The Day of Thunder

[Shiba Kumori]

Kumori came to the garden conflicted…

She’d come here on the word of Shinsei not a month past…

Her father had agreed to this plan at Shinsei’s behest…

And here we are…

When did he lose his mind?

She didn’t know if she had any answers… but whatever had happened… She needed to find an answer within herself for how to go on.

And so she sat at a bench… Getting her mind straight.

[Reiko Ohta]

Ohta found herself returning to the gardens, a much emptier gardens than last time. She was here to truly study the plants this time, carrying her bag of vials and instruments with her, which rattled gently as she moved. But she wasn't alone; Being respectful she bowed with a light tinkling towards the Shiba, though she didn't recognize her.

"Good afternoon. I'm not disturbing you I hope?"

[Shiba Kumori]

She turned to look at the arriving woman and shook her head in the negative.

“Not at all.” She looked at the Reiko woman for a moment with an affable smile.

“Just trying to figure some stuff out in my head.”

She then asked, “What about you? What brings you to the garden?”

[Reiko Ohta]

"Ah. I'm here to study the flora, actually. See what kinds of plants they're growing here, their methods. See if there's anything remarkable or useful."

She smiled back lightly and bowed.

"I'm Reiko Ohta, of the Seekers of Knowledge."

[Shiba Kumori]

“It’s nice to meet you Reiko-san.” She said with a nod of her head.

“My name is Shiba Kumori.” She replied with no special pomp.

“Found anything interesting yet?” She asked quickly after as if directing away from the likely surprise the woman might experience.

[Reiko Ohta]

Honestly, with all the princesses around here, it wasn't a surprise. It did get a second, deeper bow though, "I'm afraid not, Shiba-dono. Not yet. What experiments that I have done here so far have only reinforced what was already known. Which is... unfortunate."

[Shiba Kumori]

“Yeah? Never a terrible thing to be doubly sure.” She replied.

“What is it that you tested?”

[Reiko Ohta]

"Hm? Oooooh... just some experiments with the river water, with the fog, and with the local graveyard. All above board mind you."

Ohta realized actually SAYING that out loud made her sound more suspicious, so she clarified.

"Nothing stolen and no experiments on people."

Even worse.

"...honestly mostly just one cute rabbit who now seems to think I'm it's mother."

[Shiba Kumori]

“Hopefully that is all it is.” She says with a smile.

“What do you make of what has happened so far?” She asked.

[Reiko Ohta]

"Honestly...?"

Ohta started digging through her bag as she talked, pulling out a roll of parchment and some charcoal, sticking the stick above her left ear.

"...I think there's a past to this place that is beyond anything we imagine. It can't be a coincidence so many people have been drawn here over the years, or that it just so ends up being the location of this upcoming struggle. I don't know if it's a spiritual connection, a curse, or the local spirits, but something is causing the unrest and strange phenomenon."

[Shiba Kumori]

“There are those who think it’s the villagers who are to blame…” She replied with a thoughtful look.

“Shady people doing shady things… What do you think?”

[Reiko Ohta]

"Well, if they are doing something, I don't think it's actually malicious. Perhaps they have a different perspective than we do, part of how they ended up here. But I don't think they mean any of us actual harm."

Next from Ohta's bag came a small knife, some small empty bottles, and a mortar and pestle.

[Shiba Kumori]

“And if they were being lied to… Deceived into serving something much more ominous…” She said with a distant look.

She shakes her head, “I’m sorry… pay me no mind.”

[Reiko Ohta]

Ohta went about looking at the plants, gathering small careful samples as she looked back at Kumori, "Are you sure, Shiba-dono? It sounds as if you have something on your mind. I always have open ears if you need them."

[Shiba Kumori]

“It’s nothing.” She said with a smile.

“The baddies are obviously trying to make things as terrible as they can for all of us… Make us make hard choices that we don’t really know the right answers to.”

She tilted her head, “I’ve traveled all around the Empire… and I’ve seen some nasty things. But I’ve seen enough good people to have hope still that things will go in our favor.”

[Reiko Ohta]

"Hmmm... well, if you have indeed traveled much and seen much, I think it best to trust your instincts then. Say what feels right, and do what feels right here. It's true the choices can be hard and the mysteries deep, but your choices have served you up until now, no?"

Ohta quietly cut a leaf up with her knife, the small thick skinned pieces falling into her mortar.