Work Text:
“Mayumi, I think you should take the day off.”
“Huh?” Mayumi stops in her tracks, placing the papers she was sorting back onto her desk. She turns around on her heels to face the familiar voice that calls out to her.
The goddess in the doorway continues. “I think you should take the day off and rest. When was the last time you weren’t working?”
“But, Lady Keiki, Haniwa don’t need to rest,” Mayumi counters all while keeping her respectful tone.
“Your body, perhaps not, but your mind, absolutely.”
Keiki’s voice grew soft as she explains.
“You’re different, Mayumi. Your mind is the most complex of all my dear creations, and so you should care for it.”
She strides over from her place in the entrance and gently rests her loving hand upon blonde hair in front of her. It’s soft and perfectly groomed, buns tied tightly with not a single strand out of place.
“...If you say so, Lady Keiki.” Mayumi sighs, quickly giving in to the master’s whims.
Keiki chuckles at that and begins to stroke the other girl's hair slowly, running the golden locks through her dexterous fingers.
“I don’t know what to do. I’ve never had a day off…”
Mayumi's voice becomes quiet as her gaze falls to the ground. Her goddess had always been one to pamper her, but it never felt any less embarrassing. Especially to be standing leaning over just so that she can pet your head better.
“Doesn’t that make me sound like a terrible boss!” The goddess lets out a hearty laugh. “Well, if it were me, I would go somewhere nice. Maybe somewhere high up, where I could see the whole of the Animal Realm and enjoy the view.”
─────────
So that us exactly what Mayumi does.
After spending the rest of the morning finding her way, a mixture of walking, flying and dodging as much of the beast-filled streets as she can, she got herself to a nice spot where she could sit and watch over the whole city. The Animal Realm had formed in Hell like a large crater from which a metropolis rose, and so is surrounded by high, sharp-ended cliffs, defining the thin border between the city and the rest of Hell.
A thick, scarlet fog floats not high off the ground, almost entirely engulfing Mayumi’s lower half as she sits down. The ground is mostly rock, scarcely decorated with patches of unnaturally crimson grass. Mayumi can swear that the ragged terrain almost looked like human skulls if she squints hard enough. Tearing her eyes off the frankly miserable ground, she looks out to the view below. Virtually every building in the city is the same, square or rectangular and devoid of any colour or real architecture. It is obvious everything is built for nothing but its purpose, rather than aesthetics and while Mayumi understood that train of thought, being around Keiki had made her more partial to the artistic pleasures of life.
Thinking of her creator causes Mayumi to heave out a long, tired sigh. Had she done something wrong? Was Keiki upset with her failure to defend the Primate Spirit Garden against the invading humans? Her master had insisted that it wasn’t a big deal and that if anything, she assured her that it had been net-positive and that she believed they could be united over common interests. But being left alone with her feelings made the haniwa ponder towards more unsavoury thoughts. Did she really need a day off? Or did Keiki just want rid of her?
Mayumi felt increasingly deflated as her thoughts continue to spiral. Was her army so weak that all it took was one human to defeat them? What did that spell for the future? If all the beast spirits needed was to possess a living being to win, how much longer could the haniwa keep fighting? She felt uneasy, a shiver ripping through her artificial spine as she imagines the Primate Spirit Garden being torn to pieces and the look on Keiki’s face when they finally lost it all.
An unfamiliar voice, sweet and upbeat, suddenly cuts through her consciousness.
“Good afternoon!”
Mayumi knew better than to fall for such a measly attempt at trickery. Not a single soul in the Animal Realm would greet anyone with such a tone, and without taking her eyes off the view, she slowly draws her sword from its decorative sheath on her waist.
“Who are you?” She replies, gravelly.
The other person loudly squeaks at the sight of the weapon, clearly beginning to panic at the obvious threat.
“W-Wait! I’m not… I’m not going to attack you!” The voice yelps.
Taken by the seemingly genuine reaction, Mayumi finally tears her gaze off the city below and towards the figure that stood over her. The other woman isn't’t very tall, she is pale blonde, and sported a pair of feathery wings and a long tail of the same colour. She wore a tangerine dress clad with a short cream jacket, adorned with a scarlet ribbon on an apricot collar. Though what stood out the most is the fluffy red extension that sat upon her head. Mayumi can't tell if it is a true part of her hair or some sort of extravagant accessory, and she is even more puzzled by the small yellow chick resting among it.
"A chicken spirit? I suppose you're with the Gouyoku Alliance then." Mayumi's voice is steady. She doesn't let go of her sword, but it remains half in its sheath, just in case.
"Huh…? No… I'm not a spirit or with anyone…? Well, if I were then I guess I'd be with the Yama," The chicken responds.
"The Yama? …Those who judge after death?"
"Exactly! I'm Kutaka Niwatari—" Kutaka bows slightly, her wings fluttering with the motion. "—I'm a god of chickens and gatekeeper of the otherworlds, which includes hell."
"Oh—" Mayumi briefly flushes, realising the other woman isn’t a threat. "—I jumped to conclusions, my apologies" She clicks her sword back into its sheath. "I'm Mayumi Joutouguu, Head of the Haniwa Army Corps”
“Head of the Haniwa Army…?”
“Mhm. Not today, though, it’s my day off.” The haniwa shakes her head slightly and shrugs her shoulders to emphasise her point.
There’s silence for a moment before Kutaka points to the spot next to Mayumi.
“Do you mind if I take a seat?”
“Not at all.” Mayumi makes a point of shuffling across, a pointless move considering all the space between them, but a gesture to let the other woman know of her approval. She notices how Kutaka has to make an effort to move her tail out of the way just to sit comfortably.
“I usually work around Higan, but today I was patrolling hell’s border when I saw you. I came to see if you were up to any trouble, but it doesn’t seem like it,” The gatekeeper explains.
Mayumi takes notice of how expressive the other woman is. She seems to always be moving her hands with her words or changing facial expressions, and frankly, the haniwa found it fascinating to watch.
“I try not to get too close to the Animal Realm! I find it too scary.” Kutaka chuckles, clearly nervous.
“Scarier than the rest of Hell?” Mayumi questions.
“I think so. Only recently did I have a run-in with a terrifying beast spirit myself.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.” Mayumi scoffs, clearly displeased. “Lady Keiki and I dedicate ourselves to protecting the human spirits from them.”
“Lady Keiki?”
“Keiki Haniyasushin. She’s a god of sculpture and creation. Whatever her dexterous hands create becomes a vessel for a lone spirit. Summoned by the desperate human spirits of the Animal Realm, she liberated the Primate Spirit Garden from the beasts’ control and built the Haniwa Army Corps to protect it. Even I was built by her, at least my physical form was.”
Kutaka giggles, interrupting the haniwa’s overly enthusiastic explanation.
“You really look up to her, don’t you?”
Mayumi flushes.
“Ah—!” The winged woman flaps her hands about in front of her, attempting to soothe her sudden self-consciousness.
“There’s no need to be embarrassed! I think my boss is a pretty amazing person too.”
“The Yama?”
“Mhm. Specifically, she’s the Yama in charge of Gensokyo. Apparently, she was originally just a mere jizou statue until she gathered so much faith that she ascended and gained her divine powers. She’s a hard-working, earnest and dedicated person. I can’t help but wonder how lucky I must be to work for such a brilliant woman."
Mayumi seems to settle as a small but pleased smile grows on her face.
"It seems we're not too dissimilar, Miss Niwatari."
"Please, just Kutaka is fine," Kutaka encourages with a slight tilt of her head and a friendly grin.
As the goddess head moves, Mayumi’s eyes are drawn back up towards the peculiar extension upon it. Within the crimson hair, she met a small pair of beady eyes, and as she continues the eye contact, it occurrs to her it seems…
“Kutaka…” Mayumi asks, treading forward in a reserved tone. “...Is it alive?”
The other woman looks caught off guard for a moment before following the trail of the haniwa’s hollow eyes.
“You mean Pipi?”
With a relaxed arm motion, Kutaka scoops the small chick into her hands and brings it down to cradle in her arms. Mayumi finds herself fascinated by the small creature, watching it quickly settle within Kutaka’s hands.
“Of course she’s alive!”
“I’ve never seen a live beast before,” Mayumi comments, not taking her eyes off the chick. There is silence for a moment before the goddess speaks again.
“Well, would you like to hold this beast?” Kutaka offers, clearly amused by Mayumi’s manner of speaking.
“Oh… I’m not sure that—”
Before the haniwa can protest, an incredibly light body weighs upon her clay palms. She feels her false body freeze, suddenly intimidated by the entirely new sensation.
“It’s okay—” The other woman seems to quickly notice her discomfort, gently cupping the underneath of Mayumi’s hand. “—Just keep your hands close to your body. She’s not going anywhere.” She reassures.
Mayumi follows the advice, slowly bringing her hands towards her torso and letting her shoulder fall as lax as possible. Seeming more confident, the goddess removes her hands, allowing the other blonde to hold the bird by herself.
Soft.
Pipi is incredibly soft, down feathers completely covering her overly round body to make a creature that resembled what could only be described as a ball of fluff. But little scaly feet that seeped heat into Mayumi’s hands reminds her that this is no object to hold, but rather a real living being to embrace. That even such a minuscule beast is full with blood, pumping life all throughout a warm biological form. Tiny breaths left tickling sensations along oven-fired fingertips, leaving the woman to wonder how even petite lungs are working their hardest to sustain that life around them.
It wouldn’t take a lot to snuff it completely out. She reckoned it could be done alone with one firm hand, squeezing tight until bones cracked, skin split, and blood poured. Despite the many spirits she had taken down as a haniwa soldier, she is not experienced in ending a life. What would it feel like for living flesh to go cold upon your own hands? The haniwa ponders, feeling quite sick.
But despite her quickly spiralling thoughts, her fingers do nought but tremble, and soon that kind voice brought her back to reality once again.
“She likes you,” Kutaka comments, a pleased smile on her face.
Mayumi chokes her words out a little, still reeling from her own head. “How can you tell?”
“Well, she is totally puffed up! Chickens ruffle their feathers like that to help regulate their temperature, especially when they are getting comfy—” Kutaka explains. “—And listen carefully.”
The goddess falls quiet, allowing Mayumi a moment to lower her head close and listen to the soft rumbling sound emanating from the bird.
“She is letting you know she is happy by making that noise. It's called trilling.”
Mayumi keeps her eyes on the chick for a moment. Is it true that even a beast could feel something like happiness? Whether or not she could decide, the haniwa found herself smiling either way.
That is until a loud alarm shrieks through the thick otherworld air, causing Mayumi to quickly jump to her feet. Although the action is practically instantaneous, she held on tight to Pipi, not wanting the little bird to fall.
“Sorry!” Kutaka follows her lead, rising to her own feet at a smoother pace.
She rummages around her apricot dress for a moment before retrieving what appears to be an old-fashioned alarm clock and turning it off.
“That is my reminder to move to my next rounds.” Kutaka quickly put the clock back to where she had it stored and held her now empty hands out towards Mayumi. “Come on, Pipi, we can't get behind on work!”
The chick finally opens its eyes and tilts its tiny head towards the winged woman. However, despite clearly hearing her call, the little bird made no effort to move.
“Come on—!” Kutaka whines, trying to encourage her. “You can nap on the way back, I’ll fly super carefully!”
Seemingly satisfied with this answer, she slowly rises before quickly shaking her feathers, releasing a tiny dusty cloud that made Mayumi cough. Then she jumps, easily covering the distance with small flapping wings giving her a boost. As soon as she lands, Kutaka swiftly transfers the bird back to the unusual nest upon her head.
“It was lovely to meet you, Miss…” Kutaka trails off, clearly having forgotten her name.
“Mayumi.”
“Mayumi…” The goddess repeats with a laugh, scratching the back of her head bashfully. “When I come around this border again, I'll keep an eye out for you. Is that okay?”
“It would be great to see you again.”
Mayumi nods as Kutaka waves and takes flight, swearing she saw the chick mimicking the goddess’ motion.
─────────
As soon as Mayumi returns to the Primate Spirit Garden, she makes her way to where she is sure to find her master. Lo and behold, Keiki is right where she expected her to be, within her studio, working on yet another sculpting project.
“Lady Keiki, I have returned,” Mayumi calls out to the goddess.
“Mayumi!” Quickly turning on her heels, Keiki faces her subordinate with a smile.
Adorning that smile are smears of wet clay across her cheeks, which Mayumi can only assume are a result of her equally messy hands. She can’t help but wonder how there must be a more efficient way to sculpt without getting into such a state… but she briefly recalls something the woman had said about the creative process and spontaneous beauty that makes her drop the thought.
“How was your day off?” Keiki quizzes, retaining her smile.
Mayumi relays the day's events to her creator, yet she found herself holding back from talking about how she felt with such a fragile live being within her contrastingly dead hands. Luckily, she is more than happy to indulge information about her newfound companion.
“Niwatarijin…” Keiki seems to think, tapping the handle-end of her fetting knife against her chin. “A chicken idol would be fun! We could gather lots of faith, you know?”
Mayumu pauses for a minute, considering the experience she had with the chicken goddess.
“I think she would like that.”