[Open] All that I have are these

[welcome_home]

Who: Nanako and anyone!
When: Mid-August
Where: All over the Far Shore and wherever she can find other gods and shinki.
What: Nanako is on A Mission.


A: Photographs and Memories

[ After talking with Izumo a few days before about his plan to make a wall of memories in his bar of all the gods and shinki who have come and gone, so they'd be remembered, Nanako can be found wandering through the Far Shore and near the temples she comes across, borrowed camera in hand. While she's quicker to approach people she knows with her request, she will often wander up to strangers as well, trying to hide her shyness and nerves behind a hopeful smile. ]

Hi! Can I take your picture?

B: Practice Makes Perfect

[ Nanako has been very determined of late to get better at her abilities, whatever they may be. So it's not unusual to find her practicing at her temple, or perhaps out somewhere on the Far Shore for a change of scenery. There might be a tiny girl wielding a bow and arrow, taking careful aim at her target as she practices again and again on improving her aim.

Or perhaps it's the light show that's drawn you in, a tiny hovering angel surrounded by a warm glow and occasionally trying to figure out how to direct that light where she wants it to go - with varying degrees of questionable success, though she remains looking determined, even when she fails. ]

C: Safe and Sound

[ Nanako is crouched beside her shrine, peering underneath the planks of wood that make the walk that surrounds it, looking distressed. And apparently pleading with someone - something? - hidden in the deep shadows underneath. ]

You can come out now, I promise, the scary storm is gone. Don't be afraid! I won't let anything hurt you.

[ Or perhaps you've stopped by on a sunny afternoon to find her sprawled on her stomach on the dock that stretches out over the lake, bowl of crumbled bread crusts beside her as she feeds the fat lazy fish circling beneath her. Watch out for the pelicans, though. They sometimes like to swoop at unexpected visitors. ]

Comments

C

[toremainbehind]

Nanako, what are you doing?

[welcome_home]

[ She peeks up at him at the sound of his voice, her expression still distressed as she gestures at the space beneath her temple. ]

She won't come out!

[toremainbehind]

Who's not coming out?

[But he does walk closer to her, crouching down beside her.]

[welcome_home]

Sora!

[ Because that... answers everything, right?

It at least indicates that she has a tiny deer currently curled up under her shrine, hiding where she can't reach. ]

[toremainbehind]

[Sora. He knows Sora hasn't come back, so then: the deer?

He peers under her shrine, seeing the doe.]

How long as Sora been under here?

[welcome_home]

Since the storm last night. [ Nanako sounds distressed by this. ] I came early this morning to check on her and make sure she was okay and I had to look a long time before I found her. But I can't get her to stop hiding, I even tried breakfast.

[toremainbehind]

It's possible that she's still afraid. You may need to find something else to coax her out from under there.

[He's...not so good with animals, so he's not sure how to help.]

[welcome_home]

Something else? Like what? How can I make her not sared?

[toremainbehind]

[He hums softly.]

How good are you with your powers now?

[welcome_home]

[ Nanako tips her head to the side, looking a little confused. ]

I dunno. Pretty good? Maybe? Why?

[toremainbehind]

Try creating an orb of light. The warmth of it might be enough to reach out to Sora to coax her out.

[welcome_home]

[ Her mouth drops open. ]

You think so? Okay, I can try that!

[ She closes her eyes for a moment and calls on her power, her wings and halo appearing as they always do as she holds her hand to hover beneath the porch. A ball of light springs into existence in her palm, its light soft and warm and casting dancing shadows beneath the depths of her temple. ]

Sora? Look, see, it's okay to come out now, nothing will hurt you.

[toremainbehind]

[No matter how many times he's seen it, it's always a bit amusing to see Nanako turn into a literal angel.

But he looks over at Sora, seeing the deer seemingly perk up.

Once Sora starts moving towards Nanako, he backs off a bit so that he wouldn't scare the poor creature.]

[welcome_home]

[ Nanako's surprised to see that Izumo's idea actually worked, the warm light finally luring the fawn out from beneath the shrine on thin, wobbly legs. Nanako keeps coaxing her until she's all the way out, watching as the little deer shakes herself from head to toe before she throws her arms around the little fawn's neck and hugs her. She gets her hair nibbled on in response, but she doesn't mind. ]

Oh, that really worked! Thank you, Izumo!

[toremainbehind]

You're welcome. It was worth a try, since your light emanates warmth enough that it could have comforted her.

[welcome_home]

[ Nanako glances up at him in surprise at that, her arms wrapped around Sora's neck. ]

It does? I didn't think about it like that...

[toremainbehind]

[He chuckles, reaching over to place his hand on Nanako's head.]</small. It does. It seems all she really wanted was some comfort, anyway.

[welcome_home]

[ She giggles softly at that, leaning into the touch a moment before going back to hugging the fawn once more. ]

It's okay, Sora, thunderstorms scare me, too.

[toremainbehind]

[The fawn seems to snuggle against Nanako.

Izumo smiles a bit before he withdraws his hand.]