You Always Build It Better the Second Time Around

(Mika) Chapter 1 - Youth (Surely Wasted)

A/N: Please note that most original characters in this book are not real gods, and the names of Japanese deities I do use in this story may not be completely like their story/role in their mythology. I may or may not use other gods from different mythologies, but I'll let you know beforehand if I do. If you have questions about characters, I'll be happy to explain their role in this fan fiction, and if they are real gods, I'll explain their mythological background, too.

.....

I can't say I'm completely surprised at all. I mean, for some damned reason I'm put on a pedestal for all to see and love me. Honestly speaking, I am one of the lesser gods- and believe me, there are plenty of gods, but I hold no authority during meetings and I work alone. The other gods have familiars. Yes. Familiars. Multiple, in fact. Ten at the very least, though I wouldn't be surprised if the number went up after all this time. And me? I don't have any.

Well, actually, that's wrong. I didn't have any. And now I do. To top it off, he isn't a Divine Familiar, which means they've always been a familiar and serving the gods. My new familiar, Yuichiro (he says his name is), though his safe-word name is Seraph, was indeed a yōkai before becoming a familiar.

He appeared to me the doorstep of my shrine in the physical world of humans. Neither one of us looked... let's just say pleased, to know that he was given to me as a gift.

First thing, I don't accept gifts. I hate them. They're unnecessary and just cause more clutter in personal spaces. Sure, some would probably get mad at me and say that gifts are for special occasions, but us gods, especially a lesser god such as myself, has no "special occasions" and I still hate gifts. But, I can't say that considering this time the gift isn't an object. He's a living person...

Not only that but I have no right to refuse the gift this time, and absolutely no reason to want to. Aside from the fact that I'm used to the solitude.

Getting back to the original point, I'm not at all surprised one of the higher gods would pull a stunt like this, I just wasn't expecting it. At all.

I would've thought that owning a familiar, especially one that was a yōkai in the past, would be annoying to deal with; Yu is completely the opposite. He doesn't come to me for anything, nor does he bother me by talking.

He only speaks when spoken to, which is either strange for me to understand, or concerning. I know not what happens to yōkai who are trained and disciplined into obedient familiars, nor what it is they go through, but I've never seen a familiar this obedient and silent. Not to mention the fact that he's a fox.

A black one at that.

Contrary to white foxes who are more... actually I don't know what the difference between white and black foxes are. I just know there's a difference and its supposed to be meaningful or something.

Let's see...

Ah. White foxes are naturally more obedient, though they do have a mind of their own and are-

Hold on. A simpler way is to compare them to genies- like the ones from the bottle or lamp or whatever the hell it was. White foxes are like blue genies who obediently grant your wishes with little to no loopholes, and if there is a loophole, it's always not harmful or noticeable in any sort of way, and is simply there because of their sense of humor.

I actually don't know if that last part about sense of humor is true. I've never met a fox familiar before if anyone couldn't already tell.

Black foxes are like red genies, who are more hot-headed and will always, always find a loophole and use it no matter how big or harmful it is to their master.