Chapter Text
There was a small shrine outside the city, built of dark hewn stone and carved wood, of materials that never needed repair and glowed faint purple in the moonlight. The god it was dedicated to was kind and sweet, notorious for her good acts even as she proclaimed them terrible punishments for the wicked.
The flooding during droughts that led to more crops than the village knew how to deal with. The trees that grew in days during great sunny periods, that cast shade that was especially chilly. The deer that would run through the streets with bags tangled up in their horns to fall off in the square, to be revealed full of sweetmeats and candied nuts.
Everyone was grateful and would give offerings of whatever they could manage, what little wealth they had piled up at the shrine, food saved for the winter hanging from the interior beams.
And then the children would proclaim that they were awoken in the middle of the night by a woman with long flowing purple hair, wrapped in a dark robe that rippled with stars. She would wink at them, fangs bared in her mischievous smile, and return all their offerings, booming in her high, sweet voice that it was in fact, not enough and she instead needed a plethora of thanks and well wishes instead.
"Impudence," she would say. "Pure betrayal that the offerings I am given are not what I desire." And she would hmph and flounce off, disappearing into the night.
She had festivals in her honor instead, and approved of this greatly, shown by the purple and gold flowers that would bloom in the sky and drop down to the ground. She was a silly god, honestly. An immortal with no concept of 'immortal pride'.
It was why Suisei loved her, the goddess Towa, the kind devil.
- - -
When they met, Suisei had insulted her. Towa's shrine was empty of people, it was night, all the offerings were piled up in the meager hopes that Towa would accept them. She usually didn't. The townspeople kept trying.
Suisei was propped up against the wall, careful to not fall asleep. She was waiting, almost impatiently so, with her offering in her lap.
At the far end of the shrine there was a bowl. Every morning, a priest would wet an inkstone and pour the dark liquid into it. Every night, Towa rose out of it, pale skin shining in the moonlight still streaked with ink.
She appeared, gorgeous and serene, the image somewhat ruined by the giggles escaping her. She picked up the bags of nuts, the collection of polished coins, the rough carvings of animals, handling each of them with the utmost care no matter their value. Towa would take them, return to the bowl, and disappear into it. She would return, giddy with glee and empty handed, with the faintest wisp of a gasping, delighted child behind her.
Towa worked until the room was empty, until she surveyed it and found Suisei, who was feigning sleep at that point. Towa tiptoed over, to carefully pick up the bowl in Suisei's lap, to return it to her home. She reached out, slow and quiet, fingers gripping the rim of the bowl
Suisei's eyes shot open, gripping Towa's thin wrist as firmly as she dared to touch the bare skin of a god. Her voice was low, turned to gravel from disuse and tiredness.
"Take it," She said, eyes meeting Towa's own fearlessly.
"I can't," Towa was remarkably calm even after being surprised. Her skin was warm under Suisei's grip, but felt like silk cloth in its softness. "I must return it."
"What if I was insulted if you returned the gift?"
Towa blinked, frowned, and appeared to go through several stages of thinking before finally stuttering out, "I don't want you to be insulted."
"Then take it," Suisei said firmly.
Towa's stare hardened, but Suisei merely matched her. She was still holding onto her god's wrist, Suisei made no move to let go and Towa made no move to break free, not that it would take much really.
"Fine," Towa's voice was calm, and she straightened up. Suisei let go of her arm, and only just realized that her fingers had went numb. "But know that I will punish you for this."
Suisei's grin was pure madness and relief, the challenge made and the victory earned. "Do what you will, Towa of the Devils."
- - -
When Suisei went home, collapsed into bed, and only woke up past noon, she was greeted by pure purple flowers on the windowsill.
- - -
She came back the next week, a bracelet of seashells and coral in hand, materials bought from a trader that had come from far away. Suisei's fingers were still raw from working the thread through the holes she drilled using a stolen bit. She sat down in the same place, and waited.
"You're here again." It was a statement, not a question. Suisei hadn't realized Towa's eyes glowed in the dark; like emeralds, the rare gemstones the mayor owned and brought out once a year during the festival in Towa's honor.
The Kind Devil sat down next to Suisei, robes picking up the dust and dirt of the rarely cleaned floors. Suisei wanted to say something, was halfway through taking off her own outer coat to lay it underneath her, but it was Towa's turn to stop her, cold fingers around Suisei's wrist. She smiled, kindly, yes, but did not let go until Suisei had her coat back on.
"I am here," Suisei finally responded. Towa hummed, staring at the bracelet in Suisei's hands. She held out one of her own, palm up, and Suisei gently put the bracelet on for her.
It jingled as Towa inspected it, watching how the pearly interior of the shells reflected moonlight and the shine from her eyes.
"It is pretty," Towa tells her, with a haughty undertone that is most certainly in jest. "I shall accept it."
"Thanks," Suisei said, like it was no big deal, and dusted herself off as she stood. "I'll see you next week."
- - -
Somehow, it became routine. Somehow, it became normal. It made Suisei laugh thinking about how she had seen their god more than the priests had ever dreamed of. How she had held hands with her, laughed with her about stupid things, and on occasion, insulted her like there was no possibility of being blasted into dust or turned into a squirrel.
It was like they were friends. Suisei never put that thought into words.
She collected the flowers that kept on appearing on her windowsill, and pressed them into a book. They never dried out, but they didn't have seeds or any means of growing them, so in a small book on a shelf was where Suisei kept them. Occasionally she would wear them like wreaths around her neck and wrists, and smirk at all the scandalized expressions on the priests' faces.
One time, she offered Towa a fruit, something that was called a peach. It didn't grow in their region and had to be brought over from far away. Suisei's mouth watered at its bright colors and sweet scent, but decided to use it as an offering instead.
And yet, Towa took it from her and sliced it in half deftly, with a blade of moonlight that cut straight through the pit. She handed one half back to Suisei before taking a large bite of her own piece.
For once, Suisei was struck dumb. Juice glittered on Towa's chin, and the god ate like she was a child experiencing candy for the first time.
"It's delicious," Towa said. "You should try it."
Suisei was going to refuse, but for the first time ever Towa glared at her, a sharpness in her green eyes. Suisei had her life flash before her eyes and immediately took a bite of her own slice, looking down at the floor and not at her hopefully-not-actually-angry God.
Bliss. Sweetness. Slightly cool. Suisei immediately took another bite, than another, until all she had left was the pit and she was licking juice off of her fingers.
"I told you," Suisei finally looked up to see a smug Towa, knees tucked into her chest and head resting upon them. "I knew you would like it."
"I was the one who got it for you," Suisei said, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. She still smiled. Towa smiled back.
Something jerked in her chest, like a skipping beat, and Suisei tried to pretend that Towa had not seen the ghost of something flash across her face.
- - -
Suisei would go to the shrine with an offering. Towa would be there going through her nightly routine of returning them all except for Suisei's. They would talk, split the offering if it was a meal, laugh like they were nothing more than friends and not a god and a mortal. The pretending from that one night extended into the others; the act Suisei put on like her heart wasn't rattling in its place whenever Towa brushed her hand, when they cut fruit together, when Towa would lick the sweetness off Suisei's knuckles with a devilish grin, claiming that she had to expect some sort of comeuppance.
Apparently, the punishment Towa had been planning for Suisei all this time was an infinitely coming heart attack.
And Suisei was never the type to just lie down and die.
- - -
Towa formed herself out of ink and moonlight, already catching Suisei sitting in her spot in the corner, and it made her smile and her heart skip a beat. Even though it shouldn't.
For some reason, Suisei grounded her, made time flow by at a pace that was similar to a mortal perspective. Usually, Towa would see a mortal once as a child and then the second time on their deathbed. Suisei saw her once a mortal-time-unit week, instead of the immortal-time-unit week, which honestly varied and was usually a few months to a year.
Anchors and ships in safe harbor, something like that. Towa had been around.
But she always came back here.
All of the offerings were returned, all the children were blessed and safe in their beds. Suisei was still there, waiting, like always. Towa sat down next to her, already smiling widely.
"Hello." She chirped, leaning over slightly to rest her head on Suisei's shoulder. Towa felt the muscles stiffen underneath, the accelerated heartbeat, and found comfort that she wasn't the only one like this. "What did you bring for me tonight, dear follower?"
Suisei was silent, and if it weren't for her rabbit's pace heartbeat Towa would think she was dead. (What would she do when Suisei died, when there was nobody left or nobody there yet to keep her here? Gods don't sleep, don't need to, but this thought kept Towa moving always. There was no way but forward.)
"I don't have anything."
Suisei's voice was soft, unsure. Towa had never heard her like this, only pure confidence and smooth charisma and something dangerous lurking beneath. Towa had the insane urge to peel her apart, like there was something underneath that smooth skin and blue eyes, waiting to be released, to tell truths and no lies, and give Towa the peace of mind to rest and breathe again.
"You don't have anything?" Towa repeated, not unkindly.
Suisei shook her head. Her hands were trembling in her lap. "My offering is myself, My Lord, if you would accept it."
Towa sat there. The wooden walls were firm behind her, giving way to empty air. The room smelled sweetly of fruits and burnt incense, there was ash in Towa's mouth.
"Is that right?"
"It is."
"I cannot accept this."
"I would be insulted if you didn't."
There was a sly smirk on Suisei's face, and tension released from Towa's shoulders from the familiar look. She couldn't remember the last time she felt like this, and even then she couldn't label the feelings that were a melting pot in her shuddering chest.
"I don't-" Towa stopped, paused. Suisei's chin was at a firm angle, like when they were playing board games and she knew she was winning, or when she was losing but she didn't let it show. Suisei had a good poker face. "I cannot accept this." Towa repeated, softer this time. Suisei was a stiff statue in front of her. "I don't want you to make a decision that will-"
Change you. Change me.Change both of us into something new and indecipherable and not wholly god nor human.
"My Lord," There was humor sparkling in Suisei's eyes. Towa understood like a lightning bolt to the spine, one of her favorite feelings during a thunderstorm, how desperately she wanted to kiss her and how desperately Suisei wished for that. "Respectfully, you can take all your 'want' and shove it."
In equal measure, Towa hated the polite titles and loved the way they rolled off of Suisei's tongue. In equal measure, she wanted to 'take her want and shove it' and also to do everything she wanted, right then and there.
Being a god was never advertised as being this hard.
So, then, Towa cupped Suisei's face in her hands. She could feel the warmth of Suisei's skin, and if she focused, the rush of blood to every thin vein on her cheeks, reddening them, making them glow like dusky peaches in the moonlight.
"You will be punished for this impudence," Towa declared quietly, face so close to Suisei's own that they were practically breathing the same air. "An everlasting retribution, that you can never take back." She had never so closely inspected the curve of Suisei's trembling lips, the darkness of her eyelashes against her skin and the way they fluttered like delicate wings. "Do you accept, Hoshimachi Suisei?"
It sounded like a wedding proposal. Suisei didn't know what she was agreeing to. A god held her face in soft hands and looked at her like she wanted to kiss her, mirroring feelings that Suisei was sure were on her own face. Towa's breath smelled sweet, her lips were a soft pink. Her hair was stuck to her forehead, purple bangs splayed over the milky skin like spiderwebs.
"I do," Suisei breathed out, because she had collected so many purple flowers in her book that she now needed more, and she needed more of this touch, and more of their inane conversations, and more of the way that Towa looked at her like she was the god instead. "I do."
- - -
The shrine was gone. In its place, there are apartment buildings and clothing stores and businesses and condominiums. People walk by, chattering on phones, talking to friends, moving quickly arm in arm with their partners.
Towa moves like a ship in the sea, parting the masses. She had an energy about her, probably; the beige of her overcoat, the sharpness of her purple hair, the constant grin with fangs bared. She probably looked like another terrifying CEO in this city of horrible CEOs.
A kid bumped into her, and even as the mother apologized, Towa got down on a knee, dirtying her skirt, and produced a lollipop out of thin air. She handed it to the kid, even as he stared, wide eyed. Then she stood and walked off.
There was a car blocking an intersection, and people were cursing the holdup that stopped them from crossing the street. Towa walked over, and rapped her knuckles on the hood three times. The engine turned over, everyone stared, Towa disappeared into the crowd on the opposite side of the street.
The person manning the front desk of Towa's apartment building looked like he was about to fall asleep, and was only being sustained by the tower of coffee cups on his desk.
"Hi there," She said to him, smiling sweetly. He somehow found the energy to smile back. "I think that you will find a fifty dollar bill in your shoe, and let's see here," Now the man was staring at her confusedly, "and your application to have a cat in your apartment will be approved, and rent will also go down for you." She winked. "The landlord's having a nice day or something."
The man stared at her as she made for the elevator. He checked his shoe and paled. His phone buzzed and when he checked the text, he looked like a painted sheet.
Towa was already gone, but she would find a pot of flowers and a very confused notecard telling her thank you, the next day.
She fumbled for her keys, but only did so because she liked the domesticity it brought. Towa unlocked her apartment door, and walked inside.
Suisei was waiting for her.
"Did you have a good day?" Suisei asked her. The predatory glint under her grin never left, even after all these centuries. She kissed Towa hello, good evening, and love you for good measure.
"I did," Towa said, sitting down on their couch and letting their cats immediately pile atop her lap. "Gave some people some things, disciplined a few." She tsked and shook her head. "I can't believe so many people forgot about their gods."
"Mm," Suisei sat down next to her, undid her hair ties for her and ran her fingers through her bright purple hair. "What do I get, My Lord, as an offering?"
There was a hand on her cheek, and lips on her own. Their cats meowed on their laps. Towa's seashell bracelet clinked on her wrist, her ring was cool on Suisei's cheekbone. There were peaches in a bowl on their coffee table, there was food wafting out from the oven. This was no shrine, but it was everything Towa wanted.
"One more time," Suisei murmured against her lips, when Towa shifted a little, meaning to go grab dinner.
"It'll burn," Towa said, with barely any bite.
"Let it," Suisei told her, and kissed her again.