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Katrina felt a bit tense at going throughthe alleys, maybe the lady was going to kill her, and if a youkai, eat her liver! Though maybe it was just her nerves and sligthly cynic nature? The gypsy decided to remain calm and respond to Yuuka's questions.

"Ah...they came here before the border and since then been here...its been a long time, so only the personal costumes remain wigh little history," The gypsy had variou issues with this, but she added,"Written accounts are simply impossible when you can't read, you know?"

"But, many people have kept nice tales to remember,"The girl said,"So its a matter of finding the right stories! Too bad, I got seperated from the group, so I have been wondering around on my own, if not, I would show you to my family." she smiled, truly meaning her words.

"Mh? Are you a youkai? My family doesn't care, they love anyone who shows kidness to anyone!" Katrina responded, careing little about the fame Yuuka may have carried with her name."Oh..."

"Well, you see these point ears?" the gypsy said, tapping an ear of hers as she went to have Yuuka take out the bushel."Many humans thought we were youkai, so they attacked us once when we were coming into town. Everyone split and I never found them. I don't know if they are okay or if they were caught, so I have been doing my best to find them, but...there has been no luck." The girl didn't go into further details, since she knew little herswlf.

"Its been..."The girl had to ponder on it,"A few years?" She was human and to her things where blurry as it was.

Katrina wonder what made Yuuka say that, she had, afterall, been kind enough not to turn her. Deciding not to bother, Katrina let the matter at rest.

"A tengu? Mh...I have heard of them, that reporter flies around a lot." The gypsy nodded,"But, I don't think we are related, my family spent most of our time in the forest of magic, never too close to the mountain. It would be interesting to find some youkai blood in the family though! There is a few half human half youkai like that shopkeeper after all."

"Well, most figured out I was human. I have been cornered a few times and when I didn't myself, they kind of figured out couldn't to begin with. So now, most people know I am human, and those who didn't bother me to begin with leave me alone. Besides, I even look like a young youkai at worst, and most young youkai are pretty weak. They think I wouldn't hurt them if I was one. Too bad, it is too late to do anything about correcting thwir error with my clan. So while they don't bother with me, I try to get back to those they pointlessly hurt."

"Ah...honest work? Well...I..." Katrine thought of it, but realized it went against all that she had grown up with. Further more, it would, in its way, be admitting to the end of her people, the girl ran a hand through her hair, leaving her hand at the side of it as she gained a small smile,"I will worry about that when I find them."

"Yeah...It was scary, but, for the better or the worst, I got out pretty much okay. It would be nice if humans would stop being such jerks to eah other and instead concetrated on the faults we all share." The gypsy said as Yuuka took the basket, at last realizing she had probably reach the end with this youkai woman. "Finding a place somewhere where no one wants to see you is very tough, yes..."

She pondered a moment,"Miss, you didn't tell me you name, do you think you could tell me?" She certainly looked like an enigmatic woman, would she give her name to a girl?

The girl nodded a bit, knowing that the wise woman knew exactly what she spoke of. She herself knew what it would mean to look for her family and fail; a complete confrontation with the reality she had avoided for these couple of years. Nevertheless, she would worry about that when the time came or if it ever did.

"Yuuka Kazami," Katrina smiled,"I will remember that, I promise."

She was handed a small pouch of money, and when she was about to turn it down, Yuuka persisted she kept it."Gee, than-thank you....."The gypsy was unused to such kindness. Not only had she not turned her in, but Yuuka had also given her money,"Thank you very much Miss Kazami, I hope to seemyou again soon and that you have a nice trip home!"

It was getting dark, so Katrina herself would head back to the forest soon.

"The youkai of light...?" Katrina thought and nodded,"How nice, I will see about going and paying a visit." She looked at Yuuka as she was invited to help her with garden,"Gee, I would love to. And , I am reliable!" She reassured, definitely not wanting to get bad fame for a few card tricks.

"Ah yeah! I will be on my way now, take care Miss Kazami, and take you for everything," the gypsy gave a polite bow, and a smile before turning to head the opposite way to the forest of magic. She turned once to give the gardener a small wave before hurrying to her nice path in the forest.

~~Chapter End~~

A shrine. That was all. Livid had never learned the name of the deity who had taken her humanity, and she never questioned it. Today, the shrine was empty once more, and a certain demonic shrine maiden woke up with enough resolve to override the sinful weight of sloth. 

The encounter with Sabitsuki and, furthermore, with Meimu, had created a pit in her pride.  Meimu was a strong maiden, as where the ones above ground (from what she heard.) The demon heard that faith was the responsible for this. Thinking that fixing her shrine would do more than bring new folk and power, Livid decided to do so.

Her first task was simple, all she had to do was to un-rust all the tools that where in the shed. That was easy enough, and when examining the damage from outside, it was hard to believe she had let all this by her. The sinful youkai kept her room tidy and perfect, but outside it was obvious there was a need for new paint, roof and wood. So she made a small mental list, and went out. The toughest part of her job; She had to go to the town and get the supplies she needed.

She had to swallow much of her paranoia of society, which truly was one of Livid's few weaknesses. Using the money she gained through cheap card games she remembered from some place she no longer recalled, the demon manage to obtained much of what she needed. The sinful youkai bought the nails and planks, in addition to the decorations and paint, plus made a special order from a local craft shop. She even had money to hire a mole youkai to help her in her project. The mole youkai, or so she was told, was new to the Underground, and had put a sign for anyone willing to hire her and her shovel. After some incident, she had come to retreat into the denizens' hideout. So it was that the aged youkai was hired by Livid.

Quick to make the tasks at hand clear, the demon challenged her. The mole was to dig a two meter deep and three meter wide moat around the shrine (Nothing too difficult with her abilities) while Livid was to clear the vines from the bridge. Happy to accept, the two set to their different tasks. 

This way, the job was done (And it was the mole's victory.) The hired youkai made a perfect moat fed by the water of the river that flowed under the ominous bridge. She somehow grew curious of the demon who seemed to spend much of her existence alone. She once more offered her help under the excuse that Livid had paid her too much for such an easy task as was to make a moat. The demon knew it was a lie, but she was glad to hear the mole would stay and help.

The two rebounded the shrine, gave it a new layer of paint, added  paper lanterns and did all that was needed to re-make the run down shrine in the depths of the Underground.  

At the end of it, Livid went to retrieve the order she had made; a lantern. It was an oil one, of a classic pattern, but the body was engraved with the many symbols that littered the walls of the shrine. She placed this at the altar designated to the deity of her shrine, the light bounding off the freshly brighten golden engravings. Odd flowers that Livid had kept in her own room where brought out, their black blooms and red anthers a rare sight.

When asked about them by the dark-glassed woman, the demon caressed the petals, and responded,"Ah, they are not the average flowers indeed. These, need no light, nor any sort of care. Like me, they much rather thrive off other's enclosed feelings and of their pains. That is why these are in such bloom, for I am the embodiment of all that they need; greed, jealousy, wrath, pride...To mention the few that these little ones enjoy the most."

The mole, in her time with the demon, had never seen her so thoughtful,   and a sense of companionship was imminent, she defiantly wonder how  conscious Livid was of what she was. Being a blunt old youkai, she immediately voiced these questions, only to get a chuckle from the younger youkai who seemed ancient in her ways.  Amused and with a smug smirk the sinful youkai shamelessly answered in her typical tone,"Of course I do. The moment these cursed marks grew on my arms, the moment I could not contain all that I felt, I knew how I was no longer fit to be in a larger population. Most of what I do, I do so unconsciously and that which I do consciously, would usually be best left undone at all,but..." she stopped for the brief moment to look up at the wall with the largest engravings,"I do try to control all that boils inside of me. If it where easy to do, I would not see a need to stay here. Nevertheless, as I said, I am not quite fit for society, and so, I will stay here until I learn to be myself, not this wretched creature I have become."

Her companion laughed, amazed at this. She would have never thought Livid would be anything close to noble. After a short congratulation, and the promise of regular visits, the glassed mole grin and left Livid to her own thoughts.

Livid stared after the youkai, mesmerized by her ways, and throughly  jealous of her nonchalant ways. Angry, she decided to not concern herself with this, and instead decided to admire her work... Their work, rather. She was content with the results, and found a certain warmth in the fact she now had a place to call home. after years, she had a home. She might even have a companion, that mole that was almost equally sinful to her. Livid had to grin at the prospect of a constant visitor.

She caressed the black flowers once more, speaking to herself, as she did every time she doubted her sanity," Mh, do you like the decorations, little ones? I wonder who will dare come and look into my small sanctuary. Who will be brave enough to peer into my wings? Ah, it matters little, does it not? After all, in the years of lonesome existance, it has never matter who came, they all perished."

She turned to the lamp that now more sucessfully ligthed the main room of the shrine,"Perhaps, this will give me something to hold to, as that mirror youkai said. All I need is something love, right? It might give me something to cling to, but , why should I ever care?.... Mh, I do not think fixing the shrine was more than a way to entertain myself, but maybe, it opens new doors for me."

"Say, little ones, " once more she turned to the blooms in her soft touch,"Do you think I can fix what I did to myself?"

~~~~

The mole, known among the older residents who knew her name as Mochi, returned to her reclusive home closer to the exit of former Hell, where she now lived. She had been amused by Livid, reminded of Yuuka for some odd reason.  Bored old woman as she was, she pondered on how Livid would react to an actual visitor.

The youkai turned to write a letter requesting Yuuka to examine the odd flowers that may be of her interested in the shrine, careful not to mention it was a shrine and simply said 'in the back of the caves.' Knowing Yuuka a bit she made sure to add details that would make her curious about what the mole spoke of.

So, Youji sent the letter, and smiled. She would soon visit Livid and find out if her plan had worked.


~~~

This particular day, Livid woke up as usual and went about her tasks. Re-oiling the lamp and sweeping any debris, before heading to the back room as she usually did.  Maybe someone would arrive to the ominous shrine, and if they didn't well, the doors where wide open.

The demonic shrine maiden had just taken a seat the kotatsu in her room and had begun to peel what seemed to be a manderin, a rare treat she simply loved, when the dull thuds of footsteps caught her ear.

Livid was quick to get up, deciding to take care of the intruder before remembering that this was now a shrine open to the public. She simply set down her fruit and stood, undusting her skirt and comming back the way she had come, lingering at the door with a hand on the doorsill for a moment to examine the visitor.

The green haired woman seemed familiar, but she was more curious at the fact of how she seem to loom over her voiceless companions. Livid took a step out,"Ah, welcome to the shrine, how may I help you?" the demon asked, unsure if that was the correct speech.