[X] Stop right there, criminal scum!
-[X] Grab it before it causes harm.
--[X] Alright, why don't you calm down so we could talk like civilized people?
-[X] Increase your Legend? (N)
-[X] Divine Power? (1)
LEGEND has dominated. Your Legend has increased!
By the time the creature has started reaching into your computer, you are out of bed and moving. You cross the room in a flash, diving toward the thing in a tackle that will take full advantage of your superior size. You were a super-human badass with the combat skills of a commando, it was spindly little saboteur whose idea of a dire punishment was apparently to just make noise so you'd have trouble sleeping. You're pretty sure even a normal human would be able to handle something as weak as this.
You've never been more wrong.
The thing's big round eyes see you coming a fraction of a second before you hit, and that's apparently all the time it needs. It leaps into the air so fast that it's nothing but a blur, and your face smashes heavily into floor. You roll to your feet in a move that would have made Jackie Chan proud, only to find the creature is already blazing for the door.
"Stop it!" you command, Power flowing up from inside you. A spray of black toxins splashes against the frame of the door just before the creature can reach it as your Mizuchi is roused from its slumber, fangs bared and scales shimmering. The sudden attack drives the tiny intruder away from its escape route, and it instead changes course to dive toward your window.
You intercept this move as well, getting between it and the window and attempting to grab it as it comes close. Again you fail, your hands closing on nothing but air as it jumps into your face and delivers several painful slashes with its spurred feet.
"Agh! Damn it!" you curse, swatting the creature away with a backhand. For all its apparent frailty, it rolls with the hit and comes up on its feet, apparently no worse for wear. It glances toward the door again, only to find your dragon there with its claws ready. It looks to the window, but to get there it will have to go through you. Finally, its eyes come to rest on the open case of your computer, and it dashes for the exposed wires with its fingers outstretched.
You throw yourself forward to stop it, and the thing literally jumps over your head to make a run for the unguarded window. Another spray of poison forces it to roll to the side, right into your waiting grasp. Your hands lock around its spindly arms as you hold it at arms length so it can't slash you with its feet. It glares spitefully at you and viciously jabs its beak into your arm, but you only tighten your grip in response, causing it to squeak in pain.
"Now," you say to the creature in a dark tone. "Why don't you calm down so we can discuss this like civilized people?"
"Civilized! Civilized!" it shrieks at you, wriggling in anger. "Looklooklook! Talk not to me of civilized when you leave nothing but chaos!"
"You're mad at me...because I'm messy?" you ask, making sure you heard right.
"Yes. I'm afraid you'll have to forgive my wife," says a harsh, hollow voice from behind you. "I suppose you could say she's a bit OCD."
Without releasing your grip on your prisoner, you turn to see bearded, hairy creature barely larger than the thing in your hands sitting calmly on the side of your desk. Its eyes are huge and catlike, and its nails are sharp claws.
"Who are you?"
"I do not have a name. I am a domovoi, guardian spirit of this dwelling," it explains. "The woman you currently hold captive is a kikimora, and more importantly, my wife. I would consider it a kindness if you would release her."
"I will if she promises not to break my stuff," you state firmly.
"It is no less than you deserve, filthy creature!" curses the kikimora angrily. "Mess, mess, everywhere!"
"I'm a generous guy, so I'll give you one chance to take that back," rumbles your dragon threateningly, slithering toward her threateningly. "But insult the daughter of Toyotama-hime again and I'll rip out your guts with my teeth."
Both the domovoi and the kikimora's unnatural eyes widen at this, and the feisty spirit stops struggling.
"Apologies, bogatyr, we did not know who you were," says the domovoi, bowing low. His wife does likewise in your arms, though you still get the impression that she is furious with you. "Had we been aware of your identity, we would have sought an audience to air our grievances. Please forgive us."
"Considering I only recently realized myself, I can't really blame you," you concede. The two look sufficiently cowed that you doubt they'll try anything else, so you gently set the kikimora down beside her husband. His hand strokes one of her spindly arms comfortingly and she trills so softly you barely hear it before they both turn back to you. You pickup your chair from where it had been knocked over in the brief struggle and sit down across from them. "Now, about these grievances."
"Indeed," states the hairy creature. "You have shown us much disrespect during the months you have stayed here, bogatyr. You have left us no gifts to reward us for our labors, and you continually leave your lodgings in a most slovenly state."
"Others, maybe we forgive! Husband's heart is soft, like beard!" chirps the kikimora, poking the domovoi playfully in the chest before hanging her head sadly. "Too few, too few who remember the old ways. We have received no gifts, not for many years. But you, you are of the Divine! No excuse for you!"
Her eyes glittered angrily in the dim light, and her husband placed a paw on her to calm her again.
"I didn't know you existed before I met you tonight," you repeat. Like hell you were letting them blame you for something you didn't even know you were supposed to do. "What 'labors' are you talking about?"
"We are spirits of the house. We help keep it in order: doing housework, finding lost items, protecting pets and livestock," explains the domovoi calmly. "Yet we are not without our pride. None would work for those who do not respect them. We do not ask for much, but we do ask."
"If part of your job is to clean, servants, then why are you so upset by messes?" asks your dragon, eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Disrespectful, it is!" answers the kikimora with a snap of her beak. "Takes our work for granted, leaving such filth for us when we have never been properly honored!"
"I never asked you to work for me," you point out.
"Of course not. We are not here because we were asked. Our labors are a kindness, a gift given out of generosity," proudly says the domovoi. "To benefit from such a thing without honoring the giver... We are fair creatures, bogatyr. We reward respect with service, rudeness with mischief. We have stayed our hand thus far so we might voice our grievances, and now we have done so. What say you?"
---
[ ] Apologize. You did disrespect them, even if you didn't mean to. You'll need to find out what 'gifts' they want and make sure your apartment is kept relatively clean, but that shouldn't be so hard.
[ ] Refuse them. You didn't ask for a maid service, you don't need one, and like hell you'll be bullied by a scarecrow and an overgrown teddy bear. They can do what they like elsewhere, but if they mess with you again, you'll feed them to your Mizuchi.
[ ] Kill them. You know how this story goes: they'll be extremely nice and helpful until something keeps you from leaving their 'gift', at which point they'll immediately turn on you and ruin your life. There's only one permanent solution to this pest problem: extermination.
-[ ] Increase your Legend?
-[ ]Divine Power? (Minimum of one)
[ ] Write in.
