The Day of Thunder

[Bayushi Norikage]

Norikage stood near the river. It was forgetfulness incarnate, apparently, but rather than drink deep of that he chose to use the sound of the water to temper anxiety over last night.

Choosing to hone his skills rather than dwell, it worked, but only just so. Many memories may be trapped within the river, echoing what churned beneath the surface of his calm. He was in an unconventional stance, his hand resting on the sheathed blade, hovering over the handle as he breathed full and cleansing breaths. When the wind would brush his clothes, or his skin, he would draw in a flash. A step, a strike, another step and the blade was sheathed again.

He returned to standing and allowed his movements to play again in his mind, recounting mistakes and focusing on where he had done well, using the battling experiences to improve. Again and again.

He took the stance one more time.

[Shiba Kumori]

Kumori leaned up against a tree a short distance away and watched him for a few moments.

She let out a long breath through her nose before speaking up.

“You’re looking pretty rested.”

[Bayushi Norikage]

"That's what happens when you sleep well I hear", he struck again, performing the same maneuver, stepping back and with ritual like movements the sword was sheathed.

"Didn't see you when I woke up", he said, now in his stance again. "Did you just decide to walk all night?"

[Shiba Kumori]

“Nah…” She shook her head.

“Had an appointment.” She said as she tilted her neck the other direction.

“Glad you got your rest in… Must have been a good lullaby.” She replied with a smirk.

[Bayushi Norikage]

A fast strike later, he much more irreverently threw his sword into it's sheath and snorted.

"Don't start with that, comparing bedside manner is pretty dangerous territory."

[Shiba Kumori]

She shook her head, “I’m not… Seems like I’m being coy I guess… But… I’m not comparing.”

She tilted her head back towards the tree.

“The comparing is left up to you really. You’re the guy with the options.” She offered a smile.

[Bayushi Norikage]

He stood there with his arms folded, not sure which way he should go first with that.

"Options", he shook his head. "Is that right?" He walked over to her where she stood against the tree. "I have options?" He couldn't believe this girl. His arms folded again, eyes rolling to the heavens for guidance. "Shiba Kumori-hime, are you even an option? Honestly I should probably be rotting in a prison for kissing you. I'm certain your mother's written a law about it by now."

[Shiba Kumori]

“I don’t listen much to my mother… Much to her chagrin.” She replied with a smile.

“I told you before that you don’t know enough about my family if you think that is a problem…”

She shrugged, “My dad chose the person he loved… Didn’t matter about custom or ability or even blindness…”

She gestured back towards the camp, “My mom was going to marry Sora. Wall-pissing… murdering… stinky… obtuse Sora.”

She swallowed once, “He brought back my uncle and a wife from his trip to the south instead… And it changed my mom. Being denied the love of the two men she most respected… she chose duty over love… She chose it over and over and over again…”

She bit her bottom lip a tiny bit, “I won’t make that same choice. I won’t shut myself down no matter what. I don’t know if I ‘love’ you Norikage… But right now… I’m an option. Because you’re an option for me. A good one… Someone I respect.”

She tilted her head, “And if we choose each other… Who the hell is gonna say, ‘No’?”

[Bayushi Norikage]

He scratched he back of his head, looking down. She was right, he didn't understand at all. Well, most specifically in the past tense now. Did her explaining change anything?

He liked to think so. He gulped, and if Kumori was looking at him, she would be able to read some heavy realization crossing his features.

"I...", he glanced away, then back at her. "I don't get to decide these things, usually. I'm an errand boy, usually for getting rid of unsightly people who've gone mad from nightmares because everyone else is afraid to. I don't even call it courage, it's just...", he made a face, a scowl was certainly involved. "More like a dog being happy to please it's owner, doesn't matter what shit they have to rub their nose in."

He has spent most of his life trying to be useful, it seemed to pay off when his lord ordered him to follow Han-Hei...and now he was entangled in a choice between a princess and a girl who was actually a lot like himself, he felt. He saw a lot of himself in Yukara, which is probably why he went so far with encouraging her. He was trying to encourage himself too.

He straightened out. "You are an option, yeah. I think I am for you as well. We agree on that, then." Weird as it seems, but I'm here for it. "Though...", he grunted. It wasn't fair, but life just fucks you anyway. Yukara didn't deserve what she had been through in this place, in trying to help he just made things more difficult. "I have some talking to do with her, but I don't think I can until I figure it out myself."

A small smile. "I just want you to know, we're clear now. I understand, and I won't shy away when it comes down to it."

[Shiba Kumori]

She smiled, “Well… I hate to break it to you… But whatever you do, you might want to do it soon.”

[Bayushi Norikage]

"Well, yeah...I mean, Day of Thunder and all", he said, muttering slightly. "Or...wait, is there something else now? Has some other guy been...er..."

[Shiba Kumori]

She shook her head and chuckled.

“No…”

[Bayushi Norikage]

He shrugged. "I wouldn't blame them if there was."

[Shiba Kumori]

She shrugged, “I can be hard to love.”

[Bayushi Norikage]

"Yeah...", he frowned, then couldn't help but smile after, looking back at her. 'But that's the path ahead, isn't it?"

[Shiba Kumori]

She smiled back, “If you are so lucky.”

[Bayushi Norikage]

"Better to be lucky than skilled", he answered easily. "Better to be charming than proper." A grin. "By the way, what method does your school teach?" he asked, tilting his head at her sword. "Or is it all just you figuring it out as you go?"

[Shiba Kumori]

She stood up straight from her leaning position on the tree.

“It’s Kakita’s techniques mixed with the general training I had as a kid. Kakita’s a rather… serious man. He’s all about increasing your internal strength and speed and honing that against specific targets.”

She rolled her neck a bit as if loosening the muscles.

“Pretty good in a one-to-one fight… Or against things that don’t have the same type of… internal goodness to them.”

[Bayushi Norikage]

"I thought you were just copying the style at first", he admitted. "One of my teachers had experience against Kakita-dono and thought his method was worth teaching. Though I admit most of all it has done for me is make my draw flashier."

[Shiba Kumori]

“It can be really flashy… He learned what he did from the Kenku. Really kinda haughty and flashy types.”

She walked a few steps closer.

“I picked up some of the basics of how he uses it in duels… But I was always more interested in using it to cut up monsters and stuff. Not every demon is dumb enough to challenge the greatest duelist in the world to an Iaijutsu duel.”