The broom swept in rhythmic strikes over the stone pavers that led up to the shrine. Located a little ways into the forest and set upon a scenic overlook, it really was the perfect location for prayer and meditation. The shrine to the local earth deity was not especially large or rich-looking, but it was kept in impeccable condition, the gate always freshly painted and the altar cleared every day. Yuzuki took a small amount of pride in the irreproachable condition of the place, but more than that, it made her feel like the god enshrined there might be a little more comfortable, if ever he chose to grace her with a visit. She wasnât the kind of person who, like some, believed that the god was always present there, because sheâd never known anything to be there, but she did not exclude it from the realm of possibility that he did exist somewhere.
More than that, though, maintaining this shrine gave her a purpose, and allowed her to help the people around her by mediating disputes, officiating weddings and other important ceremonies, and serving occasionally as a religious instructor to children, something which she genuinely enjoyed. She also put on many festival celebrations throughout the yearânot as many as at the larger shrines, but a fair number all the same. Learning and performing the ceremonies and dances was a unique experience, and sheâd had a wonderful teacher, a man who still ran a different shrine in the city itself. She visited at least once a week when she could.
Right now, the simple chores of shrine maintenance were helping her recover fully from the ordeal sheâd gone through. Naomiâs ability was amazing, and had removed all of the poison very well, but the psychological toll was a bit different. Yuzuki had never been so close to death as she was in the minutes after her poisoning, and to think about it now still felt⊠heavy, and wrong in a way she could not explain. She wasnât silly; she knew that people died all the time, and some of them quite young. Sheâd just never really thought about it in such an intimate way before, and the knowledge that she really could lose the people she cared about at the drop of a hat, well⊠it had shaken her. Pursing her lips, her mouth for once felt too stiff to smile, and her eyes were sad, but she kept at her cleaning all the same, trying not to let it get her down. The shrine was depending on her, after all⊠and maybe her friends and family were, too, a little bit. Some of them, like Mako, found it very difficult to smile, and so she liked to think of herself as doing it for them. Here, now, and alone, she could stop for a little while, but not in front of everyone.
Masurao shifted the package in his hands, trying to balance that and another box underneath his arm as he walked. It had been a few days since the poisoning, and Masurao was worried. Though it seemed that Yujin had recovered, he was more worried about Yuzuki. She was only a human girl, and though it appeared that she was fine, thanks to Naomi, he still worried about her. His sister tried everything she could to reassure him that Yuzuki was fine, and that she would be fine, however; Mao took it upon himself to at least visit the priestess once a day, or occasionally, when he had time, twice. Currently, this was his first time in the last two days. He would have visited yesterday, however; he was needed at the restaurant, much to his surprise.
Taking a deep breath, he ascended the stairs to the shrine, taking careful steps so that he didn't accidentally trip and ruin the food Tatsuki had made for him to share with Yuzuki. When he reached the final step, he spotted the priestess sweeping away, her face away from him. He opened his mouth to call out to her, however; instead of her name, a startled yelp escaped him. His foot caught at the last step, and he tripped, spilling the contents of the first box upon the pavement of the shrine. He let out an exaggerated sigh as he collected the contents, mumbling incoherent words to himself. One of these days, he would be a little more graceful, and not break everything he carried.
"Sorry, Yuzu," he began, having collected most of the items. The smaller box contained just the sweets, so perhaps not all was lost. "I just came to see how you were faring, and I brought you something to eat," he continued, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly as he held the destroyed contents in one hand, and the saved food in the other.
A great clatter behind her drew her attention, and Yuzu turned only to see a bunch of food now decorating her clean pavement. Lifting her eyes upâand then way up, because Mao was very tallâshe recognized her visitor as the same one whoâd been to see her more times than anyone, even Mako. Probably more times than were really needed, but she appreciate the concern. Strangely enough, the new mess and the sheepish cause of the minor fiasco were enough to bring the smile naturally back to her face, and she raised a hand to her mouth to stifle her giggle with her knuckles, an attempt which was only partially successful. Trotting over to the spill, she swept what remained unsalvaged off to the side, clearing it from the pavement with a small shake of her head, producing the telltale chime of bells.
âItâs okay,â she said cheerfully. âThe birds need to eat too; theyâll have this cleaned up in no time!â As if on cue, a trio of bright blue ones landed nest to the pavement and began pecking at the remains, while a fourthâthis one a very large magpie, flew a circle around Yuzuâs head, cawing raucously at her before landing firmly atop Masuraoâs spiked hair. That time, she didnât try to disguise her laughter. âSee? Poyo-chanâs happy you brought him lunch.â Setting the broom down carefully, she tilted her head slightly to the side, grinning suddenly and looping one of her arms through his free one and tugging him along with her.
âWe can have lunch by the sakura behind the shrine, okay?â She didnât really expect him to protest, but it was really just a suggestion, even if her pulling might have made it seem otherwise. She didnât think him the type to mind. Sitting herself down on the soft grass under the tree, she leaned her back up against the trunk of it and crossed her legs. âBusy at the restaurant yesterday?â she inquired politely.
Masurao smiled sheepishly at Yuzuki's comment, and watched as she swept the remaining food from the pavement. As she spoke, birds flew by to clean up the mess, and one landed in his head. Though he knew he wouldn't be able to, it did not stop him from trying to see the creature nestled in his head. He blinked owlishly when she spoke and smiled. Well, he supposed if the birds needed feeding too, then they had a really good lunch to feed from. Though, he was certain Tatsuki would be a little upset that she fed the food meant for him and Yuzuki to the birds. He might be able to squeeze out of that one if he told her about the trip. He stared down at Yuzuki when she approached, and grabbed his arm.
She wanted to have lunch behind the Sakura tree? He shrugged, or rather tried to, his shoulders and let her pull him along. Poyo-chan decided to stay in his hair, not that he minded, as he took a seat on the opposite side of Yuzuki. He pulled the larger box from his arm and laid it out in front of them, the sound of a nervous laugh escaping him. "Well, not entirely busy, but more-so than usual," he replied, pulling the top back to the box. "One of the cooks was sick yesterday, and one of the workers didn't show up," he continued, frowning just a bit. Yukito had always been on time, and having not shown up yesterday caused a little concern from the Hanyou.
"What about you, Yuzu, are you doing better?" he stated, concern laced in his voice. No matter how many times she would say she was okay, he still had to ask it of her. He was still convinced that there was something still there, and he just wanted to make sure she was okay.
Yuzuki shook her head slightly. There really was no convincing him that she was going to be okay, was there? Then again⊠was she? Physically, she was fine, but there was a feeling she couldnât quite get rid of, and it weighed on her chest like some tangible thing, there to stay and somehow unshakeable. Using her chopsticks to select a few items for her plate, she chewed thoughtfully for a moment before responding, but in the end, respond she did.
âItâs⊠Iâm recovered from the poison,â she told him honestly, and then she sighed, smiling somewhat ruefully. âI just⊠that could have been anybody, and if Naomi hadnât happened to be around, if she hadn't known exactly the things she did, someone could have died, even for something so simple as a few insect youkai. Itâs⊠itâs hard, to know that. I mean⊠Mako goes out and deals with those things and worse every day, and heâs by himself. What if⊠what if someday he doesnât come back home?â She looked down at the grass in front of her knees, swallowing a little thickly. It was hard to even put such thoughts to words.
âAnd me, well⊠I worry about everyone, but it seems that being there with you just put you all in more danger. Onigiri-san was hurt because he had to go help me, you know? Iâm just not sure I belong out there like that, but there really might not be a choice. I could never let the villagers be hurt.â And in a situation like that, wasnât it best to have all the help possible? She just wasnât sure if she was a help, or more of a hindrance than anything. The thoughts unsettled her, but perhaps none more than the knowledge of how close a call it had really been. It was jarring, to think of death on such close terms. She wasnât quite sure how to handle it.
Masurao flinched. He hadn't meant to upset her that way, and causing her unnecessary worry and grief had not been his intention. She was right, though. That could have been anyone, and if Naomi had not been around... it was something he didn't want to think of. Yuzuki and Yujin had both been hurt, and there had been something that had snapped in him. He knew what the feeling was, and he was grateful he had enough control to keep it under control. But who knew what could happen if something like that happened again? It wasn't something he wanted to dwell on, and not something he wanted to think of.
"Hey, that's not true. We were all there because we wanted to keep the villagers safe too. You being there didn't put us in any danger. We did that ourselves. And Yujin... he wanted to help you, and he knew the possibilities of getting hurt by making that decision. It was something he was well aware of," Masurao tried to reassure Yuzuki that it wasn't her fault. He didn't know how to make her feel better, and he was really bad at comforting people unless he was making a fool of himself. It seemed though she was fine, the attack had shaken her up a bit more than he thought.
He sighed and offered her a soft smile. "And you belong anywhere you want to be. You helped us out a great deal, and there is always a choice. There might not always seem like there is, but there is," he stated, laying a hand gently upon her head and ruffling her hair a bit. He didn't like it when people he knew, were upset about things like that. There was no need to cause herself to think that way, and he was sure Makoto would probably (probably) try to make her feel better as well. What happened wasn't her fault, and no one was expecting to be attacked by a swarm of demon insects. He supposed they were lucky enough that no one in the town was hurt, even though Yuzuki and Yujin had.
Yuzuki smiled a little. It didnât solve all her problems, to hear that, but it was nice all the same, and he did give her a fair bit to think about. Perhaps he was right, and perhaps she was overanalyzing things. She would like to think it had been enough that she wanted to help, and perhaps she had. In the end, intention had to count for a lot, as least as she saw it. Just like his intention to make her feel better helped achieve itself. It was nice to know that there were people out there who cared. She faked a pout when he ruffled her hair, but didnât see a need to fuss with it to put it back in place quite yet. Let him deal with the consequences of his action and have to look at her silly hair for a while.
âHey Mao-Mao?â she said, blinking up at him. He was so much taller than her, even when seated. âThanks.â
More than that, though, maintaining this shrine gave her a purpose, and allowed her to help the people around her by mediating disputes, officiating weddings and other important ceremonies, and serving occasionally as a religious instructor to children, something which she genuinely enjoyed. She also put on many festival celebrations throughout the yearânot as many as at the larger shrines, but a fair number all the same. Learning and performing the ceremonies and dances was a unique experience, and sheâd had a wonderful teacher, a man who still ran a different shrine in the city itself. She visited at least once a week when she could.
Right now, the simple chores of shrine maintenance were helping her recover fully from the ordeal sheâd gone through. Naomiâs ability was amazing, and had removed all of the poison very well, but the psychological toll was a bit different. Yuzuki had never been so close to death as she was in the minutes after her poisoning, and to think about it now still felt⊠heavy, and wrong in a way she could not explain. She wasnât silly; she knew that people died all the time, and some of them quite young. Sheâd just never really thought about it in such an intimate way before, and the knowledge that she really could lose the people she cared about at the drop of a hat, well⊠it had shaken her. Pursing her lips, her mouth for once felt too stiff to smile, and her eyes were sad, but she kept at her cleaning all the same, trying not to let it get her down. The shrine was depending on her, after all⊠and maybe her friends and family were, too, a little bit. Some of them, like Mako, found it very difficult to smile, and so she liked to think of herself as doing it for them. Here, now, and alone, she could stop for a little while, but not in front of everyone.
Masurao shifted the package in his hands, trying to balance that and another box underneath his arm as he walked. It had been a few days since the poisoning, and Masurao was worried. Though it seemed that Yujin had recovered, he was more worried about Yuzuki. She was only a human girl, and though it appeared that she was fine, thanks to Naomi, he still worried about her. His sister tried everything she could to reassure him that Yuzuki was fine, and that she would be fine, however; Mao took it upon himself to at least visit the priestess once a day, or occasionally, when he had time, twice. Currently, this was his first time in the last two days. He would have visited yesterday, however; he was needed at the restaurant, much to his surprise.
Taking a deep breath, he ascended the stairs to the shrine, taking careful steps so that he didn't accidentally trip and ruin the food Tatsuki had made for him to share with Yuzuki. When he reached the final step, he spotted the priestess sweeping away, her face away from him. He opened his mouth to call out to her, however; instead of her name, a startled yelp escaped him. His foot caught at the last step, and he tripped, spilling the contents of the first box upon the pavement of the shrine. He let out an exaggerated sigh as he collected the contents, mumbling incoherent words to himself. One of these days, he would be a little more graceful, and not break everything he carried.
"Sorry, Yuzu," he began, having collected most of the items. The smaller box contained just the sweets, so perhaps not all was lost. "I just came to see how you were faring, and I brought you something to eat," he continued, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly as he held the destroyed contents in one hand, and the saved food in the other.
A great clatter behind her drew her attention, and Yuzu turned only to see a bunch of food now decorating her clean pavement. Lifting her eyes upâand then way up, because Mao was very tallâshe recognized her visitor as the same one whoâd been to see her more times than anyone, even Mako. Probably more times than were really needed, but she appreciate the concern. Strangely enough, the new mess and the sheepish cause of the minor fiasco were enough to bring the smile naturally back to her face, and she raised a hand to her mouth to stifle her giggle with her knuckles, an attempt which was only partially successful. Trotting over to the spill, she swept what remained unsalvaged off to the side, clearing it from the pavement with a small shake of her head, producing the telltale chime of bells.
âItâs okay,â she said cheerfully. âThe birds need to eat too; theyâll have this cleaned up in no time!â As if on cue, a trio of bright blue ones landed nest to the pavement and began pecking at the remains, while a fourthâthis one a very large magpie, flew a circle around Yuzuâs head, cawing raucously at her before landing firmly atop Masuraoâs spiked hair. That time, she didnât try to disguise her laughter. âSee? Poyo-chanâs happy you brought him lunch.â Setting the broom down carefully, she tilted her head slightly to the side, grinning suddenly and looping one of her arms through his free one and tugging him along with her.
âWe can have lunch by the sakura behind the shrine, okay?â She didnât really expect him to protest, but it was really just a suggestion, even if her pulling might have made it seem otherwise. She didnât think him the type to mind. Sitting herself down on the soft grass under the tree, she leaned her back up against the trunk of it and crossed her legs. âBusy at the restaurant yesterday?â she inquired politely.
Masurao smiled sheepishly at Yuzuki's comment, and watched as she swept the remaining food from the pavement. As she spoke, birds flew by to clean up the mess, and one landed in his head. Though he knew he wouldn't be able to, it did not stop him from trying to see the creature nestled in his head. He blinked owlishly when she spoke and smiled. Well, he supposed if the birds needed feeding too, then they had a really good lunch to feed from. Though, he was certain Tatsuki would be a little upset that she fed the food meant for him and Yuzuki to the birds. He might be able to squeeze out of that one if he told her about the trip. He stared down at Yuzuki when she approached, and grabbed his arm.
She wanted to have lunch behind the Sakura tree? He shrugged, or rather tried to, his shoulders and let her pull him along. Poyo-chan decided to stay in his hair, not that he minded, as he took a seat on the opposite side of Yuzuki. He pulled the larger box from his arm and laid it out in front of them, the sound of a nervous laugh escaping him. "Well, not entirely busy, but more-so than usual," he replied, pulling the top back to the box. "One of the cooks was sick yesterday, and one of the workers didn't show up," he continued, frowning just a bit. Yukito had always been on time, and having not shown up yesterday caused a little concern from the Hanyou.
"What about you, Yuzu, are you doing better?" he stated, concern laced in his voice. No matter how many times she would say she was okay, he still had to ask it of her. He was still convinced that there was something still there, and he just wanted to make sure she was okay.
Yuzuki shook her head slightly. There really was no convincing him that she was going to be okay, was there? Then again⊠was she? Physically, she was fine, but there was a feeling she couldnât quite get rid of, and it weighed on her chest like some tangible thing, there to stay and somehow unshakeable. Using her chopsticks to select a few items for her plate, she chewed thoughtfully for a moment before responding, but in the end, respond she did.
âItâs⊠Iâm recovered from the poison,â she told him honestly, and then she sighed, smiling somewhat ruefully. âI just⊠that could have been anybody, and if Naomi hadnât happened to be around, if she hadn't known exactly the things she did, someone could have died, even for something so simple as a few insect youkai. Itâs⊠itâs hard, to know that. I mean⊠Mako goes out and deals with those things and worse every day, and heâs by himself. What if⊠what if someday he doesnât come back home?â She looked down at the grass in front of her knees, swallowing a little thickly. It was hard to even put such thoughts to words.
âAnd me, well⊠I worry about everyone, but it seems that being there with you just put you all in more danger. Onigiri-san was hurt because he had to go help me, you know? Iâm just not sure I belong out there like that, but there really might not be a choice. I could never let the villagers be hurt.â And in a situation like that, wasnât it best to have all the help possible? She just wasnât sure if she was a help, or more of a hindrance than anything. The thoughts unsettled her, but perhaps none more than the knowledge of how close a call it had really been. It was jarring, to think of death on such close terms. She wasnât quite sure how to handle it.
Masurao flinched. He hadn't meant to upset her that way, and causing her unnecessary worry and grief had not been his intention. She was right, though. That could have been anyone, and if Naomi had not been around... it was something he didn't want to think of. Yuzuki and Yujin had both been hurt, and there had been something that had snapped in him. He knew what the feeling was, and he was grateful he had enough control to keep it under control. But who knew what could happen if something like that happened again? It wasn't something he wanted to dwell on, and not something he wanted to think of.
"Hey, that's not true. We were all there because we wanted to keep the villagers safe too. You being there didn't put us in any danger. We did that ourselves. And Yujin... he wanted to help you, and he knew the possibilities of getting hurt by making that decision. It was something he was well aware of," Masurao tried to reassure Yuzuki that it wasn't her fault. He didn't know how to make her feel better, and he was really bad at comforting people unless he was making a fool of himself. It seemed though she was fine, the attack had shaken her up a bit more than he thought.
He sighed and offered her a soft smile. "And you belong anywhere you want to be. You helped us out a great deal, and there is always a choice. There might not always seem like there is, but there is," he stated, laying a hand gently upon her head and ruffling her hair a bit. He didn't like it when people he knew, were upset about things like that. There was no need to cause herself to think that way, and he was sure Makoto would probably (probably) try to make her feel better as well. What happened wasn't her fault, and no one was expecting to be attacked by a swarm of demon insects. He supposed they were lucky enough that no one in the town was hurt, even though Yuzuki and Yujin had.
Yuzuki smiled a little. It didnât solve all her problems, to hear that, but it was nice all the same, and he did give her a fair bit to think about. Perhaps he was right, and perhaps she was overanalyzing things. She would like to think it had been enough that she wanted to help, and perhaps she had. In the end, intention had to count for a lot, as least as she saw it. Just like his intention to make her feel better helped achieve itself. It was nice to know that there were people out there who cared. She faked a pout when he ruffled her hair, but didnât see a need to fuss with it to put it back in place quite yet. Let him deal with the consequences of his action and have to look at her silly hair for a while.
âHey Mao-Mao?â she said, blinking up at him. He was so much taller than her, even when seated. âThanks.â