The Day of Thunder

[Jiyo Sora]

He waved a hand. "No, I have that part covered...well, I mean I at least know that much." He said, frowning slightly. "I mean...you went on the road, leaving one behind, you made a choice out there. You knew there were two women and you made a call, you could probably drone on an on about how happy and you are and how it was worth it, whatever...I mean...but did you still have regrets? Seriously. Were you sure or did you just trust it would work out?"

He sighed.

"I know it might come as a shock to you, Bayushi-san, but even as a younger man I wasn't exactly beset by women seeking my attentions. My... interest in the one I did not marry was never something I did anything formal about. And any interest she might have shown was... well controlled under Duty and other obligations. The woman I did marry... well. I helped rescue her from some skin-stealing monsters, and... right before I went into the bowels of hell, she proposed to me. Directly, forthrightly. I accepted- on the condition that she stop acting as a servant, because a marriage should be a partnership. I do not regret how that went, and how it has played out. The past two decades with her have been the happiest of my life."

His tone softened slightly.

"But seeing how little the other woman has given herself in her life has caused me some sadness in the years since. That said, my ego, towering as it may be, does not permit me to think that she couldn't have found some happiness for herself if she had thought to look for it. There are other men and women in the world, and if she has not allowed herself to make time for any of them, who can say if I ever had a chance to begin with?"

[Bayushi Norikage]

Warble Warble Young People Are Dumb Warble Warble

He had to admit, in the moment, hearing it from the horse's mouth, all he could do was think of how different his situation was. Though that just brought him back to his own towering ego.

No, it wasn't really all that different. The sadness Sora experienced after wasn't his own arrogance, it was him being a softie. Which, to his own discredit, Norikage was realizing he shared some symptoms with, at least when it came to Yukara. So, it was guilt, at least for him. Plain and simple. However, it was earned guilt. He had gone a distance he was responsible for, even if it wasn't his place to make the world perfect.

A few weeks ago, he would have written it off and left her a symbolic gift telling her he wasn't interested. Yet right then, he struggled to think of how he would go about this. He'd just have to accept any outcome. She had shown she can grow, he was certainly not the best man in the world for her anyway. That was life.

He nodded. "Alright, well, good talk."

[Jiyo Sora]

He nodded. "Alright, well, good talk."

"Need to work on your lying, kid."

He sighed.

"I could tell you it'll all work out, but that'd be stretching things. I'll just say that anything you're mixed up in, everyone involved is young enough to heal and move past it if they can find it in them to do so."

[Chuchu]

Chuchu's late to the party!
....she may have been napping.

The ratling does eventually find her way, toddling on over to sit next to one of her favored humans (Sora this time) to sit and start sniffing the food.

[Otomo Akutou]

Akutou puts a bowl of pickles in front of the Nezumi.

[Chuchu]

Akutou puts a bowl of pickles in front of the Nezumi.

Aaaaaand the ratling goes to town on the pickles. By the time she's done she has a half-awake look and quite ruffed up fur.

...it's probably good her face is all black, otherwise she'd have stains from eating so messily.

[Bayushi Norikage]

Chuchu's late to the party!
....she may have been napping.

The ratling does eventually find her way, toddling on over to sit next to one of her favored humans (Sora this time) to sit and start sniffing the food.

Akutou puts a bowl of pickles in front of the Nezumi.

Norikage was going to retort...something...but then the Otomo played host for the Nezumi that sat next to Ojichan, and he was immediately distracted.

"Uh...record time mauling of pickled anything." He looked at Sora. "As a librarian maybe you should take that down for history or something."

[Jiyo Sora]

"Uh...record time mauling of pickled anything." He looked at Sora. "As a librarian maybe you should take that down for history or something."

"I'm afraid my daughter Shirayuki has her beat by half a second. But it's a sterling effort."

[Otomo Akutou]

"Glad you like 'em, Chuchu," Akutou says.

[Isawa Kyosei]

Kyosei returned to where the cooking was going on. Over his shoulders were bags, one of barley, the other of rice. He sets them near the prep area. They were for planting, but were totally edible if prepared right.

He didn't know how to prepare them, but he knew they could be prepared right.

[Bayushi Norikage]

"I'm afraid my daughter Shirayuki has her beat by half a second. But it's a sterling effort."

"That making the rich richer, hmm?" he shrugged. "Can't be helped, the man famously dotes on his daughter, even in the face of nezumi levels of cute."

[Jiyo Sora]

"That making the rich richer, hmm?" he shrugged. "Can't be helped, the man famously dotes on his daughter, even in the face of nezumi levels of cute."

"Oh, it wasn't cute when Shirayuki did it."

He shuddered.

[Isawa Kyosei]

Kyosei caught wind of what Sora was talking about, then repressed the memory it called up, before wondering what they were talking about....

[Canary]

Aaaaaand the ratling goes to town on the pickles. By the time she's done she has a half-awake look and quite ruffed up fur.

...it's probably good her face is all black, otherwise she'd have stains from eating so messily.

Some of the village kids run up to her, eyes wide. "Woooow! What are you?"

[Chuchu]

Some of the village kids run up to her, eyes wide. "Woooow! What are you?"

"Nehzoomi," She chirps back at them, tail tip wiggling. "Hi-hi!" Chuchu starts to groom her little face using her hands and soon her fur's all back in order (and much less sticky). "Hi-hi Chuchu!"

[Kai]

Kai played the flute to accompany the shamisen played by Ai. He kept a distance from the people to not scare them off.

//Quote or pm if approached.

[Wu Dai Lu]

"Nehzoomi," She chirps back at them, tail tip wiggling. "Hi-hi!" Chuchu starts to groom her little face using her hands and soon her fur's all back in order (and much less sticky). "Hi-hi Chuchu!"

"Hi-hi!" They echoed with big smiles and giggles.

Meanwhile, Chouri arrived, having been invited by Sora earlier. She approaches where Chuchu is dealing with the kids, hanging back and watching with a smile.

[Wu Zhe]

Wu Zhe was following Chouri in today's attire.

They had taken some time to prepare food, of course...and there was always cheese

[Nanzi Ai]

Meanwhile, Chouri arrived, having been invited by Sora earlier. She approaches where Chuchu is dealing with the kids, hanging back and watching with a smile.

With the arrival of Chouri she decided to change up the flow and give the guests something a little experimental to honor the woman who had so much sway over the village. She glanced to the Scorpion and nodded before she changed up the song, gradually moving to a more dissonant and then pleasing tone.

She started singing when the notes were just the right amount of dissonant, “One stone makes you larger, and one stone makes you small, and the ones that Shinsei gives you don't do anything at all. Go ask Chouri, when she's ten feet tall.”

Ai continued, “And if you go chasing dreams, And you know you're going to fall; Tell 'em a pipe smoking herbalist has given you the call… Go ask Chouri… When she was just small.”

“When the four guardians in the dreaming Get up and tell you they wanna go… And you've just had some kinda kava, And your mind is movin' slow.... Go Ask Chouri I think she’ll know!” she said, her voice growing with the notes.

She finished with a soulful and sultry tone, “When logic and proportion have fallen… sloppy dead, And the White Tiger's talking backwards… the Red Phoenix’s burns your eyes… remember what the Little Teacher said… Feed your head… feed your head!”

She paused, having put much of herself into the song. Allowing a moment to collect herself before entering a more jovial tune.

OOC: Thanks to Sora and Miakime for the wording and inspiration. Singing | 4k3 ⇒ 28 and Shamisen | 6k3 ⇒ 22

[Haka Tae-soo]

The pair of youngsters in tribal clothes came walking by the riverside, a bag on each of their shoulders. The older one looked around - was there a fire running yet?

They made their way through many they had seen but not really met, looking around for some of those they'd got a bit closer to. But first, they went to Sora - he had organised this, after all.

Snip

Snip

Finding him talking to Norikage, he bows to both, being quickly (and akwardly) mirrored by Ha-yeong.

"Jiyo-Sora-nim, Bayushi Norikage-nim. Pleased to see you."

Then, placing the rather large bag on the ground, again (awkwardly) mirrored by the younger one. The smell of still fresh fish fills the air.

"We should probably get started with those..." then, looking around. "Those... and then a blessing for this meeting?"