nexus_crossings | There's No 'I' in Team but there is in Community.

There's No 'I' in Team but there is in Community.

Aal's got a stack of various flyers under a rock of a paperweight along with a few other things on a foldable table with a red and white table cloth being watched over by her beloved blonde mate. Whom even sitting his six foot frame would be hard to miss if there's any larger en masseing of folks or unfriendly type people. While she trots a smidgen away to stack stapling things to various posts in the plaza. Determined to do a fair few things while she still can even if she waddles a bit.

She's got a few brightly colored flyers in hand, as she gives a friendly smile to whoever might wander closer, her ears wiggle slightly. Even though she clears her thoart softly and gives a slightly sheepish look but depending on whom it is that might change quickly and easily to a grin or what have you. "Ahem, this might sound like an odd question but what would you say is some of your favorite summer type things to do?"

She slightly winces but gives her best smile while internally kicking herself.

Oh yes make it sound like a survey question that would surely get folks into a festive mood.

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What it might have said about Minoru that he was more familiar with a Disney movie than many of his world’s mythologies didn’t seem to bother him. “Yeah, I know that one.”

She hums and makes a bemused sound, but nods acceptingly. Walt was a great storyteller all things considered. "Well, in my realm the Blue Fairy's the one who turned Jiminy into a cricket in the first place granting a wish of his so he could try erm to undo or make up for something he and his parents did. To Gepetto. " She adds though she murmurs lowly and softly not one to gossip..But it was a decent example.

Besides the likelihood he'd run into those involved in the Nexus..was likely slim.

“Huh.” Minoru scratched his head. “Pretty sure they didn’t put that part in the movie.”

All stories omitted details, though. It would be impossible to tell literally everything that happened. And even if someone tried, memories are fallible. Details get embellished.

“But he wouldn’t have become a cricket if it weren’t for the Blue Fairy doing her magic to turn him into one, right?” He asked curiously. “Did the Blue Fairy make it so you could shift too?”

Aal can't help the warm bubbly chuckle at that. "Aye, I think the donkeys and other things were bad enough." True she'd once helped find some of said Donkeys back in the day.

She nods softly. "Aye exactly." She chuckles a little wryly at that. "Ah no, that would have been my Grandad who taught myself and Dor." She murmurs, "Though we did need a sort of Catalyst you might say." She murmurs warmly. "Though I wouldn't be surprised if someone in the family back in the day made a deal with some powerful being somewhere." After all, that's how supposedly other gifts had come to run in their blood.

“Who knows.” He laughed. “Maybe we did. I don’t know how far back our families go into ancient Japan. I think Papa’s side had a ninja clan in it once or something. Or maybe that was just one of Uncle Sasuke’s stories.”

There were lots of supernatural legends surrounding ninja, just like there were about kami.

Aal hums and nods softly, "Ooh I see. " She murmurs and chuckles good naturedly. "Ya never know..I mean there are ways of checking such sometimes.."She tilts her head if he was interested and game was another matter. "Some have grains of truth though. And others should be taken with a grain of salt." She murmurs she didn't have enough intel to tell for certain either way.

She wiggles a little excitedly, however. "I've heard tales of former Priestesses and Centurions myself." She murmurs with a slight wolfish smirk. At least on the one side.

Usually Isamu was the one prone to curiosity, but Minoru was the most open to seeing and exploring what could be found in other worlds. And dating Ziggy Stardust, he was starting to see supernatural abilities as pretty natural. Not much fazed him.

“You mean, actually tracing whether there was magic once in our family tree?”

Minoru would try almost anything once.

"Aye I mean sometimes it can be done one way or another. " She murmurs with a tilt of her head. "Sometimes if an object has a history to it I can pick things up from it or..people." She tilts her head though sometimes it happened by accident. She didn't like to invade folks space etc without permission but sometimes high emotions etc gave her vibes and or 'flashes' regardless.

Maybe in another world, there was a Minoru who flew on brooms and spoke to snakes. Or one that traveled the badlands as a spellcasting monk. Or even one that could breathe fire like a dragon. But this Minoru? Well, he had his doubts that he or anyone else in his world could do anything like that.

(At least, normally. Weird things did happen in the Nexus from time to time.)

“The only thing I’ve got with any history is probably this…” he tugged a necklace out from underneath his shirt. “It belonged to Mama. And her mother before that. I know that much.”

Stories of a ninja clan, however, ran on the other side of the family. His father’s, not his mother’s.

The necklace itself was simple, comprised of three small donut-shaped charms on a chain. The charms were made from Shibuichi, a grey-colored metallic alloy that was commonly used for embellishing swords back in the day. The chain looked a lot newer and has likely been replaced several times.

“Not sure if this tells you anything.” He asked, still holding it gently. Aal was welcome to get a closer look if she wanted to.

Minoru had received the necklace as a gift when he was just a child. His mother, Chichi Uchiwa, had taken ill and the family truly feared she might die. (Thankfully, she recovered.) But Minoru was struggling at the time. So, just as her mother did for her before she passed, Chichi explained to her son that the necklace was meant to be a piece of her that he could always keep with him. Living things like Kazumi aside, this was, by far, his most prized possession.

Aal hums listening raptly, her face softens. "I see, and anything with a strong connection can be just as helpful usually." She murmurs warmly. She gives him a gentle understanding smile. "Tis precious such things." She murmurs her lit coming out a bit subconsciously. She knew what it was like to lose such connections despite one's best efforts.

She softly swallows trying to clear the lump in her throat.

She tilts her head, "Worth a try." She murmurs and holds her hand palm up and out slightly as she eases closer to peer at it over the rims of her glasses. After glancing left and then right cautiously before her eyes started to glow a little bit more of an emerald or greek fire green than gold.

A small tear started to well in the corner of her one eye, as the emotions that surrounded the piece like an aura hit her first as she scanned with a soft sniffle. a finger or two tentatively reaching toward it her eyes half closing to see if there were any layers underneath.

Minoru blinked, watching Aal’s eyes glow green. Something was definitely happening.

The necklace was deeply precious to him and full of meaning, but that didn’t make it magical. At least, not in the sense of having any supernatural powers. A more loosely defined sort of magic, perhaps, in the same vein as love or luck. If kami were indeed real, as his family believed, then it might still contain a fraction of that essence from the spot the metal was extracted or energy from the fire from which it was forged.

Aal tilts her head for a few moments, one side and then slowly to the other. Memories were precious in a number of ways never the less. She hums warmly and wiggles her shifted canine ears at him happily. Trying to ease him and lighten the mood.

"Tis lovely. " She murmurs and looks thoughtful. Perhaps other ways would give better research results at least. Sometimes if she could 'connect' to something in some manner the easier it was to see into the past of someone or something. Unless some major event weither emotional or otherwise happened.

Or a message needed to be conveyed. Her nose twitches a little uncertain as her brow furls. There was definitely an aura of 'warmth' about it. "Thank you for sharing it with me. " She murmurs sinernly and pulls a black cord out from under her own jacket to show him a silver Celtic cross with a small round emerald in the middle. "Mi grandda gave me this when I officaly finsihed my Healer training back home." She informs the fellow warmly.

“Lovely, but not magical, huh.” He smirked and shrugged. He wasn’t disappointed in Aal for not getting a read, or for getting one that turned up nothing at all. It was going to be whatever it was going to be.

When she showed him her necklace, Minoru leaned in for a closer look.

“That’s beautiful.” He smiled. He’d seen crosses before, even if he didn’t know a lot about the religious beliefs of the people that wore them. But he couldn’t recall seeing one with all the intricate patterns like that. “Does it… is it magical?

"MMh, not that I can tell. But then some charms are subtle or well hidden." She informs him warmly.

Her eyes crinkle at the corners. "Thank ya kindly." She murmurs in reply her ears and tail perking up the former wiggle the latter's tip of it wags. "Mmh, well I suppose some of the properties are..and there's some small charms upon it..Like to help me find the way home and such..within a certain range of course." She murmurs warmly looking down at it wistfully running a finger around the inner circle. Shining up the stone a little, so it winks or gleams softly at them.

Minoru would have to ask his brother about some of those old stories. Maybe the next time they went to Japan for a visit, he could get something old from Grandma Mikoto from that side of the family.

When Aal mentioned charms, the first thing that came to Minoru’s mind was omamori - the lucky charms that you get from Shinto shrines on New Year’s. He didn’t actually have his on him, though. (Isamu, conversely, keeps his Gakugyo-joju tied to his backpack at all times - despite claiming that he doesn’t believe in the unscientific principle of luck.) That, maybe, could be a tiny bit magical.

“That’s pretty neat.”

Aal smiles softly, "Aye, protective and defensive magic is more my family's forte. She murmurs softly, feeling she could trust him with that much. Though she did rather like the young fellow and his brother quite a bit. She wished to get to know them better after all. "Thank ya..ahem, Does yer own family have ah, a business or intresting traditions?" She murmurs warmly and slightly curious.

Perhaps they could team up on some other celebration if he had a fave or two coming up. Even if it was like a friendly gathering or something. Thinking of both of having to care for her little bundles of joy and at least having some helpful pals/hands about and they did need socializing too.

Not knowing too much about magic, he simply nodded. Protection and defense were good things, after all.

"Most of the traditions we had growing up were tied to Shinto. Which weren't really traditions as much as they were rituals?" he admitted, thinking about his mother's daily prayers, the festivals they'd attend whenever they visited Japan or the special way they'd ring in the new year. It was a bigger deal in the Uchiwa household when the twins turned 20 than when they turned 18 (even though the latter was the age of legal adulthood in America where they were living). "Or some of the American holidays, I guess. Christmas, Easter, that sort of thing."

Those, he learned much later, had other religious ties to them. As well as just how many things there are for different people and cultures to celebrate.

"Isamu and I don't really do a lot of the rituals Mama does. Even Papa doesn't do them at home nearly as much as he does when he visits Grandma Mikoto!" he added with a chuckle. "Aside from New Years. I don't think we'll ever stop celebrating that as a family."

Aal nods and listens raptly. Lovely, her eyes grow bigger and her ears perk up. The tip of her tail wags excitedly, She does her best not to wiggle overly much but she did so love learning about new places and people. Especially when they were near and dear to friends and or possible ones. "Oh, I see. " She murmurs intrgiured.

She gives a little good-natured one-armed shrug. "Sometimes such lines blur between those but whatever you feel comfortable sharing." She murmurs warmly. She grins even more at the latter and mentally tries to figure the best size for him, she would definitely be knitting more things for folks this year. Or try after all she won't be able to be on her feet too long soon enough.

She hums in thought, "Would,,ah ya be perhaps interested..in my version of a Weasley sweater or er jumper?" She half asks a twinkle in her eyes recalling what the boys wore that one fateful hoiliday. Her hand goes to her belly. In more ways than one.

She nods warmly with a look of understanding. "Yes, family time is important. "She murmurs a slight wistful and softness to her tone.

He shared a little more about New Years, as those were the family traditions he was most fond of. From the days their mother spent planning and preparing the traditional Osechi feast (and the days everyone else spent cleaning the house) to waking up while it was still dark to catch the hatsuhinode, or first sunrise, and pray for happiness and good fortune. Now that they were older, they also joined their parents in drinking otoso, or New Year’s Sake, to share vitality and wish for a long life without any disease. Minoru would always be the first to drink, as he was the youngest, even if only by a few minutes.

“Oh, you din’t have to give me anything.” He insisted respectfully, but he would accept the gift graciously and be honored by the love that undoubtedly went into it.

Her ears perk up as she listens raptly with a small grin. "Ooh any particular fave treats or dishes?" She asks ready to make notes perhaps she could learn to whip some up.

Aal's face softens, never the less, "It does get rather cold around here..ya know." She murmurs softly in her most simple yet practical tone, so yes accessories too would be an aim as well. The tip of her tail wagging a little uncertain, but she's pretty sure it's merely politeness. "Mhh, do ya have a favored color or two?" She asks half out of genuine curiosity. "Ahem I rather like Forest or Emerald green and Sea blues and such myself." She murmurs warmly.

“Well, in the Osechi, everything you eat has special meaning. Like, Isamu always eats the datemaki first, since it’s shaped like a scroll to bring scholarly success.”

Datemaki, he explained was basically an omelette filled with mashed shrimp.

“The kobumaki is my favorite. It represents happiness. Mama makes it with burdock root now instead of salmon.” He added. “which definitely doesn’t change the meaning, because kobu is the seaweed it’s wrapped in. And Yorokobu means joyful.”

Minoru wondered now whether any of her culture’s meals had these kinds of special meanings. He asked about that, but did not forget about the offer of a sweater or what was obviously a subtle nudge toward picking a color for one.

Minoru smiled softly as he replied. “My favorite color is purple. And Isamu’s is blue.”

ooc: their icons are color-coded. Hehehe.]

"Oooh," She murmurs in reply, "Sounds lovely." She nearly purrs her ears wiggle happily and intrigued. She licks her lips softly, especially at the description of food. Her mouth-watering a little. "MMh, that first one sounds like something I might like as well." She half murmurs conversationally.

She hums and smirks a wee bit as she jots that down. A yup, that was gonna get used in future. "Oooh pretty..any particular shade?" She asks softly, She knew sometimes folks were more mmh prone to some rather than others. Whether environment or skin tone or even if it felt jarring or glaring to one's eyes. Whereas some didn't give as much thought or mind to it.

(ooc;(ooh lovely and that's very helpful XD ))

“Favorite shade of purple? No, not really…” he scratched his head. Whether it was the bluish purple or the reddish purple, he was happy with all of it. “I guess what I like are the richer colors. Like deep vibrant purples, not the pale pastel purples?”

Isamu, he had to think about. He knew his brother liked both the dark navy shades of blue and the lighter, more greenish aquamarine shades. Isamu could probably lecture for an hour straight about the rareness of blue in nature and the individual structures on a plant or animal (at least on their world) that allows that wavelength of light to be reflected. But as clothing?

“To wear… Isamu would probably want a softer shade. Something that doesn’t stand out too much.”

Minoru didn’t really give too much thought to things like that. He was dating Ziggy Stardust, after all, and Ziggy was an explosion of vibrant colors from every conceivable angle.

She hums and her face softens but then perks up with a nods and writes that down. "Sounds bout right to me." She murmurs liking the darker shades herself. "So perhaps royal..or plum." She half murmurs she knew Dor rather liked a certain dress /outfits she had in such shades back home and elsewhere. Especially as he helped procure the items and or the material to make such.

"OOh blues lovely too." She murmurs yes, she could do well to stock up on several colors as she feels like she'd need some for Dor and the Steve's as well.

She and his brother would likely get along well in such a case. She hums and jots that down. "Aye..ahem I know that feeling." She murmurs symathicly and very understandingly.

If Aal was ever to met the fellow she was likely to get a peacock and or rainbow vibe. As she's now ran into a few folks who knew or were connected to the musician.

The Ziggy Stardust love dodecahedron was ever-expanding. And Minoru was perfectly content with his little corner of the polyamorous polygon.

“You know ours. So, what’s your favorite color?” He asked cheerfully.

There's No 'I' in Team but there is in Community.

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