Giyuu had just returned from a solo mission. Relatively simple, but it's enough for him to want to hide in his estate for the rest of the day and just nurse a cup of tea in his hands. Not drink it, rather just let the warmth seep through the cup and into his fingers, and Giyuu would soon toss it out as soon as it grows cold.
There's a familiar scratchy squawk, and Giyuu pauses, blank blue eyes looking up and immediately seeing his old crow flying towards him, his body dipping so much with every flap of his wings Giyuu momentarily worries his faithful animal companion is just going to collapse in a heap onto the dirt roads.
Thankfully that doesn't happen, and when he's close enough, Giyuu opens his arms, cradling the elderly crow once it crashes into his chest.
"Another mission?"
Giyuu gets another squawk in response from the trembling crow. A tired sigh falls from the ravenettes lips, and he gently runs his fingers over his crow's soft feathers. One of his very few hobbies includes helping him preen his feathers, keep them clean. It's a nice way to pass the time, and considering how long this old guy has had to put up with Giyuu, he deserves so much more than just a bit of pampering.
"Himejima Gyoumei and Tomioka Giyuu are to find and defeat a demon terrorizing the red light district!"
Giyuu's fingers halt in their movements.
"The Stone Pillar and I? Are you positive? You know you've steered me in the wrong direction before."
A faded and cracked beak quickly pecks at his fingers, and Giyuu huffs, continuing to stroke the bird.
"Himejima Gyoumei and Tomioka Giyuu!" he repeats.
The two of them have never been paired up together for missions before. Had Oyakata-Sama made a mistake? No, he never makes mistakes. He must just be testing out how compatible certain Pillars are with others. Whether it's more for Giyuu's sake, or for Himejima's, the Water Pillar is uncertain.
"Right. Got it." Giyuu drops his arms, and his crow falls, only a couple inches from hitting the ground before he remembers he has wings, and he flaps up and away, possibly to meet Himejima's crow. Giyuu can only hope it's more reliable than his own.
I'm going to leave this as one chapter word count 395
