The Day of Thunder

Nozomi had remained quiet. Ukyou and Ai were doing a good job directing the conversation thus far, and there was no need for her to interject, at least not just yet. As it started to sound like she was taking some of the thoughts to heart, she reached up and scratched her chin aa little. "I think Ukyou is right about this. I'm not that different from you in terms of what I am good at," she could admit. "In the end, I am the pestle that grinds the grain in the mortar. It's what I am good at, which means I naturally put myself at risk a lot too. Of course, my reasons were different in the old days." She'd been a lot more self destructive back then.

"If you pay attention to the needs of the people right at the front, you will know where you're needed. And perhaps it will indeed be the front of the line. Heaven knows many of us will."

She nodded in reply.

If the meeting that preceded this one was any indication, there’s a lot of different types around here… Plenty of people to observe… and maybe help.

“I’ll do my best. Y’all are not wrong. With time and effort… I think I’ll find where I’m most needed.”

"You were meant to be here, of that I have no doubt," she responded.

Ukyou nodded. "I agree. You shine bright, Shiba-sama. Once a path appears, you'll see it."

She nodded.

“There was one other thing I wanted to let Shinsei know…” She started.

“The local village head woman has invited him to provide his input on the workings of their shrine and the rituals…” She continued.

“Considering all other outsiders have been… unable to see the shrine… it seemed important to let him know of this invite. Though I do not personally know whether or not it is a good idea…”

"Ukyou or myself can let him know of the invitation, if he hasn't stumbled upon it himself already," Nozomi said with a nod after vigorously confirming that, yes, indeed she did belong there. In her mind, everyone who was here belonged here, but that was not immediately important to state. "At the very least, he will probably want to help somehow. It's in his nature to do that."

Was she saying he was nosey? Nah. Just implying it. "What do the three of you know of this shrine? Several people are asking about it."

“I spoke with the head woman at some length but she was rather… dismissive about the shrine.” She replied.

“The rituals were derived from a collection of notes that she found left here by people that used to live here… The shrine is supposedly undergoing preparations for the festival and so no outsiders are permitted… But as to it’s nature.. she was rather vague.”

"I know the fog is thick around it," he said. "It's hard to navigate no matter how."

"I can't know for sure but I think the fog is as much to protect us as it is isolating us. I do not believe we can leave from here, this is where we must be for the duration," she responded.

“Protecting us?” She asked with curiosity.

“How do you figure?”

"Only a guess, but it may be making it more difficult for the forces from the outside to get to us... I doubt it is perfect and the forces of Yume-Jigoku will become more insistent with more incursions and attempts to attacks us. I could be wrong, but thus far everything seems to be working towards our joint destiny," she responded.

“A cage is a cage to everybody except whoever is holding the key…” She replied.

“I wonder who it is who has the key…”

"That's a limited way of seeing things," she responded. "Every person lives in constraints, be they physical, emotional, or societal... not even the Emperor is truly free; we are all bound to something... at the very minimum each other."

“I’m all for choosing the restraints you want… But not every restraint is equal. Rules, norms, codes can protect us… they can cage some pretty nasty shit in people. But not every cage is meant to protect. Not every rule is always in our favor. Whoever is setting the rules here may not have our best interest at heart.”

She shrugged.

“I’m not smart enough to know who to trust fully, and not dumb enough to trust everything to be just as it should… The more we know… the easier it will be to get people moving in the same direction.”