[Having to constantly travel is already a huge pain in the ass, but traveling with two small children in tow can be an absolute nightmare. It takes all the problems that constant travelers have- the need to constantly be aware of surroundings and where shelter, food, and water are, the danger of traveling through new territory with no idea of what's lurking around the corner, the sense of anxiety over not having a place to settle down and call home, the lack of long term friends you see every day- and multiplies it by a thousand. Kids cry. Kids get sick. Kids don't understand 'we need to sleep in this cave because the next town is more than a day's travel away'. Shiro has had countless sleepless nights between taking care of his sons and trying to manage their needs on top of his own.
Still, it's better than the alternative. He counts himself lucky to just have them in his life, even if the journeys they have to take leave him feeling perpetually exhausted.
He still wishes they could settle down for more than a few weeks in one place, though. By the time the boys start making friends it's time to move on again, and it always upsets them. It's led Shiro to prefer housing that's away from other people, if only because it makes the 'goodbye' easier.
Which was why Shiro had picked this particular shrine to stay in, at least for the time being. It was old and in dire need of repair, but it looked like it had been cleaned recently. Signs pointed to someone possibly living there, but just not being home currently. Maybe they had gone on a trip somewhere? Whatever the case, Shiro feels confident in letting him and the boys stay there for a few days to rest and build up their food resources. He plans to have them gone before the person who maintains the shrine gets back.
In the meantime, he is sure to leave the shrine in a better condition than he found it. It's a lesson he's been trying to teach the boys, and they are all too eager to help. Holes in the walls are filled in, the leaky spots in the roof are re-patched, and offerings are left at the tiny shrine each day. Respect for the places you intrude on, that is key. And he has been teaching Rin and Yukio those lessons as well.
He's not sure if offerings of berries and little men made out of sticks are appropriate for whatever god is worshiped at this shrine, but maybe that god will be amused by the presents that five-year-olds bring. Shiro himself is certainly amused by it. Especially when the boys spend time in front of the large drawn picture, telling it about the stories of battles and intrigue they come up with while playing with the stick-people. That is particularly cute, even if he's pretty sure nobody else can hear it.]
For XL, AU time
Still, it's better than the alternative. He counts himself lucky to just have them in his life, even if the journeys they have to take leave him feeling perpetually exhausted.
He still wishes they could settle down for more than a few weeks in one place, though. By the time the boys start making friends it's time to move on again, and it always upsets them. It's led Shiro to prefer housing that's away from other people, if only because it makes the 'goodbye' easier.
Which was why Shiro had picked this particular shrine to stay in, at least for the time being. It was old and in dire need of repair, but it looked like it had been cleaned recently. Signs pointed to someone possibly living there, but just not being home currently. Maybe they had gone on a trip somewhere? Whatever the case, Shiro feels confident in letting him and the boys stay there for a few days to rest and build up their food resources. He plans to have them gone before the person who maintains the shrine gets back.
In the meantime, he is sure to leave the shrine in a better condition than he found it. It's a lesson he's been trying to teach the boys, and they are all too eager to help. Holes in the walls are filled in, the leaky spots in the roof are re-patched, and offerings are left at the tiny shrine each day. Respect for the places you intrude on, that is key. And he has been teaching Rin and Yukio those lessons as well.
He's not sure if offerings of berries and little men made out of sticks are appropriate for whatever god is worshiped at this shrine, but maybe that god will be amused by the presents that five-year-olds bring. Shiro himself is certainly amused by it. Especially when the boys spend time in front of the large drawn picture, telling it about the stories of battles and intrigue they come up with while playing with the stick-people. That is particularly cute, even if he's pretty sure nobody else can hear it.]