#for this reason I would not watch Noragami for a long time.

[rabbits-of-negative-euphoria]

could you elaborate your thoughts more on "but should we believe Wynne-Jones' Calcifer or the youkai/ayakashi of animanga are meant to be that kind of demon?" and "It's the same cultural disconnect that led so many Christian parents in the 90s to condemn Pokemon as satanic". Specially about Calcifer? Please?

I wish that when translating asian media, particularly anime, they would keep their non-translated nomenclature, it always translates to "demon" or whatever alternative we have.

Well part of the issue is that our word "demon" comes from the Greek word δαίμων or daimōn, which is the word used in the New Testament, but it is not a word invented by the New Testament writers. Here is an excerpt from the Oxford Reference about it:

Etymologically daimōn means ‘divider’ or ‘allotter’; from Homer onwards it is used mainly in the sense of performer of more or less unexpected, and intrusive, events in human life. In early authors, gods, even Olympians, could be referred to as daimŏnĕs. Rather than referring to personal anthropomorphic aspects, however, daimōn appears to correspond to supernatural power in its unpredictable, anonymous, and often frightful manifestations. So, the adjective daimonios means ‘strange’, ‘incomprehensible’, ‘uncanny’. Hence daimōn soon acquired connotations of Fate. Hesiod introduced a new meaning: the deceased of the golden age were to him ‘wealth‐giving daimones’ functioning as guardians or protectors. This resulted in the meaning ‘personal protecting spirits’, who accompany each human's life and bring either luck or harm. A lucky, fortunate person was eudaimōn (‘with a good daimon’: already in Hesiod), an unlucky one was kakodaimōn (‘with a bad daimon’: from the 5th cent. bc). Centuries later, Christian theologians, concentrating on their negative aspects, saw in daimones the true nature of the pagan gods: they were the embodiment and source of evil and sin.

With this in mind, it makes sense that for translators, the most sophisticated translation for any kind of supernatural weird little creature would be "demon" or "daemon." Especially in a modernist, materialist society that views Judeo-Christian demons as merely one mythology out of many.

Calcifer is a very interesting case, because while he is called a demon in the Japanese Studio Ghibli adaptation, he is also called a demon in the original book by Welsh author Diana Wynne Jones. What many people don't realize is that Mrs. Jones was highly educated, having studied at Oxford under the likes of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Her husband was also a scholar of Chaucer. Unfortunately, I think because she was writing children's fantasy in the 70s and 80s, people don't think her work warrants much deeper analysis.

As with all her stories, I think she brought a special kind of cleverness to the table when writing Calcifer that is first exemplified by his name.

"Calcifer" is a common noun, referring to sea creatures like anemones which construct their own shells from Calcium Carbonate, much like how Calcifer constructs the moving castle.

"Calcifer" resembles the Latin model of "Lucifer" which means "bringing light" or "light bringer," but rather than "light" she's substituted the Latin root for "limestone" (calcis), which is also made of Calcium Carbonate.

You know what's neat about Calcium Carbonate? It doesn't burn.

Following this thread through to Calcifer's backstory:

Calcifer was a falling star that Howl intercepted, which slightly resembles Satan's origin story as a fallen angel of light. However, Diana Wynne Jones knew perfectly well that Christian demons are not really falling stars, so we can know she did not intend to write Calcifer as a Judeo-Christian demon. More likely, I think she was paying homage to classics such as Paradise Lost.

Calcifer strikes a bargain with Howl for his heart, which I consider an homage to Faust by Goethe, in which the titular character can be said to have devoured beautiful young women.

As a character, Calcifer is very morally grey and often seems in a league above the other characters as far as stakes and decision-making. This is very characteristic of the mythical creatures of Celtic legend, which are still a very present background element of Welsh culture today, much like the trolls and elves of Scandinavian culture. Many of these mythical creatures are referred to as demons, even though they do not align with the Judeo-Christian definition of a demon. Yes, they can be evil or tricky, but they can also be helpful, lucky, or funny. Mostly, they are volatile. Faeries, boggarts, goblins, elves, sea monsters, and more have all been called demons in Welsh folklore.

This could be due to the early interaction between the Welsh and the Romans (compared to, say, the Irish who kept up their Druidism for much longer), and consequently Christians. I know from Scandinavian folklore that the meshing of Pagan culture with Christian newcomers usually becomes very weird very quickly, with the resulting mythology resembling neither party.

Tl;dr Calcifer is the product of a Welsh upbringing and a classical education, and is explicitly not a demon in the Judeo-Christian sense.

As for Pokemon in the U.S., it's mainly a translation issue. Word got around that lots of Pokemon are based on youkai, which gets translated to "demon" in English, even though they are not Judeo-Christian demons and are much closer to the above cited faeries and goblins. Voila, Satanic Panic 2.0.

[youuuimeanmee]

Noragami Final Chapter Thoughts

You know what? I'm used to it.

I'm used to have exceptionally well-written manga get cut off or deadline-d to finish at certain point of time (usually by the publisher's order) when the authors still have so, so, SO much more left to give, so in the end they have no choice but to rush the final chapter.

Shingeki no Kyojin, Promised Neverland, Nisekoi, other mangas I forgot to name. And this manga. For such a long-running series with deep lore, they all could use a special volume (200+ pages) as an epilogue, not a 45-pages speedrun of everyone's everafter. I wish more series could follow Mob Psycho's example. Some say Mob Pycho Season 3 is too long, it needs to be more compact etc, but I don't think so at all. I think it's perfect the way it is -- it's a fulfilling send-off for all the characters we love so much. I wish more series would get their ending like that, but what can I say about Japanese manga industry.

And there's also Adachitoka's health to consider too. In which case, I'd say they did their best, and I'm really thankful for them for being able to deliver this series safely.

In short, I already expected this chapter to be a speedrun. Because of that, my experience when I read this chapter is better than I expected.

Maybe because I've learned my lessons for not making theory too much, so I don't have certain expectations that'd cloud my judgement.

With no deep thoughts when reading, let's go dive in.

The PUNS it still gets me. Yukine's sister calling Haruki's name while watching a tree that blossoms in spring is 😭😭😭

Ayoo he can change to a dog still? My poor baby 😭

I guess this is his punishment for wrecking havoc in the human world and disturbing the Heaven? But like, he was clearly under the influence of trashdad?? He's not really at fault?? Is this author's message that we shouldn't justify his action just because we understood his reasons?? But still. That's too cruel for doing it for your own main character.

I know shinkis that were left behind by their master would retain their name after the master's death, but still. To think Izanami's power is still working on Yukine after the Kotonoha is destroyed. This is tragedy.

THE FLOWERSS IN YUKINE'S RESTING PLACEE AKSJJDBDKDJDJD

Daww that's nicee. Hiyori as an intern!

Damn, she really forgot everything. This is for the best though, she already died once when she got too close with the far shore; I'm already prepared for this much. Maybe Yato had finally severed her ties with him and that (along with the cpr) is what allowed Hiyori to return.

Wdym "intense cpr," it's more than intense. It's hella long too. Nobody could perform intense cpr for hours nonstop, unless that person is non-human.

Good to know Yato broke her ribs though, nice work!

Hiyori's missing notebook? Prob taken by Yato or something.

Dafuq. Move along with your "it's me!" wishy-boy. No. This time it's not you who kissed her. You were delirious in some random abandoned building in some random city when Hiyori was dying.

See, this is my nightmare. To have the real Fujisaki Koto as Hiyori's future love interest. Because I know for sure, for so long, that they could bonded with their out-of-body experience when they both lost their memory.

Sorry Koto, 'nothing against the real you, but your alter ego has kinda ruined your image.

Damn, Father's longing for Kaya runs deep in Koto's veins.

BAHAHA, Nice one Coophone. Or Yato. Or Yukine. Or whatever tf Hiyori's guardian is.

AWWW THE GODS ARE CARRYING HIYORI'S LEGACY TO HAVE A PICNIC TOGETHER 😭😭😭😭

Aww man I didn't see Nana. She'd love to have a picnic with both Bishamon and Arahabaki! Is it because she was infected with GGS, or is it simply her turn to watch over the house? I hope it's the latter.

I wish the Gods would talk more about Yato's miracles, including about Hiyori. She is literally the glue that help stick these guys together. Without her, they wouldn't even know about Father's Liberation ability.

Heck, forget about Yatori. I wanna hear the Gods reminscing about their situations & conditions after the incident. But alas.

Oh well. This is something I've learned to let go.

Woow Kunimi looks young! Does he finally have a vacation?? Lol

Ebisu's voice got deeper? He still looks like a baby to me. Is he a baby 12-yo?

It's real nice to see the 3 reincarnated gods! Though I coulnd't care less abt them,even tho i know they have main character energy

Oh. my God. TakeKiun is really sailingg Look at dem. Matching clothes and soft smiles and all dat shit 🥺🥺🥺

Um, okay. It's good and all that each mortal has their own version about what happened at that time, but like,

Weren't people DIED???

I thought many people died!! Getting slashed by Gods!! Why is it not covered on the national news-

(myb when Father's "nation" returned to the underworld, the souls who were lost were also returned to its vessel somehow?)

Nope, nevermind. Just don't think too deeply about it. Moving on.

BISHAAA it's good to see her in great health!

Though I really wanna know, how is her relationship with the Heaven and the other Gods after that fiasco, how she feels abt Father's defeat, etc--

NOPE. Don't thinkabout it. Just moveon.

Here I thought Yato was gonna get a reward from Amaterasu for slaying "something that doesn't belong on this Earth." Oh well. Guess Amaterasu is hella stingy like that.

Why Yukine seems like he got even smaller though. Is it the changing art style? He looks more baby than ever.

Wait, they got a whole proper room to sleep? Is this their old room in Kofuku's house?? I thought since Yukine is infected by GGS, Kofuku stayed the hell away from Yukine, but that doesn't seem like the case?

Maybe Kofuku-Daikoku are the one who abandoned the shop; leaving it for Yato and Yukine to stay in? We'll never know.

(Now where is Kofuku's new address, I need to know)

Since Yukine is infected by GGS and always in constant nightmare, I'd like to believe Kazuma is experiencing the same thing; in order to separate him from the rest of the clan, now Kazuma sleeps with Bishamon every night. Lucky bastard.

That is so touching of Yato for comforting his sobbing child every night, but I wish we got a glimpse of his reminisce with his now-gone Father.

Oh wooww the dude finally stopped playing around. I thought he didn't have the guts to cut Hiyori's ties, turns out he really cut itt. No wonder Hiyori forgot about him for 10 years.

(Though I don't think she forgot completely either. Yato might not be in her head anymore, but he's still in her heart)

Adachitoka-san. Are you trying to tell ME this teke-teke thing is way more viral than the mass of unnatural, unknown deaths???

Is it because there's no death at all???

*sighs.* Anyways.

Aww Nora is now staying at Iki's household, happier than ever 🥺

Oh so that's where Hiyori's notebook goes.

Wait, Iki household creeps Hiyori out? Why? Is it because she was traumatized by her grandma's death? (Does she even remember that?) Is it because she faintly remembered the way Nora broke her house's windows? Or is it because she could sense Nora's presence and it icks her? I hope it's not the latter ☹️

I'm happy Nora is finally a happy child, but, Yukine? What about my son Yukine, who is no longer a pure soul, who could no longer sleep peacefully every night. Where is Nora's apology for leading Yukine to Father huh? Where is her apology for (indirectly) turning Yukine into who he is today? I guess it happens off-screen, we'll never know.

OH WOWW THE PUNS' AT IT AGAIN

Wdym "the night has a scent."

"Night" is using the same kanji as Yato's name, 夜. She is remembering his smell from the nightt, peoplee

(The night when he kissed her prob)

The power of the match-matching ema hunged by Ookuninushi is really strong, huh. Hiyori managed to remember Yato again, despite her already-severed-ties with Yato.

(or maybe not. I guess their fate really IS intertwined, knowing their first meeting)

I kinda wish Hiyori would remember Yato much later, like, in her 40s when she already has kids on her own, but hey, the sooner she remembers him, the longer he'd stay on this Earth so I'd still consider it a win!

Tbh, a part of me don't want her to get involved with far shore like she did in the past, but a part of me also wants her to snuggle between Yato and Yukine's arms after her work hours end. Dilemma.

Now I need Hiyori's journey to become one hell of a rich doctor so she could build a proper shrine for Yato so she and her family could pray together every morning, because she claimed it's Yatogami who saved her life that day. She'd make dinner for Yato and Yukine and eat with them every evening while her family acknowledge it as her night-praying-time. She'd tell her family, her future husband, and her future children about the legend of Yato (she'd exaggerate it a lot) and the next thing she knows, Yato have already has a devoted followers. Oh, and she'd often visited Bisha's shrine, Kofuku's, Ebisu's, all gods associated with Yato.

That's it folks. I rarely do my thoughts about Noragami, but I do read it religiously regularly each month. This manga has already become my comfort manga no matter how angsty it is, so it's gonna be hard to part with it, after all this time. Maybe for next month I'm gonna restart from chapter 1, one chapter per month.

I do have to say though, usually when I read a series with unsatisfactory ending, it leaves a bad taste in mouth. Somehow this chapter don't feel like that at all. I don't know why. I still look at this chapter and all the previous ones with fondness.

I wanna dream that 1-2 years from now, Adachitoka would release a 200-pages of Noragami epilogue -- which I know it's impossible, but hey, let the girl dream. I'm also looking forward for the extra komas, if there's any.

It's been a good time with you all 🤗👋

[soft-serve-soymilk]

Tag Game: People I’d like to get to know better

Got tagged by @missiletainnyt! I remember doing this exact tag game when I first started Tumblr on my old blog… I’m getting nostalgia 💖

People I’d like to tag are @bardivislak and @millipedish and @hungrydolphin91 (/j… unless ;) ) (also no pressure to you guys!)

And if you need a summary of Me, I am a tiny individual (my name literally means small) who has not good parents and also lots of ocs (take a peek at #you have no name owo?) which have not been paying rent since 2017 but I love them all ^^. I like to make art, whatever format of the month it ends up being— whiteboard markers, pen, writing, digital, coloured pencil, crochet, graphite are some of the things my long time mutuals have witnessed~

But let’s start with the questions 😄

Current Book I'm Reading: It’s simultaneously Anne of Green Gables and The Memory Police. The former was me trying to broaden my horizons and do some leisurely reading, after all, it’s supposed to help with writing! Kinda taking some advice from this blog as well, which I follow~ I’m enjoying it, as a fan of rich descriptive whimsy. The latter is my novel for school next year— my school has an obsession with dystopian novels, what with The Giver (despised) and The Hunger Games (interesting experience) being past books I’ve done. I’m not far enough to have an opinion, but I’m intrigued!

Last song I listened to: Kimino Ginno Niwa, the ending theme of the Rebellion Movie for Madoka Magica. It has a very hopelessly cyclical and carnival-like rhythm that really resonates with one certain arc out of five of my OCs’ story. Which. Dolphin might be able to sus that out ;). Also shout out to the Cassette Beasts ost, because I streamed it last night to V ^^

Currently Watching: Things need to align in the astral plane for me to watch things ^^;. The last thing I watched was Noragami… in… June? lol

Next on my Watchlist: For reasons listed above, I don’t really have one. But one day I will watch Akatsuki no Yona and Fukigen na Mononokean, one day……

Current Obsession: 3 weeks ago I would have said Cassette Beasts and especially Eugene, but idk. My fondness for Persona 4 has been rekindled as well, but generally when my OCs/head children are on the front burner like this it means I’ve fallen out of a hyperfixation 😅. I’m kinda waiting until December rolls over so I have time to draw something properly, but what that will be I have yet to tell… emil from dotnw? naoto from p4? I wanna do BOTH but alas… I am a one-at-a-time kind of girl… otherwise the piece gets abandoned entirely ahaha. I’m very slow at everything I do which doesn’t help ^^;

But this was fun! Thanks for having me!

[h0estar]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks....

Hi! Yes absolutely! I am so sorry it took so long. I haven't opened Tumblr in forever. I'm not sure if I can list down 2 characters from the same media platform once but just in case I'm not, I'll just list down one. This is based on the order I remember them by since I have really shit memory and there might've been a few fave characters I missed 🥲

I'll list down what comes to mind first haha

1. Yukine (Noragami)

-I love him SO MUCH. The first time I watched Noragami back in 2016, I knew I would love this boy with all my heart. Something about troubled and misunderstood anime kids with fucked up backstories just make me want to take care of them man. He's my adopted baby period. His character development is also very beautiful.

He's a very complex character. Idk why people shit on him for acting like a child when he is quite literally a child 😭 let him be a kid man, let him be immature, I was also immature at 14 and I'm happy for him bc he's got someone understanding by his side at all times.

I wish the ending would do justice to his character fr.

2. Kagura (Gintama)

She's funny asf. Also, strong asf. I love good female rep in anime and Kagura takes the cake for me. She has no filter, she's really cool, really funny, and just a fun and enjoyable character overall. (You should watch Gintama btw, it's my favorite anime).

3. Usopp (One Piece)

People shit on him a lot and I'm sick of it. I love him because he is SO REAL. He represents ordinary human beings in the One Piece world and I admire his bravery so much. His goal isn't even something grand, he just wants to be the bravest man who crossed the sea and I love that for him. He's a coward fr but seeing him break out of his shell and take courage to face his fears make me so emotional and proud. He inspires me to face my fears too :')

4. Izaya (Durarara!!)

He was lowkey the reason why I majored in Psychology. I love this cunning man. Watching everything go into flames bc of the shit he pulls excites me so much. I love watching him work. Totally not bc of his VA.

5. Newt (The Maze Runner Series)

Okay, this person was also real as shit. The way he's depicted in the books? Perfection. He's just so kind and caring and gentle to the gladers and to people they met during the scorch trials and ugh he deserved sm better :(

the way i have a whole 'nother blog dedicated to the maze runner series and it's always just abt him 💀 i was obsessed w him man. something abt broken/complex characters who are just so kind and tragic always have my heart.

6. Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs)

After I read stormbringer, I was never the same again. He is actually super sweet and super down to earth. I love him so much because he is so genuine with his intentions? Also, the shit has been through man... Yet, he still chose to live and fight. I admire that so much from him.

he is also a very complex and tragic character. i love him sm bc of that... i'm sensing a pattern here.

7. Armin (Attack on Titan)

His smartass made me fall in love with him. My boy just wanted to see the sea man. I admire his bravery so much and he gets shit ton of hate too for not kissing Eren's ass but I love him so much for standing his ground and having faith in his best friend. He was lowkey psycho too tbh. Smart men>>

8. Yuuta (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Okay, something about timid guys who are lowkey psychotic always get me going. He's a cool character and he's sexy. Period.

9. Killua (Hunter x Hunter)

ALSO MY BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!! He deserves the world 😭 He went through so much at 12 bro and I just want to take care of him so much bc he deserves to be a kid!!!!! Big brother Killua also has my heart. He's so sweet and caring and kind and genuine and UGH I LOVE HIM.

the way he just wanted a friend 😭 i'd gladly be his friend man if i were in the hxh universe. he's too sweet 😔 and he deserves sm better!!!

10. Jo March (Little Women)

I SEE MYSELF IN HER SO MUCH. The way she just wanted everything to stay the same even when change was inevitable and the people in her life ended up growing up. I love how as I watched her grow up, the traits that she had as a kid were still there yet she was slowly opening to change. I just relate to her so much and we are so alike in so many ways.

---

That's it, I think! Those were the only characters I could think of. I am so sorry if I didn't word it correctly. I suck at writing and english isn't my first language but I hope you got a gist of why I love the characters 😭 Most of the times I don't really have a deep reason for liking a certain character, they just appeal to me and I get that gut feeling that oh I think I will obsess over this little shit for the rest of my life and it's usually always correct lmao. This was fun! Thank you!

[amorelray]

✨RECENT ANIME REVIEW✨

⚔NORAGAMI⚔

| don't actually feel like I have an incredible amount to say about Noragami, but it is the most recent anime that I've finished. So, I figured that I'd give a review on it next!

Season 1 unfortunately wasn't my favorite, but I knew that people talked about how good this show was. So I made sure to watch all the way til the end in order to give it a full chance for those who love this show.💙 As I started watching, I was slowly drawn to Yuki first - such a sweet, young kid who really was trying to figure himself out after realizing what he had become. It was an interesting story with his and Yato's relationship - but I enjoyed his development nonetheless. However, the main characters were not what drew me into this show. It was a side character that isn't seen much until season 2.👀

Kazuma was by far my favorite character of this show and the reason why I kept going. ❗SPOILERS AHEAD❗ When we first meet Kazuma🌸, we find out that he's the right-hand man of the woman who is single-handedly (with many regalia) trying to kill Yato.💀 As we get to hear bits and pieces of her story in the beginning, I couldn't help but wonder if she was actually justified. However, Kazuma immediately seems to take interest in Yuki and Yato against Bishimon (his god) and the other regalia under her command. However, never does it feel like he has malicious intent towards his god and neither does it feel like he has any ill intent towards Yato - which was what immediately drew me in. He was a gray character, almost appearing to refuse to stand on either side. Later on, when Yuki nearly befalls as a phantom due to "stinging"🐝 Yato many times, Kazuma is called upon to help in a ritual in order to "cleanse/ bear witness" to Yuki. At first, he appears to think better of it, but he has a kind heart and goes to help regardless. This again spoke to me because he was willingly helping his god's "rival" during a time that he could have just let Yato die.

Needless to say, the second half of Season 2 is my favorite. 🧡 It focuses quite a bit on Bishimon - and thus Kazuma. After episode 1 or 2 of Season 2, 1 found myself crying over & over & over again for these characters😭. I mourned for each of them as I watched so many things slip through their fingers as the god in charge was grasping at sand that she could no longer hold than control. The whole first half/arc of that season was BEYOND what I could have imagined & I've already thought about watching it all over again. Without giving too much away, the things I learned about Kazuma throughout that arc made me fall in love with him so much as a character and I found myself always asking, "when will I see him again?"🌸 He's so much I could have imagined and more than what I would deserve out of a character. Bishimon does not deserve to have someone as pure and loyal as him to be her right-hand man; in fact...! wouldn't imagine that anyone would.

The second half of Season 2 was also significantly better than Season 1, in my opinion. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I LOVED seeing the character development for Yato in that arc. 💙 I had already come to love Kazuma and Yuki at that point, and the end of Season 2 was when I finally started loving Yato for the character that he was as well. I'm a bit sad that it took as long as it did for me to enjoy the main character, but I am very excited to see what comes of him and his newfound destiny.

Overall, I enjoyed the show & would likely watch it again!😊💖

[nacaharachuya]

boycaca: (Im hoping you can answer to my submissions now since im assuming the reason you weren’t able to previously was bc i had to verify my email… smh i sat there trying to figure out how to do it for a few minutes man I’m telling you I’m in my boomer era 😭☝️

ANYWAYS watching you talk about how the idea/possibility of dazai being fit is not completely bonkers since he’s not actually weak and how bones twinkified him and took away his broad shoulders on twitter gives me life. You’re so right. They made my guy SKELETAL (alongside every other character tbh) in the anime and i cannot forgive that

Listen i get the prettyboy dazai belief I completely understand it but.. aurgh HANDSOME dazai is sumn else… i will forever cling to the idea that dazai is more of a handsome prettyboy than a beautiful prettyboy like a lifeline (does that even make sense) like i want harukawa to draw dazai without his shirt off not in a horny way but because i gotta see his shoulders underneath those clothes PLEASE 🙏 (okay so maybe i do say this in a horny way… only a little)

Istg if i were to achieve my dream art style i would draw dazai all day everyday you dont even understand. I’d probably start drawing the mf on my walls at some point because the way i would draw him similarly to spike from cowboy bebop is insane. Spike is one of the very few fictional characters that i am actually attracted to and despite the fact that i am not attracted to any bsd character i am so set on believing that dazai has a similar vibe to him. I can just feel it in my bones my skin my soul theres something about dazai that COULD be like spike. If i just tweaked him a liiiiiittle bit… the dazai i imagine in my mind would end up as another fictional crush (delusional) )

boycaca i think we're like the same person cause I LITERALLY AGREE SO HARD??!?!?!?!?!?! They twinked a lot of characters because bones decided to animate it differently than they had other mangas at that point. Usually, they were super good with staying on point with the style of the manga like noragami or vanitas or fma but GODDAMN THEY DROPPED THE BALL INTO ACID OR SOMETHING WITH BSD. harukawas style is so fluid and beautiful so maybe it would be harder for them to animate, but the extreme body changing I just hate. It's not only dazai ofc there's several other characters that got nerfed but dazai they sillified and twinkified and that has made me so sad.

I also just want to see them all lined up with their body types and SPIKE SPIEGEL FITS DAZAI SO WELL?? COWBOY BEBOP IS ONE OF MY ULT FAVS AND DAZAI AND SPIKE ARE WEIRDLY SIMILAR YOU GET IT!!!!!!!!!! The body type is broader shoulders and a slimmer waist (which tbh is just more of a masculine body type ik) is what dazai has but bones makes them look so...sick and skinny. I'm the world's biggest hater for them taking away the broad shoulders. like I think dazai has a natural classic beauty to him that makes him pleasant to look at because he's got an easy-to-digest face, but he is ultimately handsome. I have a few artists that have drawn him perfectly in my mind and it fits with his description of being a tall, lean, handsome man [look up @byuntaman on twt their dazai and chuu is perfect] I don't see him as very weak because there really is no basis to it when you are comparing him to chuuya. Chuuya's job was to bring the brawn and he was expected of that from the time of being with the Sheep, so naturally, when he's in the mafia he's going to keep up his reputation of being THE STRONG DUDE. It's unfair to compare Dazai to him tbh. Also, the pm trains their members, I'm guessing Dazai would go through that because Mori is not going to be willing to lose him from lack of prep. Yes, dazai is smart, but smarts don't get you out of a chokehold T_T.

I could rant about this all day long, but I think people just live with silly dazai too much and forget he's a capable person who can also defend himself and not just by manipulating the situation. It's a little far-fetched to think dazai can control EVERYTHING to the point of basically winning fights with his mind. like. no.

[kofubisha]

the offer

a stormy evening. an uninvited guest.

[this fic was written for @millenniumzine: a charity zine celebrating the tenth anniversary of noragami's serialization. there are just a few copies left!!!]

When Hiyori walked into the kitchen, she did not expect to find Yato there.

She certainly did not expect to find him making himself comfortable at the table, propping his feet up on its pristine surface and tipping back what looked suspiciously like a can of her father’s preferred after-work beer. She scowled in his direction until he reluctantly removed his feet from the table.

“Daikoku kicked me out,” Yato said, before she could ask.

“He probably had a good reason.”

Hiyori strode across the kitchen, plucked the can out of his grip, and emptied it straight into the sink. “You have a problem.”

Yato smacked his lips unrepentantly. “It’s not my fault your dad has fantastic taste in booze.”

Hiyori cast him a withering look as she sat down. “How many bottles of coins do you think it would take to cover all the alcohol you’ve ‘borrowed’ off various members of my family?”

Yato winced at the prospect. Hiyori, however, had at last noticed what was missing from the room.

“Where’s Yukine?” she asked.

“Daikoku didn’t kick him out.”

Despite his dejected tone, Yato didn’t look particularly sad. He cast his eyes sideways out the window, where the sky was the color of an old bruise.

As if on cue, a single raindrop struck the window. Several more followed, plinking harmlessly against the glass. Seconds later, the sky seemed to swing open, unleashing a cascade of water that hammered the roof like ammunition. Hiyori shuddered at the thought of venturing outside.

Yato seemed to have the same idea, because when he looked back at her his eyes were as full of innocence as a sacrificial lamb’s.

“You wouldn’t make me walk home in this, would you, Hiyori?” he pleaded.

Hiyori just shivered and scrubbed her shoulders. The temperature in the kitchen had already dropped by several degrees. A warm drink would soon fix that. She rose from the table and went to the cupboards, rummaging for a cup.

“Hiyoriiii…” Yato whined.

Hiyori sighed and brought out a second mug. After all, her mother had raised her to be courteous.

As she moved around the kitchen pouring water and lighting the stove under the kettle, the ferocity of the rain outside seemed to fade, if only in her own ears. She could feel Yato watching her. His attention, though obvious, wasn’t unpleasant. At times, Hiyori got the sense that he was a little fascinated by this sort of domestic ritual. She wondered how many others had ever offered him such simple favors.

From the corner of her eye, Hiyori saw the whipping branches of trees outside the window. The wind had risen to a boisterous gale, battering the windows with sheets of water.

“I hope everyone is safe inside,” she murmured, with a thought for her traveling parents and for Masaomi, who was probably holed up in one of his friend’s leaky apartments. Carrying the two mugs over to the table, she again sat down across from Yato.

“Can you believe this, Hiyori?” he held his phone up at her, the screen bright in her face. She blinked.

“…What?”

“No texts! Not even one angry voicemail! Does he care if I get struck by freak lightning and die?!”

Hiyori’s brain slowly caught up with Yato’s chaotic train of thought.

“I’m sure Yukine knows you’re here,” she said comfortingly, unable to suppress a smile at his indignation.

The volume of the wind outside rose sharply. It howled around the eaves of the house like a starving animal. The mournful noise shuddered down Hiyori’s spine, and she curled her shoulders inward around her cup.

“It sounds horrible out there,” she murmured.

At the very moment Yato opened his mouth to respond, the kitchen plunged into darkness.

Before Hiyori could do more than gasp, there was the soft click of a cigarette lighter. Yato’s face appeared, bathed in flickering yellow.

“Well, isn’t this creepy?” he asked. His voice was full of barely repressed mischief. “It’s okay Hiyori, you can cling to me if you’re scared.”

Hiyori’s cheeks grew warm. She pushed herself out of the chair with a clatter and marched across the kitchen.

“This happens all the time,” she shot back at him. “The house is old. We have candles in every room.”

“Then what’s taking you so long?” Yato asked. She could hear the smirk in his voice and Hiyori grit her teeth, fumbling in the kitchen drawers for the expected candles.

When she returned, pointedly not making eye contact with Yato, she set her findings on the table: a single, well-used tea light that, based on the remaining wax, promised fifteen minutes of illumination at most.

“Not very disaster-prepared, are you?” Yato asked. A question Hiyori did not dignify with a response.

Yato lit the candle, then snuffed the cigarette lighter and replaced it in his pocket. The anemic glow did very little to dispel the shadows in the room, but it was a more steady source than the lighter’s open flame.

“This is almost as bad as one of Kofuku’s,” Hiyori observed, staring out the window into the roaring storm. The old house was sturdy enough, but that didn’t stop its ancient bones from shivering and groaning with each savage gust.

Yato eyed Hiyori’s white-knuckled grip on the mug. He leaned over the table toward her, and she felt her cheeks heating up again under the keenness of his gaze.

“My offer still stands, you know,” he said. Hiyori blinked.

“Your offer?”

An odd expression flashed across Yato’s face. It was almost sheepish, but gone before Hiyori could make anything more of it.

“The offer for you to cling to m—”

“Oh, that one,” she said. “No thanks.”

Yato clapped a hand to his chest in exaggerated fashion, collapsing back into the chair with a defeated exhale. Hiyori hoped the darkness of the room concealed her raging blush.

“One day, Hiyori,” he said, stirring his tea. “You’re going to beg for my godly favor, and I won’t be there to help you.”

She almost laughed in his face.

“Yato. I have.”

The corner of his mouth tugged downward.

“I would definitely remember that,” he said, and Hiyori narrowed her eyes.

“You don’t remember when you took my money, evaded my calls, and used my vulnerabilities to your own advantage?”

Yato winced. “‘Used’ is a harsh word.”

“Would ‘exploited’ be more accurate?”

He fell silent at that, which bothered her. Hiyori wasn’t used to getting the last word.

“I guess it would,” he said. His voice was light, and if Hiyori could have seen his expression she might have believed it a joke. But his eyes were in shadow, and the shape of his mouth was flat and humorless.

“What I meant…”

Her words trailed off. Hiyori desperately wished for Yukine to be there. She didn’t know why the mood had altered, nor why the air seemed to thicken in her mouth when she tried to speak.

“I just meant that…you’ve already helped me.”

Her voice dropped to little more than a whisper at the end, and her scalp tingled with shame. Why was this such an awkward admission? She’d told him as much before. Hiyori’s ears grew impossibly hotter as she remembered how effortlessly—how proudly she’d claimed him as her god of fortune.

This was different.

The struggling flame from the tea light had been barely enough to illuminate their faces, and as the seconds ticked by, its glow was weakening.

She dared to hope Yato hadn’t heard her.

“Hiyori.”

Her head snapped up. Yato’s voice was startlingly close. He leaned toward her again, both elbows resting on the table. Hiyori made the mistake of meeting his eyes. She wondered, sometimes, how anyone could think blue eyes cold.

“You’re kind,” he said, simply.

Hiyori made an embarrassing sound in the back of her throat. To escape Yato’s eyes, she hid her steaming face in her mug and took an ambitious gulp of what turned out to be very cold, bitter tea.

Spluttering, she set her cup back on the table and reached for Yato’s, horrified when she saw he had already consumed its entire contents.

“Why did you drink the whole thing?!” she wailed, brandishing the empty cup in Yato’s face.

“I thought it was fine,” he said.

Hiyori glared at him, inexplicably furious. She wasn’t sure toward whom that anger was directed, but it felt more substantial than a dispute over cold tea.

At that moment, the candle went out.

Yato cursed—colorfully but quietly—and she heard the lighter flick again. The candle flared once, then went out.

Hiyori blinked rapidly, trying to force her eyes to adjust to the absolute darkness. Outside, the tempest was amassing its forces. There was no lightning in this storm: only rain, wind, and utter dark.

It was the kind of storm that spawned monsters, and Hiyori, despite herself, was afraid of it.

“I’m sure we have a flashlight,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

Before Hiyori could even lurch out of her chair, a set of fingers closed around her wrist. She froze. Surely, surely, Yato could feel the wild hammering of her blood beneath his thumb.

“Is this all right?” he asked.

Hiyori didn’t immediately respond. She was stunned at how unexpectedly warm his hand felt against hers. Interpreting her silence as a denial, Yato immediately withdrew, and Hiyori’s stomach plunged horribly at the loss of contact.

“No, w—”

She barely had to speak before his hand returned, closing gently around her wrist. She allowed him to move her fingers so that they interlocked with his. The tension began to drain out of her body, and Hiyori dared not question why.

“This doesn’t count,” she heard herself blurt.

She couldn’t see his face, but she knew Yato was looking at her, confused. Gathering herself as best she could, Hiyori said:

“This doesn’t count towards your offer.”

Yato didn’t respond immediately, but his fingers tightened around hers. A conversation like this really would be impossible if she could see him.

“Of course it doesn’t,” he replied. “That’s why I’m not charging.”

The fondness in Yato’s voice set her ears aflame, and she lost any ready response she might have had. She was almost glad that she couldn’t see his expression

The pressure of his hand around hers was gentle. He cradled it like it was an exquisite thing. Tingling warmth seemed to spread from her chest through her whole body: not the heat of embarrassment, but something tender and protective. Something that made moisture spring to her eyes, and urged her to curl her fingers tighter around Yato’s own.

A little longer, Hiyori thought. She held Yato’s hand tight in hers, and she prayed to the storm.

Just a little bit longer like this.

[khunsimp]

Hi....Can I ask (if you don't mind), what are your top 10 favorite anime (until now)? And why do you like them? Sorry if you've already answered this question before....Thank you.....

Normally, I don't keep a permanent favorite because I watch a lot of animes since i was a child. And,when I start to like one a lot, it becomes "my favorite" in the moment. But there are certain animes that, while not necessarily the best, I was obsessed for a long time. it depends a lot on the moment I started watching it, how my mind was at the time and such. I'll name a few of these, but they're not necessarily favorites, and they're not in order. They're some that I've been obsessed with for so long that I'd look at and think about their content all the time, and until I found a new anime that made me feel like that, everything else seemed dull. (Also, I forgot a lot of animes names and all. i watched literally so much animes that i tend to forget( especially if this have just one season, since normally i watch in a day, watched, i mean, now i dont have the time;-;), and remember just when someone say its name/ show a picture of it lmao).

(Also, i will not say animes that are too new(like vanitas no carte) or ones that the adaptation wasnt good/ inferior in some way for me, but i was obsessed with the manga/manhwa, like tokyo ghoul, tower of god, promised the neverland, yuukoku no moriarty and such).

-----

Naruto( one of my firsts animes, not the best, but will always have "that spot" in my heart);

Code Geass( i watched 2 times in a roll, the plot is just so good and well written. Its keep the quality until the very end. Its well rounded for real);

Mo dao zu shi(Its actually a donghua, but still... i am until now obsessed with it, tand its novel and drama. Wei wuxian is maybe one of my favorites protagonists of all time in all kind of media). I will even do 3 tattoos with 3 quotes from it and one quote that remember them;

D gray man( i watched just because I was bored, i wasnt expecting to find, maybe, the best shounen story. Its so good. Everything is on point. D gray man hallow/ kanda and alma arc will always be something that aches my soul). Soon, my tattoo of it will be done too, ( the 14th song);

Hunter x Hunter ( one of my firsts too, like naruto, will always have a spot in my soul);

Hotarubi no mori-e ( its a anime film. Its just... i have read and watched a lot of things way more sentimental and sad , but, for some reason, this really touched me. I am someone who pretty much almost never cry( already 2 years without cry), dont matter how broken i am. But, for real, I cried and felt a pain inside me with this story. I really cant explain why. And I will never know why was that story. Tattoo for that too, i hope ;-;);

Magi ( I love it. Still sad that dont have a season 3. I read all the manga already. Its gold! The best arc is just in the manga, and its something almost level chimera ants from hunter x hunter in psychological display. Is very good);

Kamisama hajimemashita ( That anime... I never laugh so fucking much with something. Its made me laugh, made me have good feelings. This is something that I will never forget);

Assassination Classroom( Ahhh, i remember that i had a lot of fun watching it);

Noragami ( still expecting season 3, like the clown I am).

Ahhh... already 10? I could keep going forever, lmaooo, I am really bad with this kind of thing.

Let me add at least more 2 ok?

Akatsuki no yona ( amazing!!!! Soo won, yona, jae ha, everyone... Its gold! How dare them not give more seasons to it? );

Your lie in april( amazing, will destroy your soul, but i recommend ).

(Ok, i will stop here, or i will add more. Like no.6,umibe no etranger, violet evergarden, Akagami no Shirayukihime, kyoukai no kanata, bunny girl senpai... ok, i stop, i stop! 🤣)

(Also, sorry. I am normally very rational with everything in my life, except the media I like. I didnt give proper and rational remarks about why I like them because they just... catch me without me knowing why). I would be lying if i say that I like something just because the plot is amazing, for example, because even when i find some with better plot in the same time, i will still prefer the one that catch me).

[captainstarkky]

Hello i had a question about DAYS

U know in the beginning scenes myul mang was crying at the funeral hall when dong kyungs parents died right

He was apparently crying for the goddess ig ?? But why ? Doesnt he hate her ??? And shes gonna be reborn again anywya ?? So im confused about that

Hello CHINGU!

I don't know if our opinions align on this one though. But I'll try to answer this for the sake of science (lol).

Anyways, kidding aside, let's proceed.

But to those who are confused, I think it was Sonyeonshin’s previous reincarnation that Myul Mang actually cried on because of this scene:

So, I really don't think Myul Mang hated Sonyeonshin. They probably have a parent-son relationship; as we can see in the whole series, even if he is angry or annoyed with Sonyeonshin and her antics, he keeps on coming back to her. It's just like a son, even how annoyed he is to his mother, will always come back to her arms at the end of the day.

So before we star, let us set the scene:

Regarding as to why he was crying in the exact scene during that funeral, there are a few speculations for that:

Some say that it was Sonyeonshin's way to connect Dongkyung and Myul Mang's fate together. Though I cannot give a thorough explanation on this one but this is something we really need to look into. Because if you look at it that way, anyone could’ve been anyone - but it was Dongkyung who saw him in his form. Why? Well we still boil down to what we call ‘fate’.

And I would also want to reiterate that Sonyeonshin is a deity who reincarnates. To give you a better explanation to how that works, I would like to give a very similar case scenario. If you watch the Noragami anime, it actually gives you a concrete explanation on how a God/deity reincarnates.

According to that anime, a God, like humans, can die. They can die a natural death - if people don't worship them anymore, and they can get killed by another God. But what's different is that, Gods can reincarnate. They reincarnate as a new being

 if and only if people/humans ask for it.

For Sonyeonshin’s case, people created her. So as long as there are people who worship her name, she will eventually come back to the world of the living.

Why do I use this reference?

Because no matter how you see it, the logic is the same.

I don’t know if you’re curious about this, but he actually denies being a deity himself. Instead, he prefers to be called as Myul Mang. 

This scene was actually from when Sun-kyung found out what was happening. He - Sun-kyung - actually said that he was a deity but he subtly denied it only to accept the adjective to avoid more explanations.

That is because unlike Sonyeonshin, he can't be reincarnated. He don’t have a name or people who worship him to get that privilege. That is also probably one of the reasons why he always believed that his job is a punishment.

Sonyeonshin is different. She was created by human wishes; she was loved and at the same time hated by humans.

OKAY it’s better to pause for a bit. I'm sure you're curious about why I said that humans 'hated' her, right?

Well, they do. Because love blossoms from hate. That is also Myul Mang's reasoning as to why Sonyeonshin loves humans. Because at a point, she probably hated them for creating her.

Also, let's not forget that she shoulders human sins and suffering on her shoulders - making her physically ill in her every resurrection.

That brings me to answering the question:

Why did Myul Mang cry in her funeral?

I think he always do cry on her funerals. In every of her funerals.

Everytime a deity reincarnates, I think she reincarnates in a completely different person. As you can see, her younger self was different from when she died in that funeral.

The old Sonyeonshin.

The new Sonyeonshin.

She probably regains her memory as time passes, but that does not change the fact that she is different person, physically. She now had a different face and probably a completely different vibe.

Now, when you’re used to someone, you can’t automatically get used to a completely different person who claims to be that ‘someone’.

** So let’s say for example, you’re Myul Mang. And you saw Sonyeonshin literally being laid to rest. Then after probably three years time, a kid would randomly pull your shirt and tell you she’s Sonyeonshin. Would you automatically warm up to the kid? I honestly don’t think so.

And imagine Myul Mang literally experiencing this every single time.

That means, Myul Mang has to adjust then again to a new persona of the goddess which he already have a hard time doing given that he doesn't know anything about feelings.

And when he finally do warm up to the new Sonyeonshin, she dies.

I mean, anyone would cry - even if you’re Myul Mang. Probably because of the thought of doing that process over and over again. And at the same time, hating people who makes him suffer by killing and then reincarnating the same person in a different persona.

It probably drove him crazy. And that also explains his hate on humans.

And regarding his loathe for humankind, I think it’s also because of how humans treat Sonyeonshin. He never was close enough with humans so he never forgave them for killing his mother over and over again.

Well, not until Dongkyung came and he ended up with this realization:

Which is for the record, beautiful.

Okay, I hope I was able to answer the question. I was keeping my mind into this since I received this question and had came up with these answers - just these two lol.

Anyway, today, a new episode is supposed to come out at 9PM and I just feel empty when I realized that there’s no DAYS anymore. But I’m really thankful to the guys who asks me random DAYS question because with it I can actually post some content. LOL.

And I can’t post GIFs

[pinkbalrog]

Of Gods and Tombs

A Noragami Lost Tomb AU I decided to actually write up. Apologies for cultural errors. I probably could have researched more. No offense was meant. :) Feel free to comment. I consciously tried not to sink too much focus into this because I am a perfectionist and would have brooded over this for weeks, and I do have other projects! All supernatural elements are improvised, perhaps badly. I also wasn’t sure of Xiao Er Ye? Thoughts? I don’t know Chinese : (. 

Mentioning @jockvillagersonly because they have been ridiculously nice. :)

Here we go!

Pangzi stared. The man stared back, holding Pangzi’s wilting incense in one hand. He’d been, savoring it? Maybe? Wide eyes stared back over a thin trail of smoke and, was he blushing?

“Who the FUC-”

“Shhhh!” the man lunged forward. He dropped the incense, wincing and grabbed Pangzi’s arm. “You’ll wake something up!”

“You’re something!”

“We can talk but—yes, I am?”

Pangzi got a handful of silk. Where did he get the hanfu? He jerked him close, eyes narrowed, grinning so hard his cheeks ached. “You,” he grated, “are not part of the expedition”.

Wide eyes blinked at him. “What expedition?” Pangzi cuffed him.

“You think I came in here alone? You did not come in with us.” The guy wasn’t frail, was pretty solid actually, but he had the look of a bird plucked out of a net.  

“No. Obviously?” Thoughts moved rapidly behind his eyes, and he scanned Pangzi, taking in his sweat stained shirt, abraded hands, and his unshaven face. “You came with a group then, and you came up.” He pried off Pangzi’s grip and took a step towards the dark where Pangzi had dragged the heavy door mostly into place. “At least that’s the only way you’d be in this corridor, it’s inaccessible on this level.”

Pangzi gaped. He exclaimed, “Then how the hell did you get here?” The man ignored him, squatting down to look at Pangzi’s sleeping bag. Pangzi stepped in front of it defensively.

The man continued, “They must be dead, otherwise you wouldn’t be alone, and you need help”. He nodded at Pangzi, as if they were having a discussion. They were not.

Pangzi loomed over him. “Again, how are you here?”

The man rolled back on his heels, straightened, and damn well held his hands in front of him like he was lecturing. Long sleeves slid back from thin wrists. His hair was short, and not neat at all. “I’ve been here for a long time, and I need help too.”

“You,” Pangzi sputtered, “you need help. You look, look you’re not a ghost right? You would have already tried to kill me. Right. I’m sitting down for this.” And he threw himself down on the platform of the pitiful, wedged open coffin, nearly squashing his back pack. He crossed his arms. “Well, what’s your name?”

The guy, whoever he was, smiled hopefully. “You can call me Xiao Er Ye.”

Pangzi grunted. “Wang Pangzi”.

Xiao Er Ye bowed, weirdly formal.

Stretching out his legs, which ached from walking uneven corridors for literal days, Pangzi idly rifled through his bag until he had a good grip on his gun, then he pulled out a water bottle and let it hang from his hand. “And what are you anyway?”

“I’m a god.”

The bottle thunked on the floor. “What?”

Xiao Er Ye smiled wider.

Pangzi sneered. He waved his arms. “A god. Bullshit.” Whoever lost their lunatic in that pathetic village was probably wondering what hole they fell into. Pangzi’s hole apparently.

Xiao Er Ye regarded him steadily. “It’s true. Did you wonder why I had your incense?” Pangzi scoffed,

“Becasue you’re a weirdo?”

“Because your offering allowed me to appear to you.”

“Right. And that seems like a reasonable explanation to you?”

He was ridiculous, but he was really clean. There was fat on his bones, and his nails were neat. Pangzi let go of the gun, considering. The guy clearly got in here very recently, which meant there was a way out. Could Pangzi humor the lunatic to get out of a literal death trap? Hell yes.

“Oookay,” he drawled, “So you’re a god. I can see you. What do you need my help for, your holiness?”

Immediately, Xiao Er Ye sat close beside him. “I can’t leave here because someone is here in a trap meant for me. I can’t free him because the trap is meant for me.” He paused to see if Pangzi was following. Pangzi smiled wide. Apparently reassured, Xiao Er Ye went on, “and I’m having a hard enough time keeping the trap from doing what it’s supposed to do, which is make the whole thing even more inescapable. You’re mortal, so you can free him”.

Taking a drink, Pangzi considered. So yes, Xiao Er Ye was off his rocker. He put the cap back on and asked,

“But do you know a way out of here?”

“Yes, many.”

“And you’re still here.”

Xiao Er Ye set his jaw, obstinate. “I need help.”

Pangzi tapped the bottle. So, do one nonsensical thing and finally get out? Or do nothing and lose what might be a chance. He remembered red hands, gleaming wetly.  

“Okay,” he said, and watched Xiao Er Ye light up. He was ridiculously easy to read. “Say I believe you. How does this work?”  

“I lead you to the trap, and you follow my instructions. Then we get out.”

Pangzi eyed him incredulously. “Then we get out. No real plan for that?”

Xiao Er Ye grinned, gestured at the tomb around them, and said, “That’s the easy part.”

Pangzi snorted. “Easy he says.” He made a production of standing up, and folded, “You better not screw me over, your holiness.”

“Thank you.” Pangzi paused. Xiao Er Ye’s voice was soft, earnest, “Thank you Wang Pangzi.”

Pangzi huffed a laugh. Atleast this was a harmless idiot. “Yeah, you’re welcome, let’s go get your boyfriend, or whatever, and get out of here.”

Xiao Er Ye’s voice pitched up, “my whatever?” and he kept talking.

Ignoring him, Pangzi faced the door. Damn it, he had to shift it again.

 . . .

Pangzi reconsidered this decision. He reconsidered it strongly. Ripping another lotus arrow out of his shirt he threw it at Xiao Er Ye. Xiao Er Ye dodged, and it clicked on the floor with all the others. This was trap number six. He tried to stay calm.

“And why,” he hissed, “Are you setting off every trap in this godsdamned tomb? How are there even this many left? Didn’t you come this way? Why aren’t you dead? Are you dead? Are you a fucking ghost because so help me I will hit you.”

Turns out, Xiao Er Ye was right about the corridor earlier being inaccessible from that level, but you could climb up another pit trap. Pangzi was getting very tired of squeezing up pit traps, and apparently this guy just clambered up and down them? Without getting dirty? Without seeming flustered in the least? Maybe his people put him in the hole on purpose. Was this all just enrichment? Even the spear traps? It was a fucking blessing that they seemed to be malfunctioning, or aged past effectiveness.

Xiao Er Ye looked sheepish, shrugging. “I forgot to worry about them? I’m usually not materially here when I walk around, but you need to see me and get past them so...”

Pangzi took a deep breath and counted to ten. “I need a drink”.

“Are you hurt though?” and now Xiao Er Ye was all sharp-eyed and attentive, all his focus on Pangzi, on his bruises and battered ego. Pangzi’s shoulders slumped.

“From this?” he shook his head and clapped a hand on Xiao Er Ye’s shoulder, “I’m fine. Can we just—what is THAT?”

There were hands, white, emaciated hands pressing through the stones at their feet. Black writhed up. Shrieking, Pangzi stomped, and stomped again.

Xiao Er Ye was stomping too, ranting, “Oh not again, no no I will not humor you. Do you want to be dead? Really? I told you no!”

The hands shrank back with a plaintive keen and one last lingering caress on Xiao Er Ye’s leg.

Pangzi and Xiao Er Ye stood there, breathing heavily. Their eyes met. Xiao Er Ye wore a strained smile and he looked, desperate.  

“So,” Pangzi stepped past Xiao Er Ye, careful not to step on any cracks, “Where next?” He didn’t look back, but he heard Xiao Er Ye take a shaky breath.

“Down this way. We’re almost there.”

. . .

“Almost there” was a lie. Pangzi sympathized, he did. It seemed Xiao Er Ye really believed a friend of his was down here; but the longer it took to reach, whatever it was, the more Pangzi worried he wouldn’t get the chance to talk Xiao Er Ye down, and nudge him towards showing both of them out of the tomb. He did not want to wander until he starved, or end up like his former team mates, spattered across the walls of a noisome pit.

The corridors were getting smoother, more ornate, and Pangzi swore he could feel fresh air vented in from somewhere. Xiao Er Ye was silent now, heading doggedly forward. Finally, he turned a corner, and, in the light of Pangzi’s flashlight, there were massive doors, green gold bronze with jade inset panels. They glimmered, untouched by dust. In fact, and here Pangzi swung his flashlight around, splendor wasn’t confined to the doors. There were murals faded but intricate all over the walls of the corridor.

There was no way to smuggle those doors out, but Pangzi wanted. His fingers twitched. Why had the expedition come in on a lower grade? If they’d realized the tomb was mostly vertical, that stuff like this was at the top, well, this would have been a different raid altogether. It was quiet, hushed but for the sound of Pangzi’s and Xiao Er Ye’s foot steps, the sound of their breathing, and the rustle of Xiao Er Ye’s ornate coat as he strode forward.

The doors swung open at a touch, soundlessly, and, hesitating in the corridor, Pangzi believed for the first time, that maybe Xiao Er Ye was non-human, at least a little. Was this really real? He pinched himself, which hurt. Nothing changed.

What prayers had he used, when he lit the incense? He lost track sometimes. Was he even doing any of them correctly? “Pangzi?” Xiao Er Ye’s voice echoed.

Pangzi swallowed his nerves, steeled his gut and called back, “Yeah, yeah I’m coming.” Inside was a riot of gold statues, positioned as an audience, a circle of jade set into a stone platform, intact the whole way around, and a man suspended in the air, curled defensively, dark hair falling over his shoulders. Long sleeves of richest, deepest blue, hung from his slender frame, and as Pangzi crept closer, rapt, he saw that the man’s face was ridiculously pretty. He seemed asleep. He was definitely, no doubt about it, floating.

“What.”

“I told you,” that was Xiao Er Ye, his voice grim. He was standing at the edge of the jade circle, intent on the characters carved inside it. He was holding out his hands, and for the first time, in the weird eldritch light the whole thing gave off, Pangzi could see scars on Xiao Er Ye’s palms and wrists, as if they’d but cut with a straight blade. Xiao Er ye shook, straining to reach with everything in him.

“Please, Pangzi, you can break it.” 

Pangzi felt, calm, as if he was in his home town, standing outside the Lucky Frog bar, staring into the fervid eyes of old man Wei. His voice was even,

“What happened to your hands?”

“My hands?” Xiao Er Ye drew back, glancing at his palms, “What does it matter?” he looked back at the circle, “I tried to put more of me in the circle, to get it to grab me but blood didn’t work, or hair. They just, evaporated, or fell apart on contact and nothing works. Please, break it.”

“How long have you, right—What do I do?”

Xiao Er Ye’s instructions apparently, amounted to “break it” all his easy words gone. Pangzi tried wedging the jade up, but he couldn’t get any purchase, and blunt force didn’t even dent it. He sat, panting, and chugged the last of his water. Xiao Er Ye stood by, fretting.

“I can’t, not like this.”

“What?” Xiao Er Ye hunched, looking very small.

Pangzi stood with effort, and stretched, turning to loosen the muscles of his core. “So you’re a god huh, sure it’s not that guy? He looks more, holy.”

Xiao Er Ye’s face was stone. It was unnatural. “I’m a god. He’s Xiao ge” and he said Xiao ge as if, of all things in the world, that he was most sure of.

“So you can get us out, if say, I blow up the room?”

Xiao Er Ye burst forward, breathless and all glimmering silk, “You can do that?”

Pangzi bared his teeth, “Oh hell yeah.”

. . .

Turns out it was a good thing he’d lugged all those incendiaries up so many floors. It took a while, but Xiao Er Ye had surprisingly steady hands once he had something to do with them. He talked to Xiao ge as he worked, but it wasn’t any dialect Pangzi knew, and he didn’t ask. At the last, Xiao Er Ye made Pangzi stand close, so close that he could smell incense and something like petrichor.

Xiao Er Ye met his eyes and Pangzi hit the trigger.

. . .

The world was dust. Dust and nothing. No sound or feeling, like the world fell away. It cut back in as a blade to the throat.

A literal blade. Pangzi was suddenly, viscerally aware of sun, beaming down on him, of the rumble and clatter of stone as the chamber collapsed around them, radiating outward. He ached, he was thirtsy, his stomach drew in, his breath caught, and they were out.

Xiao Er Ye was standing behind Xiao-ge, who was awake, with a predatory gaze pinned on Pangzi’s face. He held a black and gold sword against Pangzi’s throat and one arm was held out in front of Xiao Er Ye. Xiao Er Ye blinked, looking dazed.

“Uh” Pangzi tried again, throat dry, “Xiao Er Ye?”

The god shook his head, drew a deep breath, and noticed Xiao ge. “Xiao ge!”

He threw himself on him dragging him away from Pangzi. Xiao ge went willingly raising a long fingered hand to Xiao Er Ye’s arm, gazing into his face with an intensity that hurt to look at. Xiao Er Ye, reverent, cupped his face, grazing his thumbs beneath ink dark eyes. He breathed out, bright eyed, “You’re awake.”

Pangzi found somewhere else to look. All that shattered gold looked promising.

. . .

The chamber they’d broken was indeed, at the top of the tomb, and had seemingly been built atop an older structure, carved out from inside the tomb so that it was built on top of a place of death, so that it would draw Xiao Er Ye up. From where, Pangzi didn’t ask. What he knew was that there were trees, green and rustling, and sunlight warm on his face. The underbrush was thick, but they managed to find a route that wouldn’t exhaust them within an hour. Pangzi got out his kukri, and Xiao-ge put his sword to better use.

Together, they made their way through the trees, Xiao-ge going ahead, presumably to clear the way of threats, like squirrels. He’d tied back his heavy sleeves and accepted a torn bit of silk from Xiao Er Ye to pull back his hair. Pangzi watched him go, then turned to Xiao Er Ye, who practically glowed. Was he literally glowing? It was hard to tell. The god stood on his toes, soft eyed and open, watching where Xiao ge went.

Pangzi cleared his throat, and asked, “So if you’re a god, what’s he?”

Xiao Er Ye started, then settled back on his heels. “Oh! He’s a Hafuri vessesl!” Pangzi looked at him, dead eyed. “Oh, it means he is the most loyal and, potent? Of shinki, of named spirits that serve a god.”

Pangzi mulled that over. He dug out a few protein bars and made to hand one to Xiao Er Ye, who declined. “Named spirits?”

“Gods give spirits a new existence with a name. He is Xiao ge. He becomes a tattoo! It’s beautiful.”

Pangzi unwrapped his bar and replied, “Right. A tattoo.” He drew himself up, and bit the bullet, asking, “And what god are you?”

But it was Xiao-ge who answered, stealthy as a cat creeping up on them, regarding Xiao Er Ye with a warm gaze, “Qinguang Wang”.

Pangzi choked. “What?”

The God of death and misfortune ducked his head, then smirked impishly, leaning into Pangzi’s personal space. Neatly, he swung Pangzi around to face forward, and rested his with an arm over Pangzi’s shoulders. “And you’re a Priest now!”

Pangzi stopped dead. “What.” He blinked, raised a hand to his chin, and asked carefully, “Are there perks?”

The god’s laughter pealed out, obnoxiously loud. Xiao ge’s lip twitched upward. He glanced at Pangzi, and intoned, nodding gravely, “Do well.” He resumed his walk ahead of them.

Pangzi shrugged off the—his god’s arm and stomped after him, “And what is that supposed to mean? I haven’t even agreed to this yet!”

. . .

Pangzi insisted that the shrine have a full size kitchen and more than one Hello Kitty egg timer.

Fin

[honestlynoragami]

Identity & Name

After watching the anime, reading the manga and just appreciating AdachiToka’s fine work of literature for more than a year, I notice how valuable and important one's name is. How relieving and fulfilling it feels to know you have a place to go back to when someone you love calls out your name. The concepts of God and Regalia, the nature of a Regalia itself and the God's greatest secret being utilized in the series show that, like what happened to Sakura and Nora.

I see it as a tribute to those who have died and those who have lost their lives by the hands of their own kin. Hence Adachitoka created a world where those who have met with a cruel fate will be given a chance to live again in the Far Shore as a weapon for the God who named them and took them in. Devote to your name giver, guide them to the right path and you won't lose yours.

However, the more valuable the name the more threatening it becomes once it is abused or breaks. This is where the God's greatest secret plays its role, we have witnessed the tragedy with Sakura when Yato revealed her true name and triggered the memories of her past that morphed her into an evil spirit. A similar devastating event happened to another Regalia belonged to Bishamon, Tsuguha. Instead of the Goddess herself disclosing it to her, the sorcerer cracked her name with a weapon that could expose a regalia to the greatest secret effortlessly with the slightest contact with it.

Being remembered and have their name known is also essential for the Gods who were born from humans' wishes. Without humans and their desires, the divine beings wouldn't exist nor reincarnated if they died. As long as they are remembered and spoken about by many, they will continue to live on even if they die they could simply reincarnate again unlike those whose names couldn't even stay in people's memories for a day. Unlike the famous Gods of Fortunes who have countless worshippers, Yato is a God who was born from a single wish. He wasn't given a shrine let alone have any worshippers to know of him since he had been taught to indiscriminately massacre humanity.

That was until he met Iki Hiyori, who genuinely wanted to be with him for a long time and promised to never forget about him like how others would. Fearing he would cease to exist, Yato has been trying hard to get people to remember him even if he had to work for humans. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he work he still can't seem to get people to remember him for a long time. His fear of abandonment and being forgotten haunted him until he found a reason to keep living, when he found Yukine and Hiyori, the two very people he loves and wishes to protect.

The importance of a name for a God in Noragami is shown during, what some of the readers call as, the Ebisu arc, when Yato went into the Underworld to save Ebisu initially under the sorcerer's orders. However, in order to escape from the Underworld and from the queen of the Underworld, Izanami, a summoning technique where a human calls out the "true name" of those in the Underworld. This technique is called 'The Soul Call' or 'Soul Summoning.'

Getting named and having somebody to call and summon you to get you back home, that has clearly been shown to be of great significance in the story or else you could stray from your goal and lost your way. It also implies how the names of those who have died or lost that are being remembered in people's hearts and memories are found and noticed.

Author’s Note: Just read Noragami  °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

References:

https://noragami-mangaa.com/manga/noragami-chapter-37/

https://noragami-mangaa.com/manga/noragami-chapter-55/

https://www.google.com/search?q=noragami+shinki+names&sxsrf=AOaemvJrkQh9geiFQ-wcpB0lJWQWdBezIA:1629789475798&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi2lI32jsnyAhXHx4sBHTEsCJYQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=711&bih=702&dpr=1.25#imgrc=xX5-4M0r1JWjIM

[winterune]

Happy 46th birthday Kamiya Hiroshi-san! | 28.01.2021

Alright I’m back to posting birthday celebration/top seiyuu roles stuffs (or at least for Kamiyan’s birthday). My last Kamiyan birthday post was in 2019, so let’s revamp my list now.

#1: Takashi Natsume - Natsume Yuujinchou

Soft Kamiyan is best Kamiyan. I’m sorry, but I guess I just love soft characters. I think I’ve gushed more than enough how much I love Natsume Yuujinchou, Natsume Takashi, and of course his small buta neko companion/self-proclaimed guardian. So here it is, Soft Kamiyan’s best cinnamon roll boi Natsume as my #1 favorite Kamiyan role (heck, my #1 favorite character, series, and performance ever). My heart expands three thousand times every time I hear Natsume speak.

#2: Kakushi Gotou - Kakushigoto

I’ll be honest. This is the reason why I’m coming back to making these posts lol. I just finished watching Kakushigoto and I am in love with it!!! Definitely one of the hidden gems of 2020. A story about a single father who’s trying to raise his daughter while hiding the nature of his job. And Kamiyan nailed Gotou. From his dramatic performance when he’s on the job to the soft and caring side when he’s with his daughter. Everything was just perfect. Hearing Gotou just feels so natural. 

#3: Izaya Orihara - Durarara!!

The heartless little bastard that was probably the first Kamiyan role that stole my heart. Again, Kamiyan gave Izaya life. Still one of my favorite Kamiyan roles to this day. It makes one wonder how this is the same man who voices soft Natsume. Speaking of, I remember thinking ‘I know this voice!’ when Kamiyan used his Natsume voice as Nakura in episode 2 I think

#4: Yato - Noragami

Season 3 when lol but well in all seriousness, Kamiyan as Yato is just amazing. He showed a wider range of emotion in Aragoto after we learn about his past as the God of Calamity, his desire to be the God of Fortune, and finally seeing him with Father for the first time. Just imagine how animated and voiced Yato will kill me if they ever decide to make a season 3 T-T

#5: Koyomi Araragi - Monogatari series

It’s a talent in and of itself to be able to voice a wide range of characters and make each and every one of them memorable. Though he’s that type of seiyuu whose voice is very recognizable, I never get bored. Koyomi is one such case, and I just love him so much. (Speaking of Monogatari, I have yet to see Arakawa Under The Bridge and Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei. Huh, so Kamiyan worked with Akiyuki Shinbou in three series, whereas he worked with Omori Takahiro in two - NatsuYuu and Durarara, one of which is still ongoing)

Well, seems like my top 5 still hasn’t changed (except for one) xD But really though, four of the five are indisputable, they probably won’t be dropping out of the list any time soon. It is funny how many of my favorite main characters were voiced by Kamiya Hiroshi. Whereas I usually associate a seiyuu with their popular characters, I never do so with Kamiyan. Somehow, he feels low-profile yet he manages to score big roles that end up being famous and/or iconic. His characters always feel so natural to me.  

Honorable Mentions

HM1: Kusuo Saiki - Saiki Kusuo no Psi-nan

Don’t you just love when Kamiyan voices characters who talk a lot? I know I do, lol. There was Araragi, and then Saiki. I remember him talking in the DGS radio about when he got the role. He wasn’t actually too keen on it xD but hey I love him as Saiki lol

HM2: Levi Ackerman - Shingeki no Kyojin

To be honest, I’m not much of a fan of Kamiyan’s Levi. I love Levi, not a fan of his voice lol. But I still gotta put him on this list. Because, well, one of his most popular roles to date? Yeah, lol. I said how Kamiyan’s voice is usually recognizable. That’s not quite the case with Levi. I still can’t find any trace of his voice whenever I hear Levi speak that you’d wonder how is it possible that the man behind Levi is also the one behind characters like Natsume, Yato, Izaya lol. Sometimes it feels like he had to force his voice to go that deep. 

HM3: Choromatsu - Osomatsu-san

Yeah I don’t follow Osomatsu-san, even though I want to. All my favorite A-list casts, but the comedy is just not my cup of tea ^^;; Still, I do love seeing some episodes, and the series is quite the phenomenon, so I’m gonna put him on the list. 

HM4: Tieria Erde - Mobile Suits Gundam 00

Seriously, there are a lot of other characters I want to put here. Like Ao no Exorcist’s Mephisto Pheles (Kamiyan was awesome here) or BSD’s Edogawa Ranpo (minor, but eh, still a popular series), but neither (not the characters or the series) are a favorite, so I’m going with Tieria Erde from Gundam 00. I’m not a Gundam fan. Not in the sense that I watched all series. But I do love mecha and even though Gundam 00 is more of a spin-off from the bigger Gundam narrative, I loved it. Great casts, enjoyable story. I guess this was before Kamiyan grew famous? Still, I did love Tieria, especially in the second season. That deadpan character who occasionally show emotion. 

HM5: Machina Kunagiri - Final Fantasy Type-0

I never played the game, tbh, but I wanted to mention him in the list because, well, Final Fantasy (and I’ve always been fascinated with Type-0′s lore). I wish Square would cast him in a mainline game. Well, he was casted as a minor role in FFX, but seeing Square’s trend of casting A-list seiyuu’s as their main characters, one could dream, right? To be fair, 7R mainly used their original cast from back in the 2000s and the main XV cast was decided also in mid 2000 (back from when it was still Versus XIII, though they changed Gladiolus’s seiyuu). I do wish they’d cast Kamiyan as, even if not a main character, a major supporting character. He’s not even in XIV when XIV has a lot of famous seiyuus in it. 

well, that’s my list for now. I realize that many of my favorite Kamiyan roles are from recurring series. When I first made the list two years ago, I was surprised by how few roles I can list, because apparently all my favorites are from long ongoing series or ones that spawn many seasons. Look at NatsuYuu, Osomatsu, Monogatari, and SnK lol. No wonder it always feels like I hear Kamiyan every season xD

[herstrayskies]

Hi @lumiccu!! I was your Noragami Secret Santa! I was so excited to get matched up with you since I really adore your art and we always seem to promote and support each other on here and Insta!

Anyways, you mentioned that Ebisu and Nora were your favorite characters. So I kind of came up with this headcanon that teen Ebisu first met and named Nora in her fish-like form. I even wrote a short story to go with it. I hope you like it! Wishing you well and Happy Holidays! 

Also thanks to @noragamisecretsantas for organizing this wonderful event. 

Read the story below or on AO3. 

Guilty Scales

“I’ve heard rumors of a God taming Ayakashi,” Father’s voice hummed over the crackling fire. 

“Oh?” chimed Mizuchi. She scratched at a newly given name on her forearm, half hoping it would flake off like dried mud. 

“It would be a shame not to learn his wisdom on the subject,” the floorboard creaked as he got up from his seat, his footsteps echoed around the empty room of the hut as he walked closer.

She stared into the fire wishing Yaboku were here to chime in on the subject. He’d get mad with each new name she was granted and he wouldn’t be afraid to say it. Mizuchi, however, was a good girl and did whatever her father told her. Including keeping her mouth shut while collecting names on her skin in order to spy upon the Heavens and Gods among them. 

His hands rested gently on her shoulders, “Mizuchi, would you mind looking into Ebisu for me? I know he’s one of the seven, but if anyone can get into his threshold, it’s you.” 

His praise warmed her heart like the fire that slowly warmed her frosted toes. She tilted her head up and looked at his loving smile glowing in the light of the flames. It was a smile she knew was genuine, unlike so many others she had seen before. Her hand dropped from her raw, exposed skin and placed it on top of his. “Of course, Father.” 

“That’s my girl.” 

__________________________

It didn’t take her long to track him down. Word of mouth was that he liked to fish in a certain spot where the mountains overlooked the water, where fish were aplenty and people were scarce. She did, however, find it odd that he was out in the dead of night when the stars shined brightly in the sky and the snow started to settle into the valley. 

It was cold in the water, even in Mizuchi’s fish-like form. She could feel the cold seeping underneath her scales and deep into her lungs. She wished she were back in the warm hut with Father, the heat of the fire lapping against her frosted cheeks. She settled for the sting of the freezing water instead and sunk deeper into the abyss. She imagined Father’s proud and affirming praise after she came back with a granted name from the God of Wealth. 

Bubbles floated up from a spurt of laughter at the thought as she watched said God pull fish after fish out of the water. He released them all into a bucket that rested beside him. With each new catch, he’d stare into the pail, smiling at his collection. He was like a little kid in wonder of all the creatures he had at the palm of his hand. 

How silly it was. He was a God. He could have or do anything he wanted and here he was, fishing without a care in the world. 

“You know, I might be really into my fish right now but I’ve noticed your presence since the moment you’ve arrived.”

For once Mizuchi was surprised to get spotted among the dark waters. Her level of stealth would usually startle even the bravest of Gods when she finally approached them from a cloak of darkness. How did he know she was there?

“It must be cold,” his gaze never left the pail, “ join me and tell me why you’re here.” 

She swam closer to the ledge and spat out at his almost cocky attitude. “and why would I do that?” It was one thing that she was spotted before she could think of an approach but to expect her to do his bidding made her sick. She held back the urge to rise from the water and make him see what he was really up against. Not just some little girl but a powerful spirit ready to do whatever it took to get him to grant her a name.

He sighed and looked to the sky, “Why does a lonesome spirit feel the need to wade in a freezing current to spy on a waste of a God like me.” 

She didn’t expect such a response from him. Not from Ebisu, the God that was prayed to and believed by so many. Weird, his following didn’t seem to match his confidence. 

He readjusted his position so that he was facing forward, eye to eye. His head cocked to the side as if inspecting her. “Are you blighted? There’s some discoloration on your-” his hand tentatively reached out to touch her cheek.

The gesture startled her and in a defensive way, her body moved on its own. Her scaled tail surged out of the water before it slapped across the surface, causing waves and ripples to surge around her. She expected fear and horror in his expression but what she saw was nothing of the sorts. 

His eyes twinkled with delight and wonder like the stars above him. His smile stretched across from ear to ear as he knelt closer to the disturbed surface. He was in awe of what he saw and dared to get a better look. “You’re not some regular ole’ spirit, are you?” 

Mizuchi stared at him without a single word, her tail wading back and forth. She watched his eyes follow the movement of her tail before they flicked towards her name covered arm as she wiped a droplet from her lashes.  

“Sorry if I stepped out of some boundaries. I only wanted to help.”

She stayed quiet, unsure of his motivations.

He extended his hands outward again and smiled. “I’m Ebisu, but you probably already knew that, or else you wouldn’t be here. Did you come to me looking for a name?" 

"A name?” He’d grant a name to a stray without question? What kind of God was he?

“Yes, you must have heard that I take in strays too, correct? I’m very accepting of anyone as long as they can help my cause.”

Mizuchi scoffed at his words, “so let me guess, you’re one of those Gods? Using wandering strays for nothing but your own dirty work. Once we’ve done the job we’re needed for we’re tossed aside like some used object.”  Why was she so angered when she knew more than half the Gods used her in this way. Words came out that she would never let escape the tip of her tongue before. She didn’t feel like biting it for once. 

“Almost all of my men are strays and I treat them all the same as if they weren’t. Why should anyone treat them differently? Because you are called by another name by someone else? How barbaric,” he looked annoyed with her assumptions. 

“Gods don’t like sharing property.” 

Ebisu laughed, “Property! You aren’t property! You are people! People who have walked this earth and have lived a part of life. You are the spirits that didn’t want to give up and wanted to try again. This part of your life doesn’t need to involve technicalities like names and owners. So what if you have multiple names? Don’t humans walk through life being called something different by every other person they meet? Whether it be their true given name, nickname or a title. Daughter, son, sister, brother, mother, father, wife, husband, lover, friend. What’s one more? What’s to say the name I give you won’t be your favorite passing in this new life?” 

Mizuchi felt the nagging guilt slowly drift off her given names, wading deep into the bed of rubble below her. They were words she had never had the pleasure of hearing before. Something that made her feel accepted and not just a dirty name to be whispered among the Gods. 

For the first time she could remember, Mizuchi swallowed her pride. “What is your cause, Ebisu?”

His smile returned as he watched her stretch her hand towards him. He held onto it gently and said, “To bring peace to the world around us,” he paused to raise his other hand to start the naming enchantment, “like no one has before." 

She almost didn’t hear his words over his bright, genuine smile and the glow of a name forming in the air.  

__________________________

"What a good girl you are Mizuchi! I knew you could do it!” Father ruffled the top of her head and wrapped a warm blanket around her. The fire once again roared in front of her and she started to feel the tip of her nose again. 

“Thank you, Father.” For some reason, his praise wasn’t as warm and joyous as she remembered. It was nowhere near as warm as his hand.

“And what did you learn about him so far?" 

Mizuchi stared at the fire hoping the embers would help her withhold her secret for just one night. He’s a forgiving and accepting God. She held her tongue and brushed her fingertips across the name Tōki. 

"Nothing yet, Father.”

[kumikoumae-archive]

I’ll give three randoms

- gou from free

- hiyori & bishamon from noragami

Okaayyyy let's go, i'll do all 3

Gou (i was honestly expecting her from you. Thank you so much!!):

Sexuality Headcanon: bisexual.

Gender Headcanon: trans girl, and that is why she gets angry when people call her gou instead of kou (nagisa means no harm, but he is a shitty boy) (tbh all the first years are trans in my mind).

A ship I have with said character: NAGIGOU FOREVER. Honestly i never thought i would ship them for so long but sometimes i just catch myself randomly thinking abt them 🥺

A BROTP I have with said character: the teacher that goes to the beach with them (i think she goes?? Idk tbh.. it's been such a long time since i watched free).

A NOTP I have with said character: well.. r*ngou. They're sibling ffs.

A random headcanon: she is taller than nagisa and even tho that is not a big deal for her, nagisa is not amused.

General Opinion over said character: i love her and she deserved more screen time!!! All the first years deserved a season focusing on them and i'll forever be bitter because free decided to introduce new characters instead of exploring the ones they already had.

Hiyori (omg i need to catch up with noragami):

Sexuality Headcanon: pansexual.

Gender Headcanon: cis girl.

A ship I have with said character: yatori of course lol i am predictable .

A BROTP I have with said character: i'll stray away from spoilers for u and say yukine lol.

A NOTP I have with said character: father x hiyori. Tbh im not sure anyone actually ships them?? But the fact that he forced a kiss on her will forever be something that makes me want to scream.

A random headcanon: in a bad timeline where hiyori forgets all about yato: she starts randomly drawing this 'weird guy' in her notebooks and takes up art classes to be able to draw this face that keeps appearing in her mind. You know that scene in 50 first dates where the main character has memory loss but she draws her love interest and has a whole wall full of her drawings of him? Kind of like that.

General Opinion over said character: she is an absolute badass and i am always torn between wanting her to live a normal human life, detatched from the gods, and wanting her to be with yato and yukine forever.

Bishamon:

Sexuality Headcanon: aroace (the reason why i hc her as aroace is because of a big plotline in the manga. God, i wish you would read it so we could discuss this lol)

Gender Headcanon: she/her (not cis tho) (she is a goddess, after all, i do not expect her to conform to human's gender norms)

A ship I have with said character: none tbh. I do enjoy kazubisha but i don't actively ship them.

A BROTP I have with said character: again, i dont want to give you spoilers so i'll say yato.

A NOTP I have with said character: none

A random headcanon: after yato gets a plot on takamagahara she makes sure all the trash in her property is dumped right next to yato's place.

General Opinion over said character: arguably one of the characters that suffers the most in noragami, she loses the entire Ma clan, and then loses [REDACTED], and then father and heavens [REDACTED] her, and then kazuma [REDACTED], and then she [REDACTED]. I just want her to have a better life with kazuma and her other shinkis.

I'm sorry for all the [redacted] but i dont want to give you spoilers lol. Just know that everything sucks and i'm dying. The manga is CRUEL.

[yatorihell]

In The Darkness Chapter 72 - Obliviate, Relocate

Noragami x Harry Potter AU

Words: 4,653

Summary: Yato, Hiyori and Yukine leave home to begin their quest.

Also available on Yatorihell AO3

Hiyori took one last look around her room.

Her suitcase was packed with the few possessions she didn’t want to lose. The stuffed bears from her childhood were arranged neatly on her bed, and the posters on her wall were beginning to peel from age. She wondered what would become of them and her childhood bedroom when she was gone.

This is necessary, Hiyori told herself, but it still didn’t stop the tear from slipping down her face.

Hiyori quietly made her way downstairs, her suitcase heavy in her hand as she stopped by the front door. Just around the corner, she could see her parents sat in the dining room. Her father was obscured by a newspaper, and her mother had her back to her.

She wanted to do this the right way: to say goodbye, to say that she loved them and that she would be back one day, but she couldn’t.

This was the right way.

Hiyori raised her wand. In a ghost of a whisper, she spoke. “Obliviate.”

The framed pictures in the hallway and stairs faded, erasing her from the family holidays, school picture days, and her fifth birthday where she wore that silly party hat. Her prom photo, the picture of her brother Masaomi holding her for the first time as a baby, and the Hogwarts uniform that her parents told their friends was a Halloween costume, all faded to blank backgrounds.

Her parents never turned to her or wondered why the front door clicked shut, but Hiyori knew it was because they no longer had reason to believe they had a daughter. Hiyori knew that she was nothing but a phantom.

Hiyori Iki never existed. Not in this house.

Yato was waiting for her in the underpass where they had been attacked by Dementors only a few years ago. The white paint was now covered in a multitude of graffiti and tags, and a few of the neon lights had been busted. He turned his head when he heard footsteps accompanied by the roll of wheels on concrete. Hiyori emerged at the end of the tunnel and Yato turned to face her, face solemn.

“Is it done?” Yato asked softly. He pretended not to notice the redness of her eyes when she avoided his gaze, coming to a stop only a few feet away.

Hiyori nodded and wiped her eyes. “They won’t remember anything about me. I put an enchantment on the door handle so my brother will forget me too once he comes home. Hopefully the idea of moving away will sink in by tonight.”

There was a ripple of silence between them. She had done this to protect her family, to get them as far away from her and the Sorcerer, but Yato still felt at fault. If she never met him, she wouldn’t be in this situation.

“You can always reverse it,” Yato said slowly. “You can go home-.”

Hiyori shook her head vigorously and sniffed again. Yato quietened, giving her the space to think.

She let out a deep, shuddering breath and finally met Yato’s eyes. “We told you, ‘together, or not at…'”

Hiyori’s resolve fell apart and she buried her face in her hands. Yato closed the distance between them in two strides, pulling her into his arms. She choked out apologies, but the tears wouldn’t stop, and the crack in her voice only made him hug her tighter. His body enveloped hers in a supportive embrace, dwarfing her as she shrunk into him and secured her arms around his back. He knew he wouldn’t be the first to let go.

Footsteps came from the tunnel entrance behind Hiyori. Yato dropped a hand to the suitcase and held Hiyori closer. The world disappeared in a blur as they apparated away from the life she had traded for him.

~

Yato took one final look around his bedroom at Yukine’s, which he’d called home for five years now, and sighed. Downstairs he could hear the first arrivals coming and the clatter of a trunk being heaved downstairs. The Order of the Phoenix was here to escort them out of the house, and Yato couldn’t help but feel he was losing the life he built piece by piece.

His eyes fell on his bedside table. The only objects on it now were Sakura’s wand, enclosed in its case for safekeeping, and the two-way mirror. He picked up the mirror and ran his finger along the silver gilded edge. He’d hoped that somehow Sakura still had the other piece and that she would talk to him from the afterlife, but it never happened. He’d spent too long staring into that mirror imagining her face and willing her to tell him how to defeat the Sorcerer. It had become his own personal Mirror of Erised.

Yato wrapped the mirror in a t-shirt and stowed it away in his suitcase along with Sakura’s wand and clicked it shut. He dragged his suitcase down the stairs and walked through to the dining room. Yukine was stood with a trunk half his size, Hiyori’s suitcase, and Madame Kofuku. Madame Kofuku smiled as Yato entered.

“Hello, Yato,” Madame Kofuku said. Her eyes darted from the suitcase and back to his face. “Are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” Yato grunted and swung his arm, landing the suitcase within inches of Yukine’s foot.

They stepped back and Madame Kofuku waved her wand with a silent incantation. In a blink the suitcases had vanished, leaving an empty spot on the carpet. Madame Kofuku turned and put her wand back in her pocket.

“They’ll be waiting for you at the Burrow,” Madame Kofuku smiled at them.

Yato had puzzled over what ‘the Burrow’ meant, as he was under the impression that they were going to Madame Kofuku’s and Daikoku’s house a few days early for the wedding. It didn’t seem to faze anyone but himself as Yukine led them across the hall and into the front room.

They hadn’t seen so many people packed inside the house since… since ever.

Hiyori stood with Daikoku, Kazuma, Bishamon, and an assorted mix of the remaining Order which made up their entourage. Madame Kofuku had told them that she had been recruiting new members since  Professor Tenjin’s death, but they didn’t expect so many of them to be their teachers; Professor Tsuyu, Professor Takemikazuchi, even groundskeeper Kuraha, were among the new faces stood in the living room.

Madame Kofuku took her place beside Daikoku, and the squeeze she gave his hand seemed to be his cue. Daikoku cleared his throat and the room quietened, all eyes on him and Madame Kofuku at the head of the room.

“We don’t have much time, so listen carefully. We expect the Sorcerer will be coming to Yato’s known addresses, so we’ll be getting out of here and to the Burrow before that happens.”

Yato shifted at the mention of his name. He knew he was the reason they had come here, but to have all eyes of the Order on him now was uncomfortable when they knew he was the one who could defeat the Sorcerer.

“We will have to use transport like brooms, Thestrals, and the like,” Daikoku continued. “We’ll go in pairs, so if anyone is out there waiting for us, they won’t know which of us is the real Yato.”

The real Yato? Yato thought. His eyes caught on Madame Kofuku as she pulled a large vial of green liquid out of her pocket. He knew instantly it was Polyjuice Potion.

“No,” Yato stated, shaking his head. “I won’t let you risk your lives for me.”

“Never done that before, have we?” Daikoku replied dryly.

Yato struggled, feeling the eyes of the room on him, before giving an exasperated sigh. “This is different.”

“Everyone is of age here. They’ve agreed to this.” Madame Kofuku said shortly.

Daikoku gave a nod and, on cue, Yukine tugged on Yato’s hair. Yato yelped and swore, seeing a few strands in Yukine’s hand as he crossed the room. Madame Kofuku popped the cork and Yukine dropped them into the vial. The potion fizzed gently.

Madame Kofuku took a sip of the potion and grimaced before passing it to Hiyori, who passed it to Kazuma, who passed it to the remaining few who had agreed to this.

It seemed there was no room for arguments now.

Bodies stretched and shrank. Hair grew longer and shorter and changed shades. Voices deepened and a mixture of his own voice ricocheted back at him.

All around him were different versions of himself, dressed in oversized robes – Professors Tsuyu and Takemikazuchi – and feminine clothing – Madame Kofuku and Hiyori. Yato looked on, agape, as a bag of clothes was dropped to the floor and the Yatos began sifting through them and left to get changed. One Yato plucked his glasses off his face and squinted, realising that he could see clearly without them for the first time in his life.

When they came back, he couldn’t tell who was who unless he looked at their body language. The awkward Yato who avoided his gaze and wrapped his arms around himself must have been Hiyori, and he couldn’t help but feel guilty that she agreed to this.

“We’ll be pairing off,” Daikoku said. “Each Yato will have a protector.”

Daikoku paired off the Order members first, unfamiliar faces that left two by two until he reached the teachers. He gestured to a Yato and Kuraha. "Tsuyu and Kuraha, brooms.”

Professor Takemikazuchi and a Yato, who Daikoku hesitated to kiss on the forehead, were next to leave. He directed the next Yato – who was clearly Kazuma as his glasses were tucked in his pocket – to pair with Bishamon. “Thestral.”

“Yukine, Hiyori, brooms,” Daikoku said. His eyes fell on the real Yato. “And you’re with me.”

Yato blinked at Daikoku. He looked over at Hiyori, his mirror image, and began to argue. “No, I’m going with Hiyori -.”

“There’s two of you. You will fly separately.” Daikoku interrupted, silencing Yato’s protest.

Yato looked away, feeling a burn creeping to his cheeks as his friends watched him get scolded. After a moment Daikoku spoke again, in a calmer voice.

“If anyone followed us, they would assume you would be with Hiyori, which is why she agreed to take the potion. Your Father knows you two have an…” He paused, looking for a platonic phrase. “Attachment to one another.”

Yato’s eyes flickered to Hiyori, who looked at him in a somewhat defeated way. He had a point.

Hiyori and Yukine gave him half-smiles as they too filtered out of the living room and outside. Yato made to follow but Daikoku clapped a hand on his shoulder and looked down at him.

“Your job is to get there in one piece. If any of us fall, you cannot stop.”

Yato looked at Daikoku, his normally strict eyes showing a more caring nature, one that understood his worry. If anything, he was acting the way a parent would console their child. Yato gave him a determined nod.

They joined the others outside. Kazuma and Bishamon were already atop a Thestral and the rest of the Order summoned their brooms into their hands. Daikoku’s broom was old but solid and big enough for two people.

Yato swung his leg over and sat behind Daikoku, his hands digging into his shoulders. He hadn’t flown like this before – except for the time he took Hiyori up to the Astronomy – but he was the one in control then. Now he could see how precarious this position was – no stirrups, no handgrip, just a seat and a body to hold onto.

“We’ll meet at the Burrow in about an hour!” Daikoku called, looking around the worried and determined faces around him. He pulled a pair of aviator goggles from his coat and snapped them on his head. He shifted his grip on the broom. “On the count of three. One… two… three!”

They were rising in the air far too quickly than Yato would’ve liked. His eyes watered in the wind and his hair whipped around his face. Beside them he could feel the strong beat of the Thestrals wings soaring higher and higher. Only now did Yato look down on Yukine’s house, watching it disappear in the twinkling lights of the village below, and the next and the next until they were above the clouds.

And then, out of nothing, they were surrounded. Hooded figures, too many to count in the night sky, hung in the air, encircling the Order as they rose through the clouds.

“Avarda Kedavra!”

The sky lit up with a blaze of green. Daikoku dove to the left and Yato found himself clinging for dear life, his feet dangling uselessly as they scrabbled for a footing as the sky rolled and his stomach roiled. Screams came from all sides, all direction lost as they spiralled around and around through a trail of blue and green and red sparks that whizzed past their ears.

The broom uprighted itself and before Yato could breathe, Daikoku had darted out of the mass and soared downwards. Yato whipped his head back to the battle, seeing the sparks of green and distant shapes of brooms and Thestrals diving in the other direction.

“We’ve got to go back!” Yato yelled. His throat dried instantly in the chilled air, but he could just about hear Daikoku above the roaring in his ears.

“My job is to get you away,” Daikoku shouted. “This was the agreement!”

“No!” Yato shouted. “We have to help them!”

Daikoku ignored Yato’s pleas and levelled out the broom, going faster than Yato had ever dared on the Quidditch field until the city lights died beneath them and they were left with the roar of the wind in their ears.

Yato felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end, and his eyes instinctively darted to the right. Four figures were careening at them, their wands spitting deadly spells.

Daikoku swerved and soared upwards once again. The clouds broke around them and the black figures followed suit, tight on their tail.

Yato clenched his fist in Daikoku’s shirt and wriggled his hand into his pocket, begging that he wouldn’t drop his wand and he pulled it from his pocket and aimed.

“Stupefy!”

Somehow – a miracle or pure luck – the spell hit its mark and left a hole in the Deatheater's offense. Yato aimed again and missed, the red sparks disintegrating into the blackness as the three remaining shadows gained on them.

Sparks flew past Yato’s face and he realised Daikoku was trying to shoot and fly at the same time. Yato doubled his efforts, and a combination of their spells hit a second Deatheater in the chest. He fell from his broom, plummeting to the ground with a shriek. One Deatheaters slowed to save him, but the other was still hot on their trail.

“Expelliarmus!” Yato shouted, his voice snatched by the wind as the sparks shot through his wand.

The spell missed, but a call rose from the Deatheater in response.

“It’s him! it’s the real one!”

Yato felt his heart hammer in his chest, but then the Deatheater peeled away and disappeared from view. Daikoku turned his head, wand still in hand though he had a vice grip on the broom.

“Where’d they go?” Daikoku shouted.

“I don’t know!” Yato shouted back.

His hair whipped around his face as he looked around the blank starless sky. Fear crept into his chest. How could the Deatheater have known he was the real Yato? And why would he suddenly stop giving chase if he knew that?

Maybe they were gathering more Deatheaters, or relaying who he was with – surely there would be more on the way?

“We’re nearly there!” Daikoku shouted over his shoulder.

Yato felt the broom drop a little, each judder making his stomach lurch. Then his head split open in an ear-splitting screech of static.  Yato drooped forward against Daikoku’s back, vision swimming as two Killing Curses narrowly missed them, sent from –.

Yato saw him.

The Sorcerer flew alongside them like a leaf on water with no broom nor Thestral to carry him, his black robes billowing around him. His eyes gleamed like a snake with a mouse, his hair tousled in the wind and a poisonous smile crept onto his face. His hand rose a wand, twisted and malformed oak with a cracked tip.

“Yaboku…”

Daikoku let out a roar and the broom nosedived to the ground. Whatever curse that had been uttered missed them by millimeters, and a shriek came from above them. Daikoku fought to keep the broom from spiralling out of control, sparks of green and red showering them as curses and stunning spells rose up from Deatheater and Order alike. There was a distant scream and a wail that faded into silence as Daikoku fled towards the safety of the dark fields below.

The distant lights of the village grew from the size of fireflies to orbs of light that guided the way home. It was peacefully silent compared to the raging battle above the clouds, eerie and foreboding as they glided across the meadows to the outskirts of civilisation.

Yato’s legs turned to jelly as the broom disappeared from underneath him. he fell to his knees, the static fading from his head but leaving a thumping headache that pounded his temples and sickness in his stomach.

Daikoku took Yato by the elbow, urging him to stand walk. Daikoku kept looking over his shoulder at the sky, wand in hand as if he expected the Sorcerer himself to descend from the night and finish the job.

Yato lifted his gaze from the muddy earth that squelched beneath his feet. Ahead of him was a house, towering in mismatched panels and chimneys that could barely be seen in the nighttime. There were few lights on inside, but as they approached the door of the house flew open.

A Yato stood with their wand raised, but on seeing Daikoku and Yato they lowered it and threw themselves into Daikoku’s arms. In the window Yato could see Professor Takemikazuchi watching, arms crossed across his chest.

By the time his eyes had slid back to Daikoku and the Yato, the Polyjuice Potion had worn off and revealed a distressed Madame Kofuku. Daikoku kept her encircled in his arms, whispering something into the top of her pink curls as his hand stroked her back.

“They got a few of us, but I don’t know who,” Madame Kofuku was saying. “We’re the only ones here.”

Yato looked away, feeling the guilt grow inside his chest. They were the only ones here.

Madame Kofuku finally tore her eyes from Daikoku and found Yato. She unfolded herself from the embrace and took in Yato, looking up at his face cupped in her hands.

“They’ll be here soon, don’t you worry,” Madame Kofuku said.

Yato could tell from her tone that she didn’t believe her own words, and it only made him feel worse as she led him inside.

Yato couldn’t help but be taken aback at the sheer size of the house. Stairs led up to one of the multiple floors of the house, and the inside was just as messy as a Potions classroom. The front room on the right-hand side was a mismatch of armchairs and tables and trinkets that filled every surface. Rugs and pillows had been strewn around in a homely yet cluttered manner, so different from Madame Kofuku’s office at Hogwarts.

The Burrow was not an underground fortress, nor a secret network of tunnels dug by those seeking refuge from the predators that walked overhead. It was a home.

Yato was led into the left room – the kitchen – which looked as if a bomb had exploded recently. A stack of dishes was being washed by a brush that had seen better days and the table was filled with all manner of paperwork and vials and teacups.

“Don’t go outside again,” Madame Kofuku warned. “If they see you when the potions have worn off then there’s no hiding you.”

She turned and made her way to the stove and began to fill the kettle, busying herself with making tea for their guests rather than worry if they had survived the trip. Somewhere in the house he could hear Daikoku moving about, coupled with the kitchen's wooden clock. It loudly ticked every second until Yato could feel the hammering of his heart as the minutes passed, tenser and tenser.

The silence was short-lived as an ethereal screech came outside. Madame Kofuku dropped the teacup she was holding, shattering on the floor.

“HELP ME!”

Yato’s heart flipped, recognising the voice. They sprinted outside, looking through the darkness for the source, wands drawn and spinning to find where the cry had come from. Yato saw a Thestral bolt across the field in a blind panic, riderless as its wings spread and took flight.

From the tall reeds behind the Burrow Bishamon appeared, weighed down by her partner who had taken Yato’s appearance. Although the Polyjuice Potion effects had only begun to fade, Yato knew who it was even without the glasses. Kazuma.

Kazuma’s brown hair was slick with blood, running down his neck and seeping underneath his torn collar. He was barely conscious as Bishamon wrapped her arm around his side and slung his arm over her shoulder, urging him to stay awake.

Yato rushed forwards, catching Kazuma as he stumbled over a rock and nearly took Bishamon to the ground. Something that sounded like a sob escaped Bishamon’s lips as Yato slapped Kazuma’s cheeks, shouting at him to focus on him.

“H-he got h-hit,” Bishamon stammered. Tears streamed down her face as she watched the blood pool around Kazuma’s ears and drip steadily onto her arm and caught in her tangled hair.

“Inside,” Madame Kofuku demanded. “Now!”

Yato put his arm around Kazuma’s back, supporting him as Daikoku arrived and took the weight off Bishamon. Half-carrying, half-dragging, they pulled Kazuma inside the house and set him down on the living room couch. Bishamon clung to his hand and placed a hand on the good side of his face, calling his name over and over.

Madame Kofuku had grabbed a towel from the kitchen and pressed it to Kazuma’s head, trying to staunch the bleeding before rushing to get clean water and bandages. Yato leaned over them worriedly, watching Kazuma fight for consciousness.

A bang and a flash of light came from outside again and Daikoku was already up in arms, storming towards to door to see if friend or foe had tracked them down. A moment later a few nameless Order members emerged into the house, some injured, others not, directed upstairs to tend to their injuries. It seemed, so far, Kazuma was the most serious casualty of the night.

Madame Kofuku ran back into the room with bandages draped over her arm, a punch clenched in her teeth, and a bowl of hot water in her hands. She knelt down and brushed Kazuma’s hair from his eyes and they fluttered lucidly.

“Stay with us there, Kazuma,” Madame Kofuku soothed. “You’re going to be fine.”

Madame Kofuku dropped the pouch into Bishamon’s hands and instructed her to feed him the contents, a remedy to ease his pain whilst they worked. Yato tore his eyes away from the deepening crimson colour the water was taking as they worked on Kazuma, and stood by the window. He could see Daikoku outside, wand by his side as he scanned the moving clouds for life.

Yato felt his nerves jitter. Hiyori and Yukine were not here. They were the last ones, and a coiling knot of worry had already gnawed a hole in his stomach. He tried not to think about the ambush, the curses, and the green sparks that showed that the Deatheater’s intended to kill all of them, decoy or not. He tried not to think about the Sorcerer, appearing to him for the first time since that night in the graveyard, and the familiarity in those eyes…

There was a shout from outside and Yato’s mind snapped back to the present. He could see Daikoku jogging across the field, and in the distance two shapes hobbling towards him. The Polyjuice potion effects had completely worn off now, and he could see Hiyori and Yukine. Daikoku seemed to be helping Yukine hobble back towards the Burrow.

Yato rushed out of the living room and out the front door against his better judgement and the warning he’d been given. He drew his wand as a compromise as he darted across the short distance to the three of them as they made their way back. Daikoku had Yukine by the arm, his foot seemingly injured but not too badly, and Hiyori was trotting beside him with her wand drawn.

“Yato, get back inside -,” Daikoku started, but the instruction fell on deaf ears.

Yato closed the gap and pulled Hiyori and Yukine into a suffocating hug. He held them tight, eyes closed, and thanked Merlin that they were alive. They stood like that for the briefest of moments before Yato found his voice again.

“What happened?” Yato asked.

“Crash landing,” Hiyori said against his shoulder. “Broom split in two and we got thrown off.”

“Well, you had a soft landing at least,” Yukine grumbled, shifting his weight between his feet. Hiyori's laugh was stifled against Yato’s jacket, but she apologised for her landing skills.

Daikoku cleared his throat and Yato let go. Their faces were pinched red but awash with relief, and Yato felt his heart rate begin to slow. They were here. They were alive.

The four of them made their way back to the Burrow, casting looks back at the sky as the clouds darkened in the distance.

~

Yato lay awake staring at the ceiling. He, Hiyori and Yukine had taken a room for themselves, but there was only a bunk bed. Yukine took the top bunk and Hiyori the bottom, leaving Yato to lie on the floor, hands folded over his stomach and thin sheet.

He’d told them everything that had happened: the Deatheater knowing who he was, the Sorcerer attempting to kill him, Kazuma’s injury which, according to Madame Kofuku, would heal with a salve and potion.

The thought of what had happened and how close they had come to death kept Yato awake for hours. He knew sleep wouldn’t come, not tonight.

Yato gently pushed the sheets away and stood, wincing at every creak in the floorboards as he slipped out of the room and walked down the stairs. Some of the Order had left, but they would be back for the wedding in a few days, but Yato could hear gentle snores coming from the living room.

Yato quietly paced to the living room door to check on Kazuma’s condition. He made a mental note to apologise for allowing him to take such a stupid, dangerous risk. One that nearly cost his life. The door cracked open slightly but Yato paused.

Still asleep, Kazuma was lying on the couch with his head turned to the side, showing the bandages covering his injury. His glasses were nowhere in sight, leaving his face looking more boyish rather than the older Prefect look he had always sported. However, the thing that stopped Yato in his tracks was Bishamon asleep beside him.

She was still sitting on the floor, but her body slumped over so her head lay on his lap, her hand brought up to entwine their fingers together. Her hair was mussed up slightly, both from the night’s events and sleep. She had obviously been claimed by exhaustion too as the creak of door hinges didn’t stir her attention, nor did she move from Kazuma’s side.

Yato smiled slightly, and gently closed the door.

[kurisus]

I mentioned this in my art caption but...I really DON’T know how to put in words what Noragami means to me, lol. But I can try. It’s a series that’s been with me for nearly 7 years--I watched the anime in my last few months of high school, read the manga in my second semester of college a year later, and now I’m well out of college and into hashtag adult lyfe. Needless to say, it’s been with me a long, long time and through some very formative years of my life.

Even though it was on hiatus for a good chunk of my last two years of college (probably for the best since I had enough stress anyway), I filled the void by making fan content. I kept drawing, kept writing, kept cosplaying, kept being inspired by it. I’ve participated in fandom before, but none this intensely and none for so long. Something about Noragami has kept me hooked this entire time, and out of all the manga I’ve followed update to update, this is the only one I’ve never fallen behind on.

When Aragoto started airing and I REALLY got hooked, I figured it would just be a temporary obsession and I’d quickly move on to something else. Not so. At some point I realized (to use a meme here) it’s not a phase, it’s who I am. I still do love many other things, but Noragami is eternal. It’s just become a part of me, and even if I do eventually move past this series, it’ll always be something I love and something that’s special to me. Rereading it will always feel like coming home.

In addition to loving everything about the manga (I’d be hard-pressed to find a single flaw, and even then it’s so subjective), I’ve made so many friends through the fandom. There are so many lovely people, and such talent. It’s really great being in a fandom small enough to reasonably follow the content being made on a daily basis, but large enough that I don’t feel like I’m shouting into the void, lol. I love participating in such a welcoming and talented community, and people like all of you are part of why I continue to regularly make content.

I’ve said before that I can talk about Noragami all day, and it’s quite true, if the length of this post is any indication. There have been times when someone irl has innocently asked me what this series with the hot dark-haired blue-eyed guy all over my walls is, and I’ve launched into a semi-coherent explanation of why this manga is so good, and why you should totally read it, and I can’t make it sound interesting you just gotta trust me--

Noragami really is one of a kind. Happy 10th anniversary, and cheers to whatever it has in store for us in 2021.