It's Here We'll Never Part [open]

[ghost_bait]

Miku had gone into the city, to take the time to appreciate the Meiji Shrine that lay nestled in a far corner of Religion Row. It had, miraculously, managed to remain intact. The torii gates stood tall and even, and Miku bowed once before she entered through them

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[twin_fans]

Kazami's exploring a new part of the city, taking a break from the hangar and its new, noisy mecha pilots for a time.

He feels something akin to awe, or maybe just national pride, as he stops in front of the gates and bows. He steps through and walks through the heavy leaves, until he catches the sound of crinkling leaves, and a broom brushing against stone. He turns to catch the source of that sound, and spots the girl he's seen around the ship maybe a few times.

"Ah. Hello there." He smiles and half-bows to her. "I'm not intruding, am I?"

[ghost_bait]

Miku screamed a little bit, and lifted her broom to defend herself. She'd been so caught up in her own thoughts (mostly, "Please don't be angry that we've neglected you so long") that she hadn't heard Kazami approach.

It took a moment to recognize him as a regular member of the ship and not some angry kami in human form, but when she did, Miku relaxed. "My apologies!" she said quickly and bowed so fast her forehead practically met her knees. "You're not intruding at all!"

[twin_fans]

He holds his hands up to show they were empty and laughs, returning her bow. "I'm glad." He looks at her broom, and the dead leaves. No need to even ask what she'd been doing here, he might have done the same.

No, not even might have. He would have been.

"Ah, it's been a while since I've been here." He turns and looks at the building, trying to take the topic away from her embarrassment. "Maybe since I was eighteen or nineteen, and wanted to pray for success in school in the New Year." It feels like a lifetime ago, and his smile fades slightly as he thinks of it. Him, the brand new college student, his family there to support him and pray for their own happiness in life...

"It feels like that was so long ago."

[ghost_bait]

Miku tilted her head at Kazami, as she straightened up. He didn't look much older than she did, actually. Though, considering that most people aboard were prone to thinking she was underage (see: everyone), perhaps it would be better to keep the question of his age to herself.

It felt like it had been a long time since she'd seen any sort of kith or kin, now that she thought about it. "Well, that's because time on Stacy passes strangely, doesn't it?" Miku looked down at her feet and shifted her weight awkwardly. "I haven't been to the temple for a year. I know that much." She ahemed and looked back at Kazami.

"Maybe it hasn't been as long as you think."

[craaazyisland]

The remnants of nightmares were still hanging around in Steve's head as he made his way over the temple grounds, where just the architecture and the overgrown trees were enough to make his stomach clench with dread. He hurried along the path until he spotted Miku near one of the buildings, something bright and un-creepy to cling to.

"Hey," he said, waving at her a bit. "What's up?"

[ghost_bait]

Miku stood beside an impressive pile of leaves and only jumped a little bit as Steve approached. He still looked pale, despite the fact she'd nearly sat on him at one point to convince him to rest. "I'm cleaning up the temple," Miku answered. "Did you purify yourself? You should." She crossed through her little cleared path quickly to meet him.

[craaazyisland]

"Purify myself?" he replied, as though the translation engine had momentarily broken and she had reverted back to Japanese in his ears. "What do you mean?"

[ghost_bait]

"It's what you do before you enter the shrine properly," She hadn't expected him to know that, so Miku smiled a little bit and lead him to the font by the hand. The stream ran weakly, but it ran and that was what was important. "Here. Take one of those cups by the handle and fill it with water." She mimed the motions.

"Then wash your left hand, and then your right hand, and then your mouth - don't put your mouth on your cup, use your left hand, then your left hand again, and then rinse the cup." She tugged her handkerchief from its usual pocket in her miniskirt. "And then dry."

[saint_sami]

Sasami's odd wanderings had lead her to Religion Row. Noticing the various places of worship, she had to wonder if the Masaki Shrine was around. Her searching, however, found the Meiji Shrine instead.

Trying to ignore the more ominous feelings the place seemed to have, Sasami made her way in, stopping as she saw Miku there. "Oh! I'm sorry! Am I intruding?"

[ghost_bait]

Miku's sweeping had carved a path through to the main shrine building, and she'd taken a little break. It had just seemed so... daunting. There was still a wide temple complex to clean, too, as well as weeding the iris garden, and seeing if anything had been stored in the sacred kitchen for proper food offerings. (And woe be to the person who suggested they fold in any rice to the ship's food storage.)

But Sasami was too far away for Miku to hear, so while she saw the girl, she couldn't hear what she was saying.

[saint_sami]

Sasami blinked as she didn't get an answer. However, the fact that she noticed her meant that she knew she was there. Taking a chance, she trotted up to Miku and bowed slightly at her.

"Hi...! Um... w-was it alright if I came here? I saw you working and I wasn't sure..."

[rope_victim]

"It's fine, it's fine," Miku assured her. "I was doing my duty to the Honored Emperor and Empress by cleaning the shrine. It isn't like we have proper shrine maidens here."

And thank goodness none of them were crazy, "I just couldn't let it go by."