The Senkai created by hermits is a special space that is made to suit their needs, be it for training or recreation. For the rose-coloured hermit, Kasen, it served as her home and a nice spot to enjoy an afternoon break with a company.
She currently sat at a table on the outdoor porch outside her home. It was the designated time of the day for snacks, so on top of the table were the usual servings she prepared for herself, which consisted of about a dozen dishes including but not limited to rice, dumplings and cookies
Yet despite the peaceful atmosphere, Kasen carried a stern, analytical gaze in her eyes even while drinking from her cup of tea. Said gaze was directed at her current, red-haired company.
"You've been looking at me like that for a while now…" Komachi sat across from Kasen, and was currently having trouble enjoying her tea with the way she was being stared at. "You look eager to say something?"
"I was wondering whether or not I should save my breath." Half of Kasen's expression was hidden by the cup in her hands, and she narrowed her eyes at Komachi. "I've told you more than once that my home isn't just a rest stop for you to come slack off and receive free food, haven't I?"
"Right, right…" Komachi wore a shameless smile as she spoke. "But come on! The flow of souls is so slow today so it's not like I'm super busy. And how can I resist your dumplings and… what kind of tea was this, again?"
"It's chrysanthemum. It can improve eyesight, but I'm afraid it won't do much for your lack of foresight . It's true that you're always welcome to visit, but a shinigami really should have more discipline, and I need to do my part to help you. For that, I may need to have you for my training routine today."
"Please tell me that's a joke..." Though her smile didn't falter, Komachi felt a chill from the prospect of a hermit's training. "I think you should learn to take it easy a bit more. You spend way too much time being high-strung."
"I can't believe you would say that to me." Kasen lowered her cup, revealing the entirety of her annoyed expression. "I cannot just 'take it easy'. I'm dedicated to my training as a hermit. If I'm negligent to my duties for even a moment, I may never ascend to Heaven."
"Yeah, but…"
Komachi trailed off, carefully looking for the words she wanted to share. She never got a chance to find them, however, when the thoughts of both her and Kasen were suddenly interrupted.
"Behold," A familiarly loud and boisterous voice called out from above. "The great celestial is before you!"
Descending from somewhere or the other was Tenshi, standing upon a keystone which lowered itself right in front of Kasen's home. Tenshi herself hopped off the stone soon after and confidently strided forth as if she owned the place.
"Just this once, you are free from any obligation to show me with gifts. Just your reverence and awe will suffice today."
Komachi blinked at Tenshi's big, unassuming smile, and then turned back to Kasen. "So how appealing does Heaven still look right now? It's where she came from, after all."
"Ugh." Kasen groaned, half at Komachi's words, and half at Tenshi's everything. She stood up from her seat and approached Tenshi. "...Afternoon to you as well. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"...Ah, watch out!" Tenshi suddenly exclaimed, failing to keep down her grin, and leapt past Kasen. "A shinigami has invaded your sanctum and is after you!"
Komachi neither moved from her seat. "How many times have you done this joke? It's stale!"
"Yes, and not to mention…" Kasen chimed in with a shrug of one hand. "I'd never have to worry about this shinigami doing her job around me."
"Hey…" Komachi frowned, but otherwise kept on just drinking her tea.
"Anyway…" Kasen turned her attention back to Tenshi. "Just like I was telling that other one, my home isn't just for anybody to come and goof off when they feel like it. You can't expect to be entertained whenever you feel like it."
"Hm? You really believe that's the only reason I'm here?" Tenshi shook her head, and spoke in a strangely serious tone. "I'm hurt. It should be obvious that the primary reason for my arrival is to check in on you, Ibarakasen."
"Huh? What do you mean 'check in' on me?"
"That's right!" Tenshi nodded. "I'm concerned about you, and the status of your training."
"Eh?" Kasen could only blink dumbfoundedly at what she was hearing, and Tenshi just continued.
"As a kind-hearted celestial, I've taken it upon myself to make sure a hermit like yourself is on the right path. There are times I have my doubts, but you seem to have a brighter head than most rabble. I'm sure with my guidance, you'll be on the right track." With a bright smile that was only a little bit condescending, Tenshi placed a reassuring hand on Kasen's shoulder. "And tell you what, if you end up doing exceptionally good in my eyes, I'll put in a good word for you! That'll be sure to fast-track your way to Heaven."
Tenshi 'offered' with a wink, and that was when Kasen snapped. "What did you just say to me!?"
"What?" Tenshi asked with genuine confusion. Meanwhile, Komachi desperately tried to hide behind her small teacup as this unfolded.
"Listen, you delinquent of a celestial! The word from someone who got booted out of Heaven isn't going to do anyone any good!" Kasen inched closer to Tenshi until she was practically hunched over the celestial. "I'm a righteous and studious hermit, and I'd never stoop to taking any shortcuts to enlightenment, so you better not go telling anybody otherwise!"
"Geez…" In response, Tenshi simply rolled her eyes. "It's not good to be so high-strung all the time. Don't you ever take it easy?"
While Tenshi pouts, Kasen's hands hovered close to the other's neck. It was taking all of the hermit's trained discipline to not start strangling the celestial.
"M-Maybe we can all try talking about this over some soothing tea, instead?" Komachi tried to chime in but neither Kasen nor Tenshi appeared interested in listening at the moment. Komachi then wondered if there was anything else she could try to say in the hopes of easing this awkwardness, but her thoughts once again trailed off when they were suddenly interrupted.
"I finally found you." Another voice declared, coming from someone descending slowly from the skies. "I was beginning to think you might have been avoiding me, Eldest Daughter."
The new arrival was Iku, who elegantly landed on the porch. Everyone turned to look at her in varying amounts of surprise, and none more so than Tenshi, who stepped towards Iku.. "Ah, Iku! What are you doing here? …No, wait, don't answer. You must really have nothing to do if you'd follow me all the way to this hermit's sanctum."
"Hmph. I followed you here because someone needs to check in on you, to make sure you are not sullying the integrity of Heaven."
"Oh, come on." Tenshi crossed her arms in a huff. "As if there's any celestial with greater integrity than myself!"
"That you can so shamelessly say such things is perhaps the most concerning thing about you. If you don't uphold at least the minimum of proper behaviour as a celestial, there's a chance you may never be welcome back into Bhava-Agra." Iku said, shaking her head.
Tenshi scoffed, and was about to rebuff with another arrogant comment. However, Iku then suddenly leapt past her.
"Oh! Watch out, Eldest Daughter." Iku asserted, not bothering to hide the sly smile on her face. "There's a shinigami right behind you! She'll reap you when you aren't-"
"Yeah, okay." Komachi stated in a bored tone, in-between stuffing her mouth with cookies. "The celestial already beat you to that joke just now."
"Ah, darn." Iku said with minor disappointment. "In that case, good afternoon, Miss Komachi. Don't worry, I know I'd never have to worry about you exerting yourself like that around Eldest Daughter."
"Hey, come on!" Komachi threw up her hands. "I really don't like everybody today thinking I do nothing but slack off!"
Nobody responded to that, and Iku instead just turned towards Kasen, offering a polite bow. "And good day to you too. You must be Ibaraki Kasen? The rose-coloured hermit who frequents the Hakurei Shrine?"
"Oh, yes I am." Kasen was mildly surprised. "And you know the delinq- I mean, Tenshi?"
"Yes. My name is Nagae Iku, and I'm an associate of this celestial here. As a hermit, I'm sure you have many lessons you can yet impart on the Eldest Daughter."
"Hey, what are you saying?!" An indignant Tenshi moved to Iku's side, tugging at her flowing veils of cloth. "As a celestial who rules over all, I'm the one who is imparting lessons on her !"
"Somehow, I doubt that." Iku bluntly answered. "Unless you're showing her by example what not to do."
"You cheeky, glorified errand girl." Tenshi said with a wry smile. "Maybe I ought to impart a lesson onto you right now..."
While Tenshi and Iku traded 'friendly' barbs, Kasen leaned over to Komachi with a question. "Komachi, is that woman a celestial as well? She said she's an associate, but she's nothing like that delinquent, after all/"
"Oh, Iku? She'd tell you she's just a messenger, but she's too modest to say otherwise." Komachi explained. "She's an envoy of the Dragon Palace, so she answers to the highest in the heavens. I bet her bosses are even stricter than Lady Eiki!"
"...Oh, wait. I just realised!" Having overheard the snippets of the conversation off to the side, Tenshi suddenly turned away from Iku and addressed Kasen. "Hey, if you're so against me putting in a good word for you, then Iku here could probably do it in my stead. She has to do what I say, and she answers to all those boring higher-ups in Heaven, with whom I'm sure she is always complaining about me to."
"Well, half of what you said just now is true." Iku added, before turning her gaze to Kasen. "So, what's this about 'putting in a good word'?"
"No, no, she's talking nonsense!" Kasen quickly shook her head. The absolute last thing she wanted was an envoy of the heavens thinking poorly of her. "I would never ask for a shortcut to Heaven! The only proper way is through rigorous training!"
"...My, what a truly virtuous hermit." Iku smiled, looking impressed. "Well, I certainly wouldn't mind lending a hand along the way at some point."
"...Huh?" Kasen stared saucers at Iku upon hearing that.
"Well, I like to chat with others who live among the clouds in my free time. Sometimes those stories involve any outstanding people I happen to meet along the surface, so who knows?"
Iku had said that with a lighthearted chuckle, and Kasen tried to match along with a significantly more awkward laugh. "A-Ahaha… Right, who knows?! I mean if you want to, I suppose there's no helping it, haha…"
"Boring." Not even bothering trying to insert herself into the pleasant atmosphere however, was Tenshi, who made a show of turning her back to everyone else and throwing her hair over her shoulder. "Ibarakasen's already pretty crabby today, and then you went and ruined the whole mood by showing up here. Maybe I'll go educate someone else today…"
"I'm excellent at reading the mood, you should know." Tenshi started to walk away, so Iku quickly gave one last polite bow to Kasen and Komachi. "Anyhow, have a good day, the both of you."
Iku started to follow after Tenshi, but neither of them got further than a few steps before Kasen stepped forward and hastily called out. "Ah, wait, wait!"
Tenshi and Iku both stopped, and turned around with confusion.
"Um…" Only about a second or so after catching their attention, did Kasen come up with something to say. "Ah! Since we're all here already, why not stay for snacks? There's plenty to go around, and one of you said something about imparting lessons on each other, right? We could start right here and now!"
And of course, if Kasen could make an exceptionally good impression on the envoy of the heavens, and that in turn happened to make a good impression on the heavens for her… that would just be a fortunate bonus, and nothing else.
"Eh, I don't know." Tenshi said, reluctant more out of stubborness than anything else. "You didn't seem to have the patience for me just now."
"Ah? But you see… Lady Tenshi." Kasen forced herself to say through gritted teeth. "There's so much I could learn from you..."
"...Oho? Well, if the humble hermit is requesting my presence, I suppose I can deign to stick around." And with just that smallest bit of sucking up, Tenshi changed her mind.
"Some snacks do sound lovely." Iku said in agreement. "Such a nice atmosphere in this Senkai, I wouldn't want to turn down the opportunity."
The two headed back towards the table, to Kasen's delight. Komachi meanwhile, glanced around herself. "Oh, so you're all joining in? I don't think there's enough chairs. Kasen, what do you want to-"
Kasen didn't even need to look in Komachi's direction before she hip-checked the shinigami right out of the chair, and offered it to Iku. "So, do you like dim sum?"
"Oh yes." Iku happily nodded as she sat down, and Tenshi did the same from across her. "My favourite form of the dish uses deep fried squid. Is that among the selections here?"
"No." Kasen said, and quickly continued. "...I can prepare some though!"
"I suppose the first thing to evaluate among this hermit's lifestyle is her diet." Tenshi said, intending to induce some serious scholarly criticism while stuffing her face. "I hope you're ready for a celestial's judgement!"
"Of course!" Kasen cheerfully responded, and was able to keep smiling by completely blocking out whatever Tenshi had said to her.
Meanwhile, Komachi started at all of this with an uncertain expression, bordering on disapproving. She leaned over to Kasen's side and whispered. "Hey. I remember you saying something about how your home isn't just for free food?"
Kasen glanced at Komachi out of the corner of her eye, her smile unnervingly calm. "Do you want to stop being a smart alec, or do you want to be thrown out?"
"Okay…" Komachi quietly backed off and simply watched without comment as Kasen explained the many benefits of eating dim sum with tea to Iku and Tenshi, moreso to the former. "...Well, as long as everyone is having fun, I guess it's fine!"
Eventually, Komachi did find some spare chairs, so all four of them could sit down. None of them ended up imparting anything particularly meaningful lessons after all on each other, but simply sharing food on a peaceful afternoon made it a satisfying enough experience for all of them.
