Gathering his resolve, Shin stealthily crept back into the village, his ears, eye’s and nose alert for anything out of place or radiating power. He crept from shadow to shadow, ducking between obstacles so to avoid the villager’s prying eyes.

*Kukuri followed silently, even her steps made no noise. Her mind drifted to the past. How many times had she tailed people in this manner, only to drive a blade between their ribs At the first opportunity? Oh how she longed for those moments.

“It is a pleasure, once more, if you are to help my village.” Hana smiled sweetly. “Please, let us go to my residence.” Hana slipped her sandals just as quickly as she slipped them off, stepping down. She took a few moments to look up at the house, it’s straw roof fluttering in the breeze ever so slightly. “…Then, this house was empty.” She… Read more

*kukuri stood and opened the door, smiling, though as usual it didnt reach her eyes* “It is quite alright. You have done me a great courtesy, after all”

Once out of the girl’s sight, Shin began sniffing around again yet couldn’t seem to find a trail of the miasma, It seeming to blanket the area. perhaps he just wasn’t used to using his nose like this. shaking his head, Shin rested beside a rice paddy, staring blankly at the gently swaying stalks.

Kon. Blue, or Onyomi. The latter seemed most likely. Looking around the village, she straightened her kimono before moving briskly toward the guest house to take off her sandals, and rap gently against the wood part of the sliding doors. “Miss. Kukuri? Do you mind me calling you by your first name? I understand it is intimate, but ‘Kukuri,… Read more

*using a small bowl of water, kukuri washed her hands and face. Pulling a small ivory comb from her sleeve she tidied her hair but did not tie it back. She then sat, kneeling, legs underneath her, eyes closed, waiting for sunset*

Nimbly hopping aside from the surprise Bucket attack, Shin regards the girl, head tilting by habit.
“Kon” he barks to the girl before turning, fluffing his tail up as he walks away towards the rice fields.

Hana is wearing a new silk kimono. One that makes her smile and fiddle with it. Unusually, out of the Japanese’s custom of tying her hair back and out of her face, she has left it down as a dark waterfall to her waist, and with the kimono’s dark colors it may strangely remind someone of Eiko…Not the world bearer, but the world seeker.… Read more

Shin nods, standing and heading to the door, pausing to bow before moving out “good luck”. outside he sniffs the ground and air for the scent of the Miasma, hoping to track the source.

“Fare well and good luck, Shin. I hope your path leads you to the answers you seek. Now I must wash, and prepare for dinner”

Shin rolls back onto his belly, lifting his head up “A pity I cannot join you, I’ll keep my nose to the ground outside”

“I must stay here tonight. The elder has promised me a meal and a bed for the night. It would be rude and dishonourable to refuse such hospitality. I will leave early tomorrow”

 

“You are right ” Shin observed, slowly rolling onto his back, “while you scout the bandits I’ll remain in the village and try to sniff the trouble out.”

“It seems likely, yet without knowing the bandits numbers, any attempt to stop them would be folly. This situation requires precision. A delicate approach, for now”

 

“perhaps” Shin pauses to think for a moment “The bandits might be in league with whatever’s causing this Miasma, preventing any word from getting out” he lays down and puts his head on his front paws.

*kukuri nods* “the elder claims they have sent many to seek help, yet none have returned, and that they also have a local bandit problem. Perhaps there is a connection?”

 

“hmm” ponders Shin for a moment “I thought they were wara ningyoo” he slowly pads around the small room, his nose telling him subtle details not obvious to the eye “I’ll remain in the village in this form, my other form makes people scared for my health. This one has a suspicion that whatever is causing this Miasma remains close by.” He stops… Read more

Kukuri yaotagami, the straw dolls are called omamori, I am here because I belong in this world, I know that the curse severely cripples men. I leave tomorrow to seek help for the village ”

 

“Miles, no, Akikawa Shin, I think it was a straw doll that sent me here, I don’t know and only that the curse seems to effect human men.” Shin Answered each question in sequence before tilting his head the other way. “Yourself, same questions?”

“Many things. Who are you? How did you get here? Why are you here? How much do you know about the curse on this town?”

Shin tilts his head as he regards Kukuri.

“Depends. What would like to know.”

*opening her eyes, kukuri regarded the fox blankly* “a kitsune…..can you speak?”

 

Shin allowed the energy to wash over him, feeling that this girl was definitely more than she seemed.
Checking that the coast was clear, crept from his hiding spot and slowly wanders into the house, sitting at the entrance and raising a paw.

*nodding and bowing, kukuri sat after hana left. Closing her eyes and kneeling, she began sending out little waves of energy. Not much, but enough to warn any nearby yokai of her presence. She was sure there was one somewhere in the village*

 

Shin watched the other woman leave before quickly peering into the house and ducking back. The woman inside looked familiar, though who exactly she was floated just beyond his understanding. She at least didn’t seem to be causing the Miasma so he crept back into his hiding spot.

“The pleasure is mine, honestly, if you can bring my village back together.” She bowed lowly, moving back to the Genkan and sliding her sandals back on as she noticed the girl seemed aloof. Of course, as most of the time Hana noted, this woman did not show much true emotion at all. “I’ll allow you to settle in,” She said, wishing she knew what… Read more

*Kukuri, removing her footwear, looked about the room and smiled. It would do. She turned to hana and bowed again.* I would gladly eat with you tonight. Your kindness is great.  *something had been tugging at kukuris periphery, however. It was again that sense of a familiar presence…..

 

The fox that is Shin trotted quickly into the cover of the buildings, his keen ears twitching back an forth to the sounds of the village and work and play. One child had noticed him but appeared to dismiss the presence of a fox. He spotted the curiously scented Kukuri and stealthily crept after her, slipping into a convenient hiding spot… Read more

One of the children of the village—-Sachi, noticed the fox coming down the hill, but did not alert the other children as she might have normally. Why were there so many visitors—strange animals and humans alike lately? These people were not the first. She knew monks had come too, able to sense their presence from a distance. The… Read more

“Blessings upon your family. You have my gratitude” *kukuri bowed low, then followed Hana to the guest house*

Standing up again, Shin clapped twice and bowed
“May Inari bless your harvest” Turning away he scampered back towards the forest, planning.
Hiding among the trees, he returns to his fox form before heading back towards the village.

Hana clapped her hands together, seemingly pleased. “This is good! Even if you are to betray us, as you are no true member of the village not much harm will come if you do not return.” Her head tilted slightly, her smile reamaining. “Shall you leave tomorrow? I am certain you must be weary from your travels…Come, one of the houses is… Read more

Shin tilts his head the other way, looking into Chiyo’s eyes.
“When did this misfortune begin?” He could smell the miasma but it didn’t seem to affect his yokai self.
“Is there anything else you could tell me?”

“I swear, on the name of my family, that i will do all I can to assisst you. Would you have me leave today” kukuri enquired. She was eager to make allies in this new world, as she doubted she would find her clan here, if any had made it back.

 

“If you think so.” Hana smiled sweetly, leaning forward across the table. “My, an adventurer and a savior? Can I trust you’ll actually return for us?”

“Maybe I should go. If some unnatural force is at work I may be able to stop it….”

“We send them to other villages—larger cities and towns, and hope they may return with a monk as we so prayed. They do not return, sadly, and as of late those who speak of leaving us to go fetch a priestess or sacred warrior go missing at at night.” Hana sighed slightly, “Yui-Sobo believes they have grown weary of how this village thrives,… Read more

“Sent them where? And why was it dangerous? What happens when night falls?” Kukuri was having difficulty staying seated. Why was this woman being so vague?!

 

Hana turned her face being shadowed in from the light emitting behind her. “It is nearly mid-day. We have sent for monks and priests, but all that have gone have never returned.” She stepped toward Kukuri, her face blank for the most part. “Besides, as Yui-Sobo said earlier, we have no room for you here.” Slowly she sank to her knees, letting… Read more

*kukuri nodded and thought* “do you know the source of this plague? Maybe I could help. Also, how many bandits are there?”

 

 The noises of the children playing once more filled the air. Not much phazed them, after all, children that had their sisters stolen away by the bandits or brothers taken by diseases. Hana stood to move over to the opening of the sliding door, watching them play with what looked like stones. Sachi was among them. “Sachi was out late with… Read more

Shin Crouched on his haunches, his head tilting as he regarded the woman.
“What seems to be the problem?” The woman’s reaction made the miasma’s purpose clear, as did the lack of menfolk in the fields.

*kukuri paused, thinking on these words.* “did….sachi say what she meant when she claimed the man willingly left?”

One of the women tending to the rice crop, Chiyo, looked up at the visitor from under her straw hat. Chiyo’s eyes widened and she stepped back fiercely. “M-Man!” She dropped the tool for the mud into the water, stepping over the few rows toward Shin. “You cannot be here, you must go.” She said frantically.

Shin slowly wandered into the outermost rice fields, pleased to see them well tended. In his heart he felt a deep recognition of this place though he did not know from where.
The trouble was, he could smell something hanging over the place. Shin had noticed that his sense of smell was a lot more powerful than it had been when he was Miles,… Read more

Hana looked into her tea as if it held the secrets of this world. It did not seem as though anyone knew of the girl passing around Omamori, or even that there was another world ever. “…It is an unfortunate event for the men of our village, yes. But I cannot say I pity those who have been absent here. One of the women–a single mother with… Read more

“Indeed, but doesn’t that worry you?do you not fear a worse fate occurring in the future? I do not wish to bring gloom upon you but it seems….. Unnatural” *kukuri looked the woman in the eye , sipping her tea*

Hana reached for her tea, taking a good long slip as she looked up. “Our men are quite unfortunate in this village. All have either fallen ill or have went missing. All the healthy are thin or old.” Her dark eyes flicked up to her over the cup of tea. “Of course, who is to say that we need the men? Let them run. The women here have prospered on… Read more

“I am fine, thank you for your concern, but I am curious as to where all your men are. Do they have a separate village?” *kukuri focused on yui’s face, watching for any telltale signs of deceit.*