Part 3: Chapter 13
Sadly, I do not own the anime: Noragami.
Time: Three days later.
Sitting with Kofuku on a park bench, Hiyori looked up at the dismal, grey sky, shuddering a little. The unseasonably warm weather had suddenly turned to unseasonably cold weather, resulting in a landscape that resembled a winter paradise, or at least a winter something.
She called me Hiyorin again, Hiyori mused happily, all too aware of the goddess of poverty who sat on the bench with her, her arm linked around Hiyori's, and with her chin resting on Hiyori's shoulder. To say it was an invasion of personal space would be like saying snow is cold.
But oh gods, I hope Eiko doesn't see this. That would cause all sort of problems. Hiyori smiled. Sitting as they were in a park close to Kofuku's home, they did look like a couple. I don't mind, not really, but I'm not sure how I feel about the way she's breathing on my neck, . . . and in my ear. On the other hand, she does block the wind, and she's nice and toasty warm.
Not having seen Hiyori for close to two weeks, the goddess had clung to the girl as soon as she'd arrived and had not let go since. Daikoku's efforts to separate them had been in vain, and he'd eventually given up to sit down a few feet away to watch Yukine and Melody alongside them.
It was only natural to introduce them, Hiyori thought, watching as the two had a borderline duel. Melody was winning. It seemed she was actually quite good at casting them. Kofuku's guess was that the girl had, upon moving to a new country with new gods, lost her confidence. The goddess of poverty had not been told about Hiyori's own duel with five gods, and never would be. She didn't need to know. Whatever the reason, after the ablution the girl's ability to cast borderlines had returned.
Watching the serious expressions on the faces of the two young Regalia, Hiyori grinned. Language was still a problem for Melody, and would be for quite some time, but it seemed those two didn't need to speak to have fun. Borderlines flashed into existence, then vanished just as sudden as Melody forced Yukine into another close defeat.
Comfortable with the silence that existed between her and Kofuku and Daikoku, Hiyori found that she was quite content to do nothing other than sit and watch the two Regalia at play. She still grieved for the three children who'd died so that she could live, but knowing that she was the product of their death, not the cause, had alleviated her guilt. Mostly when she thought of them, she now felt immense gratitude and an appreciation for life.
And it explains so much, she thought, not sure how she felt about what Izanami had told her. It explains why I can see the gods and the regalia and the phantoms. And it explains how I can use something similar to borderlines. I'm pretty much like a regalia. The spirit those three children would've formed would have been much like any loose spirit before it was named by a god. Then, when a god names them, they share in the god's body. But me, I took a corpse as a body. And my parents named me. As Izanami told me ages ago, I'm human. I have have a human spirit, and a human body, but in so many other ways I'm like a phantom that's possessing someone else's body.
I can live with that. It's not that's much different from the regalia. Not sure why I never thought of it before, but regalia can corrupt gods just like phantoms can corrupt a person. They also share a body with their god, just like a phantom shares the body of the person they corrupt.
And I'm glad I'm alive. Those three could've fought and died. That wouldn't have killed mom – with access to modern day medicine her health would've been monitored, and if things had gone too far she would've had an abortion. But if she had, I wouldn't be here. In a way, they're as much my mother as mom is. And like I'm proud of her and dad, I can be proud of them - they died saving the life of someone I love.
Dad was surprised when I asked if mom had been ill during her pregnancy, and he tried to hide it. But, . . . well . . . it's hard to keep a secret from a succubus. It seems they'd had an abortion planned for just three hours later when she started to feel better. Dad had wanted her to still get the abortion, but she refused. Ye gads, so close. Hiyori shuddered a little and Kofuku gripped her arm even tighter.
Of course my two sisters were cremated and placed in the family plot. When we went t visit them, Mom and dad couldn't figure out why I insisted on three lots of flowers for them and not two. How can I explain that all three died, and that like Izanami claims, I'm just a thief who stole one of their bodies. I can't, nor would I even ever try to.
And with how she lost two of the three of us, or so she believes, it explains her paranoia. I can tolerate her actions now. She loves me, and would see what she did the same as a parent having surgery performed on a child with cancer. The treatment is horrible, but even worse would be not treating the cancer.
Hiyori sighed. And once again I worried them by going comatose for almost an entire day with no warning. On the other hand, when I told them that for a week I would be going into that state a bit less, that caused all three of them to give a sigh of relief. So comical, all three making the same expression at the same time. And it tells me Yua does care about me. Her expression was identical to mom's and dad's.
Egads. With her upbringing, I wonder how she could've turned out so sweet. The way her parents treated her makes me so mad. For crying out loud, she hadn't even ever built a snowman. Or a snow fort. Though come to think of it, I'd never really built the latter either. Wasn't the sort of thing Akira and Aimi and I were into. Still, it makes me mad.
Hiyori watched the two regalia in their no-holds barred battle for a few more minutes, and couldn't help but smile.
"I have something I have to do," she told Kofuku, prying at the girl's hands. Those hands only relented when she added, "I'll be back in a few days."
Freed from the grip of the goddess, Hiyori slid her hands into her jacket pockets, wondering why she'd neglected to bring gloves. Boots crunching the snow beneath her feet, she left the park with her mind now on Izanami and the man she'd rescued just three days ago. And the pay she'd received. It seemed those coins were worth a small fortune, with the four of them having a market value close to two-million yen. Maria had been only too happy to take them off her hands in exchange for what Hiyori owed her.
One problem solved, Hiyori thought happily. There's still the money I owe Kofuku, but I'm betting the way she sees it, the longer I'm in debt to her, the longer I'll be dropping by to pay it off. Now, to deliver that envelope. I wonder why Izanami wanted me to deliver it in person. Oh well, I'm sure she'll tell me eventually, though it does make me a bit nervous.
After an hour on the bus, it was only luck that let her see the man she'd rescued leave his apartment, walk to the bus stop where she was getting off, and wait for another bus. Not sure what she should say when she gave him the envelope she hesitated. Then, recalling the look on his face when she'd carved Izanami's message into the bench he'd been sitting on, her expression turned a bit mischievous. It's a message from a god, Hiyori mused, smiling, I can be a bit mysterious. Glad I'm dressed in black pants, and that I'm wearing a black jacket. The goth look will make it look even more mysterious, more like the dark servant of a dark god.
She followed the man onto the bus, carefully using borderlines to make sure he didn't see her. When he sat down, she took the seat opposite him.
He looks a bit better than he did after that stuff with the fire, Hiyori mused, licking her lips. I was right, he does look nice when he's clean shaven and has on clean clothes. She shook her head. Sheesh, what's wrong with me? He's at least twelve to thirteen years older than me, and even Izanami claims we wouldn't suit each other. Oh well, I can have my fantasies.
She waited, and when the bus had been moving for a few minutes, she let the borderline she had between them fade, then leaned forward to let the envelope she carried drop into his lap.
Again, his expression was comical. To him it would've been like she'd been sitting in the seat all along, and he hadn't took notice of her until she moved. Except he'd been staring right at that seat, and he knew it had been empty. His eyes glazed over and he looked confused. Then reason told him he must've been mistake about the seat being empty, and the confused expression faded.
"What's this?" he asked, smiling warmly at her, sending shivers of delight down her spine.
Face expressionless, she reach over and flipped the envelope over, then tapped the symbol that'd been written so that it covered one entire side of the envelope: the symbol for Izanami.
He blinked, then looked back up. The confused expression returned, then deepened. She'd cast another borderline between then, and his eyes could no longer registered her presence. She was there, and his subconscious knew she was, but his conscious mind refused to accept it.
She got off at the next stop, leaving the man holding the envelope with a look incredulity on his face. That expression also held both hope and fear, as well as wonder. He was a man to whom the gods had revealed themselves, and he still wasn't accepting of it.
Several hours later she found herself in the children's ward of the hospital, preparing for the show she'd agreed to put on for the younger patients. While Halloween was a foreign custom, it was one where the hospital always had a party for the kids. Those kids were now staring, wide-eyed, as she placed the materials she planned to use for the show in midair. Yua was among them, having, of course, attended her sister's show. So was Eiko who'd decided to work her own much greater magic in the hospital that night.
She herself was sitting in a large, comfortable armchair that was, of all colors, a bright orange, and shaped like a pumpkin. Her black pants and black shirt drastically contrasted with it, giving the impression that her every move would be seen.
Aren't borderlines great, Hiyori mused with a smile. She'd formed one that was horizontal to the ground, and was using it as a shelf. Able to determine what passed through it and what couldn't, it was totally intangible except for the items she was placing on it. The few parents who were attending the party with their kids were also wide eyed. One guy had his face scrunched up, and appeared to be thinking furiously while he stared at the balloons and cards she'd placed on the 'table.'
Having wore a black t-shirt, she stretched out her arms and loudly cracked her knuckles, announcing the start of the show, and drawing attention to the fact she had no sleeves, and hence could have nothing up them.
Wondering how to proceed, Hiyori became lost in thought for a few seconds, then she shrugged, knowing it didn't really matter. There was no need to make it look professional, just so long as the kids had fun. She settled back in the chair.
"You," she said, pointing at a woman who sat beside a boy of six. She knew he was six because she'd asked the nurses what each kid liked, and had learned a few things about each. And with her succubus memory, she remembered it all. "Take those cards, shuffle them, and hand one out to every kid here. Then place the remainder of the deck back on the, um, table." Order given, she let herself settle back in the chair, and appeared to be resting while she waited, eyes closed.
Looking curious, the woman approached the cards that floated in mid-air. Tentatively, as if nervous, she plucked them out of the air and turned around and handed a card to each of the twenty-odd kids. Finished, she returned to stand in front of Hiyori, looking down with a puzzled expression, clearly wondering at how to place what little remained of the deck of cards on a table that didn't exist. She slowly lowered them until they were in the same place as before and let go. They remained in place. The borderline was, of course, intangible to her, so her fingers passed through as she did so.
Hiyori opened her eyes and smiled. "You," she said, pointing to the little boy the woman had returned to sit beside. "Seven of hearts, right?"
He nodded.
Hiyori closed her eyes and snapped her fingers. The card the boy held out changed into a chocolate bar. Knowing she should keep up the pace, every three seconds she pointed at a kid, named their card, then snapped her fingers. Each time she did so, she rushed from her chair in spirit form, took the card and replaced it with a treat the kid liked.
Good start, Hiyori mused, liking the audience's reaction. "By the way," she added. "The adults will find a treat of their own in their pockets." The visiting parents, and the three nurses, searched their pockets. The parents pulled out a small snapshot of their kid, discretely slipped in their pockets while she'd changed the cards for treats. The nurses got a pack of candy.
Hiyori tossed a smile Eiko's way. The girl had sat with her for hours as they'd brainstormed what treats to give the kids. For some, with their medical condition, it'd been hard. The girl blushed and smiled back.
Healing will never be a part of a succubus' power, Hiyori thought, feeling a bit envious. She wonders at how I can 'banish' spirits so easily, and I wonder at her power to heal. We're the opposite sides of the same coin – she is life and I am death.
Turning her attention back to the show she was supposed to be putting on, Hiyori asked herself, what next, and noticed the man who'd so scrutinized the invisible 'table' earlier. Looking very professional, he wore black pants and a white shirt, with a black vest and necktie. From the nurses she knew he was a magician, and that the very tired looking eleven year old girl he had his arm around was one of the ones who Eiko would be helping using the power of her god.
"You," she said, nodding her head towards the man. "No cameras." She snapped her fingers, and the cellphone the man had been discretely raising to tape her with 'teleported' to her hand. Hiyori beckoned the man forward.
"I'm sorry," he said, truly apologetic. "I, um, . . . . I'm sorry."
"I wanted to watch the show later on," the girl he'd been with said in a tired, barely audible voice. She looked panicked at the thought of her fathering taking the blame for something he'd been doing for her sake. "I wanted to try to figure out the tricks with him."
She wanted to become a magician herself, Hiyori recalled. And the animal she likes, for some weird reason, is . . . . She closed her eyes and let her right arm rest on the borderline with her index finger just an inch from the balloons she'd brought.
One of the black balloons rose into the air and drifted over to the girl, where invisible lungs began to blow it up. Then it began to twist and turn until it became the shape of a bird. It was actually a parrot, Hiyori didn't know how to make a raven, but with the black color she hoped it would pass as the latter.
"Don't break the rules, okay," she told the girl with a smile as the balloon animal drifted down to land in her hands. The girl nodded. Tired as she looked, she had watched the 'raven' take shape with bright, awe struck, eyes.
"As for the cellphone, it's in the pocket of one of the nurses." She beamed another smile at the man, "You can picked it up after the show."
The nurses began to check their pockets, while the man blinked, knowing the girl hadn't moved from where she was sitting.
"I had a lot of help putting this show together," Hiyori then announced, nodding towards Eiko and Yua. In front of a blushing Eiko, more balloons rose into the air to twisted themselves into the shape of a large, red rose. For Yua, several brightly colored balloons became what looked to be a stuffed teddy bear.
Okay, time to move on to something else. Balloon animals are easy, but they take too long. At the end of the show I'll make something for each kid, but until then, what do I do, . . . . I know, . . . .
She smiled at the man who'd returned to his daughter. "Since you're so curious, . . . ."