Starting the "Being a God" Thing

A Mysterious Meeting (A Prologue of Sorts)

"Konbanwa."

I looked up from my music, startled that someone here actually felt brave enough to come up to me. Most of the time at sunset, it was just couples on romantic walks or elderly people who prefer just to watch from afar..

"Ah..." I almost automatically answer in English before remembering not to rely on habit and use honorifics, "Seishikina konbanwa." Surprisingly, I wasn't looking up at an old man. Before me, with a bemused smile, was a tall man in his 20's or 30's with glasses and white-blonde hair that was long enough to nearly pass his chin. Although the blonde hair threw me off, he was definitely Japanese. Had to be.

He smiled warmly. "Please don't worry. I do speak English. Sorry to disrupt you. I merely wanted to compliment your playing. I have seen you out here practicing before. This view surely beats those of the practice rooms in the university, and I'm sure park visitors enjoy the harp as much as I do." He nods to my left, towards Tokyo University of the Arts. A moment of silence lapses before he holds out a piece of paper. "I know this might seem sudden, but I would like to propose something to you" I reach out and accept the paper with both hands and a small bow.

"My name is Mikage. I have a shrine complex nearby," he begins, "I've written the address down on that paper. This may seem odd, but I would love to have you come and use that space to practice sometimes. It's quiet and safe – more safe than this park, especially after dark." As random of an interaction as this came to be, and even though I expected red flags popping up all over, I don't feel unsettled. There's something about him that's safe... And he's not offering me to come to some event or gathering of followers, which is usually the big red flag in Japan. "I'm not there often anymore, but I am sure the shrine attendants would appreciate the company and music. It's about the same distance from the university as this spot is, so I would hope it would not inconvenience you."

"This is, well, unexpected," I start, "I appreciate the generous offer, but –"

"Please," Mikage insists with a relaxed smile, "I do not intend to pressure you. I merely thought you would enjoy the space to play. Do come by sometime whenever you feel up to it."

I look back down at the unopened paper, attempting to come up with a polite way to turn him down. Looking back up to give an excuse, there's no one.

"What?" I sit straighter, looking all around me. "Mikage-sama?"

Nothing.

"That was... very weird..." I whisper to myself, opening the paper. "Did he even give me an address?"

Surprisingly, there was an address, and from what I could find with a google search, it belonged to a legitimate shrine. And below the address was an extra note scribbled out in messy English: Come, please. Play, and if Tomoe asks, say Mikage sent you. He will help you.

"Tomoe?"