[ he fidgets a moment or two, then glances away, ears going red again. awkwardly, he shuffles back to the kitchen to check on the soup. ]

Um. Well.. you know. I was raised by spirits, mostly. [ he's never really talked about that. he doesn't intend to now. it's just.. ] I didn't even know it wasn't.. normal for a long time. But they always seemed more real than.. humans. When I was younger. [ in a lot of ways, he's still more comfortable around spirits and demons and monsters than he is around human beings. spirits he gets. humans are complicated. ] And then.. you know, there's.. the tsukumogami, and they're--

[ he trails off, then pours tea for himself to give him something to do with his hands. ]

.. I'm really, really glad that you love them, too. I'm really glad that Kashuu-kun and Yamato-kun have you here. I'm glad.. that.. you're staying here.