thenearshore | [Closed]

Entry tags:

[Closed]

Who: The Izanagi Household
When: backdated to waaaay back at the end of June >.>
Where: Izanagi Jingu
What: Nanako's had a Day...

[ It's late evening when Nanako gets back to her brother's Temple after a full day out trying to answer a Prayer. She lets herself in the front door and toes off her shoes before stepping up into the hall and crossing into the big open room that takes up most of the first floor of Souji's home.

Except her normal exuberance is missing and she looks drained and exhausted and after casting a tired look at the stairs, she decides that looks like too much work and goes to curl up on the couch in the living room instead, wrapping herself snugly about a pillow and clinging to it as if it was one of her stuffed animals.

She even forgets to call out that she's home, but as she's not sure who else is here at the moment, it doesn't really occur to her as she goes to huddle on the couch for a while instead. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ When Homura comes to sit beside them, Nanako shifts in Souji's lap so she can move closer to the other girl too, wanting to be close to both of them. She listens to Souji's answer intently, a look of serious concentration on her face as she takes that in.

She nods in agreement with Homura, a little shy about it. ] I like it when Homura's with me. [ She pauses to search her brother's face again, as if to make sure. ] You don't mind?

[ That settles that for him, then. Souji squeezes Homura's hand, keeping the other secure around Nanako even as she shifts on his lap. They're a family now, and to know that they all feel the same way is a comfort. ]

I don't mind. We'll just have to make sure we don't go out on separate prayers at the same time, but that's fairly easy, I think. [ It'll make him less worried about situations like this, too. Admittedly, it makes him curious about what form Homura will take, what her power might be, but.

Whatever it is, it'll be used to protect Nanako. That's all he cares about. ]

[She rests her other hand on Nanako's. This is her family and she's more than willing to be both of theirs.

It certainly doesn't bother her to be nora'd to Nanako. Sumio isn't here now, and she has no plans of leaving the Heavens anytime soon.]

I'm ready to be named when you're ready to name me.

[ Nanako gives Homura's hand a squeeze at that, her expression determined as she wipes away the last of her tears.

Only this is very different from when Sumio showed up and she's not entirely certain of what to do next. He'd already been hers when he'd gotten here and everything else had just seemed to fall into place. But Homura wasn't hers in the same way yet and she didn't know how to change that.

Nanako glances up at Souji, looking a little lost. ]

I don't know how to do this...

[ The only problem with this, as Souji suddenly realizes, is that Nanako will see Homura's death. She'll see segments of her life that she almost died in, the loneliness. And he can't warn her with Homura sitting right there.

But he holds onto the tissues Homura brought, knowing that Nanako might need them again, and ducks his head down to bump his forehead into her temple. He'll warn her. ]

I'll help you, okay? Do you know what you want to call her?

[It's not a particularly graphic death, all things considered. After all, her soul was housed outside her body.

But the circumstances around it might be difficult for Nanako.

Not that Homura is aware of what naming her will do.]

[ Nanako chews on her lower lip for a moment, looking very serious as she thinks that over. The silence drags out for several seconds before something occurs to her and she leans back to nod, flicking a shy glance over at Homura before looking up to Souji again. ]

Do I just have to say it? Is that all?

Not just that. You have to say these words, and it'll make it true.

[ He ducks down so he can whisper it to her, but also, so he can warn her in advance. ]

Homura had a hard life and a lonely death, okay? And you're going to see a little bit of everything - but you have to be strong for her, even if it's okay if you cry. We're her family now. [ Souji kisses the side of her head, volume becoming more than a murmur now that he's said what Homura can't hear. ] "Grasping thy true name, I bind thee here. With borrowed name, I dub thee my servant. The name answers, the vessel to sound."

"The name," this is where you say her name, whatever you want to say when you want to change her from her vessel form back into a person. And then "the vessel," the first part of her vessel name.

And then you add -ki to the end of it, and say "come."

[She nods slightly, that's how he named her and it should work the same way again.]

Did you get all that?

Do you have a kanji in mind?

[ Nanako looks uncertain, because that was.... a lot of words. But also because she's a little distracted with the warning Souji ha whispered in her ear along with the instructions.

She remembered meeting and naming Sumio and what she had seen then. To see this for Homura... She takes a deep breath, her jaw set stubbornly. She was gonna be strong. Homura was important and she'd just have to try really hard to keep her safe and happy here. ]

Maybe? I-I'll try my best. [ She glances over at Homura and nods her head, looking a little shy as she gives the other girl's hand a light squeeze. Then she begins to repeat the words Souji had given her, stumbling over a few of the stranger words. ]

Grasping thy true name, I bind thee here. W-with borrowed name, I... dub thee my servant. Akemi Homura answers, Ke to sound.

[ Relieved she's managed to get all that out (she thinks?) she takes a deep breath to finish it. ]

Keki, come!

[ Even though she'd tried to prepare herself for what Souji had warned her about, the memories still come in a devastating rush, the loneliness, the loss, the trying over and over and over again. There's so much of it she doesn't understand, but she sees the girl in Homura's memories that she tried so hard to save and she sees how it ends, a shattered soul gem in one last desperate attempt.

Despite her resolution to be strong, there are still tears streaming down her cheeks as she claims Homura as her shinki and feels that connection with her spring into place as she gives her a name. ]

[She's gone through the transformation from person to vessel form a few times now. She knows what it feels like.

But there's a difference between becoming a bow and becoming a shield, not that she can entirely articulate the differences.

This form is longer, taller. About as tall as her human form, dark black with two purple jewels cut into diamonds.]

A bow...

I didn't come with arrows.

[ Souji puts his arm around Nanako in support and understanding, his heart going out to both of them in that moment. He rubs her shoulder, as he uses his other hand to support the length of Homura's new bow. He can kind of get it - Madoka's weapon was a bow, wasn't it? - even if he didn't see all of her memories.

With a brief kiss to the top of Nanako's head, he considers Homura. ]

Now's the perfect chance to see what you can do, don't you think? Whenever you're ready, Nanako.

[ Nanako sniffles, rubbing a fist at her eyes as she tries to stop the tears and wipe away the last remnants of them.

Then she opens her eyes and sees the beautiful bow Homura turned into and her expression turns awed as she reaches out to brush careful fingertips over the curve of it. ]

Oh, Homura, you're so pretty! [ She was pretty anyway, of course, but this was one of the neatest things Nanako has ever seen!

She glances up at Souji uncertainly at his urging, hearing Homura's voice from... somewhere. ]

Now? In here? Can I? [ She glances back to the bow that she knows is Homura and reaches out to wrap fingers around her, finding the boy surprisingly light in her grip. it feels... right? ] I don't know how, but...

[ But somehow, at the same time, she felt like she did. And she also had the niggling feeling that she didn't need to worry about arrows either, although where that assurance came from, she couldn't begin to pinpoint. ]

[A sense of satisfaction reverberates between her and both her gods. Nanako likes the bow she turned into.

She was a shield for Souji and a bow for Nanako, she wonders if it has something to do with how she sees them. They're both her charges now and she wants to protect them, but Souji can mostly protect himself.

Nanako on the other hand...]

We should go outside.

Any and all weapon and power practice should definitely be done outside.

[ Souji laughs a little, because he kind of likes his temple to remain intact, when he can help it. So he's going to make sure that the only possible damage remains outdoors.

But it's interesting, sharing this feeling with Nanako. He's thankful that Homura will be able to look out for her, and protect her, and provide her with some means of protecting herself too. ]

Here, this first, Nanako. [ He offers her the tissues Homura fetched before. ]

[ She can feel Homura! That sense of satisfaction she picks up from her has a smile brightening her expression despite the lingering tears on her cheeks, because she can't help but feel happy that this connection will let her know more about the other girl where sometimes she flounders in understanding her.

She takes the tissues from Souji gratefully and dries her eyes and wipes away the last of the tears before nodding up at him. ]

Outside. I can do that. I'll be careful. Can we try? [ She tugs lightly on Souji's sleeve in excitement. ]

I like my home intact.

[Because that's what this place is now. It's home, Nanako and Souji are the most important people in her life and this is the space she shares with them.

If she has a choice they're doing this outdoors.]

We can.

[ Making a noise of agreement when Homura speaks up, Souji moves to help all of them up to their feet - or, well, the two of them without dropping Homura in the process. He can't help but give her a little bit of a pat, though it's definitely different compared to when she's a shield. It'd be interesting if he could figure out what, exactly, the different forms meant for the three of them.

But he inclines his head slightly towards the door out of the kitchen and towards the garden. ]

I trust you both.

[ Nanako's fingers clutch around the grip as she lifts the bow carefully, handling it almost with a sort of awed reverence as she moves towards the door. Surprisingly the bow feels light and easy to move in her hands and she's sorta fascinated by that as they move from the kitchen to the backyard, where she glances around curiously. ]

What should we practice on?

[Are there cats here? There are probably cats here. She'd rather not hurt any of those either...]

Souji? What can we potentially destroy?

[ Souji pauses before he steps out behind them, looking around, before he grabs a rolled up tatami, hauling it out with him. He undoes the ties keeping it bound and rolled, and gives it a little bit of a flap out. Once he's assessed its size, he reaches his hand outwards, World Arcana materializing.

Izanagi appears as he crushes the card, inclining his head in a polite greeting to the three of them. ]

Izanagi's pretty sturdy, so if you hit him by mistake, it'll be fine. [ Hopefully. Any damage to him will actually hurt Souji a little, but he's not going to tell them that. He holds the mat up to his Persona, who takes it and calmly moves through the air where he floats above them, to hold it up, like a target. ] And tatami are pretty cheap, so you can use it as a target until we get you some real ones.

[ Nanako's mouth drops open in surprise, distracting her from greeting the Persona with a small wave. ]

I can't shoot at him! That would be mean, onii-chan!

[She 'looks' between Izanagi and Souji. Sure Souji wants to help but...]

I don't want to hit him.

[ Souji can't help but laugh a little, putting his hands on his hips as he looks up at Izanagi.

The Persona regards them for a moment, before lowering himself down to gently pat Nanako on the head - despite the fact his hand is bigger than her - and then he summons his great weapon. With a nod of confirmation from Souji, he stabs it into the ground.

And hangs the mat from it, piercing it to do so. Both he and Souji lift their hands to gesture to it. ]

Better?

[ Nanako giggles when Izanagi pets her on the head, smiling up at him in delight.

At the compromise, she gives them both a happy nod. ]

Much better!

[Closed]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)