasuna, and tending to the shrine. He didn't really need much else, he considered this his second chance and by the gods was he going to make the most of it.

When Hasuna asked him to set out two extra bowls he was confused, but he did as he was told. Rice had been made for the evening meal, Yuuken had taken it upon himself to make his own meal Omurice, one of his favorite meals. He wouldn't admit to anyone but he found happiness making a smiley face with ketchup on his own. In some ways, he was still a kid at heart, and technically and physically he still was a kid, he was technically only fifteen and still took pleasure in child-like things as mature and grumpy as he put himself out to be.

While thinking about what visitors were going to join them he called out an affirmation that he had heard the order and set two bowls out adjacent to the two bowls he sat out previously. Chopsticks were placed on a napkin next to the bowls and placed the food within them. He was curious as he sat down and eyed the door with a tilt of his head, waiting for the others to show up that he placed a bowl out for. When Hasuna started to eat he looked at his own bowl and clasped his hands together.

"itadakimasu," he said settled down to eat.

 

[Dante Verren]

Location: Kyoto prison
Date: April 3rd, 2030
Time: 12:10 am
​

Phantom( Pride)
Interaction: Azani/Yoshio ( Karcen )


Jumping from one follower of Azani to the next was... tiring to say the least. Admittedly the goddess had more followers then originally expected, and that meant going through a lot of the same speech over and over again. Only when they were summoned to a prison did things start to get rather interesting. Here locked in a cell located in a prison brimming with absolutely mouthwatering amounts of negative emotions was their so called priest. Kuro-Kyogi was not impressed. This man had obviously been here for a while, and his pride was all but broken, It was like looking at a bent tool. Something that had once been rather useful but now had lost all of it's tact and charm. Yet for some unknown reason Azani had chosen this man. Her reasons for it were a mystery, but one particular reason might have been because of the way the interaction was playing out, and the way the man's eyes fell directly on her the human could see them.

As the conversation continued Kuro-Kyogi flapped her wings, and slowly circled around the cell watching very intently. Azani's little speech was a good one, but it wasn't until she heard her shortened named used that her attention was fully brought into the fold. "Excuse me, every introduction you do you seem to add something on to it. First it was shortening my name now it's my dear friend. At the very least refer to me in a professional manner while on business ventures.". she said while giving the goddess a small pout. Kuro-Kyogi no longer cared if Azani shortened her name or called her weird titles such as dear friend, but there had to be a sense of professionalism. The phantom of pride would not allow the humans to think that she was lesser then Azani.

The pout disappeared from her face and she landed with a light clap of her sandals against the hard floor of the cell. crouching down she reached her left arm around Yoshio's back and lightly placed her hand on his left cheek. Moving forward she let her head rest on his ight shoulder and began to whisper into his ear. "Poor poor man. Look at how you were unjustly locked away and left to rot while your enemy lives a life of freedom and joy. Such a sad fate... yet you should not be angry or sad. No not at all. You should be proud. You now serve the queen of hell. Vengeance and redemption are in your grasp because of your past. Do not look back and feel despair, feel pride." her serious expression shifted into a light smile as she began to stoke that ember of pride crushed by the negative emotions holding it back. Slowly but surely she began her feast. "When next you awake, stand tall, for if not for the mistakes of the past you will never have achieved what you have now. That means all you have to do now is be proud." That small ember erupted into a flame as the negative emotions were drained away leaving only the sweet sensation of pride.

like the others before him, with his negative emotions gone Yoshio would drift to sleep. With her meal finished she stood up and nodded to Azani, the deed was done.

Location: Shirotome High
Date: April 3rd, 2030
Time: 12:10pm​

After the events of the night before and the concoction of the plan it was decided that since Azani had no godly friends in heaven, the only choice was to hopefully rely on the gods that remained with the humans. The first god that came to mind was the red head from the school, a god who lived among teenagers would at least know how to spread the word about Azani's change. So here Kuro-Kyogi was. Floating along above the heads of the passing by students as they walked through the hall searching for the fabled computer club in search of Kami_X.

 

[Phayne]

~Regalia~
Location: Forest Outskirts// Date: 01/04/2030 // Mentions: Inemaru @Life.

Ears twitching, Shiro could not help but turn his head to the side as he stole a glance at the weakened phantom, the gargled roar of the disfigured monstrosity causing the nearby onlookers to flee in the opposite direction. Phantoms that had been drawn towards the commotion had now done a full 180, turning tail in the opposite direction whilst others also attuned to the spiritual began to stir. All around them, the wildlife had begun to react to the negative energy that had begun to suffocate the air. Amidst the pained gargling of the monstrosity, the cawing of birds had started to echo all around them, an increasing crescendo of noise as the cacophony of birds once hidden among the various tree's took to the skies, whereas those rooted to the ground were left to scutter into whatever nook and cranny they could find in order to steal whatever smidgen of solace they could find. To those not attuned to the spiritual, it would have appeared as nothing more than a random flock of birds spooked to the skies, or various stray cats seeking refuge amongst the darkened alleyways. Alas, if only they could see what was truly happening around them, would they realise the predicament that they could have been in.

"He looks uglier then before.." thought Shiro as his attention was momentarily drawn up towards Inemaru, the god of justice not wasting a beat when it came to his duty. By now, after the second grenade, the duo and their pursuer had began to leave the main city; the trio entering a more isolated area, the once paved pathways becoming nothing more than dirt. As had been executed many times in the past, Shiro was well aware that this was the moment where they would make their move and attack, the large body of his being the perfect tool to keeping the beast distracted while its eventual executioner got into place, the assassin hidden in the shadows waiting for the opportune moment to claim its bounty.

After a few moments of being separated from Inemaru, Shiro finally began to slow his sprint before eventually coming to a sliding halt within a small opening in the forest, a familiar area to the spiritual being and one littered with stories of previous foes vanquished upon the very ground him and his present victim now stood upon. With a sly grin present across his face, the large fox turned to face his pursuer, bestial eyes fixed upon the mangled anatomy of the phantom as the two entities began to square off once more. The final showdown between the two large creatures as before the day ended, one of them would no longer exist. Licking his lips in anticipation, Shiro studied his opponents, thoughts and ideas swirling within his head as he was given the 'go-ahead' to go wild. Unlike the tight confines of the city streets and the oblivious citizens that carried on with their lives Shiro was no longer restrained here.

With deafening silence, the large fox charged forward; his body lithe and arrow like as he charged head first into the salamander like behemoth, the white flash that encapsulated his entirety glimmering in the rays of sunlight that shown from above. Unprepared or simply sluggish from the effects of the holy grenades, the phantom had taken the brunt of Shiro's charge, its gruesome body being flung towards the ground as its balance was lost, another gargled cry echoing from its maw as it crashed into several large tree's. Without a moment to recover from the initial tackle, the phantom could only watch as Shiro continued his unrelenting assault, his fangs visible as Shiro went for one of its appendages, thick sabers piercing the flesh of the salamanders right arm as Shiro began to shake violently, the creature screaming in agony as its arm was thorn asunder.

.​