[closed] strong like a family,

[cuteshit]

Who: The gods & shinki residing at Izanagi's temple!
When: July 5th - July 9th
Where: Izanagi's Temple
What: Team Izanagi's living situation is changing up again with the arrival of a new shinki for Ptah, who also happens to be a friend from home.


evening of the 5th:

[When Kanji returns to the house after the day's festivities, it's with Naoto in tow-- and being as new to this place as she is, he feels guilty about having to excuse himself almost immediately, but he has to talk to Souji-- alone. This isn't the first time Souji has seen someone besides Nanako or Kanji himself turn up from home, but Kanji isn't sure there's any precedent for what to do. He tells Naoto to make herself comfortable and puts water on for tea before he goes searching through the house itself, calling for Souji at the top of his lungs.

'Quiet' has never really been a thing for him.]

Yo, Souji-senpai! You back yet? We gotta talk! It's, uh-- real important!

[Like real important, buddy.]

((OOC: Feel free to use this as a house mingle log for the days listed! Top-levels or misc threads welcome and encouraged.))

Comments

[fortune_detective]

[Naoto's not quite sure how she feels about being ditched by her god, leaving her alone in what is essentially a stranger's home. She was told that this would be the shrine she'd be staying at for the time being, but it was still hard for her to exactly "make herself at home." She lingers in the entrance way for a moment, studying the hallway that her god disappeared down. Her gaze then surveys over what appears to be the main living room. The whole place certainly seemed homey, not quite what she pictured a "shrine" to look like. She steps cautiously into the living room, still taking in all of its decor. She briefly walks into the kitchen to check on the water boiling on the stove before resigning herself to a seat on the living room couch.]

More waiting...

[She sighs, already feeling like she's had her fill of it today. Her curiosity and restlessness pushing her to get up and explore the shrine's interior on her own. She shakes her head. No, that would be rather rude to simply enter random rooms without permission. She drums her fingers on the tops of her legs and does her best to stay patient while Kanji takes care of whatever business he hurried off for. That, or until the water boils. Whichever comes first...]

[welcome_home]

[ It's not too much longer before the remaining family members trickle home and Nanako comes bouncing into the room, still high on sugar and looking wide awake despite the hour.

She stops short when she spots Naoto perched on the couch though, her eyes going wide as her mouth drops open. ]

N-Naoto?! How did you get here?

[fortune_detective]

[Naoto smiles and waves a greeting, looking thoroughly uneasy and uncomfortable. She'd heard the footsteps of someone entering, but she still felt thoroughly unprepared as to what she should say. Poor Nanako was probably thinking Naoto had broken in or something.]

W- welcome home.

Um, Kanji brought me here. He... he said this would be where we're staying. I... I hope that's alright?

[welcome_home]

[ Nanako's expression goes from confused to elated in .3 seconds as she flings herself in Naoto's direction to climb up on the couch beside her and kneel there on the cushions. ]

Really?? Kanji is your god? Ohhh, that's... [ She hopes that didn't make Kanji cry. ] Yes, it's very alright! I stay here too! There's lots of room! And cats!

[ Because that made everything better, right? ]

[fortune_detective]

[Naoto nods her head, her uneasiness subsides somewhat at Naoto's apparent elation. She really was such a sweet girl. It was hard not to mirror that warm smile of her's back.]

You stay here too, Nanako-chan?

[If she's a god, she would have her own temple wouldn't she? Well, Souji is her brother. It certainly makes sense that they'd want to stay close to one another. If anything, she had more of a reason to stay here than Naoto felt she did.]

I guess that makes us housemates then. I hope I can repay you and your brother someday for your hospitality.

[welcome_home]

Yeah! It's Souji-oniichan's house, but I stay here with him and Homura - she's his shinki. Kanji's been staying here too, since he just got here a little while ago.

[fortune_detective]

Do gods typically stay at each other's temples rather than their own?

[Then, realizing how they must sound, Naoto quickly backpedals.]

Ah! W- what I mean is, you and Souji-san are siblings, so it makes sense that you two would wish to stay close to one another. But, um, Kanji and I... since neither of us are related to you both, is it really alright for us to stay here? I wouldn't want to impose upon you or your brother unnecessarily.

[Naoto understands that, as Kanji's shinki, it's best she stay close to him. Wherever he's staying, she should be close at hand. She just wants to be sure that they're not potentially overstaying their welcome with Souji, Nanako, and Homura.]

[welcome_home]

Mmmm, maybe not, but it's different. Kanji's family too! [ And so was Naoto, although Nanako doesn't mention that in such an obvious way, although she reaches out to pat her arm consolingly. ] Kanji probably has a temple, too, but since he was new he came here to stay with us, since he knows big bro from before.

Don't worry. I like it that you're here!

[fortune_detective]

["Kanji is family, too?" He really must be closer to Souji and Nanako than Naoto had thought. And the more she thinks on it, if Kanji had just gone to live at his own temple this whole time, he'd have been living by himself until today. That... seems awfully lonely...]

[Naoto's warm and grateful smiles come easily as Nanako consolingly touches her arm. What an incredibly sweet girl.]

Nanako-chan... well then, if you're happy to have me here, then I'm honored to be your house guest.

I'll be sure to help out around the house however I can to thank you and your brother for taking me in for the time being.

[welcome_home]

[ Nanako just giggles and smiles at her. ] Okay! You can help, too. We sometimes cook food together. And there's a lot of cats.

[ Because that's enough to keep anyone busy, right? ]

Did Kanji come home with you, too?

[fortune_detective]

[Cooking and watching after some cats, huh? Naoto felt fairly confident she'd be able to assist in both categories. She'll also make a mental note to ask Souji about cleaning supplies, so she can assist with that as well.]

Hm? Oh, yes, Kanji is somewhere around here. He said he needed to talk with Souji-san about something.

[And he had looked... kind of sorrowfully at Naoto when he'd excused himself...]

I imagine they're still talking at the moment, likely he's getting Souji-san's permission for us to stay here.

[welcome_home]

I'm sure onii-chan won't mind.

[ It's Naoto, after all. Although she understands why Kanji would be sad... She thinks Souji will be too. ]

Do you want me to help you find a room? Or do you wanna wait for Kanji to help?

[fortune_detective]

Sure. That would very kind of you, Nanako. Thank you.

[However, as Naoto gets up to follow Nanako, the sound of the tea kettle's whistle catches Naoto's attention.]

Ah, let me take care of that first.

[Naoto walks into the kitchen and removes the kettle from the burner. Kanji had already set five mugs out, each already set with tea leaves. Naoto's not sure who the fifth mug is for yet, but she goes ahead and pours an equal amount of hot water into each mug before returning the kettle to an unheated portion of the stove. She clicks off the burner before exiting the kitchen.]

Why don't you show me to a room while we wait for those to cool down?

[timeshields]

[It doesn't take her very much longer to get home. Even if she is still embarrassingly emotional after talking it out with Souji... or more accurately, crying her eyes out into Souji's chest.

It takes her a moment to calm completely down and open up the door to Souji's home.]

... Naoto?

[fortune_detective]

[Naoto gets up politely from her seat when Homura enters, offering her a polite bow in greeting.]

Welcome home, Homura-san.

Please pardon my intrusion. It, um... it seems I'll be staying with you all here for the time being. I hope I prove to be a courteous house guest.

[timeshields]

Thank... you...

[There are a few different people who use those suffixes, and while they don't bother her. She never uses them back.

She looks at Naoto for a few seconds. As far as new housemates go, this one doesn't seem bad.]

It's fine. Souji seems to collect people.

[fortune_detective]

["Collect... people?"]

Ah... heh, I see...

I, um... was assigned to be Kanji's shinki, so I'll only be staying here for as long as he is. I'll do my best to not be too much of a burden upon you three in the meantime.

[On that note, Naoto gets up to pour another mug of tea. This one for Homura. She returns to the living room a moment later, placing the mug on the table for her next to a small sugar dish.]

Do you take your tea with milk or sugar, Homura-san?

[timeshields]

[Like cats. He takes them in and then cares about them.

She'd rather he didn't, but when your god is a protag, what else can you do.]

You don't seem like the type to get in trouble.

[A moment or two before she picks up the mug and just cradles it in her hands.]

It's fine just like this.

[fortune_detective]

[She nods, sitting back in her seat on the couch and taking a sip of her own tea.]

What sort of type do I seem like to you then?

[It's a nonchalant question. Naoto doesn't seem to mean it as a jest or something to be taken too seriously. Homura struck her as naturally quiet, yet pensive and articulately to the point. Naoto's simply curious to hear more from the girl in order to try and get a better sense of how she thinks.]

[timeshields]

[She'll wait for a few minutes before drinking her own. But in the interim she considers Naoto. They may not know each other very well, they've only had one real conversation before this point. Still, there are a few things she can pick up on.]

You're observant and helpful. You have some concern for others if you're already worried about what kind of houseguest you're going to be.

[fortune_detective]

[A soft smile plays across Naoto's lips. In return, Naoto offers Homura her impressions of the young woman.]

You are quite observant yourself, Homura-san. Perceptive, Pensive, and you do not mince words either. You come off as fairly aloof, yet I get the sense that there are things, people who you care about.

[Naoto taps a finger under her eye, signalling she can tell Homura's been crying.]

[timeshields]

[She's correct.... Homura bows her head slightly down, covering her eyes with her bangs.]

There aren't many.

[She can count them on one hand and sill have fingers left over, after all.]

[fortune_detective]

[Naoto's smile turns warmer at that, a little more sympathetic.]

That's still more than none.

They're lucky whoever they are, to have someone who cares about them so.

[timeshields]

[Her gaze drops to the tea before taking a small sip now that it's finally cooled.]

I would protect them with my life.

[fortune_detective]

[Naoto looks up at that. In another context, that kind of talk might have earned some kind of rebuttal from her, "Don't be so quick to lay down your own life needlessly." But instead, Naoto can feel the weight of Homura's sincerity in her words. That wasn't some flippant comment she'd just made. It'd been something more. There's a shimmer of admiration in Naoto's eyes as she watches Homura for a moment.]

Then they are very lucky indeed.

[The room then falls silent for a moment, as they both sip their tea.]

I wonder if I have ever felt similarly about someone...

[Her words come out hushed, almost as if they were meant for Naoto alone. Yet, there's an immediate chill that runs up Naoto's spine almost as soon as she utters them. No, no. She shouldn't be thinking about her past. It wasn't important anymore. She needs to focus on the present. She shakes her head, clearing her mind of the question.]