"Ack!"
"Your hair is pretty!" Kofuku exclaimed as she tugged at Kasumi's hair. "But it's so messy! Can I brush it? I'll go get my brush!" Kofuku scrambled off of Kasumi, running out of the room, leaving a trail of giggles behind her. Groaning and rubbing her scalp, Kasumi sat up from her position on the floor.
"She's funny!" Ren laughed from where he was finishing off his breakfast. "Yeah." Kasumi muttered. "Very funny."
"Don't mind her. She's just like that sometimes." Daikoku reassured Kasumi from the sink. "You gonna finish that?" Kasumi looked behind her to see Yato eying her soybeans. Kasumi turned away from him, taking a large bite out of her food.
After Kasumi and Ren had woken up, Kofuku had insisted on breakfast, and Kasumi couldn't say no after Ren had murmured mournfully that he was hungry. Kasumi had almost immediately regretted it, but she had to make sure Ren was fed. And as much as she hated to admit it, she couldn't do that by herself anymore. Sighing, Kasumi took another bite. At least the food was decent.
"I got the brush!" Kasumi's eyes widened as Kofuku skipped into the room, holding a bright pink hair brush up in triumph. Swallowing her food, Kasumi jumped up. "I just remembered, I forgot to make me and Ren's beds!" Running out of the room, Kasumi sighed in relief. "Dodged that pink bullet."
Turning the corner, Kasumi suddenly found herself face to face with a wide-eyed Yukine. "Sorry." He immediately said, embarrassed. Kasumi shook her head. "No, it was my fault, I should have-" stopping herself, Kasumi paused before she glared at Yukine. "No! It's not my fault! You need to watch where you're going!" Yukine frowned, confused at the sudden change of attitude. "What?" Kasumi huffed, crossing her arms. "You heard me!" She walked past him, fuming.
Yukine stood there for a moment, trying to decipher what just happened.
She actually seemed like she was sorry at first. But then she snapped at him like that…
Shaking his head, Yukine walked into the dining room. Ren sat happily stuffing his face, Yato next to him eating a bowl of rice and soybeans which had probably been Kasumi's. Kofuku sat sulkily with a hairbrush, while Daikoku explained to her that some people didn't like strangers messing with their hair.
Yukine turned to Yato. "Is Hiyori coming over after school?" Yato shrugged as he shoved another mouthful of rice into his mouth. "Don't know. I think she said something about studying for an exam, though."
"Oh." Yukine murmured, stuffing his hands into his coat pockets. "Well, can I go over to her place later? I need some help with my geometry…"
"Where's Kasi?" Ren suddenly asked. "Huh?" Yukine turned to where the little boy was staring at him. "Oh, uh. I think she's in your guy's room." Ren beamed at him, jumping up from where he was sitting. "Okay, thank you!" He said before he ran out of the room.
"Hey, Yukine, did Ren finish his food?" Yato asked as he tried to scoop the rice from the bottom of the bowl. Sighing, Yukine walked out of the house.
"Kasi!" Yukine whipped around to look at his right- coming from around the house, a small, dog-sized phantom was running from an angry Kasumi, her dagger pulled out. The phantom itself was a bright neon green and purple, and was shaped like a bushy rabbit with six long, spindly legs and a small whip-thin tail.
"Get out of here!" Kasumi screamed at it, the phantom letting out a wail that sounded like a strangled crow. Kasumi suddenly grabbed its tail, flinging it upwards. As it fell, Kasumi kicked the squealing phantom, sending it flying. "Come back and I'll kill you!" She yelled. Ren ran up beside her, brown eyes wide. "Kasi, you did it!" He exclaimed. Kasumi grinned down at Ren as she stuck the dagger in a sheath, and stuck the sheath into her hoodie.
"But Ren…" Kasumi said. "What?" Ren asked, peering up at her. "I am a monster!" Ren gasped, and squealed, running away. "Get back here!" Kasumi yelled with a big grin, and chased after him. "No, no!" Ren yelled as Kasumi quickly caught up to him. "Yes!" Kasumi shouted, grabbing him around the waist, and tugging him back into her arms. "Now I'll never let you go!" She fake growled, squeezing him. "Ah! Help!" Ren yelled.
Suddenly catching sight of Yukine, Ren reached his hand out to him. "Yukine! Help! The monster has me!" Kasumi blinked. "Yukine?" Turning her head, Kasumi finally saw Yukine standing twenty five feet away, watching them. Face heating, Kasumi quickly let go of Ren, straightening herself. Yukine smiled as Ren ran up to him. "Save me, Yukine!"
"How long were you standing there, stalker?" Kasumi demanded, glaring at the ground. Yukine blushed at the indication. "Not long…" He murmured. Looked like Kasumi was back to her stiff, angry self.
Ren tugged at his hand. "Kasi said she would take me to the park, but I don't have a friend to play with, so do you wanna come?" Yukine blinked down at Ren, who looked up at him hopefully. Yukine frowned. "You don't have a friend?" He asked quietly.
"No." Ren said simply. "Only Kasi, but you can be my friend too!" Yukine gazed down at the little boy holding his hand, asking to be his friend, and was reminded of how he also didn't have any friends. Yukine smiled down at Ren. "Yeah. I'll be your friend."
"Yeah!" Ren shouted happily, jumping up and down. "It's okay if he comes, right Kasumi? Right?" Yukine looked at Kasumi who was watching the two with a blank expression. Letting out a defeated sigh, she nodded. "Yeah, Ren. It's okay." She turned her hard gaze to Yukine. "But one slip-up and he's going into a time-out."
"Okay! He'll be good!" Ren nodded enthusiastically. Yukine smiled nervously at Kasumi. "Yeah. I'll be good." Kasumi narrowed her eyes at him before nodding. "It'll be good to have a phantom slayer with us anyway."
"Actually, I can't…" Yukine began before his sentence trailed off. Kasumi frowned. "Can't what? Spit it out." Yukine stuffed his hands into his coat pockets. "Well, I actually can't… fight." Kasumi crossed her arms. "You killed that phantom last night, right?" Yukine shrugged, looking at his shoes. "Yeah, but…" Kasumi's eyes widened. "Oh, that's right!" She raised her eyebrows at him. "You turned into a sword."
"Yeah. Yato actually… wielded me and fought the phantom." Kasumi paused thoughtfully. "You know what? You guys aren't normal people, are you?" Yukine opened his mouth to say something, but Kasumi quickly interrupted him. "Well, duh, of course not. How can you guys see the phantoms when no one else can? How can you turn into a sword?" She asked, looking at him intently.
"Well…" Yukine began. "Yato and Kofuku? Their gods."
Kasumi stared at him. "Gods? Seriously? Gods of what, exactly?"
"Yato is actually the god of war." Yukine explained. Kasumi frowned. "Why have I never heard of him?" She asked. Yukine sighed. "Because Yato is a minor god. Nobody knows him."
"I wonder why." Kasumi muttered sarcastically. Yukine shrugged. "So then who's Kofuku?" She asked.
"The god of poverty." Yukine said simply. Kasumi blinked. "The god of poverty? How am I not dead!?"
"It doesn't work like that." Yukine muttered.
"Okay, so those two are gods, what does that make you?" Kasumi asked.
"Me and Daikoku are their regalias." Yukine explained. "Regalias?" Kasumi asked.
"Okay, this is going to take longer than I thought." Yukine said. "And I think Ren wants to get going." He pointed out as Ren impatiently picked at the grass. "I'll explain it all on the way to the park." Kasumi opened her mouth to argue, before she stopped herself. "Okay, fine. You're going to tell me everything, though."
"Yay! Park, here we come!" Ren cheered.