I can move mountains, I can work a miracle [OPEN]

[rassera]

WHO: The residents of Nonah 05 + YOU!
WHERE: Nonah, Residence #005
WHEN: All month long (January)
WHAT: Nonah 05 open log for January Shenanigans
WARNINGS: Obligatory Bull and Tetsuo warnings apply.


Starters will be appearing in the comments. If you want something specific from any one person (Kaneda rassera, Tetsuo iamtetsuo, Bull rideme and Ken amadaman), feel free to drop them a line and ask! Otherwise, feel free to add your own starters for the whole household or individual residents as you like.

Comments

[amadaman]

[He's certainly smart enough to understand what she's saying, and his doggy smile fades immediately in a wuff. Small as he may be he's undoubtedly an old man rolling his eyes at the young whippersnappers' drama, and his paw lands on her knee in a tiny smack before he gets up.

Walk to the door.

And starts scratching at it.]

[stealwithit]

Wait, Koro--

[ Ah, it's too late. He's scratching on the door, and someone is bound to come out and find her.

She may as well just... go with it. With a fairly labored sigh, her shoulders drop, and she shakes her head to ponder how is it that she's managed to infiltrate countless places, but Koro-chan still manages to find her so easily. She decides that he's simply that good of a dog, and walks over to him. ]

You're too good, did you know that?

[ She stands to move towards Koro and the door, at last. ]

[amadaman]

[Koromaru sits down and gives her the sweetest, sweetest little dog grin. His tail even wags. He knows he's good; he may be cute, but he's old, girl. Older than you in dog years!

And as Kasumi suspected, there's movement on the other side of the door now. Ken knew that Koromaru was outside, and he knew Koromaru would let him know when he wanted to get in. So with a "what is it, Koro?" from the other side, the door is opened and Ken shows up, blinking at the dog and the person behind it.]

... Usually you don't even bother with the door, Kasumi-san. Change of pace?

[stealwithit]

[ Kasumi tries to give Koromaru the most defiant stare she can, really, but how can you stay vaguely annoyed at a sweet doggie face like his. Damn it, Koromaru. She didn't used to be a dog person!

When she hears Ken's voice from the other side, her shoulders tense up before she even realizes it; she folds her arms as much as a gesture to appear nonchalant as much as it seems to be one to protect herself. She already knows this is going to hurt, probably. To his greeting, she shakes her head. ]

You could say that.

[ Although if she were to put a fine point to it, to her it seems more like they have changed. Even though the house--or more specifically, the people who live in it, even before Kaneda and Tetsuo came along--has always been a magnet for people, somehow, Kasumi can't help but feel like now that it seems like the worst has come to pass, they've made new friends, new company, moved on. Maybe she should, too. ]

You guys have had a lot of guests coming in and out nowadays, huh? It's like there's always a party going on in there.

[amadaman]

[The last time Kasumi left Nonah 5, it was a better place for Ken. No matter what the mess was with Tetsuo, he had Bull, and he had Charlie. The twins started as his friends, and Kasumi paid a lot of attention to him, too. The house had more guests since the Neo Tokyo boys' arrival, but it was a good place for Ken. Before, he would have nodded and smiled and complained a little about the noise despite sounding pleased.

Now, Ken's eyes darken with an unmistakably hurt look and he doesn't look back up after he nods.

It's louder in Nonah 5. Kaneda and Tetsuo are talking again. Kaneda has someone who comforts him. They have a gentle, loving presence that they always needed, and they also have friends. For the boys who once lost everything, it was a good thing. But instead of welcoming Kasumi into the loud, crowded house, Ken steps out and closes the door behind him.

Without looking up, he shrugs and says,] Tetsuo-san's friends. His, and Kaneda-san's. It's lively.

[stealwithit]

[ She's honestly surprised at the expression he takes, and before she realizes it, she's unfolding her arms and moving closer. And she won't say it out loud, but she's thankful for the respite that Ken offers by coming outside instead of inviting her inside. Kasumi has always been rather selective about people she surrounded herself with. The Normandy crew were, of course, an exception, because being on a suicide mission together tended to give people an unspoken trust like that. The boys of Nonah 05, the Archangel folks, Quill -- they were all exceptions, in this place. Products of many nights spent doing nothing (which for a person as busy and mysterious as Kasumi was at home, came few and far between), of aftermaths of horrible situations spent supporting each other. She wouldn't give them up for anything, but that doesn't mean she's open to the chaos within the house just yet.

In the first place, being inside would just remind her of what was missing. Charlie, his smile, his unphased expression whenever she snuck in, all of that. Quiet nights of Ken sitting at the table doing homework, Charlie working on his spells, Bull talking to his cats, and Kasumi reading a book from Charlie's collection. Nights when the twins were there, too, and nights when Peter and Kasumi would tell Charlie stories about being out in space. She would miss all of that, so much. But right now, it's not important to her how she feels -- when Ken makes that kind of face, he's all that matters. ]

Well, I'm glad if they're getting to have wild teenaged parties now, but--what's wrong, Ken?

[ She rests a hand on his shoulder, gently. ] Do you want to talk about it?

[amadaman]

... They brought so many people in.

[Ken knew a lot of people. He was friends with a lot of people. He went out of the house almost every day for the past year, and he met with people on a majority of those trips. But that was just it, wasn't it? Ken went out and did not dare to disturb the sanctity of his homes. He had been so surprised, and almost upset then too, when Hiro introduced himself as a member of SEES, and he asked a million times if it was okay with Bull and Charlie for him to bring the twins over. Home was sacred to him, and he liked being able to come back to the house and sit down and interact with the people he gave his trust to.

Kaneda was not like that. Kaneda was the type of person who brought people in, and to his endless frustration, Ken now understands better than ever why Tetsuo must have been so uncertain and angry with him. Kaneda offered home to anybody he thought wanted one, and he didn't always realize how much that hurt other people.]

It doesn't-- It's good, that they have people. But I don't know any of them. There's nowhere to go in the house right now.

[stealwithit]

[ Kasumi can identify with the idea of home being a sacred place, probably more than anyone else around here. It's why she can count on one hand the number of people who know where she lives: Shepard. Peter. And Charlie, before he left. Even Jaime, one of the most harmless people to ever exist in any dimension (or so Kasumi thinks) wouldn't be let into her fortress of solitude even when all he wanted was to bring her takeout. She takes her privacy seriously, possibly too seriously -- not just because she has a lot to hide, but because she needs that kind of space where she can be completely alone with her thoughts, where she can take off the mask that she wears around most people. For anyone else to be let into that place... it would have to mean Kasumi would trust them with her life. And hearing Ken be so unhappy about his own home, where he should be able to rest and be at peace, and even if he would never outright say it, makes her consider offering her own space for him.

... But maybe after she's tidied the place up a bit and maybe found somewhere to store some of that stolen artwork she has lying around. ]

Hey. Why don't you and I take Koro-chan out for a walk, huh? We can get ice cream [ fro-yo, for her ] like we used to, before... Or maybe hot chocolate? It's getting a little chilly out.

[amadaman]

[Ken had fallen quiet after his admission, staring out at the dark backyard when Kasumi offers her invitation. The effect is immediate, in a way -- he visibly lights up with surprise and longing, raising his head and staring at her to make sure she isn't joking. When he's certain, he nods quickly, almost scrambling to his feet.

A walk with Kasumi. A piece of the world similar to the way things were.]

Something warm, I think -- it is kind of cold.

[stealwithit]

[ Kasumi can't help the way her heart melts a little at that look on his face. Oh, Ken. You have no idea how happy she is when you're happy. ]

Hot cocoa it is, then. Why don't you go and grab your jacket and things? I'll wait out here with Koro-chan.

[amadaman]

[Ken has no idea -- he does know that people want him to be happy, but it's different to know intellectually and to understand emotionally. But he nods, and the tiniest smile breaks his otherwise blank expression.]

Okay -- I'll be right back. Wait here, Koro!

[He darts back into the house. He's still putting one arm through the sleeve of his coat when he appears again. For some reason there's a crow feather in his hair, but he throws that aside carelessly.]

R-ready.

[stealwithit]

[ Kasumi opens her mouth, because she's on the verge of asking about that crow feather in his hair and wondering if the house has truly turned into a zoo (what's next? landsharks?) but... she already knows the answer to that. So she just closes her mouth, shakes her head, and chuckles. ]

Let's get going, then. Here--

[ She steps to his side and brings an arm around his shoulder. ]

You warm enough?

[amadaman]

[They're more like a birdhouse now. Ken lets Koromaru catch the feather and go toss it away somewhere, but the dog is by their side by the time Kasumi gets her arm around the boy. Underneath his coat, only visible in the light at the back door, is a hoodie of unusual color for Ken. Unlike his usual orange, this one is a bright red, and slightly too big for his size.]

Yeah, [he answers, tugging on his collar.] I'm good.

[stealwithit]

[ Kasumi gives Koro a quiet, "Good man," as they walk before peers down at Ken, indeed noticing the unusually un-orange color of his hoodie. Not that she's one to judge, being that she wears black ninety percent of the time (the other ten percent, she wears red too), but she can't help but point it out. ]

Mixing it up a little with your color scheme today, Ken?

[amadaman]

This?

[Ken tugs at the front of his jacket.]

I guess. It was a gift -- Reika-san got it for me for my birthday.