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Tomoe walked up the stone steps, up the path of the shrine, he checked all the wishes left at the shrine and noted them down, before venturing inside and giving orders to the shrine spirits. He silently joined the other familiar who was pulling weeds from the enclosed yard, then back into the shrine to prepare the next meal for his god.
This was the monotonous routine the residents of Mikage Shrine had fallen into. Every day was the same thing over and over again. All because of their god. Something had happened though you wouldn't tell anyone what before you sealed yourself with talismans in the deepest part of the shrine. The familiars who served you only had contact with you when they would slide food into your room before you were gone again into the black prison you'd built for yourself.
And honestly, it was getting on the fox's last nerve. "Why do they have to make everything difficult...?" He growled under his breath. Deftly he chopped the vegetables before depositing them in a nearby bowl. He stabbed the knife on the counter, right in front of the face of the crouching snake familiar, Mizuki. "Wah~ Tomoe-kun is mad~." Mizuki's monotone drawl was soundly ignored by the other as he continued to bustle with the bowl to his next station.
"Shut it, snake. If you've got time to be here bothering me you've got time to be out making sure the shrine is presentable for our god!" Mizuki stood up and brushed the dust from his hakama before tilting his head. "Is there any point to looking after the shrine right now? It's not like they're around to see what we're doing."
"And besides, I'm sure it's all your fault they won't come out~. Being burdened with a useless fox like you must be taking a lot out of them~!" Mizuki's eyes began to glow an unnatural shade of green before flinching closed as the bowl in Tomoe's hand broke from the pressure of his grip.
"That's it! I'm dragging them out of their hole and that's final!" In a huff, he was gone; stomping his way down the hall to haul out his depressed god.
Mizuki glanced at the snake on his shoulder, giving a victorious tip of his sakazuki cup.
Meanwhile, Tomoe had made his way to your hideaway and began to beat on the thin wall. "Alright, get up and out of there! Now! We've had more than enough of this and if you don't come out I swear I will come in!"
For a moment, the silence was his only response before he heard you whisper, "Go away." It wasn't even strong enough to cause the kotodama spell to force him to leave you.
So then the ofuda...
Before you could even understand what was happening, the door you had covered and closed with your divine seals was opened as though they were scraps of paper. The way Tomoe was looking down at you was nothing but terrifying. "Now...let's get you out of here and into some fresh clothes, hm?" It wasn't a request.
You tried to dart to the darkest corner of your room but in an instant he was on you, arms trying to grip onto your flailing limbs and landing himself a very well-placed kick right in the face. "Would you --urgh-- would you stop?!","No! Let me go Tomoe, leave me alone!"
When he finally wrestled down your legs and pinned them down with his strong arms he turned to look at you, only to see you hiding your face from the light. From him. He suddenly felt a lot less angry. "(Name). What's wrong with you lately? I-, we, cannot help unless you tell us how. We are your familiars. When our master suffers so do we all."
That gave you pause.
When he was sure you weren't going to scamper away and hide, he slowly eased off of you and let you sit up and face him. "It's...stupid."
"So is almost every one of your human problems but we help you with them anyhow." He fired back immediately. You lifted your face to give him a stern glare, and he had the decency to look at least a little sorry for his impulse reaction.
"After the last god's summit, I feel...worthless. Like nothing I'm doing is enough or that I can never be like the other gods. That I can never be like Mikage." Tomoe sighed deeply through his nose and watched as you ducked your head back down, hiding your face in your hands this time. "Is this because of what Ikusagami had said about you being human?" You nodded.
That damn bastard. He thought angrily. He's always ruining things. "You will never be at the same level as them. I won't lie about that. Mikage, Ikusagami, they weren't given their godly abilities. They're not something you can become like through determination or hard work."
You sobbed, making Tomoe flinch and hesitantly reach his hands out to your own, lifting them and holding them gently in his own. "You don't need to be, though. You are a god. You command your familiars and unlike even Mikage, you understand the humans and mortals like they never can. Your humanity is what makes you a splendid god that even I can acknowledge as my master."
He brought your hands up and kissed your knuckles, making your head snap up to meet his gaze for the first time in so painfully long. You whispered his name. "I ask that you not doubt your worth further, as it is an insult to me as I have chosen to believe in you."
As if in a trance, you both began to lean forward for a kiss. You felt your heart pound in your chest at such words from Tomoe. He was honest to the point it hurt, but you could feel his care, his unquestionable devotion to you. You may not be the same caliber as Mikage but in time you would learn to be a god worthy of this level of intense adoration.
The spell was broken by Mizuki stepping on the back of Tomoe's head and slamming his face down into the tatami mat, using his head as a springboard to fly into your arms. "(Name)-sama! Thank goodness you're alright! I missed you so much! Please, come talk to your most loyal, favorite familiar if you've ever got doubts again! I mean myself of course!"
He nuzzled into the nape of your neck before glaring out of the corner of his eye at Tomoe. "Yes, myself, and not that wild animal who planned to take advantage of his master when they were at their most vulnerable. A kiss would be unforgivable."
"Take advantage-?! K-kiss?! Favorite familiar--?! YOU DAMN SNAAAAAKE!"
"Iyaaaa~! Tomoe-kun's angry again! I'll protect you, master!"
"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP AND GET OUT SO I CAN GET CHANGED AND TAKE A SHOWER!"