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Who: Jennifer & a couple people

What: Jennifer's nora'd, and talks to a couple friends about some memories she regained

When: June 1st...I GUESS??

Where: The temples for Hijikata, Sharak, and Masaki's god

Summary: points to the 'what' section. I might add more starters for people later ehhh

[Talk Nora to Me -- Hijikata]

[She feels like she's going to have a heart attack and faint already, and she's barely crossed the threshold of his gates. She's unannounced, it's rude, she should've said something but if she'd <>said something he would've expected her. his way, if it turns out he's not home, she's free to leave. No obligation to continue! It's perfect.

Unless, of course, he is here. She feels her heart skip a beat and her stomach twist uncertainly, but she takes a deep breath and reminds herself that she's made up her mind about this. It's her decision and she's made it and darn it she's going to go through with it! Unless he tells her no.

What if he says no?? She didn't actually plan for that and while the beauty and general calm serenity of the temple goes a long way in helping her calm down, her heart still races. Jennifer both really hopes to see him, and really hopes she doesn't.]

[There's a dirty joke i could make here about roosters but for Jennifer's sake i won't -- Sharak]

[The place is pretty in its simplicity, Jennifer can appreciate it. Like with Hijikata she doesn't announce her arrival beforehand, both hoping to see the other woman and hoping Sharak will be out for the day so she has an excuse to leave.

The conversation she wants to have isn't as big a deal as nora-ing (though she briefly toys with that idea too, if she's being bold today why not go the full way?), but it's still deeply personal.

And, Jennifer thinks with a sigh, not something she should be sharing anyhow. Sharak isn't her god, there's no reason for her to care, but in the brief time spent with her, Jennifer's grown fond of her. She wants to continue the meditation thing, it's helped!, and it offers her another excuse if she can't get her nerve up.

Ugh. She takes a breath and glances around, hoping (sort of) to catch sight of Sharak and make her presence known if Sharak doesn't already somehow know she's there.]

[Muffled 'Welcome To The Jungle' playing in the background -- Masaki, maybe Dio??]

[Unlike her previous adventures, Jennifer feels more confident about speaking to Masaki. They were closer friends, she thinks, of a sort, both being shinki and all. That makes them more equals, and therefore Jennifer more comfortable.

Also unlike her previous adventures, she feels she's reached a point where she has to reach out first to make her intentions to drop in known. Not so much out of politeness (though it is partly that, since it's Masaki's god's temple, not her own) but because Jennifer has shown up and gotten horribly turned around in the weird jungle.

So she pull out her phone to slowly send a text]

Masaki? I came by your god's temple to see you. But I think I may have gotten lost. I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience. I should have said something beforehand, but I suppose I wanted it to be a little bit of a surprise? I'm sorry.

[Help. :(]

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[She's quiet for a moment, body tense with momentarily hesitance and uncertainty. But then she nods and exhales slowly to relax.]

'Yes. I think that would be best. The sooner the better.'

[Hijikata nods, then scoots back from her a few inches so she's not quite as on top of him.]

I assume you'll want to be able to talk when he gets here, so... Return, Jennifer.

[With her shinki form released, he picks up his phone and sends a text message to Souji: There's something I need to discuss with you. Come to the kitchen when you get this.]

[It's a little disorienting to go from one living thing to another, and for a moment Jennifer sits on hands and knees, collecting herself, before she slowly sits back.

Her hands fold in her lap, posture prim and proper. She says nothing--not sure what there is to say--but the way her hands clench together (and their new bond) belies her nervousness.]

[While they've been talking, the water for the tea has had more than enough time to boil. Hijikata gets up in silence, fills the basket of a small ceramic teapot with loose leaves, and waits a few moments to pour the water on.]

Is green tea alright with you?

[He's not big on small talk, but... they've got a few moments to pass, and complete silence is more awkward.]

[Jennifer starts a little in surprise, staring wide-eyed at Hijikata a moment before her expression turns sheepish and she nods. She'd been focusing so hard on other things that she hadn't been paying a lick of attention to him moving around and his voice had startled her]

Oh. Yes, that's fine. Um-- Shouldn't I be...? [The one serving? or something?? She sits up a little more, clearly prepared to rise and rush over to start helping or something]

[Since Souji was just in the garden, feeding the ducks, it doesn't take him that long to poke his head into the kitchen. He looks a bit puzzled, since among the words you might use to describe Hijikata's usual mode of communication, 'vague' is normally not even a contender.

The confusion only deepens further when he sees Jennifer, and it's pretty blatantly obvious from the look on his face. He nonetheless smiles warmly at her before turning to Hijikata, an attentive look on his face.]

You wanted me, Hijikata-sama?

I've got it. Next time you come here, you won't be a guest, but I invited you in here as one.

[So let him show a little bit of hospitality, Jennifer, gosh!]

[He's just finished pouring the tea when Souji comes in. Before even speaking, he presses a cup into his hands, then gives Jennifer hers, then takes his own and sits down.]

I did.

Jennifer, did you want to begin, or should I?

[Jennifer stands there, awkwardly holding the cup in her hands as she looks anxiously from the tea, to Hijikata, and to Souji in turns. Her legs feel weak now that she's facing the reality of having to tell someone and she wobbles her way back to the table to take a seat herself.]

I, um... [She clutches the cup tightly, her hands shaking. She looks at Souji and then away again. Begin? What is she supposed to say? She wants to tell Hijikata to be the one to talk about it, but she tells herself she can't allow him to do all by himself. She's his shinki now too, right? And she can't start becoming stronger by immediately hiding behind him now]

I... I've decided... to be Mr. Hijikata's shinki. [There. There's a start.]

[He obediently - reflexively, really - takes a small sip of the tea. His eyes linger curiously on Hijikata for a moment, before moving back to Jennifer. She looks... tense, but that isn't entirely unusual. But she doesn't usually seem this nervous about him, does she? He sets down the teacup for a moment, makes as if to step a bit closer to her, and then-

It's just as well that he set the cup down, because otherwise he would probably have dropped it in surprise. And then his face breaks into a huge smile, and hopefully Jennifer is quick at maneuvering her own cup out of the way, or there is going to be a lot of sloshing as he darts forward to give her a spontaneous hug.]

That's wonderful. I kind of hoped that- But I thought that your God wouldn't let you go. I'm glad I was wrong.

[Ah. Way to make things awkward.]

[Well, that's at least partially a good reaction.]

[Awkward, though.]

[And since Jennifer started things, the least he can do is step in to help her out before things get too confusing in here.]

We haven't discussed the matter with her other god yet. She's expressed no intention to have him revoke her name from him that I recall, and even so, I doubt he'll be pleased.

I, um, uh-- [More stammering and spluttering as Jennifer tries to figure out what to say here. She puts her tea aside quickly as Souji rushes her, but she can't relax in the embrace, especially not when Hijikata reveals the rest of it.

Does Souji have anything sharp on hand? Is she going to end up with a knife in her side form this? Not that she thinks Souji would go right for the jugular so quickly (figuratively or literally), but she's running on high nervous energy that she has no doubt Hijikata can feel.

Her head bows a little at the 'confession'-- she's a nora, and she doesn't know what more to say to it.] I... I don't think he would release me, even if I asked... [She knows Too Much, after all. But beside that, she'd feel bad for doing it in the first place.

She feels like she should be apologizing, but she tries to refrain]

[No, he doesn't go for her jugular. But there is a moment of absolute incomprehension, then a brief flash of denial - not Jennifer, surely? - followed by a surge of revulsion he can't quite fight down. Hijikata must surely have felt it, and more than anything, that is the thought that makes him cast his eyes down to the ground. He shouldn't feel like that about a decision his God had made. He shouldn't. And Jennifer... Does she really deserve that?

Being a Nora is wrong. He knows that at the very core of his being. But at the very same core, he also knows that Hijikata is the best God anyone could possibly have. He understands why Jennifer would feel the same. He is certain that Hijikata would never do anything that's... well, wrong.

The two instincts clash with each other for a painful moment, as Souji clutches at a handful of Jennifer's sleeve that he's still holding, eyes glued to the floor. But in the end, Hijikata wins out. As he always does. As he probably always will. He will trust his decision in this, but-]

Do you love him? [His voice is almost pleading.]

Mr. Hijikata? [She blurts out, confused, in response to that question. She looks to the man in question, eyes wide with a mild sort of panic. What is she supposed to say? What's the right answer here?

She looks to Souji again, reaching her hands up to rest them against his shoulders. Her fingers curl into his sleeves and she considers the question and how to answer. She could lie, but that would be a disservice to all of them. On the other hand, it's beyond embarrassing to have an audience to such personal feelings, especially when the object of them was right there.

But there could be no room for hesitation or uncertainty here.] I do. [She's not sure if that's the right thing to say, but it's true. She does love Hijikata, though certainly not as much as or in the same way as Souji. She carefully avoids looking at the other man, it's embarrassing enough already.] I gave myself to him because I love him and I hadn't been given a choice of God before. But now that I have the courage to make it, he's who I chose.

[A deep breath.] Mr. Souji, I don't have any intention of taking him from you, or corrupting him, or...anything you might be concerned about. I simply want to serve him well, to protect him and keep him safe. The same as you, surely. I only wish to support you in that. And to support him.

[He remains utterly motionless and silent as she speaks, watching her face with downright unnerving intensity. There is a sense of careful balance, as if a single wrong move could cause everything to crumble; as if a wrong step could drop them all into free fall.

But Jennifer is saying what he needs to hear. Drawing in a shaky, relieved breath, Souji realizes that he'd been holding his breath for a while there. The smile he offers her and then Hijikata is still... a bit strained, a bit too bright, but it's clear at least that he's trying.]

Then you should. He wouldn't name anyone if he didn't think well of them, of course, but- [His gaze drifts over to Hijikata, half apologetic and half helpless.] -I just needed to hear that, you know? I needed to know for sure.

[Hijikata just sips his tea and lets them talk it out for a little while, until Souji's eyes go back over to him.]

You know I wouldn't have given her a name if I didn't trust her.

[This whole situation was rather deeply embarrassing and she risks a peek at Hijikata through her eyelashes, before quickly averting her gaze to the floor again. Talking about things like feelings out loud like this was something she hoped to not repeat-- at least, again, not when the subject of it all was right in listening distance. Her face feels like it's going to be permanently tomato red.

Hijikata admitting out loud that he trusts her makes something inside untwist and relax and Jennifer exhales slowly. She lets go of Souji to sit back again, twisting her fingers together in her lap.]

...I won't give you cause to regret it. Either of you, I promise.

I know. You wouldn't.

[The conflicting feelings and guilt which had probably done their best to sting Hijikata until then abate slightly, gentled by affection and trust. For a moment he simply holds that eye contact, and honestly, it's probably deeply embarrassing to be right next to him when he looks like that too.

But when he turns back to Jennifer, his smile is less thin, warmer. He even gives her another hug, less spontaneous but absolutely not disingenuous.]

I'm sorry. I should be saying "welcome", right?

[Hijikata's shoulders relax as the sting starts to subside, as Souji wraps Jennifer in another hug. It's probably better to have addressed this immediately and not made either of them worry about it for too long.]

[He leans back comfortably, and takes a sip of his tea, just quietly watching over the two of them for now.]

[Jennifer accepts the hug and, after a moment, even hugs him back loosely. Her answering smile is shy, but she shakes her head at the apology]

I understand, so there's nothing to apologize for. I only hope whatever ability I have in my other form will help you two.

[Right. This is how it's supposed to be. Despite there still being a part of him that twists in abhorrence at the very idea, he pins it down and disarms it. Jennifer is good. It'll be nice to have her around more. And it will be more official now, sort of like...

...family. Yes, that feels right. It's better to think of it like that.]

Well, of course you will. We- We naturally take the form that will be most useful to our God. [He's sure that must be true even if there's more than one God, right?] Oh! Hijikata-sama, what name did you give her? You have a way with words, after all. [Forgetting for a moment that it will be quite hard for Hijikata to answer without pulling her back into her vessel form, because mildly teasing his God is more important.]

["A way with words"? Hijikata huffs slightly, lowering his teacup and looking out at the garden. His brows are furrowed, and there might just be a light flush on his cheeks.]

..."Jin." As in "benevolence" or "compassion."

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ugh I'm so late, sorry

<3

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