driftfleet | Just Keeping Swimming

[He shrugs and nods.]

I'll have to ask my crew then. Some of them are from further in the future than I am.

[Although he doubts the answer will be what he wants to hear. Tamamo, why you gotta do this.]

In any event, my sisters married early in my life, but since I also grew my hair long helping them when I was young turned out to be a valuable skill.

Well, good luck!

[she wants to hear that so bad.]

But you sound like you were close.

[Noooooope]

Mm, as close as any siblings are, I suppose. [Aaaaaand subject change]

You say you have brothers? Are they older or younger?

Hmm... Well, I'm the oldest, technically, but we were all born right after another.

[She wonders how many hints she can drop before he'll realize. Let's find out.]

I don't get along with them very well, though... One of them has a horrible temper and likes to throw things, and it once got so bad I ended up as a hikiNEET for a while, and then the other is such a jerk I run whenever I see him! But he keeps chasing me, we've been doing that forever. It's quite a pain.

[Ah, right, foxes. Although he wonders if they all gained powers like she did... That was how fox spirits were created right?

Ugh, he wishes he'd paid more attention to Hajime when he talked.]

Being the only female in a den of males must have been hard on you. They don't sound like very good brothers at all.

[She almost laughs, but with supreme effort, keeps her face straight.]

They certainly aren't. And I've never even met my mother, my father Nagi ran away from her right before we were born...

[This is definitely part of the legend he doesn't know.]

Did she die? How did you survive without parents?

[Well... Hm. She isn't sure she wants to explain. But also, she really, really wants to see the look on his face.]

She did. She died giving birth to the Hino-kagutsuchi.

Edited 2017-03-11 10:11 (UTC)

[Aaaand there's the connection. Sadly, he has a better pokerface than most do.]

Oh? Well, you look very good for your age then. The eternal beauty is indeed the truest name for you.

[... suddenly, she's putting off a murderous aura, even if she's still all smiles.]

Hmmm? What was that about my age? Tamamo is a beautiful young maiden, surely no one could mistake me for otherwise, or else I'd have to open their eyes.

[Oops.]

Yes, that's what I meant. Eternally young and beautiful.

Much better! It seems some men do learn quickly after all.

I do try.

Although I did not intend to offend you, Tamamo-no-mae-san. I apologize.

Eh, so formal... I'm not doing the queen or harlot thing anymore, so just 'beautiful Tamamo-chan' is fine.

[He laughs a little and shakes his head.]

It's a habit of mine, I apologize, beautiful Tamamo-san.

Ehhh... I suppose that's good enough. But you should feel grateful, only a very few people get to know two of my names.

Then I am certainly grateful that you've told me.

[Aaaand he would feel bad about not telling her his real name, but ahahaha what is honesty.]

But why do you hide it? Are you worried you will become swarmed by fans?

Hm, something like that. That identity is one that could only get in the way of my dream of being a good wife! Someone like her can't have a relationship of equals with a human husband, after all.

Plus, since I'm down to one tail, and the one up in Takamagahara would probably get all annoyed about it. Well, she's just a hikiNEET of a goddess, anyway, so not like I care about that part.

[There's that word again - hikiNEET.]

I suppose it could get in the way if someone realized you were a famous spirit as well.

[He tilts his head.]

But what is that - hikiNEET?

... It could. I hid my name for a long time for that reason.

[Because no one would trust the spirit of the fox who betrayed the one she was supposed to serve. No one would trust Tamamo-no-Mae, after her legends.]

A shut-in. Someone who just stays inside all day and does nothing. Someone without use or worth, freeloading off of whoever they stay with.

[Ah, so that's the new term for that sort of behavior. They just called them louts or useless. ...Which is sort of a weird way to refer to the goddess of all creation, but then again, Okita isn't a goddess or spirit so he has no idea what's normal for them.]

It's a shame really. There are so many different legends attached to your name, but mostly the ones I heard talked about how you were actually quite a good match for people.

[It's just that she made them ill.]

[let's just. not tell him about her time as Daji.]

... I suppose even I had some fans. It's nice to know. It's true I love humans... Well, sort of.

[Yeah, let's just...keep that one quiet.]

Sort of?

In that you don't love all humans, or that you only sort of love humans?

Hm... It's true humans are precious, but my husband is the most important among them, you know? If I had a choice between saving my husband or saving all of humanity aside from her, for example, then I'd cast away the rest of humanity with a smile. So, does it qualify as love... You know, that kind of feeling.

["Aside from her?"

That...was interesting. Okita tilts his head for a moment, and then decides that if Tamamo wants to call her husband/wife a husband, then so be it. It's not his place to decide what the right term is.]

Yes, I think it does.

[He would, after all, kill anyone for his special person. It's an instinct at this point, something he knows he has no control over. He has to protect him - that's all there is to it.]

While it would be unfortunate that I would have to die for someone I've never met, I understand your feelings on that.

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