chibisu | Ebisu's Inbox

Ebisu's Inbox

[For anyone who is familiar with Ebisu in person, they might be expecting the sound of a cute child on the answering machine.]

[They do not get a cute child's voice.]

[Instead, it's the voice of a young man, speaking calmly and professionally.]

Hello. You have reached the personal phone and temple of Ebisu, one of the Gods of Fortune. He and his shinki are currently busy right now, so please leave a message and someone will respond back to you as soon as possible.

Thank you, and have a nice day.

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"That would be a good time. I'm sure I can organize some things by then. Would one in the afternoon be alright for you? We can figure out the rest of your schedule from there, once you've taken a look at things." It's only an afternoon and evening, sure, but it should be good enough to see how he takes to things initially. Since he's going to be a part timer as well, it will be a decent amount of time.

Excellent! What time would be preferable for you to come and be introduced to the kind of work done in the tourism department? I can have one of my shinki, Kimi, explain things to you.

Any day that isn't the 29th, 30th, or 31st. I have plans on both of those days.

Then I imagine that you may do very well when it comes to the advertising aspects of the department.

When would be a good time for you to arrive so that we can introduce you to how things work in the department? You are not the only new hire that we have recently accepted in that area so, depending on things, you may have a coworker much like yourself to learn alongside.

"That sounds fine. Thank you sir. I'll see you tomorrow at one." That would give him enough time to make sure that Saber and Edge didn't need him for anything and to make sure that any chores around the temple that were his to see to were done.

"I'll look forward to seeing you. Then, I'll return to my own work, so take care." With that bit of formality done with, Aomi hangs up. There's a bit more work to do now, after all, and it even manages to take precedence over the work he was already doing. That's more than acceptable. If things work out on this front, then they'll have someone else who can help ease things up a little bit.

Excellent, thank you.

As it stands, anytime that doesn't conflict with Shikyoin Hibiki's concert and my practice with it should be fine. I'll be performing, and while that may eventually provide its own income, something steady while I'm starting off in this world is much appreciated.

Plus, I have an awful lot more time on my hands here than I am used to. It would be good to put them to work.

I will be certain to keep that in mind. I'll check with my shinki and then forward you a date and time for you to look at.

Until then, please take care of yourself.

Will the 28th work for you?

That I shall, and thank you for your consideration.

Or at least, as well as I can in a place I'm expected to hunt and fend off monsters, but.

I'm well enough acquainted with that anyhow.

That's just fine with me, yeah.

[Ginia would never dream of taking a trip off to paradise and not bring back presents for her beleaguered coworkers. Omiyage is very important, and it's a good thing she can bring everything back to the Far Shore by teleporting through Fuujin's temple. Having someone help pick up all the presents is useful too because there's a lot.

As food is the most common form of omiyage, Ginia comes with plenty. Six cookie gift sets ensures everyone will have a chance to sample the cookies. There are also several sets of chocolate bars in assorted flavors, boxes of chocolate covered macadamia nuts, and full flats of fresh pineapples and mangoes.

There are individual presents too.

Ebisu receives a floral arrangement (and Kunimi the gift of keeping it watered).

Unmi receives a glass jellyfish paperweight.

Aomi receives a wood box.

Kiwami receives a set of plates with koi as well as a fish folded from palm leaves.

Takami receives two flower dishes and a small set of truffles.

Kimi receives a leather and silver bracelet with a card explaining the meaning of the symbol ("to fulfill, to complete, to come to pass, to succeed"). When she sees him later that day, she'll also place a yellow and white lei around his neck.

[Kiwami also gets one more present in the form of a very worrying and probably stress-inducing text message.]

When you have a moment, I have more questions about the night of the raid and how Ebisu controlled ayakashi.

[Well. Those questions were going to happen sooner than later. Kiwami is prompt in his reply.]

I will be free for a short while tonight taking a walk around the temple. We can talk then. I will drop by your department to pick you up.
(°)#))<<

[And, sure enough, he'll do so, taking her for a walk down the many stairs of the temple and going for the outside.]

Thank you.

[She's ready when Kiwami comes by to pick her up, quiet as they walk down the stairs and head outside. Even there, with phone in hand, she holds off on the conversation until they're a little further away.]

I was telling Zhao about the fights in the compound.

You told me Ebisu controlled masked ayakashi with the masks and through naming them.

We all saw the old woman summon masked ayakashi out of nothing, no name needed.

[Sorry, Kiwami, Ginia doesn't waste time with small talk.]

[Frankly, he appreciates them getting straight to the point, and he gives a small nod.]

It's a concern we've all been wondering about... There are a few explanations. The ayakashi could have been pre-named, waiting in preparation for an upfront attack on the compound.

[One hand tucked partially into his pants pocket, Kiwami pauses for a moment, brow crinkling. It's a similar expression to when he'd paused telling her some things the first time they'd talked about the raid on the temple.]

...There's one other way... That doesn't require a mask at all. But I did not spot that during the confrontation either.

[With how quickly the octopus ayakashi tore through the first floor after the bell sounded, that they were prepared for an attack is a sound theory.

Ginia recognizes that expression. She waits for him to clarify, begins typing when he doesn't. She knows she's new, only a few months existing as a shinki, definitely not privvy to the full history of the temple. She also knows enough that hiding more from her feels silly.]

You told me Ebisu was away the night of the raid and took three shinki with him. Where did they go?

[Well, he may as well make sure that he doesn't have to explain too much that isn't necessary...]

Do you know of the name Izanami?

[Ginia's brow furrows as she tries to recall what she knows. At the urging of her coworkers, especially the ones working in the shrines, she's begin studying mythology for a better understanding of the god and people she's serving.]

Goddess of creation and death, resides in the underworld.

[A beat.]

Ebisu's mother.

That's correct.

[Taking a breath, he pauses in his stride and meets Ginia's eyes seriously.]

....What I'm telling you... is something that I trust you will keep as a secret of this temple. It is something that our master studied for a very long time, and which I am unsure Heaven has much knowledge of.

[It's an incredibly polite way of saying the Heavens don't know shit.]

If it were to leave these grounds or our coworkers, I worry, as do all of us, of what would happen.

[Ginia stops and looks back at him. The gravity of his words is not lost on her. It's also a deep level of trust being told whatever he's going to tell her.

Probably pretty convenient he's telling this to a mute woman. Go ahead, Heaven, try to make her talk.

She nods at him to continue.]

[For a moment long, Kiwami stares at her, before he nods slightly back- or perhaps it's only to himself. Either way, the agreement seems to be enough.]

Heaven says... no gods can control ayakashi. However, Iwazami-sama... is a unique case. Instead of naming them, and suffering constant blight... She created tools that could create them effortlessly.

I did not see any of those tools at use... Or, at least, I did not see that strange goddess or the old woman use them. I suppose that does not say much.

[Ginia listens to Kiwami, trying to remember if she'd seen the woman or teenager do anything else other than seemingly pull ayakashi-forming blobs out of nothing. No tools, no other incantations in that moments. Just an act that seem otherwise impossible without...

Impossible things.

Ginia's eyes widen as she remembers another conversation back in January, a statement she'd called out for its specificity but didn't make sense until now.

Dammit, Kimi.]

Ebisu went to the underworld for one of the tools the night of the raid.

Correct. It is an entrance normally guarded and sealed, but not on the day of the meeting, which the master knew.

[Letting out a slow breath, he picks up his stride once more.]

...He did, technically, retrieve one. However... its location is lost to us.

[The meeting where his absence was noted and served as enough justification to raid his temple. Did someone tip off Heaven knowing he would be there? It's an easy enough assumption Ebisu took the blame for someone else's masked ayakashi, but now Ginia wonders if they also wanted the tool.]

We know now the cult has some means of controlling ayakashi. There was also the sorcerer behind the masked ayakashi Ebisu took the blame for.

Do you think he works for or with the cult and do you think they have the tool?

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Ebisu's Inbox

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