Kyuden Shika

Raizo approached the temple- more to do some desperate last-minute bargaining with the Fortunes than anything else.

I am the worst Phoenix ever. But if you bastards prove you're listening, I'll try to do better. How's that sound?

Raizo definitely was not the only one coming to bargain last minute. So much hung in the balance, after all. So many had found strings of hope, of happiness, and now it was left to be seen if the Deer clan would allow it to happen.

Unsei was there in a light yukata covered in stars and planets. Their ridiculously long hair was unbound, flowing in the gentle wind of the night. Sitting in their divination kit was a duckling. It seemed they had come to both pray and enjoy the stars.

"Oh, good evening, Shiba-san. Long tim, no see." They murmured softly with a sweet smile, not wanting to break too much of the peaceful silence.

Oh, hello!

"Call me Raizo, hm? I'd say we're well past being too formal."

He cocked his head at the ducling.

"Although I haven't met your friend."

"This is true. We've known each other for a solid... little less than two weeks now." They joked with a smile. Then they pulled out the duckling. "This is Ga-chan! I got lonely and felt like I was losing my passion, so I impulse got her. Now she helps me read."

(Authors note, Ga is quack in Japanese xD they named the duck quack quack)

"Good to meet you, Ga-chan. You're in good hands."

He smiled.

"Speaking of which, how have you been, Unsei-sama?"

"Well. Haven't died and I've put all my eggs in one basket like the fucking dumbass I am, so if the nakodo trip me and cause me to break all of my eggs, I will cry."

"And you?"

"Very, very much the same. But then again, no one ever accused me of being particularly smart..."

"Shit, trust me. Nobody said the same about me either. I'm known as a bit of a professional dumbass back home."

"Ah well. I think there's a stupidity to burn around here..."

He paused.

"But, ah... Kitsu-san's a good fellow, so far as I know. So you've done all right in terms of your choices."

Now it was their turn to pause.

"Huh? Have we been that loud? I usually try to keep quite, but it's not always that easy sometimes. Is that how you found out?"