dreamcrystals | 1st Wish

an anonymous person was asking everyone about how they can recognize

[ nothing else is written for a long time. he may hear frantic pen tapping below. ]

love.

[ WRITTEN SHAKILY. ]

and when I asked how they felt about someone they may or may not love, that's what they said.

about how they felt.

No problem. You're always welcome to come to me with questions.

[He likes being able to help in ways that isn't just swinging a sword around. Especially when the one in need of advice is Hiyori.

But oh. So it is about love. Which is what he'd been thinking about writing down but couldn't bring himself to put into words.]

That

is another meaning behind finding someone to feel like home, yeah. I think.

[He's only experienced something similar once before ages ago, and again here with Hiyori herself. He'd be lying in his heart if he were to say he didn't feel that level of comfortable familiarity in her presence. With a slightly shaking pen he writes down a question of his own.]

What does it mean to you?

I will! that's two times now you've answered me seriously.

[ and so it is. ]

I thought so, too, but it didn't feel right telling someone else I didn't know that's how they feel. I think it's more important to figure something like that on your own, right?

[ SPEAKING OF. ]

the home thing?

or the recognizing thing?

[He wants to protest that he always answers her seriously, but upon consideration he realizes that's often not the case. He's so flippant about a lot of things, when the subject gets too close or just in general when he's screwing around. In hindsight he can't blame her for not considering him a trustworthy source sooner.]

Yeah, the best you can do for someone searching for answers is to give them suggestions of what you've experienced without trying to imply it's the only solution.

[He fidgets again, shifting around on the roof before answering.]

Both?

I'd be interested in hearing your answers for each.

If you don't mind sharing them.

[ on the bright side? he's since proven otherwise recently. once again, too, because there's another good piece of advice! yato's just full of it (in a good way) today. ]

I'm glad. I hope I helped Anon-san, though. I can't imagine how troubling it is to not know whether you love someone or not.

[ BOTH. AGAIN! he did... give some solid advice. mercifully, hiyori can hide her reddening face behind this journal. ]

for the home thing, let me think.

okay, I think it means you want to be with them. at least, if I considered someone to be like home, it's like what you said about familiarity. you're comfortable with that person and you feel safe with them.

[ yes, she is pointedly STALLING to answer the second. ]

I'm sure you were a help to them. You have a good head on your shoulders and approach things with understanding.

[It's not just empty praise. He genuinely means that Hiyori is someone who's good for seeking advice from.

He hums thoughtfully at her first answer, quill tapping against the journal and leaving little dots of ink.]

That makes sense - the feeling safe bit. I think that's where my answer differed most. Because of the way dad treated us. It wasn't always a safe feeling "home" provided.

[He doesn't know why he's going on about that time, offering up more than he normally would. Maybe because this is like writing in a journal, yet he knows the words are going to Hiyori, who out of everyone is most likely to understand. To distract from his own vulnerable answer, he continues:]

And the other?

[ d-does yato seriously think that about her? she wants to ask, but she can't. the quill won't move on her journal. shouldn't she at least thank him? can't do that much, either. what a useless hand.

mention of yato's "father" makes her tail curl as if cringing away from the idea of that guy, but it is rare for yato to go into his past. by any measure. that yato considers that even a little bit of "home" hurts her. ]

that wasn't home, Yato. I'm sure of at least that much. home is like

when we're all sitting at the table, eating whatever Daikoku-san has made and talking about anything and everything.

[ aaaaaah, crap. he asked.

there's no answer for a minute.

five minutes.

going on ten now. if yato can't resist peeking through the window, hiyori is just staring at her journal with a complicated expression on her face. half her face is buried in her palm but her cheeks have taken on a flush. finally, written in rush, ]

it depends.

[How silly. He wouldn't have written it if he didn't think it was true. He has so much respect for her, for how mature she is in the face of the craziness that is her life when she should just be a normal teenager.

Maybe that's why he feels he can trust her with details about his early life. Days when he still acted in the name of Yaboku. It takes him a while to respond to her sensible message.]

Yeah. You might be right. Although for the longest time I did think that was home, I can't imagine wanting to go back there now. Not ever again.

[In the time it takes for her to respond, he gets lost in thought, yet eventually does haul himself over to the edge of the roof to hang upside down and peer in to make sure she's okay. Seeing that she is indeed fine and still awake makes him frown, but her expression says all. Carefully, he climbs back up to wait. And when she does reply, it's disappointing.]

On what?

[ IT'S JUST A SURPRISE. he hasn't said anything like that to her before...

or opened up this much about his past. ]

don't go back. you've come so far. you chose Yukine-kun as your guidepost. let him guide you. [ he's not here. UM. oh!! got it. ]

just ask yourself: what would Yukine-kun do? [ yato's new journal name "wwyd". ]

or if you're exceptionally unsure, you can always talk to me. it'll be like we're trading advice, right? I'll do my best to help you find a solution and guide you in Yukine-kun's place. I'm no hafuri, but we can put our heads together!

[ this reminds her of her life at high school. after yato took over her high school debut, people often came to her to vent or ask for advice. ]

[ there's no getting out of this one, hiyori. at least she answers a bit more promptly this time. ]

on what kind of love it is, I guess.

love for my family is easy to recognize. I've felt it all my life with mother, father, onii-chan, and grandmother.

love for my friends is easy, too. that's not too different from the love I feel for my family.

but any other type, I'm not as sure.

[ four-cheese buns, an umbrella, and a trash bin come to mind but she quickly disregards it. just like any other time. that's crazy. ]

[Maybe this dream world has loosened his tongue a bit more than usual. Though at the mention of Yukine his heart clenches a bit in longing. He can't help feeling a sense of loss without his shinki by his side, or even just somewhere where he can call his name.]

Yeah, that's not a bad idea. Trouble is I'm never sure what he would do. So I'll probably be consulting you a lot in the meantime, if that's alright.

[She's human, after all. Both her and Yukine might have similar ideas on how to tackle matters that he would otherwise struggle with.

As for the question of love...]

So it's not so easy for humans to distinguish either, huh? I'd been wondering if perhaps it was because I'm a god that my ability to recognize my own feelings was inhibited.

[There's another long pause before he puts quill to paper again, where it sits so long that an ink blot appears and he has to move over to write on a clean piece of paper.]

So you've never been IN love before?

[ dreams tend to make her blurt out things she wouldn't say normally, too. that might be it.

yukine is sorely missed by them both. so too is daikoku and kofuku. ami and yama. mother and father and masaomi but she's been missing him for a while. ]

that's more than alright, yato. you can consider me your temporary, pseudo-guidepost? unless yukine-kun shows up.

[ answered quickly. effortlessly. hiyori doesn't pause to think about it at all.

however, she has to reread about yato's struggles a couple of times. ]

I don't know. probably not. it's just because I've never liked anyone in that way. maybe I would know if it happened.

[ deny, deny, deny. ]

I never got the impression you struggled with your feelings, though.

[It's certainly the case for him; he's never been one to talk about his feelings before now, yet here he is spilling quite a bit of detail over a journal of all things.

For as fun as this world is, it does feel like something is missing without Yukine, and their friends. He liked it best when it was all of them together, surrounding the table at dinnertime.]

Heh. I'd like that. Alright then, pseudo-guidepost. I'll be coming to you with any tricky questions I have. ♥

[Yes, he drew a little heart after that line. Take that!

There's a bit of a pause when he reads the next bit, though. What she won't see is him trace the words longingly with his finger.]

I see. No worries. I was just wondering.

[A lie if there ever was one.]

That's because it usually happens when you're the one in danger. You saw it once, against Bishamon. When I was about to kill her. It took you to bring me down.

[He'd been on the verge of becoming his old self again, the merciless killing machine that his father wished for and raised. The person he doesn't want to be and is scared of: Yaboku.]

[ NOT THE HEART........

she slaps a hand over the drawn heart (maybe he can hear it) and presses her forehead to her journal, muttering something to herself before fitting her pen between her face and the pages to scribble out: ]

leave it to me.

[ so they're both lying to each other. ALWAYS A GOOD CHOICE. ]

I'll let you know if it happens.

[ WILL... SHE.......

and she does remember that. even yukine didn't stop him. nobody could. ]

in that case, I guess I can never allow myself to be in danger.

you've changed a lot since then, yato.

[He can definitely hear it, though he has no idea why she's doing it. Is there a fly on her paper?? He's so tempted to peek over the edge to see, but he's trying to respect her privacy. ...at least somewhat.

Certainly it's better than the lack of respect he's giving his feelings. IT'S NOT LYING IF YOU BELIEVE IT LAH LAH LAH~]

Make sure you do. I'll help ensure they're the right kind of guy for you.

[SHE BETTER. Since it means they'll have to pass the Yatogami fidelity test, among other things!]

Even if something were to happen, I'll always be here to protect you, Hiyori.

[He pauses there, mulling over her next words before answering.]

Have I? How so?

the same way you did with the name plaques?

[ being reminded of those plaques just makes her press her hand HARDER to the heart. of yato and hers... tied... ]

I know. you're my god of fortune.

[ hopefully she won't be permanently red from now on because of this ENTIRE CONVERSATION. it feels like it. finally, ]

for one thing, you and bishamon-san get along much better.

it's hard to put everything into words, but you're different from the god I first met. you're more reliable. you're more hard-working. you're thinking about others more than yourself and it shows. you're trying to be better with yukine-kun's guidance.

That's right! And as your God of Fortune it's my duty to make sure you get a good match! No deadbeats allowed near my Hiyori!!

[He doesn't even realize he used a possessive term there, so inflamed is he about the thought of some no-name Joe Shmoe hooking up with her. Even his writing is hasty and messy shorthand instead of its usual careful script.]

Oh. Yeah, that's true. Helps that the skank isn't trying to kill me all the time now.

Tch. We'll definitely blame all that on Yukine. He runs me ragged doing good and hunting ayakashi! I mean, not that I didn't before, but it's easier with a real partner I can trust and rely on.

[Now he's the one blushing up a storm from praise. Heavens, he misses his shinki some kinda bad. Thank goodness he has Hiyori here or who knows what else would happen.]

[ "my Hiyori"

she can't get her hand over the heart AND his MY HIYORI. ]

I already told you I don't want to date deadbeats!!

[ yato's crudeness takes her mind off MY HIYORI. ]

everyone is thankful for that, I think.

I'll be sure to THANK yukine-kun for pointing you in the right direction.

[ she's smiling, though. big smile. funny MY HIYORI gets her flustered beyond belief but yato saying MY ONE AND ONLY about yukine is fine. HMMM. ]

maybe I should be doing that, too, in his place. as pseudo-guidepost.

[He's getting so uppity about these potential, non-existent dates it's ridiculous.]

But they might want to date you!! So I'll protect your honor for as long as it takes for a wonderful, good fellow to come into your life and woo you! Even if that means being by your side until you're a hundred!

[HUFF HUFF HUFF. Both at her blaseness over her romantic life and her wanting to thank Yukine for being a harsh taskmaster.]

He doesn't need it! He gets plenty of thanks from me!

[Bullshit. He gets tons of whining and moaning, and very little in the way of thanks. That's just how they are. Sometimes it's a wonder which of them is the thousand-year-old god and who's the teenager.]

Oh no you don't, Ms. Substitute Guidepost! This is like a holiday for me! Don't go messing it up!

[ IT'S SO RIDICULOUS. YATO. HE'S SO STUPIDLKDJGLKJSDG and hiyori has no reply for him being by her side until she's a hundred. she wants that.

she wants that. ]

what even makes a good fellow to you?

[ enLIGHTEN hER. PLEASE.

also, yeah, she wants to call bullshit. he deserves WAY MORE than he GETS, in any case. ]

no matter what you give him, he deserves more!!

[ YUKINEEEEEEEEEE ]

but you don't need a holiday. you need to work! my inner yukine-kun voice is telling me so.

[Aaaaand he's back to furiously scribbling again, the pen whisking across the page.]

Someone kind and dedicated, selfless and considerate. A man who will always be by your side and keep you safe while ensuring your happiness comes first! Someone who respects you and your thoughts and feelings without needing an explanation. Unless they meet that criteria, I won't let them have you! You'll make someone the perfect wife, so they need to be perfect, too!!

[He has a Lot of feelings on the subject, if that wasn't already clear.

Even if her shouting is in text format, he can't help flinching at her words. She's right of course. Yukine deserves more praise than he gets.]

Tch-- fine, I'll make sure to tell him more often the next time I see him.

But c'mooooon! What's wrong with a little vacation?! I'm not getting many bites from my advertisement, so why shouldn't I take it easy for a while?

[ yato has regarded this way more deeply than she has. she's bright red at being called a perfect wife. something else she wants to cover with her hand. ]

nobody is perfect! you're being unreasonable!

I won't deny that those are all nice qualities, though. is this all because of the matchmaking?

[ oooh, it's clear alright. ]

good. that's how it should be. he works hard for your sake, yato.

1. you ARE getting more bites than usual. people notice you much more here than before for some reason
2. you've been taking it easy since I've known you.
3. I'll admit you have been working harder but now is no time to slack off

I've been looking for a job, too. I can't become a doctor here and restore the hospital, so I need to find something else.

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