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Katsuo touched her shoulder, then gently slid his arm behind her and pulled her to him. Her pain was too much to allow room for surprise and she slumped against him, fighting the tears. “It’s okay to cry,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around her. “Even a kamigakari is allowed to cry.”
“Don’t start,” he snapped. “What were you thinking? Those aren’t harmless little children to play games with. And sliding down the hill—falling in a creek in this cold—” He snarled again. “Humans are so fragile. You need to be more careful.”
SHIRO POV
The sight of her drenched and trembling, freezing on the spot, wouldn’t leave his mind. So weak, he thought. No, he had decided fragile was the more accurate word. It was not something she could change with training or practice. She just *was*. Maddeningly easy to break.
Shiro had seen dead humans. Dying humans. Skin pallid as the blood failed to warm it. Eyes distant as they could not focus. Lips, blue and lifeless and cold.
As angry as he was for her recklessness, Shiro felt most angry at himself for how deeply the very real possibility of this little human’s death shook him.
“What does it mean to be a Kunitsukami?” she repeated. When he answered, the single word rang with cutting finality. “Alone.”
Dude, like. This is making me feel fucking SAD. SHIRO IS LONELY???? UGH. SOMEONE GIVE MY MAN A HUG FOR THE LOVE OF GOD
Edit after thinking about this while doing dishes: OH MY GOD YOU KNOW FUCKING WHAT, EMI HAS ALSO BEEN LONELY MOST OF HER LIFE. BUT NOW THEY HAVE EACH OTHERRRR. Two lonely people finding each other has gotta be one of my favs
“When Yumei first told me you had no memories,” Susano continued, “I did not believe him. How could such a fate befall one of us? But I can see it is more than true, and I can see the damage runs deep. You are broken, Inari. I did not think a Kunitsukami could break, but you have. And I do not know if your memories will be enough to make you whole again.”

