The Day of Thunder

Sora approached Chouri's house with his traveling pack on his back and a sort of bemused expression on his face.

He rapped his knuckles on the doorframe- no sense in being rude.

Chouri opened the door and breathed a soft sigh of relief. "Jiyo-sama, please, come in."

"Chouri-san, I've told you, no 'sama' with me."

He walked in and had a look around.

"I gather from some information I have received and your breathless delight as having a visitor that Lady Makime has been here."

"My apologies," she said with a smile. "Hard habit to break."

"And yes, she did visit a few hours past."

"Sounds like fun. Don't take it too personally, that woman can't forgive herself for being human, so you can imagine how she regards everyone else."

He set his pack down.

"Somehow raised a quite lovely daughter, probably by whatever alchemy lets my own children be so wonderful..."

He paused.

"So. I presume you were grilled about the shrine, and a few other details. I'm going to go out on a limb as assume she didn't tell you exactly why."

She heads over to the hearth and starts tea. "She didn't, no."

"Now, whatever choices you've made, you're not an idiot. So. Why do you think she asked?"

She sat back as she waited for the kettle to heat. "Someone found my notes?"

"And if someone had?"

He idly popped the knuckles on his left hand.

"Then I hope they have someone who can manipulate their dreams skillfully," she said with a shake of her head. "It needs to have an incredible amount of will behind it."

Sora frowned.

"Pretty sure their distrust makes getting your help easier for me than getting them to accept it. In fact, at least one of them would be having a fit if she knew I were even discussing this with you, even in such broad strokes. Would a Nezumi Shaman work? Do you know?"

She nodded. "I think so. I'd like to speak with the shaman, though. Make sure all the kinks are worked out before someone tries to use it and... I don't know, accidentally traps themselves or something."

"I can arrange that. She likes my Name."

He grinned.

"Might be at the meal I'll be hosting later if you can make it. If not, I can get her a note to see you first thing in the morning."

She nodded. "I'll be there. I was planning on it anyway."

"Can't promise any delicacies, but we've got some know-how on the cooking staff..."

She shook her head. "Like I said the other day, just being willing counts for a lot."

"When this is all over, I hope we can persuade your people to opt in... and if they opt out, I hope we can send 'em along with some good memories at least."

He paused.

"So I gotta ask. The original plan. At what point did your people start to weigh more than your patron?"

She chuckled ruefully. "Early on. My early experiences convinced me that people were cruel and uncaring. The people who came here didn't judge me for my initial wariness. They'd all had similar experiences in one way or another. Having someone who gets it makes a difference. I found myself really wanting to help them"

He chuckled.

"Something we have in common. Before the Kami, in the old days... this eye of mine has its uses, but making me welcome or popular among my own tribe wasn't anywhere on the list. I was barely able to endure being around more than about two or three people at once. Now? Now I find myself worried about everybody. All of the time."

She smiled a little. "Stressful, isn't it?"