middaeg | Aereuer Catch all [semi-open]

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Aereuer Catch all [semi-open]

Who: Saori Nakagawa and you
When: Throughout the month of Aereuer
Where:The ~~Disaster~~ Monster House (new home), and throughout Aefenglom
What: Getting to know housemates, memory sharing in threads (open unless stated otherwise), full moon and maybe more?
Warnings: Some memories contain death, violence, and more to add later.

a. Quest time: Part-Timers Wanted! - Piece of Cake
[Saori took to working at Piece of Cake like a fish to water but the state of the kitchen dismayed the now former goddess. Don't get her wrong, it was clean but the wear on the tools was inexcusable. Between sending baked goods to the matron for approval, she would sneak some time to fixing that whether it was sharpening the knives or writing down inventory in need of replenishing.

Her fingers made quick work out of braiding strands of pie crusts to drape over pies ready to go into the oven. With a freshly sharpened knife, fruits were sliced and ready to be placed on fruit tarts. Though if anyone was able to sneak a glance at her work, her hand would sometimes reach for one the spice bottles as she cooked down a fruit filling, but pulled away reluctantly. She couldn't afford to going rogue just yet but still she felt like it could be improved.]

b. 4/8 , During the Full Moon, Monster House
[It all started near dusk. She had looked at the garden outside from the family room. It was so beautiful in the setting sun but soon another thought came to mind. The earth would be soft after all that work and perfect for ...digging? No, no, that wouldn't be right, but still she just wanted to find a way to burrow herself.

Since Saori wasn't on cooking duty today, she had time on her hands. Though it had only been a week since she met her housemates, she already felt comfortable sharing the house with them. While everyone was distracted with other tasks or out, Saori began snatching chairs, sheets, and pillows from all the common spaces, and dragging into the family room.

Some scuffling and chair squeaking later, Saori surveyed her work. This seemed good for now. The only way to know would be to test it. She carefully crawled into the elaborate pillow and sheet fort, curling up on the pillow in content. Some time later, she heard one of the doors opening, which made her pop her head out to see who it was.]

Y-yes? Is it dinner already?

c. Memory Share
[For those who know Saori, her mirror frame has a flowing pattern surrounding like smoke wrapping around it. A pair of foxes sit at the top. The one on the left is in mid-run, with several stalks of rice in its mouth. The second one swings an incense burner on a chain. A pair of fox kits and a Japanese dragon flank the pair.]

Spirited Away (Locked to Hector) CW: Death, Violence.
A Forgotten Ring CW: Death
Painted Red CW: Violence, Blood
Hot Pot in Winter

d. Wildcard
[Got another prompt idea or memory share you'd like to do with Saori? Let me know by sending me a PM or messaging me on plurk or discord:

kansaiphones Jackofantics#5433

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[There is a chill to the fall air as it whistles through. Despite the late afternoon sun, there were still people milling about at main temple grounds of Fushimi Inari. Even among the vermillion, Saori, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, could be seen in front of the main temple building with her hands together in prayer. A few seconds later, she took a breath and walked past the shrine office where omamori charms and fortunes were sold to where the first of many flights of stairs up Inariyama began. Vermillion torii gates densely lined the pathways.

The longer Saori followed up the trail, the number of tourists thinned. In the brief moment she paused. Ring. Bells? She whipped her head around, but she didn't see anything that could make that sound. "Must be the wind picking up sound," she muttered to herself before continuing. "The priests must be doing some special prayer today."

She took a few more steps when, Ring! The bells sounded louder this time, but not even a bird was anywhere near her. Her hands gripped the strap of her handbag tighter as she glanced behind again and then up the path. One of the temples was close by and her feet began to move. All she had to was hurry up and...

RING! The bells rang as if someone shook them right next to her ear. A strong hand grabbed her by the wrist. Her eyes went wide with fear when she looked over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of her attacker. Instead of seeing a face, there was nothing. Without any features tied to a face beyond ears and the black short hair, it looked more like a skin-covered mannequin head. She didn't even have time to make a sound when everything went black.

It would only be minutes later, some tourists turned the bend to find a handbag abandoned on the stairs.]

Edited 2020-04-12 01:23 (UTC)

[Hector didn't mean to come here. Curiosity has always outweighed caution, though, and he ended up touching the mirror, then ducking in further when it yielded to him. The mirrors have never done that before, ok? He had to know why.

The setting is like no place he's ever been, though he has vague recollections of the design of the gates in the books in Dracula's library. Maybe some of the scrolls brought to him by his general, Cho, perhaps. But the woman he sees going through the gates is familiar. Totally human, but still easily recognizable.]

Saori.

[He calls out, but his voice sounds strange and muffled to his own ears. Even before she fails to respond, Hector knows there isn't any point in trying to speak with her.

So he follows. The bells that startle Saori sound too loud and ominous. Amplified by the memory? Hector looks around for the source as well, but can't track the direction the sound comes from or locate any obvious cause.]

That's eerie.

[Bells can be used in rituals, benevolent or malevolent. Summon a spirit, or drive it away. He can't tell which....but holy shit, that's a man with no face, so it's absolutely nothing good.

Hector sprints to Saori's side as her handbag falls to the ground.]

[Present-day Saori raced up the stairs when she barely noticed someone had gone into her mirror.]

Of all the possible memories, why this one?!

[She turns the corner to see her past self being grabbed while Hector tried to catch up. The assailant grabbed memory-Saori and carried her east, becoming a blur weaving through the trees and deeper into the mountains. It's only now she realized who walked into this memory. She lets out a sigh, with some resignation in her voice.]

Hector? I can already tell you want to see how the rest of this plays out. Just a warning, things are going to get uglier from here on out. C'mon, it's this way.

[She didn't even wait for his response before going off the path to follow them. Not to mention, it's more than likely letting the memory play out is the only way to head back. True, she did technically black out in this moment, but she knew where to go based on the later report.]

You didn't hesitate to follow despite something that terrifying right in front of you. I'm guessing you have experience with the supernatural?

[Hector turns at the sound of his name, to see another Saori, the one more familiar to him. Oops. Caught red-handed.]

Sorry, I didn't know the mirror was yours, or what it would do.

[At least she doesn't seem mad. He follows in the direction she heads, leaving the discarded handbag behind.]

Something that terrifying? [Oh, right, that would be terrifying to someone who didn't routinely summon up demons from Hell, huh? Hector found the faceless guy off-putting, so yeah, it must've been bad.]

I guess you could say that. I'm not used to this. [He gestures to the gates. This isn't his vein of magic by any means.] But monsters and spirits in general, I'm well-acquainted with.

[She could afford to get mad at Hector later since she's going to have to relive this particular memory. So he's spared...for now at least even though neither had control which memory they're walking through.]

Ah, these torii gates? They represent crossing between the mundane and sacred to the Shinto religion even though most humans nowadays think it's symbolic rather than literal. This entire mountain and the temples here were built to honor the kami, Inari. I suppose for now the best translation for kami would be a god but that's for another conversation. Normally, supernatural beings like the one you saw wouldn't be brazen enough to spirit away someone but that bastard was desperate when he saw me.

[Speaking of the faceless guy, they reached a small clearing. It was far enough and getting dark enough that would deter normal people from exploring any further. Past Saori laid down on her back on the moss covered forest floor, slowly stirring awake. When she sat up, she looked around and realized her bag was gone.

Sorry, sis but you're not going anywhere, a brusque voice came from the faceless captor as they stepped forward with their slouchy stance, leather jacket and torn jeans.

"A nopperabou? I thought your type was more into scaring people, not kidnapping," Saori slowly sat up.

Oh ho? So there's some humans who still know about a youkai like me, huh? I thought you guys died out decades ago. Ah, no matter. The Nopperabou shrugged before walking forward and crouching in front of Saori. A jet black hand grabbed her by the jaw and the being drew in closer. Nothin' personal but my life's on the line here and you're gonna help me. Well at least you look tastier than the last guy I tried to catch. Tell me, do you know what's the most powerful thing the world?

Present Saori clenched her fists as both she and Hector watched.]

[Hector studies the gates more closely.]

So they're almost like distance mirrors. Places where the laws of physics break down and allow for travel that shouldn't be possible.

[He takes a few long steps to catch up with Saori again.]

So...how does this one talk without a mouth. Is it telepathy, or does he have a mouth somewhere else?

[The Saorii both seem dislike the creature, but Hector's still more curious than anything else. Simply kidnapping someone is rather harmless in his books, though he doesn't know what else the faceless figure has planned.]

So what's the answer? [He asked present Saori, because he's not in the mood for riddles.]

Oh it has a mouth alright, but it only shows it under certain conditions. You'll get a chance to see it in action later but you want that answer, right?

It's souls. Here in this world, a soul doesn't permanently rest once life runs its course. They are reincarnated based on their actions in their previous life. Yes, the memories of each life are removed and saved before being reborn, but the experiences linger and strengthen the soul, like a patina or the seasoning of a cast iron. Some even develop a special power but it takes time to unlock and master it.

[During this time, the Nopperabou answered his own question, still holding onto past Saori. But really who has time to actually reincarnate when you can increase your strength by eating a soul instead? Can't just eat any old soul though. This one newbie did that, went mad and well we had to scrape what was left of him from the boss's lair.

The pinned Saori squirmed. It didn't take much to put two and two together. "So why go so far to grab me if you'll only go insane if you eat me?"

Where the Nopperabou's mouth would be, the skin rippled like it was trying to smile as he let go of her. You obviously can't tell, but you got an exceptionally strong soul. I can see you've been through a whole lot of shit in your life but survived and still managed to hang on. Heard your type of soul is the only one that won't drive others to insanity.

Saori once again tries to pull away, but something took the breath out of her. In one swift motion, the Nopperabou thrust his hand into her chest and out her back.

Present Saori looked away. Even though she knew how it goes, asking anyone to relive their last moments is just not pleasant.]

[Hector winces. It doesn't seem like it's a memory Saori is looking forward to, that mouth.]

Is there no heaven or hell, then? Just an endless cycle?

[He looks between the Saori he's talking to and the Saori of the past. The monster taunts her, then shoves his hand into her. Saori looks away, and Hector turns his head, too. He's not overly sensitive, but even he can gather it's something he shouldn't gawk at.]

We can try to find our way out of here.

[She takes a breath to calm herself before answering.]

Heaven, hell, limbo, Tartarus, Naraku...The afterlife goes by many names. They're more like respites for souls between reincarnations. Only under certain circumstances are they allowed to remove themselves from the cycle. Even I don't know how many souls there are but sometimes a soul may need to wait a generation or two to be reborn. So it's common for the waiting souls to use that chance to appeal the judgment that assigns them their next life.

N-no, the memory is still going. We probably can't leave until it ends anyway. Better cover your ears now.

[The twisted laughter of the Nopperabou echoed in the forest. Past Saori coughed, choking on blood. Now then, it'd be a shame to just eat you up in one go. I heard a soul tastes even better with one last dash of pain. Before its prey react, her body locked up as the arm dug her into body further before suddenly yanking its arm back. The scream that came from Saori was rang out. Every nerve felt like it was on fire and someone decided to pour on more kerosene and a lit match for good measure. In its clutches was a golden flaming orb that changed to an exact copy of Saori in a flash. The Nopperabou fingers tightened around the soul's neck. She weakly opened her eyes only to see the supernatural creature grow bigger, nearly triple its size. The skin around its mouth began to tear away as it revealed the black dagger like teeth.

From the corner of the soul's eyes, two streaks of light whizzed past her and suddenly she was falling. The faceless being shrieked as blood gushed from the stump where his hand was. AAAH WHAT THE HELL!? WHO THE FUCK DID THAT!?

"Man, you're either really ballsy or stupid to do any soul eating here," a voice spoke out. Saori opened her eyes to find herself being princess-carried by a Japanese man. There was some stubble on his face, and his sharp brown eyes focused on the terrifying giant. A short pause later, he realized he was still carrying Saori and carefully got her back on her feet. "Sorry. Just...stay back here alright?"

Despite the dire situation playing out, the corners of the present day Saori turned up in a smile.]

Kenichi was always bad at playing the hero role back then.

[Hector sighs softly to himself.] There's a bureaucracy of the afterlife. I might have known.

[He raises an eyebrow at Saori, but puts his hands over his ears. It wouldn't block out screams, but maybe there's something private he shouldn't intrude on.

He's still looking away, but he hears the death cry and instinctively turns toward it. Well...that answers the question about the creature's mouth...]

...so, are you dead, or is this man a very accomplished healer?

[This sort of separation of soul and body is not what he's used to seeing. They are not like any ghosts he's encountered.]

I mean, where else did humanity got from? Lots of things were passed down before the gods decided to split away from the realm of the living. That's a subject for another time though.

But yeah...I'm going to be full on dead in just a moment.

[Any lightness to Saori's voice deflated when Hector reminded her what was going on.

Fuck this! I was gonna save this as an appetizer but oh well. With his left hand, he picked up Saori's lifeless body, tossed into its open maw, and the sound of bones crunching soon followed.

The ghostly Saori could only watch in horror. She couldn't even scream. Her knees gave out from beneath her.

"No!" Kenichi roared as he jumped at the Nopperabou again, this time with a straight blade sword. The creature reached out at him, but its arm suddenly slammed down down as some unseen force pinned it down.

Kenichi was a blur of motion as several knives found their way into the creature's flesh. As if almost to add insult to injury, he used the knives to jump his way up to dig the sword into the monster. The Nopperabou could only gurgle before slumping onto the ground. Saori's rescuer had to take a moment to breathe before approaching her.

"I'm sorry I didn't get to you in time," he said softly. "You have every right to be angry at me." To his surprise, the disembodied soul shook her head.

"So...what happens now?"

"For now, a soul without a body can't stay in the living realm for long. I'll take you to the other side." He helped her up and the two slowly made their back to the torii-lined path towards the nearest temple. The silence between them was thick enough to cut. There were still a few straggling visitors, but no one took notice of the two. He placed a hand on the last gate and the air between the vermilion posts shimmered. "...I'm Kenichi."

"Saori. Saori Nakagawa."]

[Well, the good news is, since Hector knows Saori, it seems like she got better. Maybe it's reincarnation, like she said?

He flinches when the monster gulps her body down. Some of Hector's forged creatures might have done similarly to the bodies of townsfolk and church officials in Wallachia. He honestly doesn't know for certain. He had made creatures, delighted in the artistry of their creation and the theory of their destructive powers, but he'd never been asked and never offered to go on the front line to see them in action. Dracula had sensed the fragility in him, and kept him shielded from the majority of it.

The hunter, Kenichi, slays it handily. Maybe he is the equivalent of a Belmont in Saori's world.]

That's it? There are ways of creating new bodies to house a soul.

[He's...angry...on Saori's behalf. At the unfairness of it all. Even though he know's there's no such thing as fairness. Are these two just going to give up?]

[She understands Hector's anger but shakes her head.]

Not with the way I died. Anubis told me later that it wouldn't be easy even if I could have a substitute body. When something dies in the living realm, the bond between body and soul naturally dissolves. When the Nopperabou ripped my soul from my body, he destroyed the connection so it would've been harder for a body to accept me. Time is the only way to heal it.

[Speaking of the two, Kenichi and Saori walk through the torii gate. Present Saori motioned Hector to follow. A little sneak peak into what's beyond the veil so to speak.

Instead just simply stepping out the other side of the gate, all four of them found themselves several yards away from Japanese manor surrounded by a tall white plastered wall. Two large white foxes with 3 tails guard the wooden doors, bowing their heads when they see Kenichi and his guest arrive. They quietly let the pair in.

Present Saori doesn't follow after them when the doors close. Instead, she directs Hector to look at the view before them. Down the hill where the manor stood, there was a pathway leading towards a small bustling city. While some of the citizens strolling by looked human, others were looked like animals but walked up right. Some ran food carts, calling out to passersby to have a bit. Others sat huddled together, throwing back drinks and laughing without a care in the world.]

This is the other-realm. If you can think up a god or a supernatural being, they're here along with souls awaiting their reincarnation. This is only a small portion of it but I figured something like this would interest you and it'd help ease what you saw earlier.

Do you mean...the Anubis? The god of death?

[Hector steps through the gate, because if he's come this far, he can't not look. He toes the line between life and death, pulling souls back and forth, but it's only ever been from the living end of things.]

It looks...a lot like where we were before.

[No Pearly Gates or Elysian Fields here. It's like a marketplace. Hector has questions. So many questions.]

What are the animals? Are those souls of monsters, or do some animals possess souls? And why is there food? Souls don't eat.

Oh yes. He works with the other gods associated with death and judgment of souls, which is a long ways away from here. That reminds me, I was suppose to talk to Persephone about this year's deal on pomegranates...

[Whoops, she's getting off topic here. She clears her throat.]

Well, when most of your population comes from the living realm, of course we'd be influenced by it. Most of them are what's known as youkai. They're supernatural creatures. Since we entered from a gate located in Japan, you're seeing basically just a small fraction of the population that lives here. We do also have dragons, fairies, and other creatures of folklore here.

[Her brain just ground to a halt with his question about food. Give her a minute to remember.]

As for why there's food, well everyone has to eat to sustain ourselves. While not all of us have a physical body to nourish, the need to eat and to fulfill the basic needs of life is something universal. Plus it does bring comfort to some.

I wish I could show you more but I think that's for another memory entirely and you probably need a break after seeing....all of that.

[Hector stops walking. Um...what? Saori, you are breaking this faun's brain with your name dropping.]

The Greek Pantheon...is real?

[That's just. That's...fine. Hector's brain carefully drapes a blanket of 'fine' over all of this so he doesn't have an existential crisis here and now.]

....right. Ok. A conditioned response, driven by natural survival instincts. That makes as much sense as anything.

[He nods. This is fascinating, but also shaking his world views, so a small dose is probably best for his sanity.]

Yep. A lot of things that are considered myths or fairy tales exist here, but they're not always going to be like their story counterparts. I'd be more than to happy to answer your questions when you are ready. For now, we should head back. My mirror was down at the base of the mountain after all.

[She motions Hector to follow her back to the torii gate. It's already dark outside and the number of people still around has thinned considerably. Even though they could technically go down the same path they used, old habits made Saori go down the designated descending path. As they were by one of the temples, they could catch a glimpse of Kyoto city lights.]

If this was actually my home and not a memory, I'd be happy to show around the city here. It used to be the capitol for centuries so there's a lot of history and culture to see here.

[When they reach the mirror, she looks at Hector.]

I really am sorry you had to see me die like that. I'll find a way to make it up to you because really no one should have to witness something that terrible.

[Hector follows Saori's lead. He's the trespasser here, so he's letting her dictate where they go. And he doesn't think his brain can take any more right now.

He looks out over the city.]

It's beautiful. I've never seen anything quite like it.

[But Saori is right, now isn't the time to be a tourist. They reach the mirror.]

It's...fine, really. I didn't mean to make you relive it, but... for my part, I'll be fine. I've seen horrors before.

[He doesn't quite go so far as to say 'I've seen worse'. Maybe it's the necromancer's morbidity in him, but he suspects that telling someone that their murder wasn't the most horrific you've witnessed would be rude.]

[ Saori wasn't the only one who took to the kitchen easily. While she was caring for the poorly kept utensils and the inventory, Bishop was making do with what they had and decorating one pastry after the other. The matron didn't want him doing anything else other than that given how quickly and accurately he could do the work but also, because he was being kind of a punk earlier in the day.

Seemingly uninterested as she demonstrated and gave instructions to the rest of the crew, and also how he gave her a smug glance when she tried to embarrass him by making him do the decorating first(also maybe as an attempt to throw him out). He was proud of that seeing as he was chipper the rest of the time after that. ]

Good decision.

[ He said to Saori, though his eyes were glued to his task and hands on the big pipping bag he had. ]

If you try and tweak the recipe, the lady of store may just tweak your pay.

Says the guy she failed knock down a peg earlier today. No really, you're pretty good at this, Bishop-san.

[Saori smiles as she set aside strawberry rhubarb filling for the flavors to meld. The next filling on the list needed lemon curd but to Saori's luck, no one bothered to restock. Alright, that shouldn't be a problem. Eggs, sugar, lemons and butter. She got started on cracking and separating the eggs.]

I suspect she wouldn't be the type to accept suggestions either. That's a shame. Looks like this may not be on my list of places I could work long term after all.

Well, it's not my fault she judges a book by it's cover.

[ He tops off another pie with effortless precision, quickly tossing the now empty pipping bag to the side and reaches for....the other one which isn't there. He takes a quick look around as someone had just swiped the other bag he had ready. ]

Same here. I mean other than being a mess, the equipment is sub par, and the manager...[ He pauses. ] Okay, that's partially my fault, but on that note -

[ He leans over to whisper to her while reaching for the jug of cream and a whisk. ]

- I don't like how she's kinda sloppy with her employees. Even temporary ones. She might have learned I'm a five star chef and baker and don't enjoy being treated like a mindless drone if she'd bothered to ask.

[ Ah. The real reason for his behavior comes out. ]

[Saori nods at Bishop's assessment.]

Indeed. It's amazing this place's reputation is still standing. Her business practices are rather shoddy too. I'd be hard pressed to give her any sort of blessing on it, to be honest.

[Now that the eggs were done, she started to peel strips of lemon zest with a knife. Hearing him declare his chef status made her even more curious.]

On that note, I would like to sample some of your work one day when it's not being confined by a tyrant.

[ He gets two bowls, fills one with ice and water, pours the cream in the other then places it on top of the ice water, and starts whisking. At the same time missing the modern convenience of an electric whisk. Oh well. ]

We could trade then. Say...over dinner sometime? You said you'd treat me to some home cooking after all. We could make it a friendly competition of sorts.

[ He checks the cream which was not even close to being near soft peaks just yet, and adds some sugar. ]

Something like, you make dinner for one night, then the next I make dinner. They we talk about the meals and whoever gets more praise, wins. I'll even give you a handicap if you'd like.

[ He says with a playful grin, but also incredibly confident. ]

[With the lemon stripped of their zest, she slices them in half to start squeezing the juices of out of them. While she never received former training, there's nothing like self-teaching and learning from some several gods. She returns a grin back at Bishop.]

Ooh, a dinner competition? Why, Bishop-san, now you're talking my language. Though we should consider a theme and all the other finer details first. As for the handicap, I think there's no need for one. I'd like to sample your food at its finest.

[ Saori's eagerness brought a smile to his face as he continued with his arduous task of whipping cream by hand. ]

Well, I'll make sure not to disappoint then. As for the details, hmmmmm....How about we-

[ There was a sudden audible metallic twang which cuts him off mid sentence, the cause being that one of the wire loops of the whisk he's using broke which he holds up for them to see. ]

You're kidding, right?

[ He shakes the cream off the whisk and tosses it into the sink before looking for another. ]

Anyway, like I was saying, how about we cook what we both specialize in?

[She blinks at the sight of the broken whisk before covering her mouth with the back of her hand to suppress her laughter.]

Wow! That didn't even look that old either. And sure, that sounds good to me. Guess now would be a good time to ask if you're okay with spicy food in that case.

I'm good with spicy foods, as long it's not trying to singe my tongue off, of course.

[ Trying to be a chef without a tongue would be difficult. ]

Where is that other whisk? I know I saw it here somewhere...

[ He rummages through cabinet after cabinet, drawer after drawer, in search of another whisk. ]

So you're specialty is something spicy, eh? Hmmm, I wonder what I should make then?

[ A beat. ]

Where is that other whisk???

[A twenty-one year old Saori, with groceries in hand, returned back home to the apartment to find her little brother sitting on the couch with Masa the white cat sitting on his lap. He was already out of his school uniform and in jeans and t-shirt.

“Akira? Don’t you have practice with the soccer club?” He didn’t say a word nor did he even look up at her. Saori raised her eyebrow and proceed to put the groceries away.

“Sis...we need to talk,” he finally spoke up and stood up to face her. Unlike Saori, Akira had short messy black hair but they shared the same eye color from their mother.

“You know I’m always happy to talk with you about anything. What’s this about?” Saori continued to sort and put away the groceries as they conversed.

“Why did I find an engagement ring in your room?” She almost dropped the carton of milk she was in the middle of putting away.

It's only then, the present day Saori noticed she wasn't alone.]

...How long were you there?

[Saori in the memory felt the air kicked out her as she was sent flying into one of the walls of the abandoned stone quarry, leaving a sizable crater behind her. Her ears still rang as she heard Kenichi call out her name. Her husband rushed over to help her up. The two were fairly battered with cuts and bruises but there was no time to rest.

A low rumbling laugh came from the Nue that approached them from behind. The two were dwarfed by the chimera that was big as a three story building. “I haven’t had a fun fight like this in ages. Too bad it’s gonna end soon. That girl turned out to be the most interesting though.” A high pitched laugh came from behind the large chimera. His snake headed-tail slithered around.

“That’s right. It’s been sometime since we dealt with someone with such an interesting scent. Even more, I think she resembles that last one. The scent’s pretty close too. I remember he kept begging to spare him and he had kids.”]

Edited 2020-04-17 07:47 (UTC)

[Laughter rang out on the snow covered courtyard, echoing off of the white plaster walls surrounding a traditional Japanese manor. A boy and a girl about five years old, all bundled up in their bright and puffy winter jackets, screeching in joy as four fox kits chased them around the corner. Two of the bigger ones managed to break into the lead and pounced. The others are quick to join in the kit pile up. The twins' knitted hats got knocked off in the process and they were smothered with playful licks to their faces.

A man clad in a sweater and jeans, watched the children from the veranda. "Kenichi, you there?" Saori's voice called from inside.

"Hang on, I'm coming," he replied before went through the open door.

At the center of the tatami floor, there was a low table with eight seat cushions all around the perimeter with bowls and chopsticks to match. An earthenware pot on top of a portable electric burner sat in the center. A hot pot was a perfect meal on a winter day like this. Just then, Kenichi heard a noise from the sliding door opposite of them and went over to open it. Saori was dressed a green t-shirt and jeans with an apron tied around her waist.

"Oh good timing. Lunch is almost ready. Here, can you place this on the table for me?" Before he could even reply, he quickly grabbed a hold of the two platters that were shoved into his hands.

Each platter had layers thinly sliced beef, green onions, delicate greens, bundles of milky pale shirataki noodles along with thin cut udon noodles, and slices of firm tofu with grill marks along the surface.

"Ah, sukiyaki, This is quite a feast. You sure we're gonna eat all of this, Saori?"

"It's not just for us, but for the kits too since we are babysitting them," she laughed as she ignored Kenichi's jaw drop. After handing off the plates, she went back to the kitchen island to pick up the container with the simmering seasonings and an egg carton. "I did let their parents take the day off to do their own Christmas and New Years shopping after all." He couldn't help but look over her shoulder and into the kitchen. On the kitchen island, he could see a chocolate roll cake with chocolate whipped cream filling.

He chuckled as he placed the two platters down on the table and Saori carefully cracked an egg into each of the smaller bowls. "You really are a goddess alright, always looking after other like that. And did my eyes deceive me or is that a beautiful yule log cake in the making?" By now, Saori had turned on the burner and carefully arranged some of the ingredients into the pot with some of the simmering liquid.

Saori raised an eyebrow at him but gave him a quick kiss. "Flattery won't win you the first slice, Kenichi Nakagawa. That's for later. Alright, I think we're set so we should go get the kids now."

Kenichi shrugged. "Can't blame a god for trying," he said as he left to go round the little tykes up. The twins and the foxes sat around the table as the adults helped get the delectable morsels out of the hot pot for them to eat.

Meanwhile, present day Saori watches the lunch unfold with a pained smile on her face.]

I really do hope they're doing okay back home...

Edited 2020-04-17 08:03 (UTC)

[ He's been tense the whole day, but he's finally able to think a little more clearly.

Though, when he walks in to see an... actual pillow fort, he can only lift his eyebrows at the sight. ]

Uh... [ . . . oh right. dinner. ] ... No?

[ . . . ]

Maybe?

Ah, no matter. I'm pretty sure they'd be calling for us if that's the case.

[ She dived back into the fort and after some maneuvering, she slid out of the opening closest to Akira and stood up.]

What do you think? I had this urge to just make like a burrow to hide in. It's pretty comfy in there. Wanna try it out?

[ He can't help the small smile. ]

It's really well-done.

[ There's a blink at the question. ]

Oh...

[ He would...

love...

to try it out, actually, and the look in his eyes probably gives that away. He glances from her to the fort, and then back to her. ]

Absolutely.

[ He kind of hates how much he wants to crawl in there because it feels like an unnaturally strong desire. Something he's thinking might have to do with the vampire thing...

... But that's a thought for another time. He's crawling into the fort. ]

We should see if Jongdae wants to join.

Jongdae is totally on board with this idea.

[ his voice sounds like it's coming from above but it's difficult to see exactly where. he's a very small, very light-coloured thing right now so if you didn't know where exactly to focus he's easy to miss.

how long has he been there, spying on things as a bat? unclear. ]

[Saori couldn't help but laugh when she figured out where Jongdae was.]

Goodness! Were you here the whole time while I was setting up? There's plenty of space down here. I think we could all fit in here if we tried.

[She had no problem with sharing her little project with her housemates. Plus, it'd be easier to keep track of everyone with the full moon out tonight, especially since it was their first one .]

[ Oh... It doesn't take him too long to spot his fellow vampire, and there's an amused snort. ]

Good to know.

[ He gestures for Jongdae to come join them. ]

It's definitely cozy.

Edited 2020-04-19 07:57 (UTC)

Maaaaaybe~..

[ let him try poorly to sound mysterious, he is literally batman right now.

he's also not the most confident flyer yet as he hasn't quite got the whole rhythm of flapping yet. bat wings being weirder than bird wings, his brain hasn't de-mystified the technique of how to fly when you're wing is half fingers.

the result is that he sort of lazily spirals down, more awkward gliding and using his wings like a parachute than actual flying and when he lands he barely puts a dent in the pillow he ends up on. ]

... I meant to do all of that, of course.

Not a bad landing there.

[Saori tilts her head as she gives one more look at her work.]

Hm...do you guys think we need anything in here? Too bad we don't have any movies here or I would've suggested making it a movie night to keep us busy.

[ yes, please continue give him praise for things he manages only decently. ]

Why, thank you~

[ he stays as he is for the time being because it's comfortable. with his wings tucked in neatly he is the picture of comfort with his little content bat expression since he's decided to claim the pillow he landed on as his own. ]

So what do we do instead..? Sleep? Uh.. talk?

[ jongdae doesn't really mind the second option assuming he's not the one doing all the talking... ]

[ He can't resist soooo... reaching out to very lightly pat the bat's head! ]

Play twenty questions?

[ He shifts and moves to lie on his back. ]

I'm fine with what we have.

[ oh. he scoots over a bit unconsciously because that's very nice and the concept of touch seems different somehow as a bat. but that makes sense considering his entire perception of everything is different as a bat. ]

How do you 'play' that exactly?

[Saori wishes she had a camera for this. So. Cute.]

It's pretty simple. First one person has to think of an object, without telling the others. Next, we take turns asking only yes or no questions to figure out what they're thinking of. You're only allowed to ask 20 questions and the game ends when either someone guesses the answer or you run out of questions.

Do either of you want to start us off?

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