[ yeah... that took... forever..... he's so picky. meanwhile, hiyori's slowly been expanding her wardrobe to how it normally is.
oh, no. NO, YATO, DON'T CRY NOW. it's fine! ugh, she can't tell him she's the one that got him all of those. he belieVES IN SANTA. besides his one present is super nice!! she doesn't even really wear jewelry but she could start now!! ]
Y-you don't have to--! [ before finishing her thought, she stops herself. he's trying to make her feel better. trying to make up for santa's "mistake". it's her own mistake. it's not like she could get herself gifts and pretend they're from santa. she could, but she doesn't want to! ]
O, okay. Well. How about... pancakes? Those big fluffy ones?
[ way too delicate for her clumsy hands. the SOUFFLE ONES. ]
[They'll never need a spare wardrobe for him, at least?
HE'S WIBBLING, especially when she tries to brush off his offer, making his face fall even more. It seems like his suggestion's no good, not comparable to what Santa could do for her. Thankfully she seems to catch on and interrupts herself before he breaks down into full-fledged tears. That one word of "okay" brightens his mood immensely, turning his unshed tears into sparkles of happiness.]
You got it! I'll make so many that you won't need food until it's almost dinner time!
[Setting Turtle-chan in her lap, he hurries out to the kitchen to get everything set up, humming Christmas carols all the while. He even has an idea of how to make them more festive! This is gonna be great~]
[ you know, like most married couples, he has a small section while hiyori's outfits take up the bulk and cross over into his wardrobe.
PLEASE DON'T CRY ON CHRISTMAS.
just the sound of so many souffle pancakes makes her stomach hurt. he's overdoing it...! but she doesn't have to heart to say no now when he wants to make it up to her so badly. maybe they can share the pancakes with people they know. like that god yato made friends with, ryu?
she grips turtle-chan in her lap and watches yato bound off to the kitchen and hum. slowly, she sinks in her seat and stares at the silly, happy face of the plush.
should she have just told him the presents were from her? she doesn't know. as much as she wants to keep yato's innocence intact, she wonders if it wouldn't be better if he knew that she chose those gifts for him. no, he'd still feel guilty somehow. seriously though! this necklace is more than enough.
she tries to look down at it, sparkling splendidly against her casual pajamas.
in the meantime, she cleans up the wrapping paper, she checks her journal, and then pokes at the hearth to get a fire going. there is still more capyper inari to hand out later, too. as well as deliver a couple of other presents.
geez, she does feel like santa this year! not a bad feeling, though.
after a while, it starts to smell amazing and she wanders over to watch him at work, peering over his shoulder. ]
[If he knew that was a married couple thing, he would be so damn flustered, haha...
It should come as no surprise that his first reaction is to go over the top. He doesn't even see it as such, feeling that if Santa of all people has screwed Hiyori over, then it's his duty as her God of Fortune to make up for it and ensure she has a very happy Christmas.
Once in the kitchen he gets everything out and ready, jumping right into it. He's hungry, too, so surely she must be as well. To that end, by the time Hiyori comes to check on him, he has not just one batter going, nor two, but three bowls of the stuff - colored normally along with red and green. Festive!
He turns a little bit to face her, cheeks tinged with pride at her compliment. Cooking is one of those things he's grateful he knows how to do now that he has a human in need of feeding.]
Of course! You wanted souffle pancakes, I'm gonna give you souffle pancakes! Here we go, here's the first one--
[It gets placed on a plate for her, then covered with syrup in a heart shape, followed by a dab of whipped cream and smattering of holiday sprinkles. He really is going all out to make them something special for her. Beaming, he hands the plate over along with a fork.
at seeing not one, not two, but THREE bowls of batter. the red and green idea is pretty good, though. very festive, yato. why are there three tho......
at yato making a syrup heart on her pancake and adding whipped cream and sprinkles, too, she feels another SOMETHING. going all out, indeed. this is like some street foods she's seen where the vendor puts on ALL the fixings!! where the plate is overflowing. what does she do?? she takes the plate and her stomach decides for her with a small growl. hrrrng as much as she is loathe to ruin such perfect fluffiness, she picks up the fork and-- ]
Th-thanks for the food. [ --digs her fork in.
SOFT. SO AIRY. uwaaah!! they're like PILLOWS. she pokes it again with her fork to watch it bounce.
just like yato earlier, hehe.
... she can hear her mother scolding her not to play with her food and shoves the forkful into her mouth. wwhwhkjsdgjksdg. ]
Because he wanted three colors? Because it was worth thrice the love?? Because he's that damn extra?!
All of the above. As is clearly displayed by his over-the-top fixings for it. He's going to make sure these pancakes are like presents on a plate! Fluffy clouds of delicious presents. Beaming at her, he starts up on the next pancake - a red one this time.]
You're welcome. [Hopefully she'll like it... He did try hard to make sure they were perfect, measuring everything accurately and picking the right size to ensure their fluffiness.
He steals a glance at Hiyori while the current pancake is cooking, eyes lit up with pleasure as she has fun not only poking at it, but eating it as well. Hehe. They're alike in that regard, wanting to have a bit of fun with their food. Feeling warm all over, he flips the pancake, smiling to himself.]
[ resounding "yes" from hiyori. to everything. something is in the air, that she likes it, that it tastes okay. MORE THAN OKAY where have you been all her life, souffle pancakes?! she could eat these forever. she won't because she has self-restraint but they are literally that good. the whipped cream really takes it above and beyond, too. ]
Chuckling to himself, he sets aside the next done pancake and starts on a green one. It looks like this was a good way to make today a little more special even without a lot of presents. But hmm... Maybe they can still go out later if she wants, pick up some small gifts to make her room more homey, too.]
Glad it meets your approval! Ah, gotta have a drink to go with it.
[Leaving the stove for a minute, he gets them both large glasses of milk and sets her down beside her plate. And then it's back to work! These poofy pancakes won't make themselves.]
[ he didn't have to do this. she truly was perfectly happy with her necklace. she didn't need a bunch of presents. when it came to yato, the objects started to pile up before she knew it. while out and about she would discover something else that she had a feeling he might like. more than once, she had to stop herself from picking up ANOTHER GIFT to add to his growing pile of gifts.
mid-bite, she looks at the glass of milk and manages to pause her eating to take a sip. belatedly, she realizes that this is all... very... let's just say she's seen kofuku and daikoku do things just like this. daikoku cooking while he fed kofuku samples because she didn't want to wait and to stop her from causing trouble.
she sips again. those two... were pretty much a couple, right? it was never blatantly said but they raised a kid together. daikoku calls her 'missus' and, in her own way, kofuku returns that affection. other than going out and extorting poor souls.
or is the relationship between a god and their shinki so strict because of heaven? so they can't officially-- ]
Hey, Yato. I was thinking about everyone back home, they would have loved these. You should make them for everyone next Christmas. [ as long as they're not still here... ] But about Kofuku-san and Daikoku-san in particular.
[The ironic thing is that being able and allowed to do this for her also makes him happy as can be. Perhaps just as much if not more so than it does her. He enjoys being permitted to show his affection in other ways than blatant gifts and overt gestures like directly asking for her hand in marriage. Because it's little things like this that hold true meaning, he's coming to realize. It's the way you treat someone everyday that adds up to a cumulative effect.
It is pretty... domestic. But that's how friends and family are, right? He's pretty sure it is, anyway. Like how Yukine wakes and feeds him, or Daikoku does dinner for them. So this should be fine! He hopes.
Humming carols under his breath, he works to make the pancake stack larger, alternating each color in turn and delivering a fully furnished one to Hiyori once she finishes. He doesn't worry about himself just yet, content in his work. Until Hiyori pipes up. Then he pauses to glance her way with a curious expression.]
You think so? [It's true that Yukine would probably love them, Kofuku, too. He gives the idea some thought and smiles.] Yeah, you're probably right. Maybe even before then. I could color them to match any holiday, you know! Then they can be enjoyed year-round.
[ and hiyori can't deny it adds up to something. that it affects her. the overt things like asking her hand in marriage, writing her name over and over in a notebook like some curse, putting on her uniform were never going to get anywhere. it's the little things. the look on his face when he thanks her for a shrine. simply holding her to bring her back from the brink after she buckled under pressure and trauma. the genuine, happy smiles he aims at her when he sees her.
blushing when she tells him she'll visit him every day.
yes, that's how family and friends are...
hiyori accepts her next pancake, as nice as the first. she pokes it again, watching it wiggle, before slicing off another piece. ]
It could be your holiday staple. You know how in families there's that one person who always brings the same dish because everyone likes it so much? [ a smile tugs at her lips before it falls again in thought while watching yato complete pancake after pancake. ]
Those two... do you know if they've ever thought of... g-getting married? [ is this a bad topic to bring up with yato considering all his proPOSALS too late now ] Can gods and shinki...? Or is it weird? Bishamon-san and you see your shinki as your children, but that doesn't seem like it's the case for Kofuku-san and Daikoku-san.
[ OR DOES SHE?! THIS WHOLE TIME SHE'S BEEN LOOKING AT THEM THE WRONG WAY???? ]
[Thankfully he's not stupid just hardheaded and tenacious so those tactics that have fallen flat have been relegated to the back burner of attempted wooing. Which is funny, since even when he does seemingly succeed, he never quite knows what to do with the attention, like when she finally cornered him in the trash can. If she ever agreed to marry him, he'd probably implode.
Thankfully that's a long, long way off. If ever. They may do this avoidance song-and-dance for the rest of her eternity. If it makes her happy, he'd be fine with it...
Finally finishing up at the stove, he takes a couple pancakes for himself and sits across from Hiyori, fork poised to stab into the pillowy puffs.]
That seems like a pretty nifty idea! A holiday treat, kind of. Yeah... Maybe I'll do that when we get back. ...even if it's a bit late for Christmas. [He says a little wistfully as he takes his first bite. Hmm. Yeah, these aren't too shabby at all! The ingredients here are really good. Though at her question he pauses, fork half in his mouth as he chews slowly, savoring his efforts.]
Those two, huh? You know, I don't know. It almost seems unnecessary for them with how they are. And it's not like they could invite too many people to the ceremony without risking some kind of disaster happening. [Poor Kofuku.] Maybe that's why they're content with how things are. So far as I know, a god can do what they please with their shinki's permission, so there might not be any rules against it. ...I know for me, I'd definitely see it differently if y--
[Realizing what he was about to say, he clamps his mouth shut, hastily shoveling several more bites of pancake into his mouth between colored cheeks. Nothing to hear! Nothing of interest being said!!]
[ it doesn't quite make her happy, but it doesn't make her unhappy either. just as yato doesn't know what to do with her attention when he gets it, she doesn't know what to do with the meaning behind it all. yato is her friend. she told her brother that. she tells everyone that.
but some don't quite believe her when she says it.
kofuku, too, would get this gleam in her eye. early on, she seemed to know something that hiyori certainly didn't.
her shoulders drop at the sad reality of kofuku's wedding likely being a disaster. he's right. she would look so beautiful, though. maybe it is unnecessary for them. they've been together for longer than actual married couples. what's a wedding when they've already proven they'll be together in sickness and in health?
the room goes quiet with yato cutting himself off again, but hiyori doesn't push. her hand has gone still on her plate before she glances up at his face. red.
not the first time yato has alluded to marriage with her, one way or another. the best choice is to just ignore it, like always. for some reason, this time, she can't. ]
You see it differently...?
[ BEG TO DIFFER. maybe she can figure out WHY he's been asking her to marry him besides he's just BEING WEIRD and CLINGY and doesn't know how to express himself. she's opening the channel of communication now, yato. open and honest. don't mind her own slightly red cheeks. ]
If it's... a god and a mortal?
[ yes, better to use VAGUE terms and not "you and I" ]
[And Yato is happy being friends! More than he can properly express some days. Hiyori is the best friend he's ever had, the closest one who's saved his life more times than he cares to count. He treasures her presence so much that he can't help wondering if there's something more to what they have than mere friendship - something between that and romance. But he doesn't know how to qualify it.
Thinking about Kofuku and weddings gets him contemplating. Maybe they could at least throw the two of them a private wedding do, if it's something they wanted? Just a small affair with her closest friends, like Bishamon and Ebisu. It could be fun, and a good way of repaying them for being there for him through the ages.
The silence remains for a time while they both mull over their thoughts, Yato's being slightly more panicked than Hiyori's. He realizes he's done that thing of stopping himself again, but when it comes to this topic he finds himself scared to continue. Afraid of what his words might bring. And when Hiyori dares to go where gods fear to tread, his eyes widen, teeth worrying at the inside of his bottom lip.
Does she know what she does to him...? She can't possibly, she's not that cruel. Although using generic terms for them... Maybe she is more aware than she lets on.]
Y-Yeah... A mortal isn't under the care of a god like shinki are, so they're free to form a different kind of relationship from the outset.
[He pokes at his pancake a bit, then takes a slow bite of it without really tasting it.]
I could see them being anything from strictly transactional to friends to... well, more. There's many tales of gods falling in love with humans.
[ hiyori can't help but look up slowly. many tales? there is a library here in reverein. she could always poke around and see what sort of mythology exists here.
without thinking, she reaches up for the pendant yato gifted her and touches the cool stones that rest on her collar. they're definitely not a merely transactional relationship. maybe it started that way, with hiyori employing yato's services to turn her back to normal. from there, slowly but surely, she saw yato as a friend and someone she cared about. someone vital to her.
they do exist somewhere between friends and this more he talks about. it took a conversation with one anon-san and living with yato for a month to realize the way she feels about aimi and yama, her human friends, is very different from how she feels about yato. yukine is more like a little brother, too.
she picks up another piece of pancake and puts it in her mouth. it practically melts on her tongue for how fluffy and light it is. ]
... Do you, um, know any? Any gods that... fell in l-love with a mortal? You've been alive for a long time, haven't you? There were a lot around at the match-making.
[ once again, hiyori's desire to know about the far shore and about yato gets the better of her. she ends up blurting questions about things she's curious about but should probably keep to herself.
they're just questions, though. she's not hinting at anything. he's her best friend, too. maybe that's the difference. the line between friends and more that he's talking about. ]
[Perhaps it's not accurate to say there's many Japanese tales of mortals and gods consorting with one another, but the Greeks sure do have a thing for mixing freely. He can't but wonder if - when he gets home - it might be worth trying to visit Greece to meet some of them and see whether it's mere myth. He's never been one to adhere to the rules, but hearing there's precedence among foreign gods is better than not at all.
N-Not that it would stop him from asking Hiyori anyway, if he thought she might answer him truly. Right now, though he's scared of any answer she could give, both positive and negative. It's why he hasn't asked in quite a while. His heart couldn't take the rejection anymore.
Because for him at least, Hiyori has gone beyond mere friendship into something much more amorphous and dangerous. A nameless category which he can't help treasuring above most others.
Even though his pancake is only half eaten, he takes to playing with it, cutting it into pieces and arranging them into a smiley face.]
I have, but for most of that time I was never part of the Heaven's world. I was just a lowly upstart, a wannabe unable to get his foot in the door. Though I've heard tell that Susanoo married a mortal woman he rescued. They even had children, so the story goes.
[Only after that comment does he look up to stare at her with a piercing gaze, trying to read her expression. Discern what it is she's after, besides local history or romantic gossip. Because that doesn't seem like the sort of thing Hiyori would care much about. So there must be more to her questions. Right?]
[ those greeks are up to all MANNER OF SHENANIGANS. unlike yato, nowadays. it could be the effect of them living together. yato has no reason to complain about his "hiyori time" when they live under the same roof. reverein itself gives them plenty of shenanigans, too.
he isn't the same god he was before. his foot is in the door. yukine is doing what he can to make sure yato reaches his dream of becoming a god of happiness. he has his small shrine in the waking world and he has his small shrine in his room. one day, in the future, he'll have a shrine on that little piece of land they found.
yatogami could be a name as well known as susanoo, like he wants. as yato's gaze lands on her, her fingers go slack on her fork and she nearly drops it. before her face gets too red, she shoves another large piece of pancake in her mouth so her cheeks are full. why is she blushing? they're just some questions! why was yato looking at that suddenly making her nervous?
no, she's not into romantic gossip at all. local history, maybe a little. ]
Oh. Y-yeah. Kushinadahime-sama. He saved her from Yamata-no-Orochi. I-I thought I saw him at the Divine Council! There were a lot of gods there. Uka-no-mitama was cute! With all those tails!!
[They practically have orgies, those crazy Greek gods! Maybe when he marries Hiyori, they can go there for their honeymoon and experience the debauchery for themselves! Haha... Yeah right, on all accounts. Part of him worries about his changed behavior since arriving. If maybe finally having Hiyori all to himself has made him resigned to permanent Roommate status.
Although upon reflecting on it, it's not resignation, but fear or losing that new closeness that keeps him from acting out quite so much. He doesn't have to fight anyone for her attention, for starters, and he has a new purpose in taking care of her while she's away from home. The obnoxious behaviors are... unnecessary, here. And might even be detrimental to keeping Hiyori close. Which is all he wants right now. Aside from maybe a k-ki.... He can't even think it!
That aside--! He watches her fumble her fork with mild amusement, a teasing smile playing at his lips. Seems that she has some things to hide, too, huh... Maybe... Nah.
He nods as she lists of the gods they saw at the Council, gradually stacking his pancake pieces into a tower.]
That's the one. So you see, there's no way we can know for sure if there isn't more mortal lovers among all those gods. There's bound to be, in fact. Some more under the table deals than widely announced, but there all the same. Thinking about asking one of them out?
[He may be teasing, but there's also a slight accusatory edge to his tone as he eyes her ever more critically.]
the thing about hiyori is that she's incredibly straightforward. in everything but this, it seems. this is the one thing she can't, just can't be direct about. she never could. not with herself and not with others. for one thing, she never had to be. romance and crushes never interested her. the closest she came to it was her admiration of touno.
but he's saying that gods and mortals aren't totally strange in the heavens. another secret among the gods, huh? it brings the god's greatest secret back to mind but she casts it away. not today. besides, yato would ask how she knows about it. how could she tell him she saw his memories? the playing. his father. sakura.
if she didn't force herself to forget about the secret, yato's question would. she goes wide-eyed and this time DOES drop her fork. ]
What! [ HOW DID HE ]
I couldn't...! Who, that's the first--?! I was just...! J-just-- [ just. ] Curious about Kofuku-san and Daikoku-san since it's Christmas! I was thinking about them. And then you said it would be different if it was m... a god and a mortal. That gods have fallen in l-love with mortals before! So, really, I should be asking if you're thinking of asking a mortal out.
[ ah ]
W-wait, no, I'm not asking that! I don't want to ask that!
[WELL YOU SEE, WHEN A LOT OF PEOPLE GET REAL HORNY--
It's one of those traits in her that he admires, honestly. Because he's... not usually so straightforward. Evasive, even. He tries not to ever lie if he can help it, but he isn't always forthcoming with pertinent information unless absolutely necessary. Whereas Hiyori is as honest to herself and others as the day is long. They compliment each other, he feels. And he wants to be more like her.
Although it hardly matters if she's got her eye on some other god, now does it. Did she meet someone there...? They weren't together all time, so it's possible. Did Take woo her?! Was she taken in by his beauty?? Sure as hell couldn't have been his personality, he hopes. Although her plaque did seem attracted to the lowest of low lifes.... A god would at least be a better prospect for her. Dammit! He won't stand for it, though!!
Putting his own fork down, he braces both hands on the table and leans halfway across it, eyes sparkling with... something bright. Daring. Challenging. Determined.]
So you didn't meet somebody at the Council and fall madly in love with them, huh?? Somebody with big, beefy, sweaty pecs like your Touno? [He's heard some of those war gods can be pretty buff.] But Kofuku and Daikoku are a god and a shinki, so where did-- [How did this even start?] Wait, me? You think I've found somebody? But you don't really wanna know. So-- it doesn't matter to you if I asked a mortal out, huh??
[Swallowing, he's standing up to lean over to her side of the table before he realizes it.]
[ alright, takemikazuchi may be cute, but he's worse than yato when it comes to social etiquette. also, as if she could go for the rival of her best friend! that's messed up.
hiyori leans back in her chair as he stands out of his seat and leans across their small table, accusing her of things she wouldn't do! don't bring touno into this. it's not his muscles she likes, ok! muscleheads aren't her type either. ]
I didn't!! Yato!
[ with something like apprehension on her face, hiyori stares up at yato looming over her in her chair. asking her questions she doesn't want to answer. there's so much conflict warring in her that her eyes start to water. no, it's not how it is. yes, it matters if he asked a mortal out. but also it shouldn't.
how DID it get like this? he's doing the scary thing! and yukine isn't here to buffer yato or smack him when he's getting to be too much. gentleman yukine. maybe the uncomfortable pinch of her brows answers what she won't say. that it does matter. ]
Should it matter? [ she clenches her fists around the edge of her chair and sets her jaw. fights the thickness of her throat. ] As long as that mortal supports you and likes you for who you are and they make you happy, that's what matters to me.
[Where did this flurry of emotion come from, even? He's not quite sure, but it's overwhelming him in the worst way imaginable. Normally Yukine would be here to talk him down, tug on his arm until he remembers to breathe and stop crowding poor Hiyori.
But his shinki isn't here and he is barely breathing, and when he does, it comes out hard, making his shoulders heave. He wants to spit it out so badly, to tell her that it's her he wants to ask out. But... what if... she isn't interested? If she has somebody else she likes? He can't get in the way of her happiness, even at the expense of his own.
Without noticing, his nails dig into the table as he stares at her, searching hard for unspoken answers - both from her and for himself.]
It should! Because--! ["I want you to care, because it's you" gets hung up in his throat somewhere. Lost among everything else he wants and longs to say. Finally what comes out is:] W-Well, they do. They make me happier than I've ever been...! And I'm gonna stay by them forever.
hiyori holds her breath. unlike yato, she can read between the lines a little easier. he doesn't need to say it's you because he's given her all the hints already. she keeps them apart, though. rather it would be more accurate to say she pulls the wool over her eyes so she can't see the big picture.
no matter how obvious it might be. ]
I-I'm happy for you.
[ eventually, finally, she breathes. keeps staring at him with her eyes still round and watering from not being able to blink this entire time. getting over herself, glancing at his hand and how his nails dig into the wood, she reaches over and puts a hand on his before prying his fingers off the piece of furniture.
did she start this? with an innocent, innocuous question about gods and shinki. ]
Yato, I'm sorry. Don't be upset on Christmas, please. It's supposed to be a good day.
[Uncertain as to whether his message got across or if it was lost in translation, her words seem to answer that question unequivocally. Except. Except... What if this is her way of turning him down? Of letting him down gently, without having to come right out and say "no"?]
Are you?
[Now he's even more confused than he was before. And he's made a pig's ear of things, at that. She looks like she's on the verge of wanting to cry, and it takes him way too long to figure out why. His hovering. His stance. His voice. All aren't very... encouraging when put together, are they.
It makes his grip on the table tighten even more, until she's pulling his nails from the wood. That one action seems to deflate him, leading him to sitting back down heavily with his head hanging. He props it up on the one hand not in her grasp, breathing hard. He's not even sure what's going on anymore. Only that it's like they're speaking two very different languages here.]
Upset? I'm not-- [He looks at her with eyes that go from hurt to guilty in a matter of moments when he takes the time to try seeing things from her perspective. A scary god, indeed.] Hiyori, I'm sorry...
[For getting so worked up over nothing, for scaring her, if he did.]
[ even hiyori doesn't know what her words mean other than what they are at face value. ergo: they make him happy, so she's happy for him. because his happiness is important to her. more than a lot of things. more than nearly everything.
she is happy, truly. about that. perhaps not about being crowded into her chair but she's done her best to keep her backbone straight and tell him her beliefs. what she wishes for him.
looking across the table, she furrows her brow at him holding his head up with his hand. he's not upset? he looked pretty upset to her. she squeezes his hand and releases a small sigh, shaking her head. water under the bridge. theirs won't collapse so easily. they've been through too much together.
he sure gets intense, though. when it comes to romance. ]
I'm serious though, Yato. I just want you to be happy. But today of all days, especially.
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oh, no. NO, YATO, DON'T CRY NOW. it's fine! ugh, she can't tell him she's the one that got him all of those. he belieVES IN SANTA. besides his one present is super nice!! she doesn't even really wear jewelry but she could start now!! ]
Y-you don't have to--! [ before finishing her thought, she stops herself. he's trying to make her feel better. trying to make up for santa's "mistake". it's her own mistake. it's not like she could get herself gifts and pretend they're from santa. she could, but she doesn't want to! ]
O, okay. Well. How about... pancakes? Those big fluffy ones?
[ way too delicate for her clumsy hands. the SOUFFLE ONES. ]
no subject
HE'S WIBBLING, especially when she tries to brush off his offer, making his face fall even more. It seems like his suggestion's no good, not comparable to what Santa could do for her. Thankfully she seems to catch on and interrupts herself before he breaks down into full-fledged tears. That one word of "okay" brightens his mood immensely, turning his unshed tears into sparkles of happiness.]
You got it! I'll make so many that you won't need food until it's almost dinner time!
[Setting Turtle-chan in her lap, he hurries out to the kitchen to get everything set up, humming Christmas carols all the while. He even has an idea of how to make them more festive! This is gonna be great~]
no subject
PLEASE DON'T CRY ON CHRISTMAS.
just the sound of so many souffle pancakes makes her stomach hurt. he's overdoing it...! but she doesn't have to heart to say no now when he wants to make it up to her so badly. maybe they can share the pancakes with people they know. like that god yato made friends with, ryu?
she grips turtle-chan in her lap and watches yato bound off to the kitchen and hum. slowly, she sinks in her seat and stares at the silly, happy face of the plush.
should she have just told him the presents were from her? she doesn't know. as much as she wants to keep yato's innocence intact, she wonders if it wouldn't be better if he knew that she chose those gifts for him. no, he'd still feel guilty somehow. seriously though! this necklace is more than enough.
she tries to look down at it, sparkling splendidly against her casual pajamas.
in the meantime, she cleans up the wrapping paper, she checks her journal, and then pokes at the hearth to get a fire going. there is still more capyper inari to hand out later, too. as well as deliver a couple of other presents.
geez, she does feel like santa this year! not a bad feeling, though.
after a while, it starts to smell amazing and she wanders over to watch him at work, peering over his shoulder. ]
Wow! They're so fluffy-looking!
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It should come as no surprise that his first reaction is to go over the top. He doesn't even see it as such, feeling that if Santa of all people has screwed Hiyori over, then it's his duty as her God of Fortune to make up for it and ensure she has a very happy Christmas.
Once in the kitchen he gets everything out and ready, jumping right into it. He's hungry, too, so surely she must be as well. To that end, by the time Hiyori comes to check on him, he has not just one batter going, nor two, but three bowls of the stuff - colored normally along with red and green. Festive!
He turns a little bit to face her, cheeks tinged with pride at her compliment. Cooking is one of those things he's grateful he knows how to do now that he has a human in need of feeding.]
Of course! You wanted souffle pancakes, I'm gonna give you souffle pancakes! Here we go, here's the first one--
[It gets placed on a plate for her, then covered with syrup in a heart shape, followed by a dab of whipped cream and smattering of holiday sprinkles. He really is going all out to make them something special for her. Beaming, he hands the plate over along with a fork.
CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE, HIYORI?? CAN YOU?!]
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at seeing not one, not two, but THREE bowls of batter. the red and green idea is pretty good, though. very festive, yato. why are there three tho......
at yato making a syrup heart on her pancake and adding whipped cream and sprinkles, too, she feels another SOMETHING. going all out, indeed. this is like some street foods she's seen where the vendor puts on ALL the fixings!! where the plate is overflowing. what does she do?? she takes the plate and her stomach decides for her with a small growl. hrrrng as much as she is loathe to ruin such perfect fluffiness, she picks up the fork and-- ]
Th-thanks for the food. [ --digs her fork in.
SOFT. SO AIRY. uwaaah!! they're like PILLOWS. she pokes it again with her fork to watch it bounce.
just like yato earlier, hehe.
... she can hear her mother scolding her not to play with her food and shoves the forkful into her mouth. wwhwhkjsdgjksdg. ]
Hnmmmf. [ THESE ARE GOOD!!!! ]
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Because he wanted three colors? Because it was worth thrice the love?? Because he's that damn extra?!
All of the above. As is clearly displayed by his over-the-top fixings for it. He's going to make sure these pancakes are like presents on a plate! Fluffy clouds of delicious presents. Beaming at her, he starts up on the next pancake - a red one this time.]
You're welcome. [Hopefully she'll like it... He did try hard to make sure they were perfect, measuring everything accurately and picking the right size to ensure their fluffiness.
He steals a glance at Hiyori while the current pancake is cooking, eyes lit up with pleasure as she has fun not only poking at it, but eating it as well. Hehe. They're alike in that regard, wanting to have a bit of fun with their food. Feeling warm all over, he flips the pancake, smiling to himself.]
Taste okay, then?
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Hmmmmm~??
[ resounding "yes" from hiyori. to everything. something is in the air, that she likes it, that it tastes okay. MORE THAN OKAY where have you been all her life, souffle pancakes?! she could eat these forever. she won't because she has self-restraint but they are literally that good. the whipped cream really takes it above and beyond, too. ]
Mhmmmmm~
[ CONTINUES TO EAT HER HEAVEN ON A PLATE. ]
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Chuckling to himself, he sets aside the next done pancake and starts on a green one. It looks like this was a good way to make today a little more special even without a lot of presents. But hmm... Maybe they can still go out later if she wants, pick up some small gifts to make her room more homey, too.]
Glad it meets your approval! Ah, gotta have a drink to go with it.
[Leaving the stove for a minute, he gets them both large glasses of milk and sets her down beside her plate. And then it's back to work! These poofy pancakes won't make themselves.]
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mid-bite, she looks at the glass of milk and manages to pause her eating to take a sip. belatedly, she realizes that this is all... very... let's just say she's seen kofuku and daikoku do things just like this. daikoku cooking while he fed kofuku samples because she didn't want to wait and to stop her from causing trouble.
she sips again. those two... were pretty much a couple, right? it was never blatantly said but they raised a kid together. daikoku calls her 'missus' and, in her own way, kofuku returns that affection. other than going out and extorting poor souls.
or is the relationship between a god and their shinki so strict because of heaven? so they can't officially-- ]
Hey, Yato. I was thinking about everyone back home, they would have loved these. You should make them for everyone next Christmas. [ as long as they're not still here... ] But about Kofuku-san and Daikoku-san in particular.
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It is pretty... domestic. But that's how friends and family are, right? He's pretty sure it is, anyway. Like how Yukine wakes and feeds him, or Daikoku does dinner for them. So this should be fine! He hopes.
Humming carols under his breath, he works to make the pancake stack larger, alternating each color in turn and delivering a fully furnished one to Hiyori once she finishes. He doesn't worry about himself just yet, content in his work. Until Hiyori pipes up. Then he pauses to glance her way with a curious expression.]
You think so? [It's true that Yukine would probably love them, Kofuku, too. He gives the idea some thought and smiles.] Yeah, you're probably right. Maybe even before then. I could color them to match any holiday, you know! Then they can be enjoyed year-round.
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blushing when she tells him she'll visit him every day.
yes, that's how family and friends are...
hiyori accepts her next pancake, as nice as the first. she pokes it again, watching it wiggle, before slicing off another piece. ]
It could be your holiday staple. You know how in families there's that one person who always brings the same dish because everyone likes it so much? [ a smile tugs at her lips before it falls again in thought while watching yato complete pancake after pancake. ]
Those two... do you know if they've ever thought of... g-getting married? [ is this a bad topic to bring up with yato considering all his proPOSALS too late now ] Can gods and shinki...? Or is it weird? Bishamon-san and you see your shinki as your children, but that doesn't seem like it's the case for Kofuku-san and Daikoku-san.
[ OR DOES SHE?! THIS WHOLE TIME SHE'S BEEN LOOKING AT THEM THE WRONG WAY???? ]
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just hardheaded and tenaciousso those tactics that have fallen flat have been relegated to the back burner of attempted wooing. Which is funny, since even when he does seemingly succeed, he never quite knows what to do with the attention, like when she finally cornered him in the trash can. If she ever agreed to marry him, he'd probably implode.Thankfully that's a long, long way off. If ever. They may do this avoidance song-and-dance for the rest of her eternity. If it makes her happy, he'd be fine with it...
Finally finishing up at the stove, he takes a couple pancakes for himself and sits across from Hiyori, fork poised to stab into the pillowy puffs.]
That seems like a pretty nifty idea! A holiday treat, kind of. Yeah... Maybe I'll do that when we get back. ...even if it's a bit late for Christmas. [He says a little wistfully as he takes his first bite. Hmm. Yeah, these aren't too shabby at all! The ingredients here are really good. Though at her question he pauses, fork half in his mouth as he chews slowly, savoring his efforts.]
Those two, huh? You know, I don't know. It almost seems unnecessary for them with how they are. And it's not like they could invite too many people to the ceremony without risking some kind of disaster happening. [Poor Kofuku.] Maybe that's why they're content with how things are. So far as I know, a god can do what they please with their shinki's permission, so there might not be any rules against it. ...I know for me, I'd definitely see it differently if y--
[Realizing what he was about to say, he clamps his mouth shut, hastily shoveling several more bites of pancake into his mouth between colored cheeks. Nothing to hear! Nothing of interest being said!!]
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but some don't quite believe her when she says it.
kofuku, too, would get this gleam in her eye. early on, she seemed to know something that hiyori certainly didn't.
her shoulders drop at the sad reality of kofuku's wedding likely being a disaster. he's right. she would look so beautiful, though. maybe it is unnecessary for them. they've been together for longer than actual married couples. what's a wedding when they've already proven they'll be together in sickness and in health?
the room goes quiet with yato cutting himself off again, but hiyori doesn't push. her hand has gone still on her plate before she glances up at his face. red.
not the first time yato has alluded to marriage with her, one way or another. the best choice is to just ignore it, like always. for some reason, this time, she can't. ]
You see it differently...?
[ BEG TO DIFFER. maybe she can figure out WHY he's been asking her to marry him besides he's just BEING WEIRD and CLINGY and doesn't know how to express himself. she's opening the channel of communication now, yato. open and honest. don't mind her own slightly red cheeks. ]
If it's... a god and a mortal?
[ yes, better to use VAGUE terms and not "you and I" ]
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Thinking about Kofuku and weddings gets him contemplating. Maybe they could at least throw the two of them a private wedding do, if it's something they wanted? Just a small affair with her closest friends, like Bishamon and Ebisu. It could be fun, and a good way of repaying them for being there for him through the ages.
The silence remains for a time while they both mull over their thoughts, Yato's being slightly more panicked than Hiyori's. He realizes he's done that thing of stopping himself again, but when it comes to this topic he finds himself scared to continue. Afraid of what his words might bring. And when Hiyori dares to go where gods fear to tread, his eyes widen, teeth worrying at the inside of his bottom lip.
Does she know what she does to him...? She can't possibly, she's not that cruel. Although using generic terms for them... Maybe she is more aware than she lets on.]
Y-Yeah... A mortal isn't under the care of a god like shinki are, so they're free to form a different kind of relationship from the outset.
[He pokes at his pancake a bit, then takes a slow bite of it without really tasting it.]
I could see them being anything from strictly transactional to friends to... well, more. There's many tales of gods falling in love with humans.
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without thinking, she reaches up for the pendant yato gifted her and touches the cool stones that rest on her collar. they're definitely not a merely transactional relationship. maybe it started that way, with hiyori employing yato's services to turn her back to normal. from there, slowly but surely, she saw yato as a friend and someone she cared about. someone vital to her.
they do exist somewhere between friends and this more he talks about. it took a conversation with one anon-san and living with yato for a month to realize the way she feels about aimi and yama, her human friends, is very different from how she feels about yato. yukine is more like a little brother, too.
she picks up another piece of pancake and puts it in her mouth. it practically melts on her tongue for how fluffy and light it is. ]
... Do you, um, know any? Any gods that... fell in l-love with a mortal? You've been alive for a long time, haven't you? There were a lot around at the match-making.
[ once again, hiyori's desire to know about the far shore and about yato gets the better of her. she ends up blurting questions about things she's curious about but should probably keep to herself.
they're just questions, though. she's not hinting at anything. he's her best friend, too. maybe that's the difference. the line between friends and more that he's talking about. ]
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N-Not that it would stop him from asking Hiyori anyway, if he thought she might answer him truly. Right now, though he's scared of any answer she could give, both positive and negative. It's why he hasn't asked in quite a while. His heart couldn't take the rejection anymore.
Because for him at least, Hiyori has gone beyond mere friendship into something much more amorphous and dangerous. A nameless category which he can't help treasuring above most others.
Even though his pancake is only half eaten, he takes to playing with it, cutting it into pieces and arranging them into a smiley face.]
I have, but for most of that time I was never part of the Heaven's world. I was just a lowly upstart, a wannabe unable to get his foot in the door. Though I've heard tell that Susanoo married a mortal woman he rescued. They even had children, so the story goes.
[Only after that comment does he look up to stare at her with a piercing gaze, trying to read her expression. Discern what it is she's after, besides local history or romantic gossip. Because that doesn't seem like the sort of thing Hiyori would care much about. So there must be more to her questions. Right?]
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he isn't the same god he was before. his foot is in the door. yukine is doing what he can to make sure yato reaches his dream of becoming a god of happiness. he has his small shrine in the waking world and he has his small shrine in his room. one day, in the future, he'll have a shrine on that little piece of land they found.
yatogami could be a name as well known as susanoo, like he wants. as yato's gaze lands on her, her fingers go slack on her fork and she nearly drops it. before her face gets too red, she shoves another large piece of pancake in her mouth so her cheeks are full. why is she blushing? they're just some questions! why was yato looking at that suddenly making her nervous?
no, she's not into romantic gossip at all. local history, maybe a little. ]
Oh. Y-yeah. Kushinadahime-sama. He saved her from Yamata-no-Orochi. I-I thought I saw him at the Divine Council! There were a lot of gods there. Uka-no-mitama was cute! With all those tails!!
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Although upon reflecting on it, it's not resignation, but fear or losing that new closeness that keeps him from acting out quite so much. He doesn't have to fight anyone for her attention, for starters, and he has a new purpose in taking care of her while she's away from home. The obnoxious behaviors are... unnecessary, here. And might even be detrimental to keeping Hiyori close. Which is all he wants right now. Aside from maybe a k-ki.... He can't even think it!
That aside--! He watches her fumble her fork with mild amusement, a teasing smile playing at his lips. Seems that she has some things to hide, too, huh... Maybe... Nah.
He nods as she lists of the gods they saw at the Council, gradually stacking his pancake pieces into a tower.]
That's the one. So you see, there's no way we can know for sure if there isn't more mortal lovers among all those gods. There's bound to be, in fact. Some more under the table deals than widely announced, but there all the same. Thinking about asking one of them out?
[He may be teasing, but there's also a slight accusatory edge to his tone as he eyes her ever more critically.]
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the thing about hiyori is that she's incredibly straightforward. in everything but this, it seems. this is the one thing she can't, just can't be direct about. she never could. not with herself and not with others. for one thing, she never had to be. romance and crushes never interested her. the closest she came to it was her admiration of touno.
but he's saying that gods and mortals aren't totally strange in the heavens. another secret among the gods, huh? it brings the god's greatest secret back to mind but she casts it away. not today. besides, yato would ask how she knows about it. how could she tell him she saw his memories? the playing. his father. sakura.
if she didn't force herself to forget about the secret, yato's question would. she goes wide-eyed and this time DOES drop her fork. ]
What! [ HOW DID HE ]
I couldn't...! Who, that's the first--?! I was just...! J-just-- [ just. ] Curious about Kofuku-san and Daikoku-san since it's Christmas! I was thinking about them. And then you said it would be different if it was m... a god and a mortal. That gods have fallen in l-love with mortals before! So, really, I should be asking if you're thinking of asking a mortal out.
[ ah ]
W-wait, no, I'm not asking that! I don't want to ask that!
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It's one of those traits in her that he admires, honestly. Because he's... not usually so straightforward. Evasive, even. He tries not to ever lie if he can help it, but he isn't always forthcoming with pertinent information unless absolutely necessary. Whereas Hiyori is as honest to herself and others as the day is long. They compliment each other, he feels. And he wants to be more like her.
Although it hardly matters if she's got her eye on some other god, now does it. Did she meet someone there...? They weren't together all time, so it's possible. Did Take woo her?! Was she taken in by his beauty?? Sure as hell couldn't have been his personality, he hopes. Although her plaque did seem attracted to the lowest of low lifes.... A god would at least be a better prospect for her. Dammit! He won't stand for it, though!!
Putting his own fork down, he braces both hands on the table and leans halfway across it, eyes sparkling with... something bright. Daring. Challenging. Determined.]
So you didn't meet somebody at the Council and fall madly in love with them, huh?? Somebody with big, beefy, sweaty pecs like your Touno? [He's heard some of those war gods can be pretty buff.] But Kofuku and Daikoku are a god and a shinki, so where did-- [How did this even start?] Wait, me? You think I've found somebody? But you don't really wanna know. So-- it doesn't matter to you if I asked a mortal out, huh??
[Swallowing, he's standing up to lean over to her side of the table before he realizes it.]
Is that how it is?
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hiyori leans back in her chair as he stands out of his seat and leans across their small table, accusing her of things she wouldn't do! don't bring touno into this. it's not his muscles she likes, ok! muscleheads aren't her type either. ]
I didn't!! Yato!
[ with something like apprehension on her face, hiyori stares up at yato looming over her in her chair. asking her questions she doesn't want to answer. there's so much conflict warring in her that her eyes start to water. no, it's not how it is. yes, it matters if he asked a mortal out. but also it shouldn't.
how DID it get like this? he's doing the scary thing! and yukine isn't here to buffer yato or smack him when he's getting to be too much. gentleman yukine. maybe the uncomfortable pinch of her brows answers what she won't say. that it does matter. ]
Should it matter? [ she clenches her fists around the edge of her chair and sets her jaw. fights the thickness of her throat. ] As long as that mortal supports you and likes you for who you are and they make you happy, that's what matters to me.
[ even if
even if ]
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But his shinki isn't here and he is barely breathing, and when he does, it comes out hard, making his shoulders heave. He wants to spit it out so badly, to tell her that it's her he wants to ask out. But... what if... she isn't interested? If she has somebody else she likes? He can't get in the way of her happiness, even at the expense of his own.
Without noticing, his nails dig into the table as he stares at her, searching hard for unspoken answers - both from her and for himself.]
It should! Because--! ["I want you to care, because it's you" gets hung up in his throat somewhere. Lost among everything else he wants and longs to say. Finally what comes out is:] W-Well, they do. They make me happier than I've ever been...! And I'm gonna stay by them forever.
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hiyori holds her breath. unlike yato, she can read between the lines a little easier. he doesn't need to say it's you because he's given her all the hints already. she keeps them apart, though. rather it would be more accurate to say she pulls the wool over her eyes so she can't see the big picture.
no matter how obvious it might be. ]
I-I'm happy for you.
[ eventually, finally, she breathes. keeps staring at him with her eyes still round and watering from not being able to blink this entire time. getting over herself, glancing at his hand and how his nails dig into the wood, she reaches over and puts a hand on his before prying his fingers off the piece of furniture.
did she start this? with an innocent, innocuous question about gods and shinki. ]
Yato, I'm sorry. Don't be upset on Christmas, please. It's supposed to be a good day.
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Are you?
[Now he's even more confused than he was before. And he's made a pig's ear of things, at that. She looks like she's on the verge of wanting to cry, and it takes him way too long to figure out why. His hovering. His stance. His voice. All aren't very... encouraging when put together, are they.
It makes his grip on the table tighten even more, until she's pulling his nails from the wood. That one action seems to deflate him, leading him to sitting back down heavily with his head hanging. He props it up on the one hand not in her grasp, breathing hard. He's not even sure what's going on anymore. Only that it's like they're speaking two very different languages here.]
Upset? I'm not-- [He looks at her with eyes that go from hurt to guilty in a matter of moments when he takes the time to try seeing things from her perspective. A scary god, indeed.] Hiyori, I'm sorry...
[For getting so worked up over nothing, for scaring her, if he did.]
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she is happy, truly. about that. perhaps not about being crowded into her chair but she's done her best to keep her backbone straight and tell him her beliefs. what she wishes for him.
looking across the table, she furrows her brow at him holding his head up with his hand. he's not upset? he looked pretty upset to her. she squeezes his hand and releases a small sigh, shaking her head. water under the bridge. theirs won't collapse so easily. they've been through too much together.
he sure gets intense, though. when it comes to romance. ]
I'm serious though, Yato. I just want you to be happy. But today of all days, especially.
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