The Day of Thunder

[Shiba Kumori]

"My mother wasn't like that," Ayako protested. "She had her rules and if you didn't obey them, you got switched, and that was that. Yours was different, I guess?"

“I guess so… The switch wasn’t the only tactic in my house.” She said with a chuckle.

“Your mother seems like a strong woman.” She said with a nod.

[Jiyo Sora]

"My mother wasn't like that," Ayako protested. "She had her rules and if you didn't obey them, you got switched, and that was that. Yours was different, I guess?"

Her mother...

Sora glanced at Kumori.

... has always had trouble expressing her emotions. Especially to her youngest.

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

“Your mother seems like a strong woman.” She said with a nod.

"Yes, she's an armorer, so she had to be," Ayako said, tapping one of her shoulder plates. "She made me my first set of armor, in fact."

"What about you? What's your family like?"

[Shiba Kumori]

"Yes, she's an armorer, so she had to be," Ayako said, tapping one of her shoulder plates. "She made me my first set of armor, in fact."

"What about you? What's your family like?"

She the armor a good look and nodded approvingly, “That’s nice to have something like that from her to carry with you…”

Her eyes then opened a bit as she rhetorically asked, “Me?”

She tilted her head to one side, “They’re good people… Real salt of the earth self-sacrificing types. Always busy though… the seasons don’t stop for anybody.”

She smiled, “I was never the best kid though. I probably gave them more trouble than they deserved.”

[Bayushi Norikage]

"I am afraid I cannot remember many... and not the words."

She sounded genuinely sorry about that. Casting him a sideways glance, she added, "If it helps, however, I am willing to try." Her voice had an odd quality to it. As if she felt more certain of something than before, less the voice of one lost or drifting. Her husky alto had more timbre, perhaps. Some infusion of confidence she had lacked.

"Well, Yukara-san, we shall have to see", he said, narrowing his eyes very slightly. "Maybe we can write one together." There was definitely something he meant there. He let it hang in the air for a bit and stared back out at the crowd. "But before I do anything stupid, there's still more day left. You had lunch yet?"

[Nanzi Ai]

"Not ev'rybody's born inta kind families," Akutou says. "An' not ev'ry home's good t' kids as ain't theirs."

"I... I see, perhaps I will send word to Hantei-ojisan to make sure such things do not happen in the future," she responded.

[Otomo Akutou]

"I... I see, perhaps I will send word to Hantei-ojisan to make sure such things do not happen in the future," she responded.

"No need," Akutou says. "F'r me, situation's fixed. An' it'll never be th' case there's enough t' go 'round. Can't be, an' this world exist in part t' help others work out their karma."

[Nanzi Ai]

"But we should strive to make it better, for the future," she said kindly.

[Otomo Akutou]

"But we should strive to make it better, for the future," she said kindly.

"P'rhaps," Akutou says, "though there're no few as say makin' folks struggle makes 'em better. An' no few of 'em're the elders we're told t' venerate. Or so's been my experience; I'll allow as others' might vary some."

[Nanzi Ai]

"P'rhaps," Akutou says, "though there're no few as say makin' folks struggle makes 'em better. An' no few of 'em're the elders we're told t' venerate. Or so's been my experience; I'll allow as others' might vary some."

""Perhaps, but if such is happening within the Crane, I will not tolerate it and bring it to the attention of my family," she responded.

[Otomo Akutou]

""Perhaps, but if such is happening within the Crane, I will not tolerate it and bring it to the attention of my family," she responded.

"Y' won't hafta look hard t' find it, I think," Akutou says. "All it takes is one bad harvest, one bad catch, an' there's suddenly more mouths than food t' fill 'em. An', in truth, it's better that one suffer so th' rest have a good chance than t' make everybody worse off t' keep th' one."

He sighs.

"At least as I am, I c'n do f'r m'self if'n I hafta. Keeps me f'm bein' a burden."

[Ryoshun Yukara]

"Well, Yukara-san, we shall have to see", he said, narrowing his eyes very slightly. "Maybe we can write one together." There was definitely something he meant there. He let it hang in the air for a bit and stared back out at the crowd. "But before I do anything stupid, there's still more day left. You had lunch yet?"

Any deeper meaning did not seem to be evident to Yukara, as she simply nodded affably.

At his question, she bit her lip, realizing that she hadn't. "I have felt so energized today, I had not eaten a thing. It is the elements - they are unusually heated, my chi is practically ablaze, it feels."

Raising an eyebrow, she continued, "Was that an invitation to dine together?"

[Bayushi Norikage]

]Any deeper meaning did not seem to be evident to Yukara, as she simply nodded affably.

At his question, she bit her lip, realizing that she hadn't. "I have felt so energized today, I had not eaten a thing. It is the elements - they are unusually heated, my chi is practically ablaze, it feels."

Raising an eyebrow, she continued, "Was that an invitation to dine together?"

"It is, we're friends now, aren't we?" He stood up and stretched.l, stifled a yawn, then the yawn punched him in the face and did what it liked anyway.

[Ryoshun Yukara]

"It is, we're friends now, aren't we?" He stood up and stretched.l, stifled a yawn, then the yawn punched him in the face and did what it liked anyway.

Yawns were contagious, so Yukara found herself showing off her prominent canines and otherwise surprisingly healthy teeth as she also yawned, and then stood as well. "I would like to think we are, yes. I am glad that you agree." Indeed, she seemed quite pleased about it, if the small smile playing about her lips was any indication. Clasping her hands behind her, she kept her bisento in the crook of her arm, tilting her head and inquiring, "Do you have any preference - I fear I am a poor cook, but the market may have something."

[Bayushi Norikage]

"Do you have any preference - I fear I am a poor cook, but the market may have something."

"More festival food, huh?" He thought about it. "Could go to the place I'm staying. Old Yoshie would probably try to adopt you."

[Ryoshun Yukara]

"Ah. I do not think I am up for adoption."

She patted the mon on her chest. "I am flattered, however."

With a shrug, she continued, "If that is what you would like, I am happy to go there, however. It is doubtless an improvement over my travel fare."

[Sugri]

Though he had to admit something still bothered him about the ritual he had just taken part in, something that escaped him, he could at least take pride in a solid demonstration of his people's archery.

He carefully unstrings his bow once more as he joins with the rest of the crowd.

(Happy to talk but PM or quote if approaching or I'll almost assuredly miss it)

[Makime]

Having finished the ritual Makime stepped back into the crowd to observe the rest of the proceedings.

[Ryoshun Nao]

Nao entered the crowd of observers as well, peering around those in front of her.

[Togashi Satsuki]

Though he had to admit something still bothered him about the ritual he had just taken part in, something that escaped him, he could at least take pride in a solid demonstration of his people's archery.

He carefully unstrings his bow once more as he joins with the rest of the crowd.

(Happy to talk but PM or quote if approaching or I'll almost assuredly miss it)

Satsuki looked up from her note-taking and saw one of the more stranger people who had come to the village. The paper was rolled up and she moved over to the greet him.

"Hello there," she said with a kind smile and gave a short bow.