Winter, Day 4 - Foxpoint Farms

 9:07 PM] Ana Chiasami (Luella, She/Her):

Ana had taken the time to go change clothes at least when she left Seth in the playground. She at least wore an outfit that matched the beanie, with a long skirt to hopefully hid the bulk of the tail under. 

She’d weaved illusions around her new appendages in an attempt to keep them from mortal eyes, but she wasn’t sure if the chaos magic would supersede her own when it came to that. 

She’d brought an assortment of sweets with her, she hadn’t seen Inari in any of their conglomerations in a while but she hoped they would put a smile on the kami’s face. Sarutahiko’s favorites were in the assortment, she hoped that if he was present with Inari that it would make them all the sweeter.

She approached the address on the card that the little Kuro had given her on her scooter pulling off and parking as the shop came into view. 

She entered the shop with a little nod to the other patrons before approaching the two distinctly vulpine feeling attendants

“Hello there, I am looking for Shiori Okita?”

<d> @Shiori Okita (Nora)

[9:20 PM] Shiori Okita (Nora): Mika and Mako both looked up from where they were working in the shop, the twins exchanging a knowing glance, speaking without words. They each had a fox at their feet, whose ears perked up at the entrance of this woman.

It was Mika who spoke first, her words careful because of the mortals in the shop around them. "Ah, her cousin, yes. She said you might come by today, and to let you through whenever you did. Shiori is outside in the fields, just through this door," she said, gesturing for the kami to follow her and opening it with a flourish and the slightest of bows.

If Ana were to approach and step through the door, the kami she sought would be immediately obvious.

Shiori stood in the center of a nearby field, a white fox at their feet. There weren't any mortal guests nearby, shying away though they weren't aware of it. To the eyes of the humans - indeed, to any that wasn't fox-kin or kami - Shiori looked like a normal woman, of average height and slim.

For those who could see, however...

... nine bright white tails fanned out behind the kami, their tips a rich, brilliant red. A pair of red-tipped white ears sat atop their head, twitching as they listened - to the whispers of wishes on the wind, to the gossip of foxes, and to the sound of the door opening at the shop. They straightened from their task and turned, a distinctly vulpine face and snout peering out from beneath long black hair, until they reached up with a furred and clawed hand, gripping their cheeks... and pulling away, removing a stylized fox mask that they hung from a belt, unseen by mortal eyes. This movement revealed a more human face, though the kami's eyes still glowed a rich amber, their pupils slits as they waited.

<d> @Ana Chiasami (Luella, She/Her)

[10:23 AM] Ana Chiasami (Luella, She/Her): Ana’s chest was so full of joy that she she thought she might burst. They were really here! Right in front of her eyes! In this place full of Chaos and Death, Inari was here! 

To a divine observer it would seem that Ana did, in fact, burst from joy. She dropped her mortal disguise for all but the humans present, pink hair growing incredibly long and eyes shining like twin suns rising on a clear morning. Everything about Ame-no-Uzume seemed to glow and shimmer in tones of peach and gold, her skin, her hair, even the air around her. If she’d had the attention to notice, Ana would have been surprised and more than a little frustrated to find that her new vulpine appendages were still very much present in her divine form.

She bounded up to Inari, placing her steps carefully so as not to trample any plants, and stopped herself just in time to give a deep formal bow.

“Greetings to you, Inari Ōkami! This place is made brighter and more beautiful by your presence!”

Having gotten the formal greetings out of the way, Ana gave a laugh and a breathless “I can’t believe you’re here!” as she approached the ethereally stunning kami, fully intending to give them a big hug.

<d> @Shiori Okita (Nora)

[7:43 PM] Shiori Okita (Nora): Shiori had very little time to really register which kami had arrived; just enough to confirm it was who they had thought to expect. But before they could really return the formal greeting, Omiyanome was approaching, arms outstretched for a hug. There was a flash of concern across the fox god's face, and then they were being hugged, their arms instinctively reaching up to grasp at the dawn goddess.

It was that connection that had them going stock still, pupils blowing wide as they were assaulted with Omiyanome's memories, reacting to the presence of the principal aspect.

Some were clearly new and fresh, bright flashes of memory that sank into their mind; others were older, more disjointed, joining with the jumble of similar memories and in a few rare cases, enhancing them, bringing things to light and confirming that Shiori had been receiving bleed-offs of memories throughout the long years of separation.

[7:44 PM] Shiori Okita (Nora): To their great relief, they did not absorb Omiyanome, as they had feared they would. When the shock of the memory overload died down, they stumbled back, releasing the other kami. "Well... you've been busy... and..." there was a long pause as they looked around, a sad look in their gaze, "... Sarutahiko isn't with you." This was said matter-of-factly, though they did seem to almost deflate a little. "I suspected, when Kuro brought me your sigil alone. Come, come, away from the eyes of the mortals. Would you prefer tea or sake?" they asked, taking careful steps through the field and toward the farmhouse, trusting that Omiyanome would follow.

Their nine tails swished behind them as they walked, occasionally allowing the other kami to glimpse the distinctly vulpine hind paws that peeked out from the legs of their pants. "The tail looks good on you, by the way," they added over their shoulder, a sly grin turning the corners of their lips. "I always thought all of you would look marvelous with tails."

<d> @Ana Chiasami (Luella, She/Her) 

[9:43 AM] Ana Chiasami (Luella, She/Her): “He is not, I was rather hoping he’d be with you. I haven’t seen him since our duties separated us.” Ana gave a sad little whine despite her best efforts not to, she coughed to cover up the sound and followed after Inari carefully, placing her footprints directly in their pawprints. “Sake, please. It’s sorely needed.”

Ana gave a slight blush at the compliment ears pointing down in embarrassment. “Well thank you, but I’ve found myself frustrated with them. We always look so beautiful with them, but these came from Chaos and I’ve found their fur acts according to their origin.” Ana brushed at her ears with her fingers to smooth out said unruly fur with a huff. “I’ve they’re permanent, I’ll need you to remind me how to keep them shiny and soft like yours.” 

She looked around as they walked, taking note of the foxes in the field. 

“I was pleasantly surprised to have met your Kuro at the fair. I almost didn’t believe what my spirit was telling me when I read your signature from him. To find you in this place seems a powerful coincidence.”

<d> @Shiori Okita (Nora)

[2:33 PM] Shiori Okita (Nora): Shiori shook their head, frowning. "I fear you may have seen him far more recently than I. I've not seen any of the aspects in... a very long time, until you. I'd thought..." They paused, grimacing. "I'd thought some or all of you had begun to fade."

"We shall see what we can do about your Chaos-given... appendages, at any rate. Perhaps there is something I can do to help."

Shiro moved away from the pair as Shiori led their fellow kami onward, ushering her inside the farmhouse once they arrived. "What are you called, these days? I can't keep calling you Omiyanome, after all." They waited for her to step inside, watching as Shiro returned with Kuro in tow, the dark fox's tail wagging slightly at the sight of the female kami. "I don't believe this is a coincidence, but we can discuss that once we're settled."

<d> @Ana Chiasami (Luella, She/Her)

[4:17 PM] Ana Chiasami (Luella, She/Her): “I’m going by Ana Chiasami here. I run a yoga studio in Londinium.” 

Ana gave a happy little wave at Kuro

”Hello again, Little One.”

“We are not faded, diminished perhaps, with circumstances as they are, but not faded.” Ana gave a comforting little smile toward Inari as she moved to where they motioned.

Ana retrieved the box of sweet from her bag, holding them out to Inari. 

“I brought these for you, by the way!”

“I saw the name “Shiori” on the card, is that the name you’d prefer for me to call you here?”

<d> @Shiori Okita (Nora)

[4:41 PM] Shiori Okita (Nora): "A yoga studio?" they asked, with some amusement. It somehow didn't surprise Shiori. Yoga was often associated with meditation, after all, and aside from Omiyanome... Ana's more sensuous affiliations, meditation was a primary thing for the kami.

Kuro and Shiro flanked the door to the tea room as the pair of kami entered the house, though Shiori paused, surprised and with a small smile, reaching out with both hands to accept the box, inhaling the sweet aroma from it. "Thank you very much, Ana. And yes, Shiori is what I am going by of late. You have permission, of course, to shorten it to Ori. You are family, after all."

They gestured for the woman to sit and make herself comfortable. "Kuro told me about his encounter with you at the fair. I'm afraid I was busy here, running a festival of my own, and dealing with the harvest." Shiori waved a hand, vaguely dismissive. "Autumn is always busy for me."

<d> @Ana Chiasami (Luella, She/Her)

[11:48 PM] Ana Chiasami (Luella, She/Her): “Ori....” Ana titled her head “I like it! It suits you.”

Ana knelt, before shifting her self over to her hip, leaning back on her arm.

“I was pleasantly surprised to see your Kuro there. I wanted to come find you as soon as I saw him, but this is a place bathed in chaos and I found myself running around like a wild boar.”

She seemed to weigh her next words before she spoke them.

“I was afraid, in my heart, that I was mistaken in what I read off of Kuro. If I found out that you weren’t here after I’d let myself hope it would’ve left me in a darkness of mind I wouldn’t have been able to pull myself out of easily.”

Her serious expression softened back into joy.

“How odd, the things I’m afraid of these days.”

“But here you are! In this of all places! The foxes and the harvest and your blessings in the air and the ground!” She sighed deeply and contently “It almost feels like home.”

<d> @Shiori Okita (Nora)

[12:14 AM] Shiori Okita (Nora): "Home..." they said, thoughtful, settling down on their own cushion. Home meant many things. "I do miss it, sometimes. The ancestral home." Kyoto, their seat of power, where their worship was strongest, where they had a whole temple to play in, mountains and forests. It was a far cry from the flat lands they found themselves in now, though at least they'd found some small bit of woodland to nestle in.

"I am glad he found you. I, too, was somewhat afraid. If it wasn't who I thought... and if it was you, I was still afraid. Would our meeting cause issues? I didn't know. I can't... I can't remember. There are so many parts of my memory that are not mine, as my own self, that it begins to be difficult to distinguish."

Jiro, without waiting to be asked, came into the room and set a tray down on the low table, a tokkuri and two cups, the pleasant scent of plum sake drifting toward them. A selection of sweets was neatly arranged as well, from traditional to modern. Shiori poured them each a cup, setting Ana's in front of her before taking their own. Their tails dipped down, spreading out on the floor in a relaxed position.

"So, Ana... I saw what happened to give you the foxy look," they said with an amused grin. "And while I can certainly help you with grooming, you would also need to glamour them away from prying eyes. Or... we could try and get you sorted back to rights. As I recall, you always preferred the more human look."

<d> @Ana Chiasami (Luella, She/Her)

[7:11 PM] Ana Chiasami (Luella, She/Her): Ana have a solemn nod at Shiori’s contemplation, she knew the feeling the other kami was expressing, but had very little idea of how to help.

She gratefully accepted the sake and savored the flavor deeply.

“If they were truly mine I wouldn’t mind them!” She reached up and tugged on one of the ears and winced. “These are made from chaos and they feel like it to me.”

Ana made a little noise, sucking on her teeth with a frustrated expression. 

“I thought my Chaos friend could help, but... well.... you probably saw how that went.” 

Just a hint of a blush colored her cheeks, but she drank down the rest of the sake and hoped Shiori would pass it off as an alcohol blush.

<d> @Shiori Okita (Nora)

[7:43 PM] Shiori Okita (Nora): Shiori gave a noncommittal hum as an answer, nodding slightly. "Well, the good news is that it is much easier for me to remove things... especially things that are not natural to the being involved."

The kami noted the blush but didn't comment; they had absorbed Ana's memories and knew quite keenly what had happened. And while they might have normally been tempted to tease her about it, her current state did require a bit of focus.

"So, shall we try this the standard way first?" they asked, taking a sip of their own sake. A wish might work. After all, the ears and tail didn't belong. On a human, certainly it would be that easy. With chaos magic involved, though, and one of their own aspects... well, it would certainly be worth trying before they had to resort to other methods.

<d> @Ana Chiasami (Luella, She/Her)

[8:44 AM] Ana Chiasami (Luella, She/Her): Ana nodded vigorously before shuffling over to Shiori. 

She took on a posture of supplication, an unnecessary step, but Ana hoped in the back of her mind that if she gave the simplest solution the appropriate amount of reverence it would somehow help ensure the success of their endeavors.

“Ō-Inari, please grant my wish for the removal of these Chaos-made appendages.”

She held her breath with anticipation...

<d> @Shiori Okita (Nora)

[9:36 AM] Shiori Okita (Nora): Shiori felt the tingle in the air, a wish waiting to be granted. It verged on the edge, almost a Big Wish, but not quite, and they had a brief moment of hope that perhaps it was just small enough in their current state...

 

... a pale, blue-white light seemed to shimmer in the air between and around the pair of kami, and for a brief moment, Shiori thought that it had worked. The ears were gone! But that moment was short-lived when they saw that the tail remained, though it looked... considerably less pink. And perhaps a little smaller.

 

The kami groaned. "The tail is... stubborn," they finally said, gaze somewhat unfocused as they felt the magic. "I think it recognizes you and I together and thinks it should be here. That will be... more difficult to remove." Not impossible, of course. But more time-consuming, and potentially more tiring.

 

"I shouldn't be surprised, truthfully. Chaos likes to do what it likes to do." They would know that better than most, even as a relatively balanced kami. Order and chaos had equal weight with Shiori, reflected on the farm in the fields and the forest and the wildflowers that bloomed between. "But... at least the ears are gone?" they offered with an amused smile. "We can rest, catch up. You are welcome to stay the night here... perhaps with some rest and consideration, we can try again in the morning. In the meantime, we have... quite a long time to catch up on, don't we?"

<d>

[9:36 AM] Shiori Okita (Nora): @Ana Chiasami (Luella, She/Her)

[10:02 AM] Ana Chiasami (Luella, She/Her): “We do indeed,” Ana answered with a smile, returning to her lounging position. 

“I’m very interested to hear how you came to be here. The running a farm part I can understand, but why this place?”

<d> @Shiori Okita (Nora) (sorry, forgot to tag)

[11:34 PM] Shiori Okita (Nora): "I can't really explain it," they replied, frowning slightly into their cup before taking a small sip. "I was just... drawn here, I suppose? I've met a few other divines, and it seems like the same story for most. Drawn here. I've been here, oh... two years now, I think?"

They looked up, tilting their head slightly as they studied their kin. "Your memories are a bit of a jumble right now. Easier to just ask. When and why did you come to this place, yourself?"

<d> @Ana Chiasami (Luella, She/Her)

[10:30 AM] Ana Chiasami (Luella, She/Her): Ana’s face fell into a solemn expression, her usual joy evaporating like morning mist in harsh sunlight. She was quiet for too long, steadily breathing in a pattern meant to calm her. When she finally spoke her voice trembled in places with barely concealed emotion.

“I.....she.....” she took a deep breath “Amaterasu is missing. I thought it was one of her reclusive episodes, but she left without telling me.” She caught Shiori’s eyes for a moment, “she never leaves without telling me, or taking me with her.”

She refilled her own cup, downed it, and refilled it again. Etiquette giving way to her need to steady herself.

“I tracked her here, but couldn’t get any closer. I performed a ritual once here to try again, thinking my physical presence would help matters... it did not help me find her. I felt her energy, it....”her voice broke a bit “She’s scared. She’s afraid and she might be hurt and I can’t find her.” 

Ana buried her face in her hands, tears falling behind her fingers but being stubbornly rubbed away before they could fall from her face. 

She took deep breaths, calming herself before continuing, 

“I hired a mortal detective to find her, I thought maybe she was trapped in a mortal guise and she could be found that way, but then the mortal pulled some abomination from the corn at Mistwood and when I tried to go check on her I fucked it up and ended up not only revealing myself to her but earning her fury and rage in the process.”

“I’m quite sure she won’t help now, and I don’t know what else to do. I know the woman named Silver has been near her but the detective seems to believe she did so unaware.” 

“I am lost Inari, I am lost and I thought I was alone here.” She gave a sniff and a sad smile “You have know idea how happy I was to see you.”

<d> @Shiori Okita (Nora)

[12:31 PM] Shiori Okita (Nora): Shiori very, very carefully set their sake cup on the table. When Ana refilled her own, the kami made sure the tokkuri remained full even as they processed what the dawn kami was saying.

Amaterasu was... missing. And last seen in this area?

"Hart," they said almost absently. "That's the detective, right? I have been told about her, about the thing she pulled from the fields. Some yokai abomination, or something similar." At best guess, at least.

Very carefully, as all their movements were in confined spaces, the fox kami turned and enveloped Ana in a gentle hug, their tails shifting forward to rest on either side of the pair. Their clawed fingers brushed against Ana's back, soothing. "You are not alone, Ana." Shiori understood the feeling, having felt alone, bereft of their kami kin for many long years now. Never had they imagined their aspects would be suffering similarly. "We will figure this out together."

The room was suddenly more crowded than before, with four foxes now around the table, each watching their kami with wide eyes, waiting. "Find this... Silver," they said firmly, looking at Egi, Kaede, and Kuro. "Ana, koibito, have you seen her before yourself? Can you show them?"

<d> @Ana Chiasami (Luella, She/Her)

((Hugging with permission))

[1:26 PM] Ana Chiasami (Luella, She/Her): Ana had tucked her face into the crook of Shiori’s neck finally letting a few tears fall from her cheeks as she gave an impossibly deep sigh, breathing in the familiar scent of the kami. 

The scent of vulpine musk, rain on fresh turned earth, and ripe plums filled her nose, and when she breathed out her heart felt warmer.

She pulled her head back and nodded. Turning to the foxes and sending them an image of Silver, dripping in bangles and baubles, and a rapid fire look at all the times Ana had seen her.

“There is something....off about her. I can’t quite articulate it but just, please, be careful.”

She paused for a moment more before continuing.

“There is more...” she caught her bottom lip between her teeth and worried at it for a moment. “I was told to check on Izanami.”

<d> @Shiori Okita (Nora)

[3:35 PM] Shiori Okita (Nora): The three foxes assigned to the task paid very close attention to the images they were given, setting the face, the voice, the typical attire into their minds. At the admonishment to be careful, they all nodded their heads, acknowledging. It was Kaede who slipped away first; this would be her night of searching, and they would rotate between the three of them when they could.

Kuro and Egi remained, with Egi flopping down on the floor beside Ana.

Shiori's hands stilled at the mention of Izanami. "What about her?" they finally asked, pulling away slightly with a frown. The goddess had been a part of Inari once, a long time ago, one of their many aspects, while also being their creator.

Shinto was complicated.

"Is she also missing?"

<d> @Ana Chiasami (Luella, She/Her)

[6:25 PM] Ana Chiasami (Luella, She/Her): “I don’t think so. A new friend made me aware of some happenings. Apparently someone from outside the Greek pantheon broke open Tartarus, their Titians are released. Ammit is missing from Duat. With the chaos in the Underworlds he seemed to believe I should make sure all is well in Izanami’s domain.....” She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment “I’m going hunting soon, I’ll need a deer shoulder.”

She reached over and began to stroke Egi, twining her fingers in the soft fur.

“I’d prefer to divine the information I need, I don’t always mesh well with chthonic deities and I wouldn’t want to cause trouble.”

<d> @Shiori Okita (Nora)

[12:22 PM] Shiori Okita (Nora): "You think that Yomi was breached, too?" they asked, frowning as they considered the news.

 

Shiori had not thought about Yomi in quite a long time. Nor had they thought about Ne-no-Kuni, the land of rebirth. Shinto belief had always leaned more toward cohabitation between humans and kami on Utsushi-yo, and in fact due to that belief, many spirits wandered the manifested world, working toward the prosperity of their descendants... or bringing retribution upon the damned and dishonored as yokai.

 

Yomotsu-kuni, therefore, had seen remarkably little use in modern times, even with Izanami as the Queen of Yomi. Which, of course, only meant that the souls that resided there were old. And likely unhappy with their lives in the realm of the unclean.

 

"There are plenty of deer in the woods around here. Just be careful when you hunt. Take one of the skulk with you," they said, nodding toward the assembled foxes. "So they can scout, and in case something happens. For today, though... stay here, rest. We will see if we can remove the rest of the Chaos-given fluff in the morning. I'm sure the trio would love to spend time with you, too, and they can't do that until work is over."

 

A pause, and then Shiori smiled slightly. "Do you like Pokémon? We play it, most evenings, upstairs. You're welcome to join."

[10:04 AM] Ana Chiasami (Luella, She/Her): “I love it! I made a whole team of fox Pokémon once because I missed you!” Ana laughed.

As the two kami went upstairs Ana’s still present tail seemed to be unable to stop wagging in happiness.

Fade to Black