Summary:
Work smarter, work harder was a saying Nanami identifies with well. She would have to with a part time job, full time school, and juggling an irresponsible father longer than she could remember. A completely new society and culture revealed to her just because some guy kissed her forehead takes the cake. Now she is a part of this new world, and she's determined to not screw this up by rushing in like an idiot.
Kiss Kiss
Chapter 4
The Tengu wouldn't go away. Well, it did after a while, but it kept coming back day after day. It was starting to become annoying when this hawker would harass any being that was within its line of sight. The Tanuki children and Wisps avoided it like it was a plague.
Nanami started to get frazzled around it, and her inner imbalance was starting to show in the shrine. The air wasn't as crisp as before. The plants in the shrine didn't seem to have the abundance they had previously. The water at the temizuya wasn't as refreshing.
The Land God didn't yet have the power to purify the Tengu demon, and it seemed like she didn't have the heart to do so either.
"Should I kill you now, human, as a show of mercy?" He asked plainly, leaning against the doorframe as he watched the temporary Land God practice creating White Talismans. Temporary because humans and their lifespans never last long, and then Mikage would return. She flinched. "You will have to face stronger opponents if you ever want to leave this place." Her hand trembled, and he watched her calligraphy skill decline before his eyes.
"I…" She mumbled before visibly gathering her courage. "I don't know what to do. I've researched the different ways to handle aggressive demons." Yes, he knew. Tomoe glanced silently at the pile of books and scrolls at her side. "I've talked with the Wisps, and I can't handle demons like that one yet. And…" She trailed off, making a tight swirl on the paper with her brush. "I don't think I can do that. Take away someone's existence."
He knew that too. This human was fragile in many ways that he detested, and it seemed she was crumbling in one of the few ways he felt respect for her.
That she withstood the responsibility of the Mikage Shrine with a straight back, and hadn't once complained about it to anyone or let her pride fall. She hadn't taken the easy way out and let him continue to maintain the shrine. That she had taken it upon herself to improve not just the land around her, but the beings as well. Onikiri now loved to read, and Kotetsu had grasped the basics of writing and was beginning to make stories of his own. The human had even included the other demons that stayed at the shrine in her lessons.
Tomoe could say without lying that he didn't like the Wisps much, but he still felt fond of them from when they handled Mikage together. And handled was the correct word. Mikage was a handful and a half, and it took the coordination of clockwork gears to keep that God happy.
To see them satisfied, and improving made him feel something he couldn't describe. It felt full in his chest. Was this pride? Watching them skit across the grounds like they didn't belong made that feeling fall apart like dry sand.
For them, he sauntered over to the Tengu one month after its first appearance, and promptly changed its form into that of an ostrich. Then he hunted it. He hadn't yet decided what to do with it when he caught it. Eat it? Let it go with a warning? Cook it? The end result would be the same. The shrine would get better, and the inhabitants that took care of the shrine would go back to normal. He released it to prowl after once again.
Later, his hand grasped the ostrich's long neck in a vice next to the Torii gate, and he was internally debating the merits of the bird's meat when he heard the human call out.
"Wait! Tomoe! STOP!" His grip loosened slightly. "Don't kill him- please."
He arched an eyebrow at the human from the other side of the barrier and stared her down . She stood tall under his gaze.
He hated humans, but this one was more tolerable than the others he had come across. At least she had her backbone again.
He dropped the crow Tengu.
"So, why is Kurama an ostrich?" Nanami asked. She eyed the pendant around the bird's neck. "And why is his necklace still there when his clothes are gone?"
"I have no clue, and that guy isn't human." Tomoe answered lazily from his sprawled position on the porch.
She rubbed the hair on her arms. She still had goosebumps from her proximity near Kurama. That oppressive sensation across her skin set her on edge. "Yeah, I could have told you that. My hair won't go down."
Her comment seemed to get Tomoe's attention. His ears were perked in her direction. "Yeah? How long have you been able to do that?"
The Land God shrugged. "Five or six weeks. Why? Is it important?" She answered. Nanami didn't bother to mention the starlight she could see now every time she closed her eyes. If he wanted to know, he could ask. "Anyway, turn him back to the way he was."
"But-"Crocodile tears formed in Tomoe's eyes. "Cooked ostrich for dinner-"
"TURN HIM BACK!"
Tomoe harrumphed then there was a cloud of smoke, and when it dispersed, Kurama was back to his original form. He was bruised from where Tomoe had gotten him before releasing him to be hunted again. Even his wings were battered.
She heard a breathed "I thought I was a goner." from Kurama with a brief sense of satisfaction. Brief because she noticed he was injured, and she wasn't the kind of person to let another go untreated. And since the Tengu hadn't been repulsed out of the barrier yet…
Onikiri returned with the first aid kit a few minutes later. Nanami pulled out the bandages and the antiseptic, and was about to start when she felt a looming presence behind her. It felt like a big fire. Dangerous, but the intent wasn't directed at her. She looked up to see Tomoe smiling down at Kurama. A smile that wouldn't be dissimilar to poisoned honey.
She couldn't exactly ask him to do anything without doing something in return- the Land God was certain she was going to pay for rescuing Kurama later- so she let him be and started to apply the medicine.
"Listen Kurama, I don't like you." She began, uncaring of the hurt look the Tengu was displaying. He was a pop-star, he was bound to be good at acting. "I've helped you this time, so please stop bothering everyone at the shrine. Promise, okay?" Nanami could feel Tomoe's presence skyrocket behind her when the celebrity didn't answer right away. Then he nodded, and she could see the beads of sweat on the sides of his face.
"Alrighty then! Let's get you patched up. It wouldn't be fair to your fans that you're beaten up and scarred." She unrolled the gauze and wrapped it around a bruised wrist. Finishing it with a neat knot, the Land God continued onto the next area that needed to be covered.
Nanami focused on the more visible injuries like the ones below the elbow and on the face and his wings –that she was just realizing weren't a prop during his live concerts. He was really flying over the crowd, and no one realized. Or at least publicized it.
"There ya go! All done!" Nanami felt Tomoe bend over her crouched form.
"Good. Now get out of here before I change my mind and eat you."
The Land God blinked, and Kurama was already disappearing down the stone stairs. "You need to work on your bandaging skills." The fox demon commented and left in a ball of fire. He was probably going back to that tea house in the other world. She puffed her cheeks in indignation, and stomped back towards the shrine.
Nanami noticed the head sticking out from behind a corner. "You can come out now. He's gone. I doubt he's going to really bother us again." She called over then proceeded inside. The Land God was going to whip up some rice cakes as a preemptive "thank you" so Tomoe couldn't demand more.
As she was tying back the sleeves of her kimono, she heard something hard pitter-patter onto the floor. She finished the knot and bent over to pick up whatever it was. A small black rock shined in the light on her palm. It was pretty.
The Land God had no clue where it came from. It didn't match the gravel outside. She shrugged, and put it on the windowsill, turning her thoughts towards the food she was going to cook.
The atmosphere of the shrine felt better already.
She was sweeping around the recently built administrative building with the hidden rear portion an extra living space. The Tanuki children and the Wisps didn't think it was appropriate for them to be staying in the sacred part of the shrine where the Kami resided -where she lived. So she caved and requested the ogres who had still been repairing the shrine to build something for guests and those under her protection. The front was a bit of a surprise when they told her before they left what each room had been designed for from the windows, but it can only help, so she thanked them, and gave them their payment of food and White Talismans.
The Land God was moving onwards to sweep the pathway that connected it to the shrine when she sensed someone climbing the stairs. Onikiri and the Tanuki children had gone out for food an hour ago, and who knew if Tomoe was going to stop by this week. "Kotetsu!" She called. "Would you mind running interference? We're about to have a human in the grounds."
There was a beat of silence where the wind played with the leaves of the trees when the Wisp answered from within the nearby structure, "Yes, Lady Nanami. I can do that!" He soon floated out through the open window, and waited by the Torii gate.
With that settled, Nanami went back to sweeping, and tried her best to focus on her chores. "Please let this work. Kami-sama, if you're listening, give me this opportunity!" Broke her concentration like a broadcast directly to her thoughts. Which it was since it was the stranger's prayer, but it was odd. The accent was a little strange, and the words sounded like something else was was being said at the same time. She carded her fingers through her hair thoughtfully, trying to figure out what made this prayer different.
"Excuse me?" A male voice asked a bit behind her. "This is the Mikage Shrine, yes?"
"That's right." She turned. Oh. That explained it. The stranger was a foreigner. "What can I do for you?"
"Uh, there was a wanted advertisement at the agency." He started, but she already knew what he was going to say. He was a private teacher, and had seen the ad she had posted on that day she was out and about on errands.
"You know that the pay is lower than the standard, but it comes with room and board in exchange?" She clarified. She couldn't go any higher in her price range, and if this man asked her to do so, she wouldn't budge.
"I'm aware. As long as the agreement can not be broken off without due cause and notice, and I have the time to explore the different regions of Japan, I do not mind." She had a feeling there was a story there, but didn't push. They were strangers, and she had no right to intrude. The man then introduced himself as Ethan Cagiano, following the western tradition of saying the given name before the surname. He had dark blond hair and pretty grey eyes for a man.
"That sounds reasonable. After we talk some more about what we can expect from each other, I can get Tomoe to write up a mutually beneficial contract when he shows up." She said with a smile. "Until then, feel free to enjoy the shrine as a guest."
He gave her a look. "You are very mature for your age."
"I've had to take care of myself for a long time, Cagiano-san." Was her careful reply before she moved away to complete her chores.
The Wisp followed her. "Do you want me to fetch Tomoe?" He seemed to think he wouldn't succeed, but was willing to try if asked. She didn't think that would be possible either.
"Actually, if you could spread word to everyone that I'll be making Inarizushi and rice cakes for dinner and to be appropriately human looking for our human guest." She smiled to herself when Kotetsu seemed to get it.
His mask seemed to grin wider for a moment before he saluted. "Right away, Lady Nanami!" He flew off.
Nanami blinked, and in the split second her eyes were closed to see the starlight , she realized Ethan had gotten closer when she had been focused on talking with Kotetsu. She turned to see him curiously approaching the blooming sakura tree. He didn't seem to have heard anything. She sighed quietly with relief.
"How is it possible for these trees to be in bloom? This species normally blooms in the first half of the year, yes? Is that the reason why the other trees are not blooming?" He asked her, catching a blossom as it passed in the wind.
She couldn't exactly say she was practicing her godly powers, and that she hadn't gotten around to the other trees because blooming a tree still took a lot out of her. Yeah, that would go down well. She could see the men in white jackets coming now. "I don't know. I haven't been around long enough to know if it's normal." Nanami eventually answered after a moment of thought.
The peaceful moment of watching the sakura trees passed with the abruptness of snapping one's fingers.
"Hey, Nanami! I heard you invited the whole group for dinner tonight. Do you want me to help you out in the kitchen?"
"Kurama." The Land God deadpanned. "I'm pretty sure you weren't invited." But she didn't just feel the usual windy pressure, she also felt the sensation like she was walking over smooth earth without her shoes on. Which meant-
She turned to see the pop-idol carrying groceries with the two Tanuki children standing behind him and carrying what was left over. All three looked human, and the fraternal twins Suzu and Akio were finally able to disguise the leaf that was probably invisible on their foreheads.
"Well, I helped bring back food, so you can't turn me away now. And you'd get all kinds of bad publicity for kicking me out!" He countered, and she could see humans who were probably his fans coming up the stairs when she closed her eyes and forced herself to breathe calmly.
"A publicity stunt huh?" She looked over to the Torii gate to see people already near the top. The Land God could see their shoulders from where she stood. "Then I suggest you let us handle the bags so you can do what you came to do here." She leaned her broom against the tree next to her so she could help. With a blink, she noted Ethan had moved between one tree that was blooming and another that wasn't.
Nanami took the bags from Kurama's arms, and led the Tanuki children inside to store the food properly. Soon after, she sent the twins out to finish sweeping after a quick glance at their clothes. They were appropriate enough, and she decided her own kimono was close enough. She gathered her better White Talismans, and sent the Onikiri ahead to the administrative front with some change that had been collected over the years so she wouldn't have to worry if someone bought something. Then she stepped out, and was surprised that she recognized the girls following Kurama from the high school she used to attend.
She seemed to be remembered as well because she was soon accosted well before she had made it to the administrative building. "Hey, aren't you that girl that dropped out on the first day of school?" One called out, drawing more attention to her.
"Yeah. Something came up, and I'm trying to catch my education back up so I can finish around the time I was expected to when I was attending public school." She replied, and made the rest of the way to the already open front. Nanami put down the artful pile of folded White Talismans on the level below the window.
"Please Kami, make me dinner tonight." Three guesses as to who that was, and the first two don't count. She rolled her eyes, and purposefully didn't look at the Tengu. She could still feel his aimed grin at her. Then the prayers started to come in left and right. Most of them were about Kurama in some way, but some of them were reasonable.
Then somehow word got out that this shrine was dedicated to a matchmaking God- which is not true! Okay, maybe it is. But she didn't have much practice at that sort of thing! Her health and luck themed talismans went like hot cakes, and Nanami had to send the Onikiri back to the main shrine for change more than once.
Eventually, all of the patrons made their way back down through the Torii gates. Kurama returning soon after like a dog expecting a treat for doing a trick.
"Fine. Fine. You can come to dinner. Tomoe's coming too, just so you know." Nanami said when the Tengu was getting melodramatic.
Thankfully, Kurama was headed off before he started on his usual tirade about the fox demon. "Sorry to interrupt, but are you a celebrity or something?" It was Ethan, who seemed to have finally sated his curiosity for the out of season blooming.
There was a moment of awkward silence before Nanami went through rushed introductions, and then realized she hadn't introduced herself before and added herself. She then ushered everyone inside, and started to talk about conditions and expectations for hiring Ethan.
The Tengu watched the private teacher with obvious distrust from his perch on a stool in the kitchen. Nanami would have set him up for a task, but didn't trust his skills in the kitchen. Which left him to watch. Ethan wasn't involved in the cooking process because she was equally unsure as with Kurama, and the Wisps had been sent off to do other things so ingredients wouldn't be floating and chopping themselves to the spiritually blind human.
Suzu was setting the table with her brother's help when Kotetsu floated in through the open kitchen window, and announced Tomoe's arrival.
That would have been nice… Instead, the Wisp explained that Tomoe wouldn't show up while the outsider was still around.
She really doubted that. He couldn't stay away for more than a week before she felt his presence on the grounds.
The fact that everyone had stopped what they were doing to look at the same point in the air for a few moments was probably weird from Ethan's perspective, and Nanami was trying to figure out if hiding the other side of the shrine's life from the teacher would work. If they came to an agreement- that is. The way he was glancing between the beings he could see was probably proof that wouldn't work.
Dinner was a tense affair where Nanami and Ethan talked terms and requirements, the Twins had sequestered themselves to eat somewhere outside, and Kurama watched the humans converse with a distrusting gaze. He was probably right in his reaction, and Nanami would have been the same if she couldn't see his starlight.
It didn't look anything close to being harmful or malicious like the thuggish gangsters she had passed on that day full of errands. The intention to do harm had dimmed the lights she could see, while those who were aging and getting closer to death had a light that flickered in the dark. Ethan's starlight was bright and unwavering. As long as she could get along with him, she would have no problem putting her trust in him.
She was plucking weeds from the walkway when a thought came to her. "Onikiri, the way I make familiars, does that take effect when I kiss a human too?"
"Don't know. Maybe you should try it." Was the lofty reply. That wasn't Onikiri.
Nanami looked around to see the Wisp was nowhere to be found. Instead, there was Tomoe lazing on the Torii Gate and she couldn't sense him.
"How are you doing that?" The Land God asked, getting to her feet.
"Doing what?" He tossed a rice cake into his mouth.
"I can't sense you." She closed her eyes and searched for that familiar sensation of flames that didn't burn. The starlight was a bit distracting, but she caught the barest lick of a flame before it receded. "Well, I can. It just feels like you've tucked away your presence somehow."
Tomoe was watching her steadily. "And it doesn't offend you? The presence of demons." He clarified.
Nanami thought hard on her answer. "Not really. Kurama was pretty bad at the beginning, but I think he was doing it on purpose."
The fox demon hummed, and retrieved something from his billowing sleeves. He tossed it to her, and after skimming over the first few sentences, Nanami realized it was a contract for Ethan.
She didn't know what she could do for him in return, since the relationship was more of a trading system. She could do food again, Tomoe seemed to enjoy her cooking, but that seemed a bit shallow for this. It was obvious that Tomoe disliked humans, and didn't help her if it didn't improve the shrine in some way. The contract meant that Ethan would be sticking around for a while in no apparent way that benefited the Mikage Shrine. In fact, her attention would be divided. Maybe he was warming up to her?
The Land God didn't let her hopes get up. She thanked him happily, going for a hug that was evaded, and walked inside with a hop to her step. She was going to make everything that Tomoe liked for dinner tonight.
It was only when she closed the door that Nanami realized that Tomoe hadn't explained how he had hidden his presence from her. Sly fox, she thought fondly.
She stared at the contract on the dinner table in front of her. It was very subtle indeed, but the way of the wording hinted at keeping more than the professional teacher-student confidentiality.
Looked like Tomoe was of the opinion to show the other life of the shrine to Ethan.
Nanami thought so too, but how to broach a topic like that, and how to prove it.
"Kotetsu." She called to the Wisp on the other side of the table, who was slowly scrawling words out with a determination to keep his writing neat. He looked up, lifting his brush away from the paper. "Is there a way to see the other when you're not spiritually aware?"
Kotetsu scratched at his mask thoughtfully. "You would need an object embedded with the energy of the other to hold or touch. Something from a powerful being should work. A hair, a feather, or a nail." He said eventually, and continued with "But it's very dangerous to be aware. Its like looking into the dark. There is something there to look back at you."
Nanami nodded in understanding, and they both turned back to the papers before them.
((A/N: I'm not going to bore you with what I've been up to in the last several months. Suffice to say that Tomoe was being huffy with the beginning of this chapter, and I couldn't get him to play nice enough for what I needed him to do.
Do you think I got him right this time? Let me know. I can't read your minds, you'll have to tell me.
Hopefully I can get back into this story, but we'll see. Bye!))