The Day of Thunder

[Saru Shang]

"Whoa, hey!" Shang would call out when she saw these signs of her slipping in the mud but held herself back from doing more than that when it seemed that Yumi self-corrected herself. She was mindful of her own steps around here, especially with all of this rain around them. The last thing she wanted to happen was to slip in the mud with an armful of weapons or worse still, into the river itself!

"And thank you very much?" She said in return with an uncertain question at the end, as she perceived that there was a compliment somewhere in there. "That's good to hear, I would be at a loss to explain your condition if anything should happen to you. Trust me, I don't think saying that you drank from the river would have made for a good explanation when there had been ample warning and plenty of water at the village. That said, I'm not so sure where this village is getting their water if not from the river."

Suppose that they were already under its effect but with far subtler effects?

"If it were so cuddly, I imagine I could appreciate it just as much afar than up close if that were the case!" She couldn't but chuckle at the silliness of the situation of it all. "You don't suppose that something won't jump on you unexpectedly? A bunny of that size could probably even crush you with the force of its leap!"

[Yumi]

Yumi laughs at the suggestion of a bunny jumping on and crushing her. Falling even into a fit of giggles in the wake of it as she calms from the very very visceral response, stepping once back away from Shang as if she was the bunny who leaped at her. Foot catching safely on a stone

"You would think that, would you not? For if they had wells it is not like Water to be so contained. A river must flow, and if a river flows then it extends and reaches beyond. Perhaps they found a pool encased in rock elsewhere, that it was unaffected by the Waters flow?" she posits, but shrugs and steps toward Shang away from the waters edge. Finding at least one unsteady foot placement along the way.

"I do not believe that something cuddly could be properly appreciated from anywhere but right within its realm. After all, you can not feel the cold of a mountain by simply looking upon it's peak Shang of the Saru. Unless this is a power you possess? I would not be surprised if you were to tell me such a thing, I think."

[Saru Shang]

Shang pursed her lip at the laugh, nearing a pout in this case. She did shoot her a momentary glare before shaking her head and looking off in dismissal. It would seem hard to argue with Yumi when she was going to be full of giggles at the moment. "Sorry, I guess I don't have a very good idea what a giant bunny would actually do. I haven't seen one around here. I can't imagine them to be very light. Are we talking about as tall as me with or without ears? Am I imagining one that's too big?"

"No, but I can imagine it. Remember it by just looking at them. Sometimes it does help to have experiences enrich us so that we can pull possibilities from our senses. That said, I don't think I'm always right or clairvoyant to truly know by just assuming. Much like your condition right now, actually! Is it like being drunk?" She narrowed her eyes. "Do you know what it feels like when you're drunk?"

[Yumi]

"I have not," she admits readily. Thinking for a moment, an experience that is clear in the expression she wears. Shaking her head she continues, "But I have seen drunks before. I do not think it is much like that. Perhaps there are some parts that are the same but," she looks directly to Shang. Showing herself standing steadily as she is where she is.

"I do not feel unsteady on my feet, if only for when I am not having to deal with that confounding mud which is bothersome to gauge. Not do I find I feel my flame is diminished at all," she says, and nods confidently to herself. "I do wish I could have the chance to get cozy here, as my body craves it quite dearly, but," she shakes her head, "that is as near as I feel it gets."

Raising a hand, one finger extended, "Though I suppose my eyes are as appreciative of the beauty around me as a drunks, and I have these thoughts which are my own but- not my own? Perhaps they are merely my Flame speaking to me," she shrugs. "Cuddle this, cuddle that, I am quite fond of the idea at the moment but I suspect later I might not be-" she yawns. Shrugging once more.

"I do now wonder though, if maybe I am thinking of a bunny that is too small. Or perhaps my bunny is bigger than yours? If only the spirits around would share with us their answers that we might know best about our situation before us. That would be quite pleasant of them, I think," she says, happily.

[Saru Shang]

Shang had an armful of Yumi's weapons at the moment or else she would consider noting some of these effects on parchment for later. She wasn't a scholar but surely someone out there could use the information, maybe that Hiruma. Then again, what would that Hiruma say or do if she saw Yumi in such a state? "That's good to know. I'd still watch yourself for the next few days for anything unusual. Maybe carry some jade on you if you have any. Apparently, that might be of help.

Her gaze went to the river momentarily as further curiosity crept on her, feeling like someone was having fun while she was being the designated supervisor here. She nodded knowingly at that. "There is a bit of that, where you're feeling a bit beside yourself or certain thoughts feel a bit more liberating than others. Probably not in a good way, mind you! Often a lot of silly things feel like normal ideas but it doesn't mean you should act upon them."

"I have a better thought, if you will. If said bunny could just appear in front of us so that we can put this argument to rest," she said with a chuckle. "We're like comparing the mountains that we've come from when we're already sailing in the ocean, so to speak. That said, I think I'd rather not explain to the others that one of us might have been crushed by a bunny that jumped on us."

[Yumi]

Yumi glances up warily at the suggestion, for fear of bunnies falling from high above. However she finds relief that there is only trees, the sky, and a rainy day above them. There's something nice about how the air feels in the moment that brings a smile to her face. Allowing her to forget the reason she looked up for a second, maybe two, but she remembers and laughs at herself all the same.

"I have the sense to not suggest I check if you are as cozy as the bunny, Shang of the Saru, although-" she seals her lips, shaking her head. Stepping further away from the waters edge she walks a few behind Shang and finds a nice comfortably spot to stand and ignore her lacking inhibitions.

"I do think it would be best we not have to explain to others how we managed to get ourselves crushed by such giant bunnies- regardless of how cuddly I believe them to be. Cute giant bunny noses and-" she raises a hand to stop herself. "Perhaps I need a lie down somewhere Shang of the Saru. That I not.. uhm.." she looks out to the forest hoping for the best words but finds only a view made pleasant before her. Even in the wake of this awkwardness arising it doesn't last too long, a gentle smile rising to replace any worry.

[Saru Shang]

"Ah, uhm, check?" Shang stammered out at first before giving Yumi a quick blink of bemusement on the matter. She also frowned as she fought back a blush on the matter. Well, she supposed that seemed like the train of logic if they were going to talk about Shang being a supposed large bunny in the first place. "...Right, I suppose you would have to see if I was a giant bunny, or something. Right?"

"Here, I think it's probably fine that you have these back..." she said as she presented the weapons that she had been keeping from Yumi. Admittedly, her arms were getting tired but it seemed obvious that Yumi didn't show any hostile inclinations. It was likely, only by her guess, that Yumi wasn't going to do anything too brash. Even the talk to bunnies didn't cause her to act on those fantasies.

Once and if her arms were freed, Shang would move next to Yumi to provide her with help should she need to walk or lie down. "You might need a breather first, yeah. Thankfully, there's a path that should take us back to the village without going into the forest. Not that you'd want to go in there with all the voices and the likelihood of running into a tree branch."

[Yumi]

Yumi's body was happy for a way to expense the energy crawling up her back. Putting herself forward into collecting her things without much fanfare at first from Shang. Bow, of course, the first thing she sought to have back at her side. Taking a moment with it, Yumi could be seen to stand a little taller once she had it in hand. Like she was replenished.

As her hand takes back the first of her swords, "I do not think I would be running. Skipping perhaps,", she laughs at her own self deprecating joke. That influence over her senses present. "I-" she bites the corner of her lip. "I suppose I can be certain you are not a bunny, Shang of the Saru," she says, a light smile. "For if you were a giant bunny I do not think you would be quite so able to offer me back my weapons. Or.. I suppose I might be grabbing them from your back, or ears?" she shakes her head to try and keep off the enticing train of thought.

[Saru Shang]

There seemed to be more proof that Yumi didn't need any help with walking or steading herself but Shang would nevertheless stand in arm's reach of her. "I have to say, that's a very unusual-looking bow, there are a lot of symbols and ornaments I'm not familiar with. Is there a story behind it? That is, if you're able to share it right now."

She wasn't going to burden her if her mind was running like a herd of horses in an open plain while being chased by wolves.

"I'm supposed to be doing the skipping, right? If I were the bunny, that is. It would depend on what else we envision from these bunnies. Would they have their own society and be much like the nezumi or other near-mythical creatures? Would I be wearing clothes and having a space to store them? Bunnies don't very much have the way of hands would have to hold things in their mouths. So, more likely than not you would be taking them from there. Unless we're talking about bunnies with hands, then that's a rather alarming thought on its own!"

[Yumi]

Yumi's eyes shift from surroundings to the close proximity of, and the woman herself, Shang as she speaks. Laughing as she suggests all these different things to consider. Though one marks different as it brings Yumi's glance to Shang's mouth, and Yumi stiffens. Blush overwhelming her. Barely even registering the terrifying thought of bunnies with hands.

Escape from one thought to another. "My father's," she blurts out. "My bow, that is. First it was my father's, but when my skill surpassed his it became mine. It is all that I am, so it carries all that I am," she says, steadying herself. Steadying herself enough to realize the need to escape from her current thought again. Escape she would.

Into more bunny thoughts, "Bunnies with clothes would be-" she smiles, still finding herself easily wrapped up in more pleasant thoughts. "By that which binds oh they would be so cute," she laughs warmly and happily. Looking to Shang, speaking fast and amid a pile of giggles, "Oh if you were to be a giant bunny, wearing your clothes, that would be such a delightful sight I think. I rather like the idea of near-mystical clothed bunnies traveling and helping wayward travelers quite a lot!"

[Saru Shang]

Shang would continue to eye Yumi carefully, and she was really doing her best to follow along. There was a part of her that wondered if she was not better off taking a sip of the funny water and joining her. Whatever Yumi was experiencing, it did look more fun than being responsible. She wasn't going to say that part out loud, however.

"An honoured bow that you've earned, now that's something," she nodded in approval at that. "I could see why you would need to continue the tale, so to speak. I've been gifted with such a bow as well but I'd say there was less relevant behind it, or at least that's what my parents would have me believe. They were eager to discard the old ways when they found themselves in the Dragon Clan and surrendered the old thing without much of a complaint. I'd imagine if they were still wandering the land, it would have been treasured as a lifeline."

She blinked, looking more skeptical now as they continued this sudden world-building exercise. "Yes but then the question would be, how would bunnies be making clothes in the first place? They would have a hard time weaving something but I suppose they are used to jumping in and out already. Suppose they had a working relationship with humans where they traded with them and in exchange, clothes would be made for them to carry things. In that case, I suppose we would have fewer reasons to trample us with their hops. We could save that potential headache at least.

[Yumi]

Yumi looks out a long each side of the path that they walk. Allowing Shang's words to sit with her, mold within her like they were carried by the elements of air and melded into her spirit. Later, she would surely be beside herself over how she acted this moment but before the regrets set in later, right now, now she can enjoy the process of being a little less her own island.

Within her the desire grew for laying somewhere cozy, and perhaps speaking of all the things that she has never said before. Or perhaps to continue to talk about bunnies, man sized bunnies, or other wonderful things until the night turned round into day again. Desire that perhaps she might have had but discounted as childish were she in a more sober state of mind. When she looks at Shang again she can tell it's been a long time since Shang had spoken, and by extension her as well. Something should be said, it's been so long and surely she would be seen as strange. So she must say something, something meaningful.

"I killed my father."

[Saru Shang]

The continued talk of bunnies might have been inconsequential talk but she supposed that something like that did fall into her domain as a storyteller, even if very few people question how things are or the motives when it comes to the story itself. Typically, her audience was more glad that a story was told, rather than why certain animals had the ability to talk and think like humans or why a certain warrior was able to be stabbed but continued on several days without expiring. Still, this bunny society might be worth considering...

It felt like a rock was suddenly plopped into the river with a loud splash when Yumi mentioned that, dispersing the thoughts of fancy they had earlier. Shang's heart dropped a bit but she wasn't sure what to think at the moment. Was this something that would make Yumi a murderer or were the circumstances more complicated? Either way, there was a tale here.

"So I see...That's unfortunate, Yumi-san" She said slowly at first, wanting to approach this as delicately as possible. "Why did you kill your father?"

[Yumi]

Yumi burst out laughing at the release of it. There was this joy in her body that her eyes didn't hold, she looks to Shang as if she understood why it was so funny even if it was clear she couldn't.

"That is what I had to do," she says, amid a few giggles. Shaking her head, "You see, if I wanted to live. Though-" she says and brings a hand up against her chest, right over her heart. "I never tried living with a stake placed right here-" she says, and pushes her hand against her chest, as if trying to push through her chest, "right there, you understand?" she asks, laughing in a cooling manner.

"Maybe I would have been embraced of Earth enough to have done it- maybe I didn't need to put an arrow through him when he woke me in the night. Looming over me like a villain one might find in a terrible story-" she laughs a few more notes, she doesn't seem to understand why she's laughing. "I didn't die that night, or the next, or the one after that because Air guided my hand when I needed it and Water did not guide my father."

"I- I think he would have been proud of me," she laughs a hard laugh, quaking a little with it. "My aim was quite impressive, considering the circumstance-" she laughs, shakes, and.wraps her arms across her chest as if holding herself together might pull herself back together.

[Saru Shang]

For whatever reason, Shang found herself flinching at the laugh from Yumi. Yumi had laughed several times in their meeting but she didn't expect her to burst out laughing at something that sounded so serious. She gave a big exaggerated blink at the situation before shaking her head, trying to process the whole story here.

"Thinking that you could take a stake to the heart and reasonably live through a situation to make a more informed decision is far too much to ask. That sort of restraint is impossible. Even the monks of the Dragon mountains couldn't accomplish such a feat! You would be likely dead than not, so it's pretty senseless to think overwise. You did what you had to do at the time." She said before crossing her arms and moving closer to Yumi so that they could talk quietly about this, not that anyone else was listening. "...Did you know why your father tried to kill you?"

[Yumi]

"Perhaps he believed I needed a hole in my chest to unlock my greater potential," she says, and laughs like it's a joke but there is little about her physical expression that otherwise suggests she's leaning into the humor of it all. Shaking her head, the weird mix in her head relents somewhat, she slows down with Shang standing closer.

"I don't know," she says, and brings her hand up to grasp the dreamstone around her neck. Rubbing her thumb along it thoughtfully. "He had come to drink in the recent years but he was not so.." she shakes her head. "Perhaps he had the wrong thing to drink one night, the kind of thing that makes you intensely angry?" Her eyes go wide a moment. "Oh spirits, what if I had just done the same as my father? Perhaps I am just luckier," she laughs but the sorrow rests. "What if I had tried to drive a stake through your chest? Spirits you look much better without a hole in your chest. I would have ruined-" she shakes her head. Continuing to rub the dreamstone that hung around her neck.

[Saru Shang]

Shang found herself eyeing the dreamstone that Yumi wore around her next as she contemplated that tale, perhaps reminding herself that she had something similar from around Blue Lotus village. Didn't Yumi come to the village with that already? Then again, Shang only happened upon such an object recently and was less aware of its properties. She slowly looked back up at Yumi with wide eyes before she caught herself staring.

"I'm at a loss to think why your father would do something like that," she said with an apologetic smile, lacking much humour there. A part of her didn't want to blame the drinking issue but she wasn't entirely so sure. It's not like the Kami came down to the land with healthy family values and Yumi was removed from that. "I'm told that darkness had descended down on the land. Some people fared better than others but it's hard to deny the blight on some parts of the land and the erratic behaviour in others. Perhaps it's not his doing. I wish I could provide answers to your unfortunate tragedy."

She chuckled anxiously. "But you are right, I think everyone would look much better without a hole in their chest."

[Yumi]

Yumi's gaze casts downwards as she listens to Shang. Thumb turning over the stone in her necklace again and again, set in front of the jade piece which also hangs from her neck in a similar fashion. Without much awareness of it, Yumi does drift closer to Shang as she talks and they walk. A natural gravity from the overwhelming feeling of seeking that desire for cozy comfort that has wormed it's way inside her brain. A sigh passes from her as she reflects on it all, but-

Shangs mention of folk looking better without a hole in their chests does bring out a slight laugh from her. Though she wasn't exactly possessed of the wherewithal to determine how appropriate that was in the moment.

"My spirit desperately needs rest, I believe."

[Saru Shang]

Shang did take notice of the proximity of Yumi, her hands lifting slightly as she was prepared to either catch the other woman or deflect her away. When that wasn't the case, she would lower them again and pretend that wasn't concerned about her falling over in the slightest. No need to talk circles about it.

"That's fine," she nodded as she continued to lead her back to the village. "I think you've tired yourself out with thinking about bunny empires and your sharing about your origins, thank you for that. Let's get you back to somewhere with a roof. I think you probably need a good drink of water from the well to rinse that river water out of you. Maybe you shouldn't drift off just yet. Sleep seems a bit ill-advised but I'm not going to stop you from napping. I know I'm tempted to take one myself!"

[Yumi]

"Thank you, Shang of the Saru," she says, her speech a little slower than it's been as that sheet of sleepiness settles in over the whole of her spirit. "For treating me well. Watching over me as you have. I-" she focuses her eyes on a space in front of her to hold onto the thread of what she wants to say so badly. "I would not have had anyone to trust. I would not have trusted you, if I did not need to know so terribly. My Flame, oh my Flame was so insatiable," she says with a light smile.

"You Air is always so gentle, I had to trust my Water but it did not steer me wrong. Your Air is gentle by its own nature, not by an augmented flow. You are.." she sighs, letting it settle her.

"Thank you, Shang of the Saru. I hope we each have quite the-" she yawns- "quite the nap."