Tao's Sky Garden, Astrid

Kazegami Taomin, the Wind Goddess of the Veritas, finally exited her Sky Sanctum -- her Holy Place -- to step out into her Sky Garden, Astrid, for the first time in a long while. Here, she spent her time in serenity, doing her art, and finding muse in whatever she would. She was at total peace here, unperturbed and undisturbed by all. This place was more or less forbidden to only her, however under her bidding, others were allowed. For the moment, she would simply enjoy the vibrant spectra of colors that rippled about the land, for the Sky Garden had flowers of every color and every variety, and all manner of inspirational beauty, since it was one of the Empyrean Isles.

She wasn't naked, as she normally was, because she didn't feel wild, as she tended to be. Instead, she felt as she did in her prime -- when she was a Divine Priestess for her Japanese Shrine. To that regard, she donned her pitch black kimono, which covered her body entirely, and faded into transparency around the hems, with no vision of her feet or hands. Her long, black, wild hair fluttered like the wind as she slowly passed into her realm, and her eyes glowed a vivid green -- just as the markings on her face and body.

Sprouting from her rear were several black fox tails tipped with different colors, something like calligraphy brushes. Her sleeves were pressed together in chastity, and there was an uncommon air of serenity about her where she normally had a vicious and feral demeanor elsewhere. Here, she was untainted, and also not triggered. Sinuously flowing behind her, Taomin's tails whorled slowly, creating majestic works of art from her expression of self; simple and impermanent things, something like doodles, which surrounded her and then dispersed into manna in the air.

Everywhere she looked, she saw only goodness and beauty, which kept her at peace in herself, in her Holy Land. For so long, she hadn't been in a place of peace, and had indulged quite heavily in her wild pleasures. But Tao was not just a wild spirit that relished in her own craziness -- she, originally, was a very gentle, serene, and loving soul, who was also quite the creative. She used to spend a lot of time before her 18th birthday doing all kinds of art at the Shrine. For the first time in forever, she felt like she did before the Demonic Possession... Back when she was just a Shrine Maiden that wanted to do what was good and to be holy.

This is why this land was so sacred to her.

Within Tao was her ancient Spirit Guardian, Aeris Tiamat, otherwise known as Tia, who watched over and taught her the ancient ways, as well as matters of her own spirit. She had been bonded with Tao for a while as a variety of different beings throughout her entire life, but their union together made her the unique and complete being which symbolized the two of their spirits as one. She resembled Tao in almost every way, except for her hair -- and, of course, her skin, which was pitch black. The image of her sprouted from Tao's body, blended with it, and only split from the neck, in order to speak to her. Their faces were side by side, but Tia's face was actually much more translucent. Her violet eyes were like both a cat's and a reptile's, but were not hostile... And held an air of serenity, as well.

"... Ah, I Suppose You Are Finally At Peace In Your Soul Then, Divine Maiden...?" Though Aeris Tiamat herself was the embodiment of a primordial Goddess, she was still subservient to Taomin, due to Tao's subdual of her in combat a long while ago, and their clashing with each other over time when Tia was the Living Shadow that overpowered and commanded Tao... The Demon that possessed her. "... I Never Thought I'd See The Day You'd Return To Your Self Before You Were Given Unto Me By Your Parents... Not That I Ever Wished For That Until After Our Bout... Hmhmhm~!" Tia spent a great deal of time trying to educate Tao in regal and graceful manners and demeanor, but Tao was... Not a slow learner, but a free spirit that simply refused to do anything she didn't want to. It was quite the challenge for the Primordial Chaos Goddess, but she had her work cut out for her with this chaotic child, and did so enjoy it, despite their frequent altercations due to the clashing chaos between the two of them. But Tao was the protégé she always wanted, and was happy their spirits were united.

"You Look Beautiful, Dear," Tia spake with a genuine sincerity for Tao's growth, "The Very Gorgeous Dragon Queen I Always Wished For You To Be." Tia was quite overjoyed, yet retained her own composure. "Now Then -- Remember What I Taught You, Dear. Poise And Composure, Darling." In the same position that Tao was in, so too was Aeris Tiamat, though superimposed to her position. Her sleeves, too, were bound, and her back upright, just as Tao. When she moved, so did Tia, but it seemed almost like she was the one keeping Taomin in the upright position, moving with regality. The same way Tao's fox tails moved, that was how Tia's hair flowed -- her long, flowing, royal purple hair.

As stoic as Taomin was walking along, she was quite attentive, because she was at peace, and her mind was not racing, which allowed her natural senses to amplify. Her thoughts were transliterated into her arts from her tails, and what she created in the nine different instances would take the shape of what thoughts did happen to cycle about. "Christ, I Created A Character A Long Time Ago Who Has All These Diacritic Marks On Every Letter Of Her Name, And I Think I Did It Correctly Back Then, But Damn It All, They Don't Even Have Phonetic Pronunciations Of It Online For Me To Listen To. And I Remember Clearly Researching All These Diacritic Marks Back Then Just To Make That Name, But I Don't Really Know Completely How To Pronounce It. I Think I Got It The Best I Could, But Between These Glottal Stops And Interpuncts Horns And Underdots And... Like, Fuck... This Had To Have Been 2006?"

Tao sat down in the midst of the garden, letting her tails take over in their creating, as she painted the sky for herself to look up at. Her thoughts were projected amongst her many arts, and also all that came with them, right on a wide canvas she could view in every dimensional aspect all around her. She could feel the power of her higher self -- Tymon -- channeling his Epic Art into her. She was the most special of all of his Spirits. It was always little TaoTao.

Taomin reminisced on the days of her youth, from which she and Tia came... Around the same era, even. She even had to go back and bloody massacre the very place where she was conceived... Just like her story. It was coming full-circle, and she could look upon it in peace.