The Day of Thunder

[Shiba Kumori]

After cleaning herself up in the baths, Kumori had sent a boy from the village to contact Otomo Akuto and invite him over for breakfast at Yoshie’s house.

Kumori finished the preparations and placed the food on trays… ready for her guest when he would arrive.

[Otomo Akutou]

His own ablutions being somewhat less involved than those of the Imperial Princess--washing facilities in camp are present but not advanced--Akutou has made his way to the house appointed. Hat in hand, and his own on his head against the looming threat of rain, he knocks at the door.

Once admitted--why wouldn't he be?--he tips his hat and inclines his head. "Ma'am," he says to Kumori as he enters. He pulls a small jar from inside his sleeve, leaving it as a gift for the house, and he adds to the Shiba "It's always a pleasure t' be in your comp'ny, ma'am."

And I don't smell this time, neither! he thinks.

[Shiba Kumori]

“It’s my pleasure Otomo-san.” She said with a smile.

“I wanted to thank you for attending me yesterday when we accompanied Chuchu into Yume-do… It made me confident to have someone there with me.”

She smiled, “Have a seat.”

She directed him towards the small table in the humble home and disappeared for a second only to return with a tray of food for Akutou. She set it down in front of him and then went to collect her own.

“Now you can tell your children that an Imperial Princess once made breakfast for you.” She said with a warm smile.

[Otomo Akutou]

Akutou takes the seat and takes his hat off.

"I receive it humbly," he says of the food, and he laughs a bit at the comment.

"It's a mem'ry I'll treasure always," he says in response to Kumori's remark. "An' I were glad t' go with you. I gather, fr'm how we first met, that you ain't as much f'r the pomp an' circumstance as you might well be, an' as you might well expect t' receive, but it didn't seem fit f'r you t' go in all alone. Wouldn't be f'r anybody, really."

He puts the hat he had been carrying on the table.

"After yesterday, though, wi' you bein' all shinin' an' all, I fig'red you might could use a new hat. Thought this'n looked nice."

[Shiba Kumori]

She smiled warmly as he offered up the wide-brimmed hat.

“Oh really? That’s so kind of you Otomo-san.”

She picked up the hat and examined it.

“So nicely woven… You did this yourself?”

She then put the hat on her head and turned her face to model it.

“How does it look?”

[Otomo Akutou]

"I ain't s' good as to've done it m'self, ma'am," Akutou admits, "although I do fancy m'self somewhat knowledgeable regarding hats an' such. Quality work stands out.

"An' I were right; that hat do suit you nicely. Looked like a tight weave on it, too; should shed rain an' such well."

He grins. "Don't know how it'll handle hail, though, an' I don't recommend makin' trial of it if'n you c'n avoid it. Had one hat get ruint by a good hailstorm, an' I had a goose-egg standin' out fr'm m' forehead f'r a week."

[Shiba Kumori]

She took the hat off since she was indoors and put it on the table near her.

“I’ll keep it with me until the elements rip it off my scalp.” She said with a smile.

“Must’ve been a pretty sizable hail stone to have troubled you.”

[Otomo Akutou]

At that, Akutou laughs.

"It were, in fact!" he says after a moment. He holds up a hand, makes a loop with his thumb and index finger just shy of an inch around. "'Bout that big, caught me above th' left eye as I come out th' door. Saw double f'r a couple o' minutes, had a headache f'r a good long while. But I do have a hard head, so that were th' worst of it."

He takes a deep breath. "That Chuchu's sure somethin', ain't she?"

[Shiba Kumori]

She nodded her head.

“She is… I’m glad they are on our side for this… I know it cost a lot of people… a good amount of heartache… But to have the Nezumi as our friends instead of our enemies here… I think it may make a lot of difference.”

[Otomo Akutou]

"C'n you 'magine if they were on th' other side of it?" Akutou posits. "Or even just not on our side? Things ain't certain now, but they'd be a lot less comfor'ble in that case.

"But I'm glad th' O-Iemoto's work's come t' some good on that front. I'll have t' hope t' do somewhat here t' rise t' his example."

[Shiba Kumori]

“You are well on your way Otomo-san.” She said with a smile.

“And when you return home… I will make sure that people know of your efforts.”

[Otomo Akutou]

Akutou has the good grace to blush.

"You're a kind woman, ma'am," he says. "I hope folks're as kind to you."

He takes a bite of the food that has been provided for him. "I have 'preciated the victuals hereabouts. Gonna try t' get th' pickle recipe. If nothin' else, it'll help with our southern neighbors."

[Shiba Kumori]

“That’s kind of you to say Otomo-san… I’m okay with people thinking or saying whatever they will about me… I know who I am and what I’ve tried to do. That is the best someone can hope for.” She smiled.

“The pickles? So that is what you gave them yesterday.” She chuckled.

“That’s wonderful.”

[Otomo Akutou]

"Well," Akutou says, "I liked 'em when I got inta town. An' then, when Chuchu got t' town, she ran inta me while I was eatin', an' I ordered 'er some rice an' pickles. She took t' th' pickles, an' when we went t' meet her granny--I think that was th' word she used--she tol' me I'd do well t' bring some along. So I did, an' that seemed t' go over well.

"I ain't lookin' t' mess wi' a good thing. S' I'll keep goin' wi' th' pickles 'til I'm told not to no more."

[Shiba Kumori]

“The way to a Nezumi’s heart is pickles.” She smiled and laughed.

“We’ll have to write that one down for posterity.”

[Otomo Akutou]

"Yes'm," Akutou replies.

He takes another bite. No sense letting what's here go to waste.

"Y' get th' feelin' this'll be the most unified folks'll be f'r a good long while?"

[Shiba Kumori]

“I sure hope not.” She said with a smile.

“I hope this is just the start of better things… Not to sound like a jerk or anything… But my family is good people. All we care about is providing a better life for the people… Whether it’s my dad, or my sister, or like a future niece or something… We’ll work our hardest to keep us all unified.”

She chuckled once, “And hopefully not with the threat of impending doom like this time.”

[Otomo Akutou]

"Y' know, ma'am," Akutou says, "I believe you 'bout your family. An' not just b'cause they're, y' know, who they are.

"But it's easy t' stand t'gether 'gainst a common outside enemy," he adds. "How'll you and yourn keep folks t'gether in a generation'r two, when you're either too far sep'rated t' be close like many o' your cousins are, or when there're so many cousins t' keep track of as y' lose count?

"An' I'm not tryin' t' be ornery askin' it, neither. It's a real concern; families grow 'part, an' it don't always take long, neither."

[Shiba Kumori]

She nodded, “It’s a real concern… One that I’ve become acquainted with well in the past week in fact…”

She then looked down to the table for a second as she thought.

“We do it by working every day… By serving… teaching… and being examples of justice and compassion. Rebuilding the relationships each generation…”

She chuckled.

“It’s a lot of responsibility for us to be honest… But everyone who is willing to help is always welcome.”

[Otomo Akutou]

"I know th' O-Iemoto and his husband have their big ol' art get-togethers," Akutou says. "Lotsa folks come t' them, at least fr'm th' southern Clans. Don't know that some o' th' more northerly folks get down for it, though.

"Makes a body wonder if'n there ain't somethin' else that'd pull folks in across lines, e'en when they ain't close kin--or kin at all."

Then Akutou realizes he's heard something.

"Folks been givin' you trouble? You, o' all people?"