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]

[Michiha does not, of course, know what he had expected of death when he was alive, but it probably didn't involve being named by a God of Fortune, turning into an insignia, and being brought to what he suspects is the grandest house he has ever set foot in.

Home. His ability to decipher what his owner is saying is limited, but he understood that. Her home, so his home by extension.

Bishamon dismisses Tsuguha and Kazuma (the latter doesn't seem pleased with this) and smiles at him. Michiha still isn't entirely certain of what's going on and he has had little time to learn about his owner, but he's glad that he belongs to her. He can tell that she's good and kind and cares about her... what was the word? Shinki? Whatever that is, he intends to be the best one that he can be for the god who named him.

She has a very beautiful smile. He returns it.]

Thank you, my lady.

[In English, because--and he doesn't know how he knows this--of the languages that he seems to be able to speak, that is the most common one. He thinks that he can more-or-less understand Bishamon, but he isn't confident.]

...What happens now?

[veenafamily]

[Bishamon refrains from wincing, though she does feel a pang of guilt – she had switched to Japanese without thinking. It’s been millennia since she’s taken on a shinki from outside Japan.

She switches – with some visible awkwardness – to English. (How many languages will she have to learn if she keeps traveling from her home turf?)]

Now I will show you around, and we will find a room for you. You’ll be able to meet the rest of your family.

[She tries to think if any of the other shinki know any English at all; she may have to ask Kazuma. Michiha will need a friend and a guide even more than new shinki usually do — but she believes that he will be well-suited for her brood. When she gave him his name, she saw how he died ... and she knows how important being part of a crew, a community, is to him.]

Let’s start in the entryway.

[candothat]

[Michiha has already decided that he will learn how to speak Japanese somehow. It seems to be the preferred language (if not the only language) among the few other shinki he has seen, and Bishamon sounds more comfortable with it. He wonders, irrelevantly, if his accent will be as strong in Japanese as it is in English.]

I would like that. [And, belatedly:] My Lady. Thank you.

[He follows her, more eager than nervous (but still a little nervous). It's very strange, being given a name and a home and a family in such short order, and all of it from a single person. He's incredibly lucky to have been found by Bishamon. Most people who die probably aren't as fortunate as he is, he thinks, and he's going to make the most of this. Even if this family ends up being strange and none of them understand him, Michiha is fully prepared to work hard to integrate himself.

What he isn't prepared for the number of people--shinki--waiting just inside. Some of them are old, some are children, some have injuries that must have been very painful when they were new, and the majority appear interested in seeing who comes through the door. Michiha is almost certain that he isn't a shy person, but this is a lot of scrutiny and he doesn't know what the protocol (why does he care about protocol?) for situations like this is.]

What a large family you have.

[He's somewhat awed. She saved and named everyone here?]

[veenafamily]

[She wants to say You don’t have to stand on such ceremony, but all of her shinki, except for Kazuma, address her that way. Michiha will stand out enough anyway for not being Japanese; if he doesn’t address her as the others do, there could be discord among the shinki. She already knows how that story ends.

She doesn’t show it, but she too is a little nervous when they enter the hall. Fortunately, Kazuma seems to have already warned the assembled crowd about the newcomer. The scrutiny seems all to be friendly.

What a large family you have, he says, and a piece of her heart breaks. Her family used to be larger.]

Everyone – [She addresses the crowd in Japanese] I’d like you to meet the newest member of our family: Michiha. Please make him feel welcome.

[She switches back to English to address Michiha.] You’ll get to meet every one of them in time. For now, let me give you the tour.

[She catches Kazuma’s eye, and her regalia instantly understands. He’ll talk to the rest of the shinki, see if there is anyone who is comfortable enough with English to be a mentor to Michiha. Although she’s trying to be more involved in the lives of all her shinki and to give them more individual attention, she has to be very careful about not showing favoritism. They all understand that the combat shinki will be called on much more often than the non-combatants, but paying too much attention to any one non-combatant could breed an epidemic of jealousy. She’s taking a risk by just giving him the estate tour herself.

I’ll ask Kazuma to schedule one-on-one time with me for the others, she decides as she starts walking. If done carefully, that should be enough to protect everyone. For a brief moment, she forgets that Michiha is following.]

[candothat]

[Friendly scrutiny is much better than the unfriendly kind. Michiha smiles at his new family and tries not to be too self-conscious about looking different from them. Bishamon wouldn't have brought him here to live with her if she thought that would be a problem. It's going to be fine.

He also tries not to be too pleased that the god herself is going to show him around, as odd as it seems for someone in her position to do so. She's the most familiar person he has right now. The only one he can currently talk to, too.

When the god doesn't speak again, he takes it upon himself to do that.]

I don't mean to sound ungrateful, sir, [he says it without thinking or even noticing the slip] because I am very grateful to you, but is it usual for a god to do things like this? Give tours?

[veenafamily]

Sir? [The small slip draws Bishamon out of her reverie -- and sends a spike of dread through her heart. Is he becoming corrupted so quickly? No, he didn't sting her when he said it. As long as she doesn't act like it's a big deal, he won't think about it. It's not a big deal.]

Many gods don't. But my shinki are my family. Because of my responsibilities, I don't always get to spend as much time with you all as I would like. This is my opportunity to get to know you.

These are the baths. There's no separation, so the others will put up a sign if it's in use and they do not want to be disturbed. [Even among the native Japanese shinki, some are more comfortable than others with mixed-gender onsen. (It doesn't occur to her that he might not be familiar with onsen culture at all.]

Would you like to see the kitchens and dining room, or do you want to see your room first?

[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.