Aoi

an age old spirit with a bit of an affinity for storytelling. or rather, showing up when it's other people doing the telling. most of the time, aoi is not corporeal, but rather, only shows up when summoned. it's just that summoning him... has become a lot easier over the years. aoi was born from the phenomenon of hyakkumonogatari, a game where after the telling of a hundred tales, a demon may appear. aoi is well versed in various illusory tricks, mostly to get a rise out of people. still, he is by no means a very dangerous spirit to encounter. at the end of the day, he's just a guy - somewhat of a hired entertainer, except one that simply shows up.

aoi's ability to surface anywhere, be it mirrors, shadows, or candle lights, has made him a wonderful asset for kazue's army, back in the day, one he sadly had to refuse. aoi was meant for mischief, and not some larger plan in life. his current lifestyle reflects this perfectly. now that his summoning ritual has vastly reduced in popularity, aoi finds himself a bit bored, and has taken up the craft of a merchant. he mans a relatively humble gardening store at the edge of Hexenring forest, that he manages together with his husband, Takuma. the two are almost complete opposites. where aoi is thoughtful, reserved and has a more gentle demeanor, takuma is rude and all over the place. the two get in more spats than aoi likes to admit, but scolding his husband is simply his way of showing affection.