[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

[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.]

[timeshields]

[Souji and Nanako, they're her family now. They're the most important people in her afterlife and she doesn't know what she'd do without them here. Souji promised to stay and that's what she wants out of both of them.

Ah, she's thinking about her past already?]

It doesn't matter what happened in the past. You have another chance now. I hope your god is someone you can trust.

[fortune_detective]

Ah... heh, yes. You're right. I should be focusing on what's important, making the most of this second chance by assisting my god to the best of my abilities.

[Naoto smiles softly at Homura, grateful to the girl for helping her keep her head straight.]

Kanji seems... nice.

[In truth, Naoto's still trying to form her opinion of him. At first glance, he seemed a hooligan, or at least someone with far rougher edges than he seemed to actually have. He was a little awkward at first, but then... so had she during her first vessel form experience. Both of them were inexperienced, and yet Naoto no longer found that as grating of a concern as she had at first. And finally, now that they were closer in proximity to one another, Naoto could better sense a general warmth from him... a kind of assurance that he can be relied upon.]

We are still getting to know one another, but it seems like we will be a compatible pair. [She then quickly adds:] As a god and shinki team, I mean.

[She lowers her gaze slightly to try and hide the subtle shade of pink her cheeks are turning under the brim of her hat. Why did it seem like she kept getting embarrassed about things related to him?]

[timeshields]

[There is danger in dwelling in their pasts, curiosity kills the cat, and she's not sure satisfaction is going to be enough to bring them back. After all, they're already dead.]

Keep thinking about the present and the future. It's what we can change now.

[She doesn't know what's between Naoto and Kanji, but she feels a brow lift as Naoto seems to embarrass herself.]

...

Let me know if there's anything you want to know or need practice in when it comes to being a shinki.

[fortune_detective]

[Naoto looks back up at Homura when she makes her offer.]

That's very kind of you, Homura-san. Thank you.

Earlier, I was instructed on how to make a borderline, but I couldn't make it manifest at the time. So, I would certainly appreciate your help in that regard, as well as any other techniques you think it would be in my best interest to learn.

[timeshields]

You're here to help your god, and Souji likes him.

[Which obviously means she has to help her be a good shinki.]

We could look for an ayakashi to practice on, or something else you want to keep away from you.

Shinki can sense ayakashi. When we're in vessel form we have 360-degree vision.

[fortune_detective]

[While Naoto's often for experiential learning on the go, the idea that they should go look for ayakashi causes some hesitance.]

Is that safe? The two of us going out alone searching for ayakashi to practice on?

[timeshields]

It doesn't have to be an ayakashi. Just something you don't want close.

Like a roach.

[fortune_detective]

A- a roach?

[So then borderlines were not specifically about repelling ayakashi alone necessarily.]

So a borderline can be used against pretty much anything then?

[timeshields]

I don't know if it'll keep a roach at bay. But the feelings you have toward it and ayakashi are the same. Fear, hatred, wanting to keep it as far away as possible.

[fortune_detective]

So borderlines are fueled by emotions. It's more than just the thought of keeping something away, it's the desire to.

[timeshields]

That's correct. Emotions seem to fuel the line.

[fortune_detective]

So the more powerful the emotion being drawn on, anger or fear or disgust, the stronger the borderline will be?

[timeshields]

As far as I can tell, yes. The stronger the emotion, the stronger the borderline.

[fortune_detective]

[Naoto ponders this for a moment, taking another sip of her tea to try and finish more of it before it gets too cold.]

[Anger, fear, disgust, they each certainly could be strong emotions. Yet...]

I know that such negative emotions can be quite powerful, but what about positive ones?

[She attempts to come up with an example.]

Something akin to a will to protect, perhaps?

[timeshields]

There are other spells, from what I've heard. Those may draw on that kind of emotion.

...

When you're in your vessel form and you're trying to protect your god. That's when those emotions are the most important.