Welcome home

[veenafamily]

Who: Bishamon, Michiha (Chekov)
What: After a long journey in space, Bishamon brings her newest shinki home.


[Bishamon takes a deep breath. After months away from Takamagahara – she is finally home.

She is not the first of the gods to have ventured out into space with the humans. All of the Seven Gods of Fortune had to go at least once, to visit their shrines in starships and space stations across the galaxy. But she is the one who travels most frequently, except perhaps for Ebisu. Most of the gods prefer to remain in Takamagahara, or in their shrines in the Near Shore. They’re still recovering from the chaos that resulted from the arrival of the Vulcans.]

Kazuma. Tsuguha. [She gives her shinki a smile as they return to their human forms.] Go get some rest. It’s been a long journey.

[Kazuma looks as though he wants to protest, but she holds up a hand to quiet him.]

I want to show our newest member around myself.

Michiha.

[The Starfleet insignia on her yukata transforms into a young man, barely in his 20s. She beams at him.]

Welcome to your new home.

Comments

[candothat]

[He completely misinterprets her response.] Sorry! Sorry, My Lady, I mean. [At least she seems surprised and not annoyed. He will need to pay more attention to the way he addresses her.]

Gods must be very busy, you especially so if your travels often take you to space. I'm certain that your family understands.

These are the baths? [Of course he knows what baths are, but this doesn't look like any kind of bathing situation he would've encountered. Where's the stall and the tub?] May I ask... how does it work?

[veenafamily]

[Damn, he noticed her reaction — but at least he misinterprets it. She relaxes. It will be fine. She knows that he is a strong, resilient person; she knew that from the moment she gave him his name. He will be safe as long as she does not show her weakness.

His question about the baths proves a welcome distraction from her own self-doubt.]

Ah — well — they ... work like baths? [Did his people not bathe? What strange people, these space-faring Russians.] You wash the dirt off over there, and then you soak in the onsen. The waters have medicinal properties, but you don't want to soak for too long or you'll overheat. Some areas of the hot spring are cooler than others, so you can move around if you enjoy a long soak.

[candothat]

[He thinks no more of her reaction. Just a cultural difference to be aware of, much like this bath thing.]

Ah, then they are like hot springs. [Has he ever been to a hot spring? Who knows.] The baths that I'm familiar with are more... [some unhelpful gesturing] ...enclosed? Small rooms, and the water comes from overhead. Is there anything else important to know about them so that I don't offend anyone when I use them?

[veenafamily]

[I don't think so? But of course, Bishamon can't show that kind of weakness to her shinki.]

Kazuma can educate you on the proper etiquette for such things. He is the signpost. If you listen to him, you will never lose your path.

[She smiles a little, not wanting him to feel like this was a rejection.] You'll find everyone here is very warm and welcoming. I'm sure you'll make friends very quickly. [She knows he has a talent for it, which is a relief. Her more timid shinki have usually had the most difficulty adjusting.]

[candothat]

Yes, okay. I will be certain to listen to him.

[It doesn't feel like a rejection. Of course Bishamon needs to parcel some tasks out to her shinki, and Kazuma appears to be the highest-ranking of all of them.]

I hope to, My Lady. Assuming I make no tragic bathing errors, I know that I will. [He really isn't too worried. What're a few cultural and linguistic barriers when they're all dead?]

[veenafamily]

[Bishamon just stares for a moment — and then starts laughing. It starts as a chuckle and gains momentum, like a stone rolling down a hill.

No tragic bathing errors! What would a tragic bathing error even be? How did he come up with that phrase? She needs to stop — she ought to stop — but she can't. The more Bishamon thinks about it, the more it makes her laugh.]

[candothat]

[Although he wasn't trying for comedy, he's a little pleased with himself for making the god laugh.]

I will try to keep my verbal errors to a minimum also.