Chapter 67: Ruler of Kyoto's Underworld III
Notes:
AN: A little over two weeks but not terrible. There was a lot of tweaking to do with the Yasaka section since I haven't done her POV in a while. I also got distracted with an idea for a JJK fic for a bit. I've wanted to write one for a while but I could never figure out a plotline that I thought was worthwhile until the other day. Not sure if I'll upload it but I really like the idea for the fic. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. See you in the comments
Chapter Text
"Mmm," I hum in delight as I take a sip of the sugary abomination of a Kyoto-style iced coffee that I ordered.
The bitterness of the roast is barely detectable with the gum syrup used as a sweetener and the additional pumps of caramel and chocolate syrup I asked to them to add. The whipped cream layered on top was probably overkill but it is delicious all the same.
While leaning against the wall outside the cafe, I fire off a quick text to Suzaku.
I don't want to interrupt her if she's busy or I'd call her. Still, I want to make sure she knows things went well.
The people of Kyoto continue to drift by as I savour my 'coffee' slowly.
With my eyes closed, I sense them all, their Ki ebbing and flowing. The image painted by these thousands of people is alien compared to the flow of Ki in nature but it's beautiful in its own way.
Their Ki may be weak, a mere candleflame flickering in the wind, but thousands of these tiny flames flow together in a tide of life. Watching that tide and its orderly flow, as it sweeps through the streets, along the sidewalks, into the stores and offices… It's like a sea of paper lanterns drifting in the wind.
These lives dance to the tune of a different world than nature. A world ruled by the human perspective of time, not by need or desire. Their commutes, the toil of their labour, and the errands they run around the city paint fresh lines on the tapestry as the humans travel.
My view of this ritual has become more complex during my time in Kyoto and I've found that its orderly nature has its charm.
While the travel of humans is less directly motivated than creatures in the wild, the same underlying needs drive them.
They don't hunt when hunger strikes them, instead, they labour so that when that hunger comes they can obtain their sustenance.
It's a roundabout way to live, built on the connections of their society and their people; a complex interdependence with very few individuals surviving solely by their efforts.
A life seen as evolved, filled with greater purpose than the lower creatures in the wild. I'm not sure I totally agree with that perspective but it is a charming life.
Beneath the routine of Kyoto's people, the planet hums steadily beneath both scenes, giving itself without asking anything in return. The planet's presence, the underlying presence of nature, has almost always felt stable and compassionate to me.
Sure when I first began messing around with Ki, there was that oppressive rush of negative emotions but once that was purified and stripped away all that was left was reassuring support. I still purify the negative emotions in the environment whenever I can but it isn't a prerequisite for drawing on nature's life force.
Smiling fondly, I pour more purified Ki into the ground and disperse it through the air.
The humans passing me give me a wider berth and some weeds wiggle their way through the sidewalk but that's of no consequence to me.
My coffee is nearly finished when my phone rings, not to alert me of a text but a phone call.
Knocking back the rest, I toss the empty cup in a nearby bin and check my phone's display.
Suzaku's name flashes across the screen and I quickly accept the call, "Hey Suzaku!"
"Hi Ibaraki," The tone of her voice is warm and I can imagine her smile, "I take it your trip went well?"
"Yep! I didn't get the fight I aimed for, but dismantling the facility was interesting enough to make up for it." If nothing else, the experience of attacking a fortified base was fresh.
"I'm free for a bit if you want to tell me about it," Suzaku offers.
"You sure? I want to but it hasn't been that long since you called this morning, I know you're busy." Or I assume she is at least.
I don't know what being the Clan Head of the Himejima Clan entails exactly, but considering how much of a hassle running my village was -with the size and bureaucracy differences- her job must be far harder.
Especially since she gutted any upper administration by killing the Elders when she went on her rampage.
Which is still hot to think about.
It took me less than an hour to fight through the base's defences. Adding on the time I spent negotiating terms with Hashmal, ordering and drinking my coffee, and the time spent travelling, less than three hours have passed since our last phone call.
"I was getting frustrated and wanted a break anyway," Suzaku admits, sounding embarrassed.
She pauses and slowly makes another admission, "It's more difficult to run my clan than I thought it would be."
I can just imagine Suzaku glaring at a desk covered in paperwork until it bursts into flames -which makes me giggle at the image I conjured.
"It isn't funny," She grouses, "I should have waited until after I learned everything about running this clan before killing those old bastards."
"Aw, you don't mean that. Surely, their existence was more offensive than paperwork." Suzaku sighs at my playful response.
"Yeah, I don't regret it but it has made my life more difficult." I frown and shift on my feet at the hints of genuine stress in her voice.
Biting my lip, I try and bring her smile from earlier back, "Well… once you've adapted to the position, you will already have removed a bunch of obstacles to the changes you want to make in the clan. Think of this temporary difficulty as paving the road for revitalising your clan like you've been dreaming to do."
I shift awkwardly and wait for her response. I didn't word that as well as I wanted to but hopefully, the optimism I wanted to convey to her came across.
"Thank you, Ibaraki," I shiver as the warmth comes back into her voice, "In my frustration, I lost focus."
"No problem," I grin again as I respond, "It's hard to stay on track sometimes but you can always talk to me."
"Sometimes I forget that you've already gone through the same thing as me, except you've already made the changes you wanted to your people's village." I make a noise of protest at the praise.
"My people are far easier to deal with. All I have to do is be the strongest and they'll follow my lead for the most part. Besides, I've still got a long way to go before they can be fully integrated into the world." I try to modestly brush off her assertion.
Especially since the current state of the Oni is a particular annoyance for me.
I just can't find it in myself to trust all the Oni in my village to not fuck up royally the moment they're allowed to roam freely. If I'm not constantly watching them or keeping them confined in the village, they're likely to just massacre a city for shits and giggles.
I'd only be able to avoid repercussions from that a few times by saying they're an anomaly and aren't representative of my people.
Hence the test run within the Golden Dragons.
Yet again, they're all still under my command and easy to check up on. It's closer to a leash than true freedom where I could see how they react.
I just can't have them ruining everything for our entire people because they get bored.
My hunger for battle is easy to manage because I'm a single person. Not only that, I can hold it back because I'm not a fucking moron.
A dozen Oni? More? How am I going to give them enough targets to keep them satisfied?
That isn't counting the other vices they enjoy indulging in. They'll drink their way through a human bar and then kill everyone once they're brought the bill.
And don't even get me started on the issues with them having sex with humans. If a single male Oni sleeps his way through a city I'll end up with the headache of hundreds of hybrid babies -most probably killing or injuring their fragile mothers by accident. At least the women can only have one or two at a time.
"It's going to be a while before you can say I succeeded in leading my people." I sigh lamely as I cut down on Suzaku's expectations.
"We can share our frustrations then," Suzaku replies earnestly. "That way when we both succeed it'll be even sweeter, right?"
I blush hard, immediately thankful that this isn't a video call.
I find myself shyly tucking my hair behind my ear, despite the fact she can't see me, "I like the sound of that. Maybe I can help with your work?"
"Absolutely not," Suzaku responds, and if not for the fondness in her tone I'd find myself offended by the immediate rejection.
"It's not that I wouldn't like that or that I don't think you'd be able to help, I just don't have the latitude to bring in outside help. My position is already shaky enough at the moment without doubts about my loyalty arising." I pout even though I understand her point.
That means that I can't even ask Yasaka or someone else if they know a secretary worth hiring.
"I can hear you thinking and while I'm grateful, I'll be fine. It won't take me long to get used to running things and my friends are more than willing to offer advice." Suzaku reassures me, and I stop trying to find a solution.
"Byakko and Seiryuu are helping?" I ask graciously following the tangent.
"Ouryuu and his sister Momiji as well. He has more experience with running his clan since he's older than us. Byakko is great at explaining the financial end of things and Seiryuu helps with organization. Genbu also says she'll help when she's older though that's mostly a cute bluff." Suzaku laughs at that image.
"I can't lean on them too much though or else I'd be accused of turning the Himejima clan into a puppet of the other clans." I shake my head at that as Suzaku sighs, "It's a difficult balance to manage but their help has been vital."
"I'm glad you have reliable friends," I say lamely, despite wanting to help as well.
"I'm also thankful for having a supportive girlfriend to vent to," Suzaku says.
I find myself blushing once more at her words. Ugh, I'm disgustingly easy to please and she knows it too.
I clear my throat, "Back to my raid of the Fallen base. I got to destroy batteries of turrets for the first time and experience all kinds of offensive magic."
Suzaku laughs at my poorly disguised segue, "Most people would find the concept of being trapped in an enclosed space with magical artillery distressing."
"Cowards," I scoff then continue my explanation, "None of the spells hit me but the scenario was fun. It was also good target practice."
"I'd be interested in the spells used," Suzaku muses, "I know what I would use but the methodology of other Magicians is sometimes interesting."
"I wish I could tell you, detailed analysis is beyond me though. There was some Angel magic, various Elemental spells, and some Black magic, but no Illusions or Duplication magic to alter perception or multiply the attacks. It was a fairly simple barrage honestly." I list out the magic I recognized and what I found odd not to include.
"Hmm, that can't be all of it, right? There was nothing to limit movement in the spells you described. It sounds like it was all flash and no substance." Suzaku mutters something about barrier spells and seals under her breath.
"No, your guess is correct. While the spells were powerful, they were a distraction to fire an assassination weapon while I was distracted. Some weird needle that is stupidly durable." My frustration leaks through at the end.
No matter how much I bend the damn thing it stubbornly won't break. Stupid toothpick, hmph.
"Ah! The turrets were herding you then. Distracting you and moving you into the ideal position for a finishing blow. Still, barriers and sealing magic would've worked better." Suzaku excitedly states, though a certain smugness comes through in her final comment.
"Exactly. After that, the defences were mostly lacklustre. Three Cerberus were summoned and after they were killed, the facility was flooded with poison, curses, and radiation." I describe the rest with a shrug.
The Cerberus weren't even particularly tasty but I did get a lot of materials from them. I'm sure my mother will have fun using their fur to make clothing.
"That's a lazy defence, honestly. Though Cerberus will eat nearly anything and their hellfire is strong. Given that the Fallen have easy access to them I guess it makes sense. Not for someone on our level though."
"The last defence is just throwing everything at your enemy in a last-ditch effort." Suzaku sounds upset at the lack of proper spellwork more than anything. "It isn't as though it's impossible to defend against people as strong as we are if you put in the effort."
Thinking back on who was in charge of the defence and Hashmal's general attitude… "Yeah, I think effort was the issue."
I chuckle at that realization even as Suzaku waits in confusion. "The guy running the branch of Sentry is chronically lazy. I don't think he would've even mounted the defence he did if he hadn't realized I came specifically for a fight."
"I suppose there are people like that as well…" Suzaku trails off bewildered, "Is that why you said you didn't get your fight? He was too lazy to be bothered."
I grimace as I'm reminded of the ending of our confrontation, "Yeah, normally I would've pressed the issue but he threatened to drop us both in the Dimensional Gap rather than fight."
Suzaku gasps, "That's insane. Suicide doesn't even begin to describe that. You're completely separated from this plane of reality in the Gap."
She pauses as that sinks in and when she continues her voice shakes, "Your soul could even shatter in that Nothingness, unable to find its way to the afterlife."
That's… quite a bit worse than what I was thinking. I just figured I could survive it and eventually find my way back.
"Thank you for taking a step back this time," Suzaku says, her voice thick with emotion, "Just thinking about that happening hurts."
"I… I have too much to come back to here to take risks like that." I finish awkwardly.
While what I said is true, in the moment I hadn't even thought about it that hard. The only reason I didn't try to kill him before the spell activated or expand my inner world to block the spell was that I wasn't confident either would succeed.
If my confidence was a little higher I might've risked it just for my satisfaction.
"I need to figure out a countermeasure to that." I make a blunt attempt to change the topic.
"That isn't something you need to worry about often," Suzaku says the roughness fading from her voice as she focuses on this topic. "It's very difficult, nearly impossible actually, to teleport another person directly into the Dimensional Gap. Especially against their will. I assume the spell was cast in a small enclosed area?"
"An office to be exact," I respond.
"Still difficult but if they charged the spell while you dealt with the other defences then it would be possible to shunt the entire office into the Gap," Suzaku states with certainty, her composure coming back now that the nature of the topic is more academic.
"You're traversing into a separate layer of reality. It would be best if you opened a gate to do that and with the distance between our reality and the Gap, the energy and time investments are insane. They must've been a six-winged Fallen Angel at least." Suzaku explains, "They would also need to be an incredible Magician if they only had six wings to power the spell."
"They're an eight-winged Fallen Angel," I interject.
"Makes more sense." She mutters, "Kyoto is a useful territory for them. They've stationed a Cadre here before."
I don't think she meant to say the last part aloud so I pretend not to hear it.
"Either way, using the Dimensional Gap as a weapon is too difficult to consider in almost all circumstances," Suzaku concludes and I hum in response.
"If I don't shore up this weakness it feels a lot like admitting I lost though," I end up saying, confiding in her.
"Oh, well, it wouldn't hurt to look into it then," Suzaku says slowly, sounding surprised, "I will say that the more powerful you are in general, the more difficult it is to forcefully teleport you."
"That does make me feel a bit better. Still, I'd rather be able to survive in the Gap and return on my own, just in case." I say, though with a much brighter tone.
"I'll see if I can find anything in my clan's record about the Dimensional Gap but it's unlikely." Suzaku follows that statement with a swift change of topic, "What happened after that then? I doubt you left it at that."
"Nothing important. Just settling the terms of their surrender, I mostly lost interest by that point." Suzaku sighs and I giggle at the sound.
"You did get them to remove their surveillance of your devices, right?" She asks and I can almost see her smiling as she rolls her eyes.
"Well, my personal devices are clear now. For the rest, I said they could keep access to them, so long as they pay a subscription fee. Between that and the rent I've imposed on them, business is looking good!" Suzaku laughs in amusement at my recounting of my scheme.
"Others would be mad about being spied on, you know?" She asks rhetorically, "Though I'm slowly learning to expect the opposite with you."
"It's more fun to fight an enemy who's prepared." I shoot back with a feral grin,
The people passing by stumble as I flash my teeth, wisely speeding up their walk after they recover.
"At least that means the end of the gang war," Suzaku says sounding relieved. "What's your plan for the rest of the day then?"
"I should update Yasaka now that the major criminal elements in the city have been subjugated. Besides, I need to ask her whether she wants in on reparations from the Devils." It also has simply been a long time since I've spoken to her. "What about you?"
"More paperwork mostly." She grumbles, "I have some time set aside for personal training so I get to stretch for a bit at least."
"I'll let you get back to it then. Talk to you later, Suzaku." I try to cover my reluctance that the call is ending with my happiness that we got to chat for a while again.
"Thank you for updating me. I wasn't worried because I know you're strong but I'm glad things went well. Talk to you later." I smile as she hangs up.
Time to go see Yasaka then.
Relying on centuries of ruling the West Yokai faction, Yasaka maintains an aloof and regal disposition, rather than allowing her boredom to show as she sits through the final moments of another assembly of the court.
Appearing interested and attentive has become easier in recent times, however. The performances of both Shinobu, the Tengu Heiress, and Ibaraki, in the Dragonslayer Festival, have reinvigorated the passion of the younger Yokai throughout the country.
It was a demonstration of the potential of the younger generation and served to wash away justifications for laziness. No longer could young Yokai point at the strongest, century or millennia-old Yokai, and claim their strength came from their age. The justification that 'I will be that strong too in a thousand years' fell apart after witnessing two women under a quarter century in age display the power they did.
This new fervour for self-improvement is combined with a desire to understand why the two young celebrities gained their power, which in turn drew attention to Urakyoto. The result is a mass migration of Yokai to Kyoto from all around the country, seeking to immigrate to Urakyoto.
Hence the lack of boredom in court.
Many clans are content with how things have been for centuries and wish to deny these new immigrants entry to their land.
Some have also had their passion reawakened and want to welcome the new blood openly.
While others still are attempting to figure out the profits and losses from this change and have yet to fully decide.
In the end, though, the choice is not theirs to make. Yasaka and her faction in the court have been the dominant force for centuries. The Kitsune have always followed her will, the Tengu are profusely grateful since Ibaraki saved their heiress, the Raiju and Ogama have long ago moved under her, and now the Oni -or at least their potential political influence- are also hers to direct.
Not to mention those lone figures of immense stature in their society like Lord Fujiwara or the Daiyokai that rarely appear at these meetings. These figures will follow her wishes because they acknowledge her power and position as Kyoto's protector if not for any particular devotion.
The new arrivals will be allowed into the lands of Urakyoto and this court will be drawn into the modern age, hopefully with the unification of this country's factions. A new wave of young passionate individuals will help spur along the wave of change that is needed to finally bring a measure of peace to these lands.
While selfish, Yasaka's desire to see peace and unification is still genuine. She cares little for the way the current cold-war state affects the people but she does care about how it may affect her daughter's future.
Her only wish is that her daughter's life is filled with joy and peaceful.
Yasaka watches as the various lords and ladies assembled slowly filter out and breathes a sigh of relief as she's left alone with her retainers.
"Is there much left on my schedule this afternoon?" Yasaka murmurs tiredly to Yume.
"Nothing scheduled, my lady," Yume responds brightly, "The young lady should be finished with her lessons soon as well."
Yasaka feels energized again at the prospect of spending more time with her daughter.
She grins playfully, "She hasn't snuck out again today, has she?"
"I believe there was an attempt. Her illusions are no longer effective against Zen Master Jun since his perception improved so he easily caught her." Yume says, covering her mouth to hide her smile.
"Another change brought about through proximity to Ibaraki," Yasaka muses.
The Buddhist Monk had gained enlightenment following a visit to teach Ibaraki's sisters and his power had leapt past the threshold he had been stuck at for decades.
Yume pauses suddenly, eyes fluttering open across her body, "Speaking of Lady Ibaraki, it appears she has arrived just now and wishes to speak with you. My apologies for not informing you sooner."
Yasaka shakes her head and smiles gently, "It's alright, Yume-chan, your attention was focused on the court proceedings."
After reassuring her aide, she looks to another member of her circle.
"Haruki-kun, could you please escort Ibaraki to my courtyard, we shall head there now." The Ogama, appearing as a thin young man with dark green hair and rainbow eyes on an androgenous face, gives her a quick bow.
"Of course, Lady Yasaka," He says almost managing to hide his surprise at being called upon and walks off to retrieve her guest.
"It has certainly been a while since Lady Ibaraki has visited," Yume says as they travel to Yasaka's courtyard.
The rest of the retainers are dismissed as her upcoming conversation with Ibaraki is not the place for an assembly of interested ears. Their positions within her circle are rewards for the loyalty of their families but access to the Oni through contact with their leader isn't so cheaply given.
"Mm, the last time was when she asked for permission to threaten Lord Fujiwara, I believe," Yasaka responds lightly, though Yume cringes.
"As you say, that was the last time she visited," Yume agrees quietly.
Yasaka rolls her eyes and flashes a grin to show Yume she isn't angry. Despite being far closer to Yume than the rest of her circle, and genuinely being fond of the woman, Yume by nature is shy and skittish.
Ibaraki threatening an important member of Yasaka's faction is a problem but she wouldn't have allowed Ibaraki to do so if it was that much of an issue.
It is something that will need to be addressed today, however. While it hadn't caused any losses for her faction, the rumour of tensions and disputes within her faction passed around by other political blocks had annoyed Yasaka for months.
Yet addressing it has become a new challenge, or at least her approach has had to change. This is because Ibaraki holds a wholly different standing than when they last spoke.
Back then, Yasaka was Ibaraki's sole benefactor. The guarantor for the safety of the Oni, under the auspices of the West Yokai Faction.
Now though, with Lord Susanoo loudly proclaiming that Ibaraki was his new project and she was under his protection, she no longer has a single option for protection. Their relationship is now closer to one of equals than what it was before; hardly someone to be chastised for their actions.
Despite wanting to catch up with Ibaraki for a while now, and speak to her about the future, trying to figure out the appropriate way to do so has been a headache.
Yasaka can't simply summon Ibaraki anymore, that would be a slight against Susanoo.
Going through Susanoo would be near impossible due to the god's tempestuous nature.
Yet, asking Ibaraki personally would also recontextualize their relationship as well. Ibaraki might not be the type to care, or pick up on the difference, but the Lords and Ladies of the court would understand that subtle shift. They could then begin approaching Ibaraki on their own, without having to go through Yasaka and her faction.
"Why send Haruki-kun? The Ogama are already firm supporters of you." Yume asks shifting the topic as they arrive.
Yasaka grins with mirth, "You've surely noticed Ibaraki is curious by now. Showing her a race of Yokai she hasn't seen before, in human form, is like a little puzzle for her to occupy herself with. That's why she's given a different escort each time. It amuses her and allows me to spread favour among my circle."
"That's…" Yume trails off not wanting to say anything disrespectful.
"She's very simple in some ways." Yasaka shrugs, then hardens her expression, "Simple, even naive in some ways, but never mistake her for stupid. I enjoy dealing with her because she doesn't desire to play political games, not because I believe she can't."
Yume nods, furrowing her brows as she takes that in.
"Originally, I thought the sentiment she expressed of wanting to unite the factions to be a cute lie. It was something she said to get her foot in the door because she somehow realized, both I and my lady, Amaterasu, wished for that. I was wrong." Yasaka states, with a glimmer of amusement in her eyes.
"In the months leading up till now, especially since the Dragonslayer Festival, she has proven the truth of that proclamation by singlehandedly bridging what I thought to be a difficult gap. The one between us and the Onmyouji of the Principal Clans." Sighing in admiration, despite the somewhat bittersweet feeling, Yasaka continues.
"I can see the possibility of actual cooperation between our groups through the interactions between Ibaraki and the Sacred Beast Inheritors. Not forced cooperation through divine mandate, but true cooperation." Yasaka finds herself smiling, "Isn't that wonderful?"
Yume's smile is awkward but she still returns it, "There's still an issue though, correct?"
She pulls out her phone and opens her social media, showing a trending picture of Ibaraki out on a date in Urakyoto with a 'mystery Yokai'.
It had been quite an expensive ordeal to suppress any comments that managed to piece together who her date was but it was worth it to keep things calm for now.
Thankfully, the discussion shifted in a favourable direction once the consensus became that Suzaku was some species of bird Yokai. It's almost amusing how close their guess came while being so far.
Yasaka's smile stiffens falling into a grimace, "Yes, that is both a potential triumph for the unity of our factions or the breaking point."
While a relationship between a rising star of the West Yokai Faction and the inheritor of the Vermillion Bird is a massive triumph, that is only true if they stay together.
Ibaraki, hiding Suzaku's cousin from her (In the house the West Yokai Faction provided Ibaraki), is a catastrophic landmine for that relationship.
"This is why political marriages have fallen out of fashion, when they don't work out they destroy the potential bonds and create explosive feuds," Yasaka sighs.
"Ibaraki and Haruki-kun are arriving now," Yume interrupts their conversation.
"Excellent," Yasaka mutters before schooling her expression to somewhere between regal empress and coy seductress.
As the doors to the courtyard open, Haruki clears his throat to formally announce Ibaraki, only to splutter when she struts in unbothered by etiquette.
Ibaraki's expression is bright and her smile widens when she locks eyes with Yasaka, "Long time no see, Yasaka-chan!"
Ibaraki's eyes crinkle in amusement and Yasaka rewards her with a coy smile, "A long time indeed, Lady Ibaraki."
Ibaraki flinches at that address and Yasaka laughs behind her hand at the direct hit.
Meanwhile, Haruki paled dramatically at the informality, looking like his soul had left his body with characteristic rainbow smoke drifting from the sides of his mouth.
Yume simply looks embarrassed at the exchange and decides to pour tea for Yasaka and Ibaraki.
Yasaka continues conversationally, "I would almost assume you'd forgotten about us, so prolonged was your absence."
"Nah, I've just been really busy," Ibaraki responds with a small smile, "I figured now was a good time to visit since I've cleaned up some projects recently and had some juicy news for you."
Yasaka raises a brow in response, "I'm interested in this 'juicy' news of course but shouldn't we catch up first? As you said, you've been quite busy."
Ibaraki blinks and glances at Haruki, "You trust this dude then?"
Haruki flushes in embarrassment at being questioned so bluntly. Admirably though he resists responding to the open provocation -though Ibaraki undoubtedly wouldn't have called it a provocation.
"Haruki-kun and his family are ardent supporters of me and my people." Yasaka responds with a non-answer.
He straightens with pride hearing this despite her not answering Ibaraki's question. Instead, he heard the answer he needed from her statement.
While lacking the martial ability of the Tengu or Raiju, the Ogama are decent spearmen and better Magicians. Not as skilled in magic as the average Kitsune but still quite useful. Beyond that, their wealth and mercantile skills are notable.
"It's not like I care who hears this anyway," Ibaraki shrugs. "Where would you like to start?"
"Why not begin at the last point we saw each other?" Yasaka responds with a sharp smile.
Ibaraki's brow furrows for a moment as she thinks back, and then her eyes widen as she realizes.
After a second, Ibaraki does something that surprises her. Looking embarrassed Ibaraki apologizes.
"It was wrong of me to threaten Fujiwara like that. Even if I was feeling protective of my mother, I could've talked to her first or at least been more discrete about it." Ibaraki frowns and crosses her arms across her chest.
"While the execution was lacking, I still stand by my intention of safeguarding my mother's happiness." She finishes, making Yasaka want to sigh.
Would Yasaka burn the city down if in a decade or more she heard someone had asked Kunou on a date? Most likely.
Is that a rational way to handle a loved one living their life and trying to find love? Of course not.
It is, however, a perspective Yasaka understands, hence why she allowed Ibaraki to do so in the first place.
"Thank you for recognizing that," Yasaka says ending that topic.
If nothing else, Ibaraki recognizes she messed up and Yasaka will take that victory. It's a sign of growth, and that her assessment of Ibaraki's potential as an ally isn't wrong.
"Following my… disagreement with Fujiwara, I went off to watch the superstorm on the coast. I figured I would get a fight from something out there. What I wasn't expecting was Susanoo himself to decide I was 'interesting'." Ibaraki grimaces as she recalls that and if she mutters some choice words to describe Susanoo, Yasaka pretends not to hear those.
"It was close and he nearly beat me." Ibaraki lies to an unbelievable degree all while blushing up a storm, "and because I spared him he decided to shove me into a competition to kill dragons."
There's a dull thump as Haruki passes out in the background, rainbow fog swirling from his ears. The casual blasphemy was too much for the young Ogama to handle.
Ibaraki glances back and frowns, "Is he alright?"
"I'm sure Haruki-kun will be fine," Yasaka answers with a smile, "He's a gentle young man."
Ibaraki shifts in her chair awkwardly and Yasaka can almost see the question forming in her mind. She had grown used to hearing comments directed at him since he joined her circle and gently gave Ibaraki a rebuke.
"All Ogama breathe rainbow fog, it has nothing to do with his preferences nor is he frail because of those preferences," Yasaka says before Ibaraki can comment.
Ibaraki looks mortified, "What are you saying? I was going to ask if he ever went outside or if he was always this twitchy."
Years of political battles do nothing to stop the furious blush Yasaka sports, "That… I thought you were going to ask something else."
"Clearly!" Ibaraki hisses, "Yasaka, I'm gay. Why would I care if he was? Do you think I've never met a gay man before? Two of my most trusted men are together. What the fuck, Yasaka?"
Still embarrassed at her assumption Yasaka coughs, "My apologies, I've had others make comments or spread rumours since he was welcomed into my entourage. Can we please move on?"
Ibaraki buries her face in her hands and groans, "Yes please."
She shakes her head and stands up, moving over to Haruki with her palms glowing brightly with Ki. After a few seconds of healing him, she sits back down, in time for him to groan as he wakes up.
They all pretend not to have noticed him passing out and that their interaction following that never happened.
"After fighting him, I went back to my village to train for a while and ensure things were in order there." Ibaraki leans back in her chair and takes a sip of her tea.
She looks down at the drink in disgust and glances at Yasaka who grins faintly, "Is the blend not to your liking, Ibaraki?"
"The flavour is hardly there," She pouts and Yasaka is glad the mood has shifted back to where it was before.
Yasaka smiles more genuinely as she takes a sip from her cup, savouring the light floral notes before speaking, "I believe the adjective you're looking for is 'delicate'. Not every drink should bombard you with flavour."
"Wrong. Factually incorrect actually." Ibaraki rolls her eyes, "Bombardment is the best application of flavour. Delicacy has its place occasionally, but not to make mildly inoffensive leaf water. Bitter green tea is excellent, so are sweet teas, or fruity blends."
Yasaka giggles daintily, "Is that so? I don't believe Yume-chan agrees."
The Dodomeki in question looks disgusted at Ibaraki's barbaric opinion, an odd expression on the reserved woman.
"She lacks understanding then. Can I borrow the sugar?" Ibaraki asks Yume who scowls as she presents the bowl to Ibaraki.
"As I was saying, I took some time in my village to train myself, my sister, and my disciple-" Yasaka takes in that surprise admission as Ibaraki pours an unholy amount of sugar into her tea. "-and ensured my people hadn't massacred themselves."
Any disciple that Ibaraki teaches would be worth keeping an eye on, now or in the future.
"I spent a fair amount of time there before Susanoo showed up one day and forcefully teleported my sister and disciple to Kyoto. Bastard." Ibaraki growls, then sighs.
"I shouldn't be too upset with him though, I wouldn't have felt comfortable with them journeying back here alone. I guess it was almost considerate of him." Ibaraki muses aloud, grimacing at what Yasaka assumes is her agreeing with him.
"Before the Dragonslayer Festival began, I spent the final month training in Yomi. Mostly by myself but Izanami helped a lot." If Ibaraki notices Yasaka's surprise at the name drop she doesn't mention it.
"She's the sweetest lady you'll ever meet," Ibaraki adds, nodding in a self-satisfied way.
Yasaka isn't so sure about that considering how her lady avoids Yomi like the plague but considering Ibaraki's blunt nature, it's unlikely she would lie about this. It's an interesting tidbit of information, though not one that Yasaka finds particularly valuable.
"I assume you know the gist of what happened after that? That event was publicized and after that, I was in Kyoto the whole time." Ibaraki says, raising an eyebrow in challenge.
"Of course," Yasaka confirms with a wide smile. "Have you enjoyed the sword you asked for?"
Ibaraki tilts her head side to side noncommittally, "Kenmyoren is nice but I ended up not giving it to Shuten. I couldn't give her a divine sword and a dragon without giving Akeno anything. I'm still deciding how to deal with what is inside the sword."
Ibaraki freezes as Yasaka's smile becomes predatory, "How is Akeno doing?"
"Uh, haha funny you should ask, she's doing great. She's getting along well with Tobio so that's good. He's even helping her study sometimes." Yasaka's eye twitches as Ibaraki stumbles her way into the other half of the problem.
"Ah yes, the Longinus wielder who just happens to be the cousin of both your girlfriend and the cousin she believes to be dead! Do you see no problem at all with that scenario?" Yasaka's grip on her calm facade begins to crack.
Let alone ruining any chance of reconciliation. The conflict that would erupt from this would likely send them into open war, or at the very least cause decades of mistrust and anger.
"Ibaraki, do you think any attempt to unite the factions would survive two of their prominent members having an explosive breakup after you kept knowledge of Suzaku's cousin's survival from her?" Ibaraki growls and glares at Yasaka, the air visibly shimmering in response to her anger.
"What am I supposed to do? Break the promise I made to Akeno? I said that she would be allowed to choose whether she wanted to see Suzaku or Baraqiel. Should I ignore the wishes of a child who I consider my sister?" Ibaraki is vibrating with rage as she asks this, though under that is poorly concealed guilt.
"I would expect you to trust your girlfriend. Unless your relationship is just a means to unify the factions." Yasaka nearly sighs in relief at the open disgust in Ibaraki's expression.
It seems this is still salvageable.
"Talk to her," Yasaka interrupts Ibaraki before she can speak, "Trust Suzaku to wait for the truth. You owe her that much if you truly care about her. As someone who has loved and been loved in turn, been married and had children -trust is so important."
The wind is taken from Ibaraki's sails and she slumps in her seat, "What if that isn't enough? What if she won't wait even if I ask her to?"
Hearing the fragility with which Ibaraki speaks those words triggers the motherly instincts in Yasaka, and were it not for Yume and Haruki in the room, she would've walked over and wrapped Ibaraki in a hug.
"Then it wasn't meant to be but what if it is enough? With the direction you're going, all the trust in your relationship will evaporate when she finds out. And she will find out. At least if you warn her your relationship has a chance." Yasaka calmly explains.
Ibaraki clenches her fists and nods, "I'll warn her. Soon."
Yasaka sighs but allows the compromise. There's no sense in pushing this further. "You had news?"
Ibaraki sighs, her enthusiasm replaced with exhaustion, "Mm, I finished mopping up the remaining gangs in Kyoto. You're looking at the leader of the only remaining large gang in the city."
"Wonderful," Yasaka smiles, "Though I sense that isn't the end of the news?"
"The devils fucked up, and massively at that. They killed a member of the Shinra family and forced a scenario where I fought Byakko." Ibaraki's smile slowly comes back as she reminisces, "To cut a long story short, how would you like to negotiate reparations for the crimes of Yura-Ann Shax against the people of Kyoto and a member of the West Yokai Faction?"
Yasaka bats her eyelashes at Ibaraki and gives her a beautiful smile, "Why Ibaraki, I think I'd enjoy that very much."