The Day of Thunder

[Otomo Akutou]

Having had the revelation of the previous evening, and having had the conversation of the previous day, there is but one reasonable action for Akutou:

Take Chuchu to meet the Princess.

So he's doing that.

[Shiba Kumori]

Kumori came to the camp and was introducing herself officially to the group camped there. Akutou must have heard and came when news arrived.

She was taking a break on a log near the camp when Akutou arrived.

[Chuchu]

Chuchu follows close behind Akutou, occasionally tugging the fabric of his robe so he doesn't walk too fast for her tiny legs to keep up with. Her eyes are droopy -- she's struggling to wake up, and every so often they close for a good long while as her body relaxes. (She has to catch herself from falling over once.) The shaman's still painted from last night's ritual.

[Otomo Akutou]

A deep bow, complete with hat-brim touch.

"Ma'am," he says. "Hope th' day's found you well."

And, at a fitting moment, he says "This here's Chuchu Friend-of-Humans, Shaman o' th' Nezumi people. Said she's want t' talk t' th' chief, an' I ain't know nobody fits that bill more'n you."

[Shiba Kumori]

Kumori looks at the two of them and offers a polite nod of her head to Chuchu.

“Hello noble Chuchu of the Nezumi… I don’t know if I’m exactly what you are looking for, but I’ll do my best to help.”

She smiled, “What can I do for you?”

[Chuchu]

Following Akutou's lead, Chuchu bows, groggily wiping some sleep from her eyes as she looks up at Kumori. For a moment she's confused -- isn't she supposed to be helping the chief? -- but, being what she is, she cannot help but tell the truth.

"I want to help!" The little nezumi blurts out. "I came here to help help, and maybe humans and nezumi can become friend friends from now on. What needs to be done, favored daughter of the chief-of-chiefs?"

[Shiba Kumori]

“I welcome any help you can provide little one.” She said with a smile.

“Your chief-of-chiefs has promised my father that your people will assist us in this calamity… I take it that you are proof of that promise.” She said.

“What is it that your people know that could help us here Chuchu-sama?”

[Chuchu]

“What is it that your people know that could help us here Chuchu-sama?”

Her ears lower. Hopefully she won't be chastised. "I did not come at White Moonrise's command, but of my own volition. The promised will come -- but I felt it first, and answered the call."

She breathes in. "Great spirits have joined the Transcendent in creating a boundary between what you call Yume-Jigoku and the greater whole of Yume-do so its rot will not spread. But..." Now her ears flatten against her skull. Chuchu's face scrunches up as she takes hold of her tail between her little paws. "It doesn't... it doesn't seem like it's trying to break that barrier. Its forces are divided, I think, or focused on something else. If, uhm, that's not enough, I could bring you to meet Grandmother -- she might know."

[Shiba Kumori]

“Well I am happy to have you either way.” She replied with a smile.

“Who is Grandmother?” She asked with interest.

[Chuchu]

“Who is Grandmother?”

"One of the Transcendent, and one of my teachers," She answers softly. Chuchu relaxes, the scary part of the talk over now. "In the words of your people, she would be an ancestor ancestor."

[Shiba Kumori]

“She would have knowledge of the enemy and the state of the people here?” She asked.

“I would be a big dummy not to be interested in such a meeting…”

[Chuchu]

“She would have knowledge of the enemy and the state of the people here?”

That gets a little giggle from Chuchu. "She would! Grandmother knows lots of things! She taught me how to heal. Akuki can tell you! I'm good at healing!" And the nezumi claps, happy to share it.

[Shiba Kumori]

She smiled warmly at the little Nezumi. Kumori had known the old rememberer that lived in the capital when she was still a small girl… the one with the magical statue that allowed him to communicate with White Moonrise.

This Nezumi had much more joy and exuberance in her than the old diplomat she had known.

“And how would one like me meet with Grandmother?”

[Chuchu]

“And how would one like me meet with Grandmother?”

"Hm." Chuchu pauses, considering this. Normally the magic to summon oneself to the Transcendent only took... well... the shaman who cast it. And there is the small problem of bringing a human before them; as far as she knows, it's unprecedented in the whole history of the People. Still... if the Transcendent accept the human Doji, surely they would accept the favored pup of the chief-of-chiefs, especially if Chuchu acts as her intermediary... especially if it is for the good of Tomorrow... "I would need to perform a ritual, I think. Something that has not been done before before. Gather your questions. The less you ask, the better better." She blinks.

"...how good are you with riddles?"

[Shiba Kumori]

She chuckled, “I can’t say I’m the best riddle solver… Does the Grandmother speak in riddles?”

[Chuchu]

She chuckled, “I can’t say I’m the best riddle solver… Does the Grandmother speak in riddles?”

"All Transcendent do. To be given knowledge is not enough -- by coming to the answer on your own, your Name is strength strengthened." Chuchu nods. "It's important you know the right questions to ask, favored pup of chief-of-chiefs." She then squeaks, covering her mouth; she didn't mean to slip between languages. "Sorry sorry!"

[Shiba Kumori]

“What is it you said?” She asked warmly.

“If it’s not an insult… then you don’t need to be sorry.”

[Otomo Akutou]

"I caught th' word f'r chief-of-chiefs, ma'am," Akutou puts in. "An' I've seen Chuchu here work healin' power without blood, which many o' our'n still struggle t' do."

[Shiba Kumori]

“That’s an excellent ability.” She said with a smile.

“Despite the danger… and the unusual nature of a human meeting with one of your gods… If it would help our people here, I would be interested in doing whatever I can.”

[Chuchu]

“Despite the danger… and the unusual nature of a human meeting with one of your gods… If it would help our people here, I would be interested in doing whatever I can.”

"I think it would. I think --" Chuchu stops, choosing her next few words carefully. "I think our people are connected. Maybe not yet, but they will be. If not after the storm, Tomorrow." Her eyes close. "My healing does come with one caveat. Everyone who supports you, Kumori-sama, I must learn their Name; I cannot purify a Name if I do not know it."

The tiny stubs of thicker hair on her snout twitch. There's something else.

"I had... a thought," The shaman murmurs. "Do you think -- there is anything in the past you or your people might find useful?"