#ror varuna

-Nadeshiko was scolding these full-grown men for their words and actions, tearing them to pieces with her words, calling them childish, especially for pulling in innocent people by attacking random places that both gods and humans frequent.

-She folded her arms when one tried to claim that they didn’t do that, trying to deny it, she pulled out one of the throwing knives with their logo on it, “Well the tea house I was at the other day certainly was. And this one almost hit me. Would you have taken responsibility if I had been hit? Or if a child had been hit?”

-The mood instantly shifted as Kondo came over, confirming the knife was similar, taking it from her as they were all quickly groveling, their heads on the ground as they begged for forgiveness.

-Ganesha then called out as he ran over, “Miss Nadeshiko~~!” her icy façade instantly melted as she smiled, opening her arms to embrace the child, “Hello again Ganesha, I’m happy to see you!”

-Shiva was stunned, seeing that his son knew this intimidating and beautiful woman, and he felt his throat tighten, seeing her smiling so warmly, but he was the only one, as most of the other Hindu gods were in awe, seeing this interaction with Ganesha.

-The members of Black Butterfly were in awe, seeing her hug this child before her gaze returned to them, her eyes narrowing, “Gods and humans can get along just fine, it’s narrowminded people like you who create problems and animosity between the two.”

-Ganesha smiled up at her, happy that she called him her friend, holding onto her free hand.

-Kondo went to stand when her eyes instantly narrowed, going on guard as the wall behind her seemed to explode inward.

-Several voices shouted out for Ganesha and her as well before she landed safely in front of Raiden, holding Ganesha close, having grabbed the child and leapt up easily, neither one getting hurt.

-Raiden was quickly standing, putting himself between whoever burst in and the swordswoman and child, as was Shiva.

-Nadeshiko turned, seeing Brahma after he put his hand on her shoulder, going to help her get away, and she was quick to smile down at Ganesha, passing him to Brahma before she stood, moving to stand with Kojiro.

-A group of men, both gods and humans, more members of Black Butterfly, ones that Kondo hadn’t captured before, as the situation turned bad again, realizing that this organization was larger than anyone had thought, seeing humans and gods from other pantheons as well.

-Nadeshiko removed the umbrella portion of her scabbard, eyes narrowed as she stepped forward, Kojiro instantly grinned, “We’ll cover you, Nadeshiko-chan!”

-Those now standing before the group of warriors were ones who didn’t know of her legend, of her power and skill as she shifted her leg back, one hand on her scabbard and the other on the hilt of her sword.

-She dashed forward, seeming to disappear, her hakama falling to the ground as she seemed to twirl around the huge group of people, glimpses of her blade flittering around.

-As quickly as she started, Nadeshiko landed back in front of Shiva, who was stunned, seeing her blade drawn and she slowly put it back in the scabbard, slowly exhaling as if she had been holding her breath.

-When the hilt met the scabbard, more than half the men in the group, who were all staring in shock at her, none feeling the pain of their wounds, suddenly collapsed, injured and unconscious, but not dead.

-Jaws dropped all around as Raiden and Kojiro charged in, followed by Kondo and Okita as she stayed back, relaxing as business was quickly handled.

-Arms wrapped around Nadeshiko’s knees and she turned with a small sound, seeing Ganesha who had sparkly bright eyes, “That was amazing!! You were so fast!”

-His praise seemed to embarrass her, her cheeks turning a bit red as she lifted a hand to her cheek, “You’re so sweet.” However, she was quick to find herself surrounded by Shiva’s three wives, who were quick to praise her as well.

-There were a little closer than Nadeshiko was comfortable for, feeling just a bit crowded by them, but she felt like she could handle it, for the moment.

-Nadeshiko silently questioned why Shiva needed three wives, before remembering that some lords in her own time had multiple wives, but at least Kali, Durga, and Parvati seemed to get along well with each other.

-The men dealt with the members of Black Butterfly, hauling them all out to be taken away, while the four women and Ganesha remained inside, as Nadeshiko had done her part taking out the majority of opponents.

-Shiva couldn’t help but grin, seeing his wives and son talking so easily to Nadeshiko, now a bit more relaxed, all of them looking happy.

-Nadeshiko stunned everyone, when the other gods of the Hindu pantheon came over, to praise her sword skills and thank her for the help, when she turned red, getting shy and instantly stepped behind Kojiro, holding onto his sleeve like a child.

-Raiden laughed warmly while Rudra and Vishnu were surprised, she was such a confident and intimidating woman, and to be suddenly showered in praise, being approached by men, most of them shirtless, that she was such a pure maiden.

-Nadeshiko pouted lightly at her friend as Raiden patted her back while Okita handed her hakama back to her which she put on, thanking the other swordsman.

-Two days later Shiva and his family met once again at Raiden’s house, this time with Ganesha as well, as he was a part of the family as well.

-Raiden greeted them all warmly, “Yo! Do you all want to have a drink before we get started?”

-Ten voices, in unison, all shouted out, “‘NO!’” which made Raiden boom with laughter before he led them in.

-Along with Kojiro, Kondo, and Okita, there were other rikishi as well, older ones who were a bit wiser, those who might have some good advice as well.

-The talks started off well enough, with Kondo inquiring the Hindu gods about what they had been dealing with before this meeting, such as the proposal letters or any threats.

-Each of the gods took turns, telling the group that letters had been sent in, letters of intent from someone else, like parents offering their daughter, or from the woman herself, as well as some anonymous letters with threats, something Zeus was now investigating, telling them to not marry a human.

-Raiden agreed, nodding his head, “I’ve heard men talking, other human men, saying they didn’t want any of their daughters marrying a god.”

-Shiva scowled lightly, scratching the back of his head lightly, annoyed to hear there was prejudice on both sides, gods wanting them to not marry a human and humans not wanting the gods to marry one of their own.

-Kojiro showed his wisdom, instead of just picking a random girl, “What kind of women do you all like then? I would hate to recommend someone who wouldn’t be a good fit and waste your time or hers.”

-Brahma spoke first, surprising the gods, “Someone who is calm. I deal with enough with Shiva’s shenanigans, I want someone more laid back.”

-Shiva immediately pouted, scowling over at Brahma, “You make it sound like you don’t like me~”

-Brahma sent him a small glare, “I do like you; I just don’t like the trouble you constantly cause the rest of us.”

-Vishnu nodded in agreement, “Someone intelligent would be nice. Someone to hold good conversations with.”

-Kali agreed with him, “I agree, someone to have in depth conversations would be nice to have, also a woman who will get along with the three of us, nobody vain or catty.”

-Parvati then piped up, “And they have to be nice to my son! And I agree with Kali, someone not shallow or mean to the three of us!”

-Everyone went back and forth, discussing good qualities they want in a woman before the other rikishi started to get involved, stating their own preferences in women and the discussions were quick to dissolve into arguments on which preferences were the best.

-Some tried to keep the peace, like Kondo and Kojiro, while others tried to get the group back on track, like Rudra, “What happened to helping us find a wife?!”

-Shiva sighed softly before he glanced to the side, seeing Ganesha looking a bit worried about the fighting, turning to give his son a small smile, putting his hand on his head, “Go play Ganesha, you don’t need to sit here with us while we’re arguing.”

-Ganesha was surprised but he nodded and headed outside, into Raiden’s yard where he had played numerous times, enjoying the cooler weather.

-He instantly grinned, seeing other children he had played with before, both god and human children who cheered out his name and he was quick to meet them as one of the boys told the Hindu god that they were going to go and play with a kickball.

-It had been almost a week since their first visit to Usagi’s house, and since that day, she’s had multiple visitors, if she was home.

-When she’s out training, Usagi will put one of two signs on her front door, one that says ‘dojo’ and one that says ‘mountain’, which tells anyone who comes to her house where she is.

-Usagi wasn’t sure what to make of these ten gods who were constantly seeking her out, meeting her at the dojo, at her home, and even catching her while she was walking from one place to the next; the only place they haven’t sought her out at was her mountain training grounds.

-Their insistence to come around made Usagi uneasy, she was unsure as to why, not understanding why, it wasn’t for Raiden, it was for her, because they always asked for her at the dojo, ‘What’s so special about me that keeps making them come back?’

-It was also the way they were approaching her that was confusing her, she had no issue sparring, as Shiva, Indra, and Rudra had all asked her for a match, wanting a challenge.

-It was when they approached her just to hang out, to ask her questions, that threw her for a loop.

-When Kali, Durga, and Parvati showed up to her home with a bag of self-care items, Kali smiling brightly, “Let’s do facial treatment and our nails, Usagi~”

-Usagi sat patiently, letting Parvati put the cream on her face while Durga was looking at her hands, “Wow! Your nails are really healthy looking!”

-Usagi gave them a small grin, flexing her hand a bit, “I try hard to take care of them, since they’re my weapons. It’s like taking care of a sword, if you don’t polish it and tend to it, it will break!” they were quick to understand the reasoning behind this.

-Kali was painting her nails while Parvati did Durga’s nails, “Your fingers are a bit thick; did you break them?” Kali didn’t mean it in a cruel way, but Usagi’s cheek did turn pink, looking away, “Yeah- if you break your bones when you’re young, they heal stronger.”

-The three women were instantly in Usagi’s face, all yelling at her in concern, “You willingly broke your fingers?!” “Are you okay? Any lasting damage?!” “What were you thinking, doing something so reckless?!”

-Usagi never had someone treat her like this, to most martial artist it was common knowledge, and most karate masters did the same thing. She had broken all of her fingers multiple times when she first started in karate, strengthening her bones.

-She felt a bit uneasy by their concern, looking away a bit embarrassed, “I… thank you for your concern. I’ve never had anyone… nobody’s ever reacted like this before.”

-They all froze, processing her words before they leaned back, looking a bit solemn now which made Usagi a bit frantic, worrying as she hadn’t meant to upset them, showing her kind heart.

-When Usagi washed off the facial cream, she was in awe, holding her cheeks, “It’s so smooth!” the other three woman giggled at her reaction, finding it amusing as they had all gone to her large bathroom to wash their faces.

-Parvati looked around, a bit confused, “Do you not have a bathtub?” Usagi, patting her face with a towel, nodded towards the other door in the room, “That leads to the onsen.” She opened the door, and their eyes went wide, seeing a mini private onsen, their eyes turning into sparkles as they turned back to Usagi.

-The taller woman giggled, “Most bathtubs don’t fit people my height, easily at least, so I invested in this quite a few years ago. It’s the best when it’s snowing, and I’ve got a jug of hot sake!”

-The three women shivered, having been victims to one too many of Raiden’s drinking parties, which made Usagi laugh warmly, and they couldn’t help but stare, seeing her joy.

-Agni was the next to visit her, catching Usagi on her way home from the mountain, her hair down and wet, calling out to her.

-She greeted him warmly, giving a polite smile as he caught up with her, “May I walk you home?” she was surprised by his question, but agreed.

-On the way Agni asked her simple questions, like her favorite food or favorite fruit, which surprised her, a bit curious as to why he wanted to know these things about her.

-She did answer each question, in turn asking them in return, to be polite, which made him smile warmly. He wasn’t really scary looking, to her anyway, as she had overheard some of the other rikishi saying he did look a bit alarming because he didn’t look human like many of the others.

-When they arrived at her home, Usagi invited him in for tea, as thanks for walking her home and he agreed, beaming brightly, before he forgot to duck, and his head smacked her doorframe.

-Agni did feel a bit embarrassed as he sat cross-legged, letting Usagi smooth a bandage over his forehead, as he had busted himself open, but did enjoy being doted on.

-Usagi did like seeing someone who was taller than her, besides her grandpa, as not many, at least in the Shinto pantheon, were as tall as her, as most Japanese men were usually on the shorter side, the same with women.

-Later that same day, Usagi was outside in her backyard, tending to her vegetable garden, when she heard someone call out her name and she turned, finding Brahma coming over.

-He was stoic looking, having a permanent resting bitch face, but Usagi wasn’t really bothered as he approached, seeing the basket of vegetables in her arms as she stood, greeting him with a polite bow.

-He looked at her garden behind her, “You’ve worked hard on this.” she smiled at his compliment, thanking him and he felt happy to see her smile as he came a bit closer, “I don’t recognize some of these vegetables, will you teach me.”

-Usagi knew Brahma as the creator god in Hindu religion, so his curiosity about something new was understandable, as he wanted to learn more.

-Usagi taught him about the vegetables and herbs she had growing in her garden, pointing out each one, kneeling down next to him while he was squatting.

-He surprised her by taking the basket when she stood, “I’ll carry this for you inside.” Her eyes were wide before she thanked him, offering to make him some tea as thanks which he agreed to. He was quiet compared to the other members of the Hindu pantheon, except for Vishnu and maybe Indra, but she didn’t mind, despite being quiet, he was good company.

-Rudra met Usagi the next morning at the dojo, greeting her warmly, “Would you like to spar with me?” and she agreed with a grin.

-They went to the outside sparring area, it was a little cool but pleasant, both were comfortable to be outside for the match.

-The two fighters started off a bit light, asking each other questions while exchanging blows and kicks, not taking each other too seriously, warming up.

-Rudra threw a harder punch, which Usagi caught easily, “Answer me this Usagi, did you find Shiva difficult to fight?”

-She surprised him by moving rapidly, leg sweeping him, but he backflipped, catching himself and springing back onto his feet, “I don’t know if difficult is the word I would use. He was fun to fight since I didn’t have to hold back.”

-Rudra caught one of her arms, grabbing it with two of his arms and tried to flip her but he cried out in shock as she easily picked him up, hauling him off the ground by the arm he was holding before throwing him in a judo throw, slamming him into the ground.

-He stared up at her in awe as she put her hands on her hips, grinning down at him before she offered him a hand, easily hauling him back up to his feet.

-He rubbed his upper left shoulder lightly, “Was that you holding back?” she grinned over at him, stunning him with her smile, “It was. If I wasn’t you’d probably be unconscious.” He laughed warmly, thinking she was joking, before realizing she was not.

-Loud laughter filled the air and the two turned, seeing Shiva walking over, punching his lower fists together, “Usagi~ can I have a turn now?” he was beaming up at her, little flowers appearing around him in glee.

-His enthusiasm to fight did throw Usagi off a bit, while Rudra was rolling his eyes, seeing Shiva not even trying to hide his affections for her.

-Just like before, Shiva didn’t start off too seriously, hopping around easily, dancing around Usagi, who was shocked when her strikes missed, hitting an after image.

-Shiva managed to get Usagi down to her knees, but she was quick to grab him by his neck, pinning him below her, but his legs wrapped around one of her arms and three of his arms grabbed her other arm, trying to flip her.

-Usagi breathed in deeply before standing up, holding Shiva up with ease, shocking both him and Rudra, their jaws both dropping as his arms let her one arm go, waving around to keep his balance before two of his hands grabbed her gi, holding himself up.

-She smiled up at him as he gawked down at her, shocked that she easily picked him up, “Do I even weigh anything to you?” she laughed warmly, stunning him before she grinned, “Like a sack a rice!” he pouted lightly, even more so when Rudra referred to him as Rice for the rest of the day.

-The following day was Usagi’s day off and she slept pretty late, well past nine and as she sat down to enjoy some hot tea to get going, “Usagi~ you home?”

-She wasn’t irritated with Varuna, who beamed up at her as she opened her front door for him, inviting him in, but she was beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed, if she had to use a word, with all the random visits.

-Varuna handed her a basket of persimmons, “Here this is for you! Raiden said they were in season and told me to share some with you.”

-Her eyes softened at the gift, “I think I have some dried ones too; I’ll make some tea and we can share these.” She missed the way his eyes sparkled, thinking he was just excited to have a snack.

-He ate a fresh one first then a dried one, his eyes turning into stars, “It’s the same fruit but it tastes totally different! It’s so much sweeter!!”

-Usagi smiled lightly at his reaction, thinking it was rather cute, “I made those ones last year, I prefer the ones that have been preserved more than the fresh ones. The hard work that goes into preparing them makes them much tastier!”

-Varuna gazed at her smile, entranced before he spoke, completely serious, “You look good when you smile, Usagi.” She started a bit, shocked at his words before her cheeks turned just a bit pink, looking away a bit bashfully, but saying nothing.

-Indra found Usagi the following day, holding a bag of groceries, some wrapped fish and vegetables she didn’t have growing in her garden.

-She was still wearing her gi, as she had finished training for the day and decided to shop on her way home, but Indra waved her down, calling out her name.

-She greeted him warmly, with a soft smile and he gave a small grin back, nodding towards the dojo, “You up for a match?” she glanced down to her groceries before she smiled, “If it’s a quick one, sure.”

-They went to the outdoor arena and Indra put out his cigarette and almost immediately charged at Usagi, who easily caught him, stunning him as she slammed him into the ground, “Fighting dirty I see~” he heard her tone, teasing him as they went back and forth for a while.

-A cawing bird then caught their attention after about ten minutes and Usagi’s eyes went wide, “My groceries!!” as a large crow flew off with her bag.

-Instantly she fell to her hands and knees, gloom surrounding her in anguish.

-Indra felt bad, scratching his cheek as he inadvertently caused this mess to happen, “C’mon Usagi, I’ll buy you new ones.” She was going to protest, but he heard nothing of it, having her take him to the places where she bought her groceries.

-She thanked him, once they were done shopping, giving him a warm, sincere smile, which made him stare from behind his bangs, before he gave her a soft nod and walked her home.

-Vishnu arrived home right as Usagi was finishing her dinner that same night, having prepared grilled salmon, rice, and tomato miso soup, something she had been craving.

-He was holding a bottle of nice plum wine, handing it to her, “This is for you, Raiden recommended it to me.” she thanked him before inviting him in, “I apologize but I don’t have enough fish for the both of us, but I have extra rice and soup, if you would like to join me.”

-He put his hand over his heart, bowing his head lightly, “Thank you for your hospitality.” Usagi wanted to ask him why they had all been visiting her so often, honestly feeling a bit drained as she set the food down before him as well as a mug of tea which he thanked her for.

-He watched her thank for the food and he spoke, “Why do you say thanks before each meal?” she smiled, swallowing her rice, “It’s to thank the hard work of everyone, the earth for growing the ingredients, the rivers and ocean for the fish, the farmers, fishermen, and butchers. We thank everyone and everything that goes into preparing our meals.”

-His eyes were wide at her explanation, not realizing how deep the meaning behind it actually was, before his eyes softened and he nodded, thanking her for the explanation.

-His hands moved to the back of his head and removed his mask, setting it on the table and Usagi’s eyes went a bit wide as his handsome face was revealed.

-She kept composed, as he wasn’t the first handsome man she had seen, her recent guests were all handsome in their own way, and beautiful in the case of Shiva’s wives.

-Usagi’s gaze fell just a bit, her eyes focusing on her rice, ‘They’re all so attractive… so why are they bothering with someone like me? Why are they all coming around so much?’

-After seeing Vishnu off, wishing him well after sharing some of the wine with him, she sighed softly, shoulders sagging before she lifted one of her hands to her opposite shoulder, rubbing gently as she dealt with the dishes before going to soak in her onsen.

-The following day, Usagi was surprised but also relieved when none of her guests sought her out, letting her have an alone day for once.

-She was enjoying her time at her mountain training grounds, where new boulders appear almost daily, due to magic, so she can punch them to rubble as she wishes, training her body.

-Usagi was lifting a large boulder above her head, throwing it into a pile to clear out her area when a voice spoke up, “Whoa- are you Usagi?!” she turned and was surprised to see a child with the head of an elephant.

-Despite having not met this child before, Usagi knew who this was, Ganesha, Parvati and Shiva’s son, as Parvati had shown the martial artist pictures of him during their self-care day.

-She turned with a smile as the child approached, “I am, and you’re Ganesha, right?”

-He beamed up at her, his hands on his hips, “That’s me! Papa was right- you are strong!!” she scratched her cheek, feeling a bit embarrassed by his words, but at the same time, his praise made her feel a little fluffy.

-The praise of children always made her feel happier compared to her peers, as she knows kids are brutally honest, but Usagi appreciates that honesty, “Did you come all the way up here on your own?” He beamed, proud of himself, “Mr. Raiden told me how to get here after I asked where you were.”

-Ganesha stayed to the side while Usagi trained, rattling off tons of questions, asking her about her fighting style, what it was like fighting his papa and his uncles, Rudra and Indra, and about the food she had prepared.

-Usagi took it all in stride, answering each of them, making Ganesha laugh when she easily picked him up to move him to another rock, picking him up easily, which made her grin.

-Once she was done she rinsed off under the waterfall and Ganesha laughed, splashing in the river, “It’s so cold!!” which made her giggle lightly.

-She offered him a hand, “Wanna head back to the dojo now?” he beamed, taking her hand, “Let’s go! Mama and papa should be wondering where I am.” She froze, turning white before she spoke, having to ask, “Did you come here without telling anyone?”

-He looked surprised by her question, like he didn’t understand it, “No I told Mr. Raiden when I told him I was going to come and find you!”

-Usagi paled, knowing her grandpa had the attention span of a fly if it had to do something other than fighting, eating, drinking, or Thrud, sighing softly, “Well let’s get back soon so they don’t worry.”

-As she expected, the dojo was in an uproar, everyone tearing the place apart looking for Ganesha, panicking.

-Usagi looked down at Ganesha with a smile, “I’m gonna yell, so cover your ears for a second, okay?” he beamed, nodding and did as she asked before she pulled her arms in tightly at her side, almost like she was going to punch something, tensing her abs before, “KNOCK IT OFF!!!!”

-Her voice carried through the dojo, stunning it into silence as the door to the main dojo slid open, revealing Usagi and Ganesha, safe and sound to everyone in attendance.

-While Parvati and Shiva checked over their son, Usagi was pouting up to her grandpa, “Ganesha said he told you where he was going! Why did you let the dojo get so worked up?!”

-Shiva turned, “WHAT?! YOU KNEW?! RAIDEN YOU BASTARD!!” before he charged at your grandfather, the two of them locked up in a fight while Usagi rolled her eyes at them.

-Parvati instantly relaxed, “If you were with Usagi, then I know you were safe.” Ganesha beamed as the three of them went to the wrap around patio as the other gods and the rikishi came out to watch the fight, “Usagi’s super strong mama! She picked me up so easily and broke boulders with her bare hands! Then we played under the waterfall! It was really cold!!”

-She giggled as Kali sat on the other side of Ganesha, with Parvati on his other side, Usagi next to her and Durga next to Usagi as his mother giggled, “I wondered why you were damp when I hugged you.”

-Ganesha then looked over at Usagi, “Hey-hey Usagi, so when are you gonna marry papa and the others?” the four women froze, turning to Ganesha, the three co-wives instantly flushing as they had been discussing it, the ten gods, about all of them marrying Usagi and he wanted to know too.

-Usagi was stunned, her eyes wide before she grinned, “I don’t know about marriage Ganesha. Marriage has never been a big thing in my life to fuss over.” The four looked at her, worried as her tone was a bit softer, sadder, before Durga spoke, “What do you mean Usagi?”

-The taller woman rubbed the back of her head, scratching lightly, “I’ve never been approached by a man before, unless if it was to fight. So, when it came to romance and relationships, I was the one that was always alone. Nobody I’ve ever met wants a woman twice their size who can break boulders with her bare hands and break log with her thighs.”

-Their eyes were sparkly, Kali beaming up, “You can do that with your thighs?!” Usagi blushed a bit, her cheeks turning a bit pink before she grinned, leaning her forearms on her knees, hunching over, “Yeah, was able to do it back on earth. But it’s stuff like that, that turns men away from pursuing me romantically. I’ve only had it happen once here in Valhalla, but it turned out to be a cruel prank.”

-Their eyes widened, Parvati’s eyes narrowing, “What did you just say?” Usagi looked a bit worried, as she hadn’t meant to upset her friends, but explained, looking out at the fight, “There was a man who approached me, asking me out on a date, even giving me flowers, saying he was attracted to me. I showed up to the date, dressed up with Thrud’s and Hlokk’s help, and he was there with his friends… they laughed so much at me so much that-that I… he said nobody would want a woman like me, nobody but a beast or a bear would- would want me...”

-They could only stare in horror at what they heard, listening without judging, hearing her voice crack a few times, breaking their hearts, hearing the torment she went through.

-Usagi was quick to hide her pain behind a bright smile, “It all ended well however, I was crying too much to be able to walk home without hurting myself or others, so I came to grandpa, and he said he would take care of it. I found out the next day he beat all of them up and broke the bastard’s spine who tricked me, putting him in the hospital and threatening to do worse if he ever treated me or any other woman like that again.”

-They gawked, a bit in shock before Kali smiled, “Raiden’s a good grandfather.” Usagi nodded, giving her a grin in agreement.

-Once the fight was over, everyone said their goodbyes and headed home; along the way to their home, Kali, Parvati, and Durga told the other seven gods, what happened to Usagi, which immediately infuriated most of them, hearing of the cruel treatment.

-Shiva punched his right hands into his left hands, “Sounds like an ass beating to me!” but his wives were able to keep him by their sides.

-Varuna then spoke, “That’s probably why she reacted in such a way when I flirted with her the other day, almost like she was uneasy with it.” Vishnu nodded in agreement, “Agreed, seems like all her past trauma and the incident with that lowlife did a number on her, she hasn’t really reacted to any of us in a romantic way, right?”

-Agreements went around, the Hindu gods quickly realizing that Usagi didn’t realize they had been flirting with her, courting her, she just thought they were being friendly since they were Raiden’s friends.

-It had been several trips from the gods of the Hindu pantheon to the Shinto pantheon, to meet with Raiden, Kojiro, and many others, who were trying to help them find a wife, but so far with no luck.

-Mainly due to everyone arguing over what are the best qualities in a wife, which often led to fights and then drinking parties.

-News had quickly spread across the different pantheons that the Hindu gods had been going to the Shinto pantheon quite frequently, and someone blabbed that they were looking for a human wife there.

-More gods and some humans from other pantheons had started to visit, many were just curious, meaning no harm and got to see some of the culture and the humans were so hospitable to the visitors, introducing them to some new cuisine.

-While there were some humans who were trying to warn the humans of the Shinto pantheon not to allow any of their daughters to be married off to these gods.

-The gods were not above threatening humans with daughters, threatening them that they had better not let these strong gods marry their daughters, not seeing them as worthy enough.

-Kondo, Okita, and the other Shinsengumi members were being run ragged by all of the conflicts and eventually some of the Shinto deities had to intervene with the gods who were trying to threaten their worshippers on their home turf!

-Many of the Shinto gods were not bothered by the idea of one of their human daughters marrying the Hindu gods, as long as she was happy, healthy, and safe, giving Shiva and the others their blessings in finding a wife there.

-Raiden surprised the gods by having a catered feast prepared when they arrived at his home, a bright grin on his lips, “We’ve been working hard at this, so today is a break to just relax and enjoy good food with friends!”

-Shiva grinned and instantly the party started, eating, drinking, and just having fun.

-Raiden was sitting with Ganesha in his lap, as the child liked this giant human, “Mr. Raiden, I want zenzai!” he just grinned brightly, patting the top of his head and had someone bring the child what he requested.

-Parvati leaned over, “Have you had that dish before Ganesha?” the child beamed brightly, “I have! I met a nice lady when I was playing with my friends here last time! One of my friends got hurt and she took us to our house and put bandages on her and gave us zenzai to calm us down!”

-Parvati smiled, hearing of such a kindhearted woman as Ganesha offered his mother a taste of the treat which made her smile as it was so tasty! He beamed at her, “This one is tasty, but hers was so much better!”

-Raiden just laughed and ordered some for everyone to have a toast, a cheer ringing through the building as they all enjoyed the sweet treat.

-Raiden lifted his glass to his lips and his eyes instantly snapped open as something flew at him, shattering his glass and embedded in the wall behind him as he managed to dodge at the last second.

-Vishnu and Indra were instantly at the large open door, looking out while Rudra quickly stood, moving to Raiden, finding a kunai blade imbedded in the wall with a note, ‘Get out!’ and on the back was a simple picture of a black butterfly.

-Kojiro immediately went and got Kondo and Okita, telling them of the attack and Kondo glared when he saw the symbol, “Damn it- this group, Black Butterfly is what we’ve been calling them, have been threatening people all over the pantheon, places where gods and human both flock to, like this place!”

-Parvati was hugging Ganesha tightly, worried for his safety, calming only slightly when Agni pulled her into his arms, to protect her.

-Shiva sneered down at the kunai, knowing a challenge when he sees one, “Guess I’m going to need to meet with Zeus about this. Someone doesn’t want us here.”

-Zeus took the threat seriously, as he had been getting letters from gods, anonymously, threatening action if this marriage was allowed to still happen, and to hear that gods and humans were being threatened, merely for being in the same place, for being friends, enraged the Greek god to no end.

-Zeus set up guards all around the Shinto pantheon, and Odin asked Brunnhilde to have the valkyries patrol there as well until more information was gathered about this organization and about the gods who were so against this marriage.

-Shiva refused to let his family be put in danger, attending by himself or sometimes with one of the men of his family, going in small groups now, to not draw attention to themselves.

-Most of the marriage talks had halted, as everyone’s focus was now on finding this group, so they could safely start planning again.

-Nadeshiko had been at a tea house, one that both gods and humans had frequented, when it had been attacked, dodging a kunai that was thrown into the building not aimed at her specifically, as whoever threw them just threw them and ran, not caring who they hit.

-She pulled the kunai out of the wall after calming the tea shop owner, finding the same message ‘Get out!’ and the picture of the black butterfly.

-She approached one of the guards Zeus had sent, a demi-god, with the kunai, reporting that the tea shop had been attacked and he thanked her before rushing off to investigate.

-Nadeshiko had heard about these marriage talks, mainly from just listening to gossip at the tea house, that the Hindu gods had to marry a human woman, and they had been meeting with Raiden, who Nadeshiko knew very well, about advice on who to choose.

-Three days later, Usagi was asked a question, outside the dojo after she came down from the mountain, finding the eleven Hindu gods, including Ganesha, waiting for her.

-It had been several days since she had seen these gods, and while she had been a bit uneasy, unsure, of why they had all been coming around, she had to admit that she did miss them.

-She approached with a smile, relaxing as many smiled back, greeting her warmly and she returned it.

-Shiva then approached, looking focused and determined, “Usagi I need to ask you something important! Will you allow the ten of us to court you to be our bride?”

-She froze, her eyes wide, looking down at him in complete shock, while she wasn’t good at realizing when she was being flirted with, they realized that they needed to be direct with their affections and intentions with Usagi.

-Her eyes filled with confusion, one eyebrow lifting, like she didn’t believe him, “Why?”

-They were stunned by her words, as they hadn’t been expecting that answer, before Rudra approached, “We like you Usagi, we all do and all wish to marry you!”

-She looked around at the ten gods, many who were smiling at her, all of them looking dead serious, but she didn’t believe them, her eyes narrowing only slightly, thinking they were playing a prank on her, “All ten of you?”

-Each of them answered her, including the three wives who were smiling up at her after they had approached, telling her that they were indeed serious about their affections.

-Vishnu, Parvati, Shiva, Rudra, and Brahma were easily able to see that she was upset, almost angry, not believing them, seeing the pain in her eyes as her mouth tensed lightly, her lips drawing in just a bit in anger.

-Shiva took one of her hands, holding with two of his own, “Usagi, I swear upon the one thousand one hundred and sixteen gods in the Hindu pantheon, our feelings for you are genuine! We want to marry you!”

-She stared down at him, her eyes wide, almost like she was fearful, looking down at his hands gripping her own. His hands were trembling, only just slightly, but his grip was firm, her eyes fell to it, and she saw how her hands were almost twice the size of his own, covered in scars.

-She bit her lip as she felt her eyes starting to sting, “Why…why would you want me of all people?” her self-esteem, with relationships, was struggling at the moment, panicking, which they could see, she just couldn’t believe that they wanted to marry her.

-Varuna spoke first, “Because you’re nice! You treat everyone you come across with so much respect, even if they’re rude to you in return!”

-Indra nodded, holding an unlit cigarette between his lips, “You’re also strong, but that strength has gentleness to it, you took care of Ganesha a couple of days ago!” Parvati spoke next, “He’s right, and Ganesha hasn’t stopped talking about how kind you were to him!”

-Each one of them took turns, saying nice things to her, making the tears well as she felt a warmth in her chest, hearing their praise, hearing their words.

-Shiva then spoke, getting her attention back on him, “You’ve captivated us, Usagi! Everything about you has caught all of our attention and we want to know more- see more, we want to be with you. But I- we won’t force you to decide right now, we’re willing to be patient.”

-His words made her throat clench as her lips wobbled lightly, trying not to cry before he squeezed her hand softly, smiling so softly up at her, before releasing her and Ganesha hugged her around her knees before they took their leave, giving Usagi space, but she saw the smiles on each one of them as they left here in the dojo yard.

-The following day, after not being able to sleep, her mind running a million miles per hour but she couldn’t seem to string together a single thought, she went to her grandpa and Thrud, wanting their advice.

-Thrud was overjoyed, hearing about the proposal, as was Raiden, happy for his granddaughter, but Thrud was quick to see the look on Usagi’s face was one not of joy, but worry and confusion, and when she calmed, so did Raiden.

-Thrud knew what Usagi was going through well, as she towered over even Raiden, more than a head taller than him, men were always afraid of her, seeing her as someone too strong, more like a beast than a woman, until she met the man who captured her heart with his pure love for her.

-Unaware of the Hindu gods, who just arrived and while not good manners on their part, eavesdropped on their conversation as Usagi spoke first, “I’ve never dealt with anything like this before, except for that bastard that you broke in half, grandpa. I-I don’t know what to do?!”

-Thrud shushed her softly, trying to calm her down, “Do you believe the words of Lord Shiva and the other gods?” Usagi was silent for a long few moments before she answered, “I don’t know. They looked so serious but… I’ve never had anyone come after me in this way before, I don’t know if they’re just pranking me or if they’re really serious or not!”

-Shiva’s eyes widened slightly, shocked that Usagi didn’t believe them, she didn’t believe their affection for her was genuine!

-Raiden then spoke, asking a question, “Why don’t you believe them? Did something happen that made you not trust them?” Usagi shook her head, “No- but… I’ve never gotten attention like this before, even while I was alive, and all of the sudden ten gods want to marry me. It’s hard to… hard to believe.”

-Thrud was a bit surprised, inquiring further, “Nobody’s every approached you?” Usagi shook her head, laughing humorlessly, “Even when I served under the Emperor, who offered to give a large dowry on my behalf, nobody stepped forward. Nobody wanted to be married to a woman like me.”

-Raiden glared hard, putting his hand on her head, trying to comfort her, “What do you mean a woman like you? You’re strong, beautiful, you know how to cook and sew, you’d be a great wife!!”

-Usagi sighed softly, looking down at her hands on her lap as she was sitting on her knees before Thrud spoke gently to her lover, “Not everyone see big women like Usagi and I as women.”

-Raiden laughed warmly, not seeing the seriousness of the situation, trying to laugh it off, “What’s wrong with being a big woman? I love-” Usagi snapped at him, cutting him off, shocking everyone as she never did anything like that, “Not all men are like you, grandpa! Not every man likes bigger women! Men want pretty, petite women like Parvati! Not women like…not like me.” her voice trailed off, getting softer as she spoke, as tears pooled over, slipping down her cheeks as she began to cry.

-Raiden, now realizing that he shouldn’t have laughed, looked solemnly at Usagi, offering her a soft apology, taking her hand on his own, giving it a small squeeze as Thrud tried to dab her tears away.

-Parvati was trying to control her own tears, hearing Usagi’s words, her fears, while the others wanted to storm in and hug Usagi and shower her with affection and give her all the love she deserved and more.

-Shiva stood suddenly and slammed the sliding door open, actually knocking it off the track, shocking the three warriors, and instantly his blood was hot, seeing Usagi in tears as Raiden shouted, “Hey Shiva! What-” he was cut off by Shiva immediately embracing Usagi, hugging her tightly, wrapping all four arms around her as far as they would go.

-His wives and Ganesha were quick to join, as Thrud smiled, leaning back as the gods, some a bit more enthusiastically than others, were quick to join in the massive hug, with Agni’s arms wrapping around the whole group.

-Usagi was stunned and embarrassed all at the same time, realizing that they had heard the conversation between her, Thrud, and Raiden, but she was stunned that they were hugging her now, hugging her as if she would disappear if they were to let her go.

-Shiva’s eyes were closed as he spoke, “You may not believe us now, but we’ll prove it to you! We’ll court you and take you on dates and anything you would ever need to see that we’re all serious, Usagi!”