Jiaying Maki has finally decided that while she's not strictly a Japanese fox and her opinion of such things are mixed at best, that she should at least explore part of her heritage. Her father would approve she's sure. It's raining, which is annoying, but between her umbrella and a bit of cheating, using magic to keep the water from her dress, she makes her way to the shrine. Still, not having a proper kimono, she's wearing a qipao and a pair of bikeshorts. Her qipao is black, trimmed in silver with a floral pattern. She figures if she's going to go to an ancient shrine, she should dress for the occasion. This all goes out the window when she gets to the gate at first. She stares at it, wondering if it's going to bounce her off or not. Those thoughts flee as she sucks her breath in and steps through the gate and doesn't end up lighting on fire or being thrown out.
From there, she makes her way up the stairs, keeping her complaints about uncomfortable shoes to herself. The second stopping point though, that would be the temple guardian dogs. She's transfixed by them, murmuring to herself, "I wonder if they're real. I've always wanted to meet a Foo Dog, they're supposed to recognize good and evil right?" She reaches out to lightly tap it on the nose, then stands up straight and tries to look around the rest of the statue.
For months, Ayana has avoided really exploring this place. Some part of her feels like she conned Inari into giving her powers to her. That same part of her is convinced that if she comes to visit the shrine, he'll realise his mistake and take them from her.
But the truth is, Ayana wouldn't have powers without the kami's intervention; she would be just a fox on a leash--well fed, certainly, but lonely and without much prospect for a future.
So on this rainy day, the kitsune has snuck away, far from Hisakata house, to finally try and put to words her feelings for the kami of foxes.
Some part of Ayana knows that wearing a miko's garb is disrespectful, but not doing so feels equally disrespectful. She has settled, therefore, for wearing the garb, but for showing her ears, and tails. And besides, it's not real garb; it's just the illusion of it, worn overtop her real clothes, which have soaked through with rain. That the red and white temple garb is pristine and dry is only the second clue that she's using magic, today.
She's already at the small shrine to Inari in the back, surrounded by little stone statues of foxes, kneeling in the rain before the little red wooden shrine. "I wish Rei-san was here," Ayana mumbles to herself as she tries to figure out what to do. It's clear that incense has been burned here before, but she brought none today, and she wouldn't know how to get it to light in the rain anyways.
Instead, Ayana sighs and kneels down. "Inari-kami," she murmurs softly. "I don't really understand why you have decided to grant me this chance. And being a girl is ... hard. It's a lot harder than being a fox. There are bullies and chemistry tests and English. I think maybe you made a mistake, sometimes," Ayana says. "I'm not a very good messenger for you. I don't even know what I'm supposed to say to people when they bring you up--not that anyone really ever does."
Ayana sighs and looks up, ears flicking water behind her. "But ... still ... I'm glad I get to be a girl. I like it better than being a fox. I get to cuddle with Ikiko, and make people smile. I get to tell funny jokes and I get to help people be less mean to each other. So ... if I could keep doing this a little while longer, I'd really appreciate it."
The kitsune reaches up to touch the little stone fox beside her, then sighs. "Not that you're really listening, I guess. But just ... thank you." She doesn't even seem to notice Jiaying wandering the grounds. Perhaps the huli-jing is too far away. Perhaps Ayana is too involved to hear.
Jiaying Maki resists the innate urge to climb the statue to get a better look at it. She's sure if it actually is a foo dog, it wouldn't appreciate an idiot climbing all over it. She does leave a piece of jerky in it's open mouth as an offering though. As an after thought, the other dog gets one too, perched between it's paws should the mouth be closed as expected. She steps into the inner shrine, taking the short amount of time needed to determine that no one is around before snapping the umbrella shut. She's still keeping water off of the expensive silk dress and she's not fully sure if using magic in a shrine is considered bad or not. She at least has both of her ghosts sealed away fully rather than running loose as she's allowed the last few days.
There's a familiar figure at the shrine. Why is she wearing the wu garb though. The miko garb- that stuff. Does she stay, does she announce herself, does she flee since the last time Inari was mentioned at all the other fox girl got angry-like. She really doesn't want to fight in a shrine even if it's not one from home. Decision made, she steps forward and without saying anything to the other fox-girl, she props her umbrella up over the incense burner, using a trick she did earlier to stick it to the stone. A small box is pulled free from which she breaks the plastic wrapper open and sets a stick of incense in the burner and holds her finger to it, chanting to herself briefly to light the end. She then steps back, takes a breath and says, "That should help right?" Hey she did do some kind of research before showing up to a shrine. Sure her prayers are asking one god to meet a goddess, but since she 'knows' that one exists, that means the other does too right?
She fiddles with the box and hides it back inside the umbrella, where she'd had it hanging by the support strut.
Missing a figure approaching the building is easy. Missing one approaching the tiny little shrine where Ayana is praying is another thing entirely. The moment Jiaying steps up and starts fumbling with her box of incense, Ayana's ears flick recognition, and the kitsune turns, worriedly expecting to see someone here to run her off.
That it's Jiaying does not exactly fill her with confidence that she isn't going to be run off, but at least it's not Inari come to take her powers, or a priestess come to scold her.
"Maki-san?" Ayana asks, confusedly, when the other girl puts the incense in the burner. She looks at it, then back up to the other girl, turns so she is partially facing the other. "Yeah, I think it helps. I guess. Why are you here?"
Jiaying Maki twirls her finger, shifting the umbrella to make sure the rainfall doesn't extinguish the ember. It's crude magic at best, mist trailing away from the handle and then re-solidifying around it. Smoothing her dress out, she says flatly, "Apparently making sure you're heard. I even picked a day most people would stay away so I wouldn't disturb anyone."
She points to Ayana and asks, "Are you actually a priestess? Which shrine is yours?" She doesn't sound like she's being sarcastic in the slightest. "The fact that your robes are dry is a neat trick, did you use magic to keep them dry too? I spent years trying to figure out how to do it, it rained a lot back home." As before when she asked about the chocolate, it doesn't sound like there's any malice in her questioning.
Almost physically, one can see the lightbulb go off in her head though and she quickly adds, "I wanted to visit a shrine when it was empty. I am a little surprised I was able to make it through the gates, I was sure it would throw me out. Or light me on fire or something." One almost swears she hears, "Again" at the end of her last sentence.
Ayana glances at the incense, then looks back to Jiaying. It makes so much sense that for a moment, the kitsune just stares, dumbfounded. Her ears twitch a little in disappointment--not with Jiaying, but with herself--and then she sighs. "Thank you," she says.
Looking down at her garb, she runs her hands over it, and the fabric slowly disappears, revealing the wet, clingy black cotton dress beneath. It's barely thigh length, and her bike shorts are visible beneath. "It's just an illusion," Ayana says, drawing the red and white lie back over herself once again. "I saw the girl who helped guide me to Inari-kami wearing something like this. I thought if I wore it, maybe he'd listen to me."
"I don't think this shrine is magical," Ayana mumbles. "I think ... it's just a place. And if the gods are watching, then maybe they bring their magic to it. But normally it's just ... here." She glances at the incense again, then notes, "I don't think they're listening, today."
Jiaying Maki watches that stare, met with a look of confusion. She looks down at herself, checking the dress for wet spots, tears, wrinkles, spills. "Did something go wrong with the spell? My mother will kill me when she's back if I ruin he- my dress." There may be more to it.
The revelation that it was an illusion and that she's soaked through gets something of a scowl from her. "You should have at least brought an umbrella. Use mine- I'm cheating anyway. The umbrella just makes it less obvious."
Hearing that it's not a magical shrine gets a surprised sound from her. "Isn't it? What makes you think there's no magic here? I've heard the rumors from girls at school. Besides, places hold their own power and this is an old shrine! I bet you someone is listening, they just don't have answers for you." Planting her hands on her hips and leaning forward she adds, "Besides, you've met a god, it had to have been at a shrine like this right?"
"I'm fine," Ayana says of the wet. "I spent years living in the weather. Going out for a day like this doesn't bother me."
She turns to look at the little stone fox, then shrugs. "It was this shrine," she admits. "But ... not really. And it was weird. We went on a spiritual journey. I don't know if we were really in this shrine. I don't know if it really even happened. Maybe we just made it up. Or maybe we just had a dream. It was all magical girls; it's possible we just shared a dream, and they made me magical."
Jiaying Maki shrugs and says, "You're not clad in fur and I don't know what your transformation does- you probably bathe often enough that the oils in the fur wouldn't be water proof anyway." Hey! She actually does know a little bit about her own tail at least! "You'll get sick out of pride or what?"
Looking at the incense burner, then around the shrine she asks, "Do you think anyone is sealed in that statue? Someone that made a mistake or someone that wanted to guard this shrine? I remember we used to have a statue back home at a shrine that was warm to the touch. The normal people thought it was from the sun, but there was magic in it too."
Ayana wrinkles her nose dramatically. "Bathing," she says, her face screwed up in disgust. "Only when Iki-chan makes me. I hate bathing. It's not fun. Scrubbing and soap and the water is always ... weird," she says.
Turning to regard the statue again, Ayana shrugs just faintly. "Could be," she says quietly. "I don't know. This is the first time I've been here since ..." she trails off. "And before that, I was every bit the evil fox Sora-chan accuses me of being. I came here once before, and got set on fire by the priestess. It was scary."
Jiaying Maki makes a mental note to stand upwind of Ayana from now on. She tilts her head and asks, "I'm surprised it's not a daily thing. I had an uncle who always smelled like a normal fox- My mother wouldn't let him in the house until he'd at least covered up the fox smell. I think she blamed it on living with a human for too long." There's a pleased smile on her features at that memory, she liked her uncle, he taught her fun magic.
Snapping out of that memory by the admission, she's silent and watching the other fox. "Is that why she bullies you? She wouldn't tell me the full story and just accused you of being bad. I told her she was wrong, was I?" There's an involuntary twitch at the mention of being lit on fire though. She's done that too, not a fun thing at all. That twitch was just the wrong thing though and she yelps and rolls her shoulders, reaching back to make sure the bandages she's wearing are still secure and not bleeding through.
"I don't care if you were bad if you're not bad now. If we can be good, anyone can be and it's not fair to give the person a chance. It's what I told that other fox and I stand by it."
"It's practically daily," Ayana grumbles unhappily, ears twitching in disapproval. "Ikiko says I have to smell good. I think she doesn't understand what smells good." Which probably explains why Jiaying's never smelled Ayana as particularly gross-smelling before.
"I don't know why Sora-chan bullies me," Ayana says, looking back to Jiaying once again. "She didn't know me when I was an evil fox. When I started living there, I was already purified by Reiko-chan's orange magic. And then when they made me a girl, and she found out Iki-chan's girlfriend got to move in, I guess she got mad. I don't know. Just ... one day she started being mean to me. Then she tried to hit me, and we got in a fight, and then ..." Ayana trails off, then reaches up to grip the little bead around her throat. "We've never got along," Ayana mumbles, then shrugs softly, defeatedly.
"I'm not bad," Ayana insists. "Maybe I'm not the goodest I can be," and certainly not the best at speaking, either. "But I try really hard to be good; to make Iki-chan happy. To make Mama Hisakata happy. I do my chores, and I try to behave. I know what evil is. I was evil once. I'm not that anymore," she promises sadly.
And then it registers, "What other fox?"
Jiaying Maki almost visibly sighs in relief. Her sense of smell is good, but she likes different scents than the average fox! Blame her father probably. "Reiko was the one that purified you?" She asks, making a new mental note to find out the story from her. If Sora won't tell her, she'll find it out a different way.
"She won't tell me, she doesn't trust you, but she didn't really have a reason for it either." She hesitates before continuing, "It's obvious it's not because of what you are either." I mean she has fox ears and a tail too. She points to the clutched bead and adds, "Mostly- I am curious how she knew about that right away though. Are you sure she wasn't there?"
She pads out of the rain, leaning against a wall, one that's covered by an overhang so that she's not testing the limits of her magic. Watching the rainfall, she eventually asks, "I try to be good, I try to think anyone can be good give then chance and the encouragement. It's why I'm trying to keep you and Sora from fighting and why I haven't punched Kukai for what he did to Sora and Norie. It's why I even tried to offer to help Shiniko despite her badly hurting me. Norie's worried about her."
"I met another Japanese fox in a fight. Whatever their reasons, they helped take away the chance from two others. It even made me stop destroying angry ghosts that couldn't be reasoned with. Maybe all they need is time."
"Wait ... Sora knows Norie?" Ayana asks, ears perking up in alarm. She follows Jiaying out of the rain and peers at the girl uncertainly. "Kukai hurt them both?" she asks worriedly. "Oh no," she mumbles. "That explains ..." she trails off, then shakes her head. Not a topic for now. Or for Jiaying.
Another fox, though. "I don't know any other foxes than you. I guess there probably are others, but I'm the only magical foxgirl I know. Not that I've had a chance to do anything like that. Last time I did it ... I had to watch a man murder his family. It was awful. I wish I hadn't done it."
Jiaying Maki taps her foot against the ground, adjusting her shoe which is interrupted by that alarmed question. "She said she sort of knew her, but I didn't mention them knowing eachother did I? I just meant both were complaining about him after his- . . . that stuff."
"What does it explain?" Hey, that's not the sort of thing you can just leave hanging! The comment that she's the only magica foxgirl does get a huff and a stomp of her foot with an outburst, "Hey!" That comment after gets a curious look from Jia though. "Really now. Shiniko, Lacrima and one other?"
Ayana leans back a little and peers at Jiaying, then shrugs, "It just explains some things! Norie's ..." she trails off, "well that's her thing to divulge, not mine. But she's a friend and she has some issues that I've been trying to help her with. Who's Shiniko? And what 'one other'?"
Jiaying Maki crosses her arms and says, "I'm well aware of Norie's troubles." though that does tell her a few things. A look down at the ground as she kicks her show, trying to get it in a more comfortable position. "Shiniko was the witch that lit me on fire there! Uses hair, thinks she's some kind of heroine?" There's a blank look and she adds, "I didn't get the other one's name. She punches things though."
Ayana's given an appraising look, then she just shakes her head. "Norie thinks that Shiniko is getting into dark energy, which she said wasn't the case before. I know hitting her with Yang- good energy hurts her now. It just made her look upset the first time I did it."
"Yuck. Getting set on fire is no fun," Ayana mumbles. "It hurts so much. She burned me really badly," she means the priestess, not Shiniko. "I hurt for almost two weeks, and I could barely move. If Tak--" she cuts off, then shakes her head. "We bought an induction stove after that. And Iki-chan's house has electric. I don't like fire," she explains.
Curiously, Ayana asks, "How do you know Norie-chan? Do you think she's still trying to do good? I've been trying so hard ... she has tried so hard ... it's difficult for her, but I understand. I understand better than anyone what it's like to be her. So I've been trying."
Jiaying Maki counts off on her fingers and says, "It was frostbite not fire, but that's the same thing when it's that bad. It was- That's why I missed so much class. My father was not happy." She reaches up to rub her shoulder and says, "It was worse than the cut I got the other day, that just itches and hurts if I move too fast. And I'm afraid of bleeding."
Ayana's questioning about Norie gets her a curious look. "She does try to be good, or at least limit the bad she does. I've been trying to help as much as I can." Her hand slips into her umbrella and twists a charm, releasing the beastial ghost she's been using lately to attack. It looks more and more like a demon fox than what it used to resemble. "This one here- I tried to feed her with it after I failed to get it to move on peacefully. Apparently she can't eat angry ghosts by the way." She reaches out, hand resting on the ghost's shoulder like it's solid. "I- after the court house, I decided I wouldn't destroy them any more unless there was literally no other choice. I've... bent my power into forcing cooperation, but she's been less resistant and even spoke not too long ago. Not that it's happened again. I hope one day I can release her to take a spin on the wheel again."
Ayana dwells on that idea for a few more moments, clearly weighing her own opinions on something. But something confusing was stated, and it's distracting the fox. Her ear twitches, then it twitches again and she squints. Then she looks at Jiaying confusedly. "Courthouse?"
Jiaying Maki reaches down into her umbrella to dismiss the ghost, not wanting to leave a dead angry ghost on sacred grounds too long, even if it is tied to her and her charm. "The courthouse where I was lit on fire? I-" she frowns and tries to think. Her form blurs and those fox ears and tail appear, mist trailing off of her as her magic disipates.
"Come on, there aren't that many green haired foxes out here are there?"
Ayana's eyes widen, then she blinks again and touches her nose. "I didn't know you could do that," Ayana notes. "I thought ..." she trails off. "Well I don't know what I thought. I didn't know you were the one that was there that day. I guess now you will blame me for helping them to punish that man. But you did not see what I saw."
Jiaying Maki shakes her head and makes a dismissive gesture, "You've said he did it. You saw it. I've destroyed ghosts that won't move on after trying all other methods." She taps her foot quietly and continues, "I will say the other though, if you three truly believed he was corrupt, there was a better way to do it. To prove that not only was he corrupt, but to get all of his cases looked at. Instead you helped them take the easy route." Arms crossed, she looks down at the ground.
"I'm to blame. I should have kept fighting, but I was hurt and they at least stopped attacking everyone else. Everyone there was to blame- everyone there can be forgiven as well. You know Norie was the only one to check on me after though? She tried to find out what happened after I was hurt."
"I just wanted to stop the fighting," Ayana mumbles quietly. "I was scared, and they seemed to have a good reason. I hoped he'd regret what he did. But I didn't help them do anything," Ayana notes. "All I did was find out the truth and tell it to everyone there. What you did with that was up to you, but after what I saw, I couldn't do anything else. It was awful. Living that life through his eyes. Seeing him murder them through his eyes. Feeling him do it. The emotions he felt. He was elated. He was... I felt so gross. I still feel gross. And I can't get rid of that memory."
Jiaying Maki shakes her head and says, "I wanted to protect the others, I'll trade two for thirty or forty in a heartbeat. If you're sure of that, then maybe it's best if he was removed. Like I said, I won't blame you for that, but we should have done more for the second. All of us. I could have done more to fight back, to not get hurt."
"I failed, I believe all of us there failed. I even almost consecrated where Norie feels safe out of spite there. That- that made me feel even worse." She clenches her fists and says, "I will not fail again though and I will not give up so easily next time. Living or dead." She walks over and after removing her charms and boxes from the umbrella, hands the handle to Ayana. "I'm sorry you saw those things. I haven't experienced them that way, but when you start getting to know the ghosts in an area, you get it second hand."
Ayana shrugs just a little, shrinking, "I didn't ask to be responsible for other people," she says. "I don't think I failed anything. It's not my job to do that. Inari-kami asked me to be a good fox. I did a little research, and I guess that means I should promote industry, and rice, and alcohol. But alcohol smells bad. So I dunno. I guess I'm not a very good fox."
Jiaying Maki watches Ayana and looks confused, "Alcohol smells sour, I agree, but if you don't-" She chews her lip, thinking of the right way to put it. "Why were you there trying to intervene then? If you're trying to promote industry, rice and alcohol, wouldn't being an idol or something work better?" Hey, she's finally learned what an idol is! Still, she shrugs, "I cannot hold you to my standards, especially if you aren't trying to fight. It's unfair."
"I dunno," Ayana admits quietly. "I don't know why I was there. I just ... felt the need to go inside. I'd make a bad idol, though. I'm not pretty enough, and I'm not very smart, and I don't know how to sing or dance, and Mama Hisakata won't buy me cute dresses anymore because I keep damaging them," you know, by wearing them out in the rain without using an umbrella?
Jiaying Maki shakes the umbrella and asks, "If you felt you needed to help, then you should help. I don't know what to tell you about practicing though, I was always under the impression that Japanese foxes were mostly tricksters. Maybe you can help keep others safe with illusions or something?"
There's a shrug and she steps away from the wall, opening up her umbrella at the same time. She likes the sound! "How do you keep damaging dresses? I was worried about wearing my m-this one because it's silk, but it's been covered in spells right? Could do something similar." She taps her fingers together while saying, "Also I want to visit Sora's house and she won't let me come over. Might be a funny surprise. Kind of hope it doesn't upset her."
"Being a trickster doesn't make me evil," Ayana points out, sticking out her tongue childishly. "I like to play pranks, and to make jokes, and to have fun. I'm not a bad person," she reiterates. "Anyways, I do keep people safe when I can. Like Norie-chan; I found her draining people, and I've been trying to help her not do that so much, so that real heroes don't hurt her for it."
A shrug, then Ayana looks up at the umbrella as it opens. "I ruin dresses by wearing them. I don'tg know. I play hard and hten they get muddy or ripped. Mama Hisakata just makes me wear cotton ones, now. You wanna come over to Hisakata house?" she asks, peering at Jiaying. "You could just ... come there. It's not like it's hard to find."
Jiaying Maki has a couple of charms along the top of the umbrella it looks like, now that Ayana's got a better look at it. If she's even looking that close. Jia looks baffled, "I never said you were evil, I just meant that I don't know what you can do. I don't even know if the stories are true. I know I like eggs, but what fox doesn't? Do you actually like fried tofu?" A half-beat and she asks quickly, "Why if so?" because she doesn't like it, it's gooey and strange. Or the stuff she had was bad.
"I meant if you stumble into a fight like that. I appreciate you helping Norie, I've been trying to help keep her safe lately. Please do not mention to anyone that I know how she's doing currently by the way." Since they might ask her questions and she's really a bad liar, though getting better.
Ayana looks up at the umbrella again, then shrugs and hugs herself. The illusion of the miko's garb vanishes in an instant, leaving a sad looking soaking wet fox-girl in a short cotton dress. "I can do illusions," she says, "and I can drag your mind into a pocket plane where I make the rules. And I can ..." she trails off, then looks towards the stone fox. "I can do this," she says, concentrating on it a moment.
"Twilight Possession," she whispers, and there is a little noise of stone grinding on stone. The statue blinks its eyes, then shakes its head and comes to life, hopping off its stand to walk towards Jiaying and Ayana. It moves like any fox would, but there's that odd grinding noise and the lack of fur that makes it seem just a little ... off.
Jiaying Maki reaches up and pulls two of the tags from the umbrella and tucks them away somewhere convenient. She shuts the umbrella and flips it, offering the handle out to Ayana, "You should use these more often." After that's done, whether the umbrella is taken or not she moves over to the statue, trying to get a better look at it. She may try poking it on the side. "When you're controlling it, does it feel kind of like you're extending yourself towards it? Or your magic? They feel kind of the same to me. That's what it feels like when I control spirits and ghosts- I don't like doing that though."
"You know you could help out. If you wanted to anyway. I mean with the fighting thing- just be careful. Try not to be as bad as I am at dodging- I'm getting better though! I swear" Well she is slowly at least. "I don't want to visit Sora's house because it's warded and I'm afraid I'll trigger them. I don't ever know how wards will react to me. You know I don't even try to handle peachwood because I'm afraid of being allergic to it?"
The little stone fox speaks, its voice gravelly, but Ayana's: "It's like I am the statue." It sits up for inspection, turns around once, then walks back to where it was. Ayana's mostly careful to put it back in the position she found it.
She shivers as it comes away, then blinks at the offered umbrella. "You keep saying that, but I like the feeling of the rain. I don't want to use an umbrella. I don't even want to wear clothes, but Ikiko says I have to, and I guess it makes sense."
As for the wards, that draws a little giggle out of Ayana. "The wards won't keep you out," she says. "They never kept me out, when I snuck over late at night and into Iki-chan's window."
Jiaying Maki flips the umbrella and catches it, opening it over her shoulder again at the denial. She helps place the statue back in place, taking the time to brush away any scrape marks or anything else hinting at the movement too.
"I chewed on furniture. I don't think I ever had trouble with clothes though. Definitely wear clothes by the way, the police are quick about that. It's appreciated by all of us too."
The mention of the wards gets her ears pinned back, pointing at Ayana, "What was it you said about being a Chinese fox when you first met me? I'm always worried that others think the same and will have warded." There's a curious look on her features after though. "I wonder if wards are specific to the kind of fox for that matter."
Ayana squints a little, then says, "I don't remember what I said. I probably said you're meaner," Ayana notes, "because I heard the Chinese and Korean foxes are. But no, the Hisakata wards are against curses, not foxes. And against evil, too. You should be fine."
Jiaying Maki holds up her finger and says softly, "Exactly. Whether it's true or not, it lingers. It's even close in family. Are you sure there's nothing in that statue?" Maybe there's more than one reason to visit shrines. "How does it measure evil? I mean... I'm sure it would stop Norie- I've seen what happens when she's hurt, not that she's evil! Maybe it goes based on intent?"
She shifts her weight from one foot to the other and asks suddenly, "Do you know what gift I could get Sora? Like a family thing? I bought her a pair of cute little jade earrings that I tried putting a protective charm on, but she doesn't have pierced ears." Her ears pin back and she holds up a finger, "Nevermind- you probably don't even want to think about that. Sorry."
Ayana wrinkles her nose, then shakes her head. "I don't know. She seems to like science. Maybe something sciency? I don't ... she and I don't talk about what she likes. I was really surprised when you two were girlfriends, because that doesn't seem anything like her. But I've only known her like a year so I guess it's just that I don't know anything about her, really."
Jiaying Maki stands up straight, spinning the umbrella as she looks towards the entrance to the inner shrine, "Sciency might be good. I'll have to go find something like that." A glance over her shoulder, "Do you think something is up? I know that she seems like she was lonely and she apologized for upsetting me the first time we met. When I made the joke I did, I was kind of surprised she didn't laugh it off." Not that she explains the joke, but the implication's there right? "I still feel like she's kind of lonely. Like her heart's in the right place, but she shuts out everyone or something."
Ayana hunches her shoulders a little. "I don't know," she mumbles, "she's a bully. If she's lonely, then she's doing a good job of making herself that way. I didn't do anytghing to her," she points out, "and she started picking fights with me. I don't know why anyone would do that."
Jiaying Maki runs her fingers through her hair and says, "Did she hear from anyone that you were a badguy? Did it happen immediately? She won't tell me- I've asked. Though you admitting you were evil at one point, but she didn't know at least... puts me at ease? It proves my point that anyone can be saved if given the chance." she stops, watching the remaining charm in her umbrella spin. "What's she like with her family?"
"I don't ..." Ayana trails off, then huffs and looks away, "I don't know. She just gets mean to me whenever I'm around. She mocks me, and calls me names, and tries to tell Iki-chan that I'm bad for her. That's what she's like with her family: she's mean, and she's cruel, and she's hurtful, and she's a liar, and I didn't do anything to deserve it."
Jiaying Maki frowns at that, considering what she's hearing quietly. "I see her acting sharp around others, but rarely cruel. She's very sweet with me too, very cuddly and affectionate." She's blushing as she says that. What, it's embarassing! "She was nicer than usual the other day too right? I like seeing her happy- you should see how different she is when we're alone." Well, maybe not that would be weird. "I- I can't put my finger on it, but when I gave her a hug the first time, she seemed honestly surprised at the idea. She looked so alone though..."
"I tried to be nice to her," Ayana points out to Jiaying. "I didn't get the opportunity. She just attacked me, and it made me ..." she trails off, then shrugs. "It doesn't matter. If she's not going to be mean to me then I guess that's great. But I didn't start this fight, and I don't think I should apologize to her for it, either."
Jiaying Maki spins the umbrella between her fingers quietly before responding, "I never said you had to apologize. I made her apologize to me for what she said to you- I know that's not the same before you say it. I don't know if I'll be able to convince her to apologize, but maybe I can get her at least not fighting." She turns sharply on her heel and points at Ayana, "No more telling new people she's a bully if I'm going to get it to stop. Let me try to stop that please? I heard you telling Nagani that and the look on her face, she was mortified." A frown and she quickly adds, "If she starts something, that's her problem, especially if I'm not around to try and-..." she trails off and sighs. "This sounds horrible. Look, I want her to be happy and not all bristly. I'll do what I can."
Ayana's ears flatten back against her head when that umbrella gets pointed at her, and she bares her teeth just a little. If stubbornness had a description, this is it. "But she is a bully," Ayana grumbles unhappily. "I don't see why I should be the one to act differently. Maybe if she stops being a bully, I'll stop calling her one."
Jiaying Maki sighs and leans on the umbrella, ignoring the bared teeth. "Why do I feel like she was jealous and snippy and the both of you just fed into it until it got to where it is now." She pinches the bridge of her nose and says, "What you two do when I'm not around, I won't even pretend to try and do anything about. But please, if we're together, don't say those kind of things and let me try and stop her from saying those kind of things. You saw that I tried to keep it from escalating last time right?"
Ayana says nothing for a moment. But she doesn't stop looking at the hulijing, either. Eventually, she looks away, and her ears straighten back to alertness. "I saw," she mumbles reluctantly. "I am not going to make a promise to you about this. But I don't want to fight her," she notes.
Jiaying Maki shrugs while saying, "Good enough. I want the fighting to stop too. She's cute when she smiles, I promise." She points to the exit and says, "I'm going to let you get back to your prayers Ayana. I really would prefer the fighting stop." She fiddles with the adhoc method she hung the incense by and tosses the box over to the fox, "If the shrine's guardians and priestesses didn't come running when you started messing with the statue, I don't think anyone is here that will hear a Chinese fox trespassing. I'll see if I can find another shrine."