Long life often some to falling into old habits, from the things you ate, to how you normally wanted to get things done. For Yasaka, over the centuries she often too drinking some tea first thing in the morning. Almost to the point where it became a ritual for her.
First, boil a pot of water in that year's favorite pot. Prepare a set of tencha leave in her mortar before taking a mortar and pestal to slowly turn them into a fine powder. With her strength and fine tune control, she could probably do it instantly but she found it didn't quite taste the same. Lacking that old elbow grease. Before pouring a good amount into a small teacup and combining it with the pipping hot water, instantly filling the air in this nice nutty aroma.
It never made much sense to her how people could just make entire gallons of this sacred brew like heathens, brewing a little at a time kept the process neat and cut down dramatically on waste especially with this strand of tencha being so incredibly hard to get her grubby paws on. Infused with an earthy Ki, these plants were grown in her own personal garden. Their growth was abysmally slow and she could barely collect enough every year to enjoy this small luxury.
And with how terrible things had been going, with her faction threatening to break apart, losing one of her most valuable allies while also facing the very real possibility of being turned into enslaved farmers. Combine that with the stress of having literal slavers within her territory, just so close to her own daughter, it was safe to say she could really, really use this time away from the throne.
She wasn't the leader of the Yokai Faction, didn't sit upon a seat of power nor even exuded the air of an empress. Her hair wasn't done up into anything special, wearing only a thick kimono to cover up her thin sleep attire. Servants knew not to bother her during this time and even the more rebellious council members knew trying to barge in now wouldn't achieve anything but a sleeper up their rear if they even tried trapping through this peaceful field.
Just as the blonde brought the searing hot tea cup to her lips, golden ears twitched in unison. One perking up and the other spinning to follow a commotion not too far from her dwelling. Letting out an annoyed sigh, she waved her hand, sending out a wave of pressure to crashing down. Slamming onto the stone latch locking her away from the outside world and allowed the door to come swinging open.
There, just outside her chambers, a group of thirty guards stood ramrod straight all surrounding a lone figure.
"-ed to speak to her, now!" A black haired woman faced down the group of Yokai, that lone braid twisting and turning in her grip as she tried to impose the desperate need through her crimson orbs. Wearing a simple black business suit, she looked every-bit the pretty salary woman ready to spend the next sixteen hours hunched before a desk. If not for the twin pairs of inky black wings huddled up close to her back. "This...is important!"
"Come in, Iaoel." Maybe it was her routine getting interrupted, or maybe it was how haughty the fallen angel had been but whatever the case, it made her want to make the crow squirm for a bit. Petty, sure, but blame her master for that. Turning to the guards, she dismissed them with a nod and as one, the lowered spears rose up high in the sky and they split down the middle to allow the fallen angel free passage. Who in turn quickly 'hopped' into the room with the same energy as...well a crow. Like she'd stumbled across something shinny or a tasty snack.
"Thank-you, thank Yasaka-sama! You won't regret this!" The Grigori representative hastily bowed deeply, not the bare minimum either. But nearly folding in half as she did so. And from her down turned face, she continued to speak. Not daring to raise her gaze, something completely uncharacteristic for fallen angels as a whole. "Your wisdom is only matched by your radiating beauty! How the sun bounces off your golden locks, it's like watching a sunrise in moral form!"
"Let's do away with the flattery." Yeah, Yasaka could easily sniff out an ass kisser especially when they were this close up. She just wanted to see whatever clause the Grigori tried slide in out of the way so she could finally get back to her one moment in the day reserved strictly for herself. Irresponsible, sure but before her cup of tea in the morning, she often wasn't the most responsible person to begin with. "I'm sure it must be something important if you decided to barge into my dwelling unannounced like this. What can I help you with?"
"We the Grigori wish to sign the treaty!" Iaoel straitened her spine and looked like a merchant being forced to drop their price as a potential customer walked away. Wringing her hands anxiously, everything came out in a stream. "If you don't add any more clauses and agree to what has already been edited from both our sides, then I will sign right now. Imbued with the authority of Lord Azazel, I can make that happen!"
"…" Now, this was pleasant surprise. The Grigori had the least to gain from this deal and their fruits. They weren't as numerous as the Devils who needed some boost to support so many youths, nor did they have as many human agents as the Church. They didn't breed warriors like the Aesir or were anywhere near as slothful and degenerate as Olympus. Sure these fallen angels talked a big game about being able to seduce anyone out there, but most of the backed down just when things were getting serious. The Greco/Romans were some real party animals. So with all that, she honestly expected the Grigori to be the last to sign. But now, here they were trying to broker a deal to be the first? Yeah, something was going on. "I'm not saying I'm not pleased to hear you wish to do so….but I must ask, why the sudden change of heart?"
"You-you see…" The fallen angel looked right about ready to lie or spin some tale but that urge must've been stamped down once those crimson orbs met gold. And then she tried to look as pathetic as possible. "I won't lie to you Yasaka-sama. The only reason we hadn't signed the treaty yet was because of your ongoing conflict the Devils. Everyone else is just waiting to see how much they can get out of you before adding in their own conditions to make things 'fair'. Even I was going to wait to get access to a few more slots but when those humans, the Five Principals Clans, showed up...I will admit, their presence did throw a wrench in our plans and we knew we had to seal this deal sooner than later before you came to an agreement with them. And it seems they posses a viper in their midst and orchestrated a conflict between the Grigori and your faction."
"Oh?"
"I will be frank because I know you will appreciate that enough not to completely burn the bridge between up, but they hired on our freelance agents, Slash Dog to try and deal with your master….But wait! We just want you to know that as the Grigori representative, their actions were not approved by us! None of the leadership gave him authorization to do so!"
"Is he dead?"
"Your m-"
"No, Slash Dog." Yasaka asked coolly, running the tip of her finger along the rim of the small tea cup. "If you're coming to me, that means my Master overcame him. So, I ask again, is Slash Dog dead?"
"No-no…" Iaoel dropped her head low. "I am sorry Yasaka-sama, but he is still a favored student of Lord Azazel and just before any real damage could done, he did compensate...pay for the life of Slash Dog to be spared. We're also willing to make concessions since it was one of our people to cause you distress, just please allow us the chance to pay for this mistake."
"…" The kitsune was silent for a women, finger freezing in place as a slow slow smile stretched across her lips. "Master must've scared Azazel pretty bad, huh? Guess we won't be seeing Slash Dog for awhile after this? Good, if you're leader has already paid the price for them to be spared from Master's wrath, then who am I as his disciple to try and under cut him like that?"
"Thank-"
"But, again. I am one of Master's disciple. And he always said to extract benefits whenever possible...So here's my price."