New Year's Shrine Visit

[all_wound_up]

Who: Nano Shinonome and whoever else happens by
Where: The Naganaki Shrine, Capricon District
When: New Year's Day
Summary: Nano's making her first shrine visit of the new year

[It's a cold, crisp morning on January 1st in Hinoto-Ri, and after all the chaos of the events of the month previous, Nano's looking forward to spending a relaxing New Year's Day at home. There's just one thing she has to do before that, though - pray at the shrine for good luck and good health during the coming year. And so here she is at the Naganaki Shrine, dressed in a simple white kimono with a branching floral pattern running up the side as she approaches the steps. Fishing a coin out of the small change purse she has hanging from her obi, she throws it into the offertory box and claps her hands together. Anyone close by can probably hear her muttering her prayer our loud.]

I wish all of my friends will be happy and healthy in the new year, especially Hakase, Sakamoto, Naganohara-san, and Minakami-san back home.

[And then she draws a fortune from the box, unrolling it and smiling at the slip of paper in her hand.]

Medium blessing! It's going to be a lucky year!

Comments

[all_wound_up]

O-over here, over here! Hurry!

[otakuro]

W-What if I erase it? Will I get double the bad luck? I could make the 'kyou' into a 'kichi'.....

[Atsuro fumblingly manages to get the fortune off the stick as he struggles with the knot.]

I don't know how much more bad luck I can really take here...

[all_wound_up]

Don't change it, that's even worse luck!

[Probably!]

[otakuro]

...Wait, I know!

[And Atsuro will tie his paper so that it covers part of someone else's that conveniently reads 'shou']

S-See... 'Small great bad luck'. ...Maybe the gods will get confused.

[all_wound_up]

But won't they curse you twice as badly if they find out you cheated?

[otakuro]

...It's not cheating; it's just... a convenient misplacement. They'll think it was just thrown on randomly that way.

[doooooom]

[all_wound_up]

I hope so...

[otakuro]

A-Anyway...!

Let's not talk about fortunes for now. ...Aha.

[Atsuro will quickly walk away from that area of the shrine.]

So, um... How have you been, Nano? I don't think I've seen you since that... weird fight.

[all_wound_up]

[That's okay with her too.]

Um... I'm doing all right.

[Glancing down at the ground, she shuffles her feet a little.]

[otakuro]

[Awkward conversation incoming, of course. Atsuro pauses a bit and clears his throat once or twice.]

I, ah... I haven't thanked you yet for what happened. And for the things you said.

I'm not sure exactly what the other me did earlier that week, but it sounded like he'd been bothering you.

[all_wound_up]

He... said he didn't feel like he deserved to be my friend anymore. Because of what happened at Tanabata.

[otakuro]

O-Oh.

[Right.]

...If I deny that I ever felt like that, is he going to pop back out of me and cause more trouble?

[all_wound_up]

I don't know... but it's all right. Really, it is. I don't hold it against you.

[otakuro]

I guess accepting all the stupid parts about you just means you have more awkward messes to take responsibility for.

[Atsuro shrugs slightly.]

It's hard to explain. I didn't actually ever think that - not straight out. But it was... something like an echo in the back of my mind.

[all_wound_up]

I think everyone has things they don't want to admit to thinking about, or things about themselves they don't like. I'm just glad you're all right.

[otakuro]

...Did you end up with one of these things running around town? You seemed alright that night.

[all_wound_up]

No, I didn't have one.

[Nano blushes, smiling a sheepish little smile.]

I think it's because I already faced my own trial.

[otakuro]

[Atsuro will take that to mean his rejection of her and blanches slightly.]

Er...! That's... That's great. I'm glad you were able to... get past that stuff without the weird body double thing.

[all_wound_up]

Atsuro-san...? What's wrong?

[She's not talking about that at all, so she's understandably confused at his reaction.]

[otakuro]

Oh, it's nothing.

[Ah, misunderstandings.]

I think this is when we trot out those lines about becoming stronger people for having been through stuff like this.

[all_wound_up]

[Well, okay then.]

Mm! I think we all are.

[otakuro]

Pretty soon we'll be strong enough that they'll need to go through more than 12 astrology monsters to give us a challenge. ...They'll probably do Ophiuchus. I hear that's popular nowadays.

[all_wound_up]

Maybe we can fight the Chinese zodiac next!

[otakuro]

You'd think we'd have started with those, if we're still in Japan.

[Oh, well.]

[all_wound_up]

I wonder if they'll rename all the districts if that happens.