March 10th, 6:00 PM
Life in the settlement known simply as the human village was rarely complicated. It was a fact the locals had a strange sort of pride about. After all, just living life was already complicated enough; there was no need to tangle things up any further. There were, however, exceptions to these periods of relative tranquility, known colloquially as "incidents." Usually such periods were brief and disruptive periods, often with the Youkai acting up in some way that kept the human populace from venturing outside of their homes, before being resolved by the Hakurei Shrine Maiden, and things returned to normal. On rare occasions, however, things proved not to be so simple.
"God, this place is so damn boring." Wilson whined as he finished the last of the food he'd been given by the fox-woman. Each of them had been given a fair amount of food, although a fair bit of it had just been taken from the survival kits from the plane. If nothing else, they weren't letting it go to waste.
"Quit your moaning, jackass." Stevens said, looking out the window at the sorry excuse for civilization they found themselves in. No electricity, no central heating, and nothing but rural countryside for miles outside the bounds of the small settlement. It wasn't nothing, Stevens noted, probably having a population of several thousand people, but even compared to his hometown on the outskirts of Philadelphia, it was barely a blip on the radar.
"I'll stop when there's at least something to do. I'm not some country bumpkin ready to sit back and wait for life to pass me by, thank you very much." Wilson said, laying on the mat he'd been given in lieu of a proper bed. The room was entirely lacking in chairs, much to their confusion, although the low height of the table at the center of the room seemed to imply that the traditional solution was simply sitting on the ground, or something similar.
Despite the seeming levity, there was a nervous tension in the air, as the two men continued to idly pass the time. They didn't really know what was going on, but they'd been told Smith would be returning with the rest of the crew by the fox-woman, and they had little choice but to wait for whenever that would eventually be.
"I admit, it wouldn't be so bad if we could at least go out and explore this place. Wonder why that's not allowed." Stevens asked with a sigh, falling back onto his own mat on the other side of the small room they were staying in.
"Probably related to why they felt the need to confiscate our .45s." Wilson said, rubbing his neck. "Besides, do you really think there'd even be anything to see around here?"
"Hell if I know, but it sure beats lying here killing time." Stevens said with a frustrated sigh.
"Do you have any clue what happened?" Wilson asked. "I remember the plane about to hit the ground, and then everything's foggy until we arrived here with that Fox woman."
"I've got no clue." Stevens said with a shrug. "I'm still struggling to deal with her, I think she said her name was Ran or something? My head's still fuzzy."
"How do you think she pulled off those fake tails? They looked so damn real..." Wilson murmured, rolling over onto his side.
"I don't have a clue. They really did look real as far as I could tell."
"You really think they could've been?" Wilson asked, an eyebrow raised.
"At this point, I don't know what to believe." Stevens replied with a shrug.
The two fell back into silence, staring out through the window in the room they were sharing at the village and its surroundings. The area's lack of development and rural nature felt odd to the two, as if they had traveled through time. There was no sign of modern civilization anywhere. The buildings were entirely wooden, there was no electricity, internal plumbing, or any other modern convenience. Yet, despite all of that, or maybe because of it, it had a truly rustic charm to it.
"It isn't such a bad place. Hell, if Kate was here with me, I wouldn't mind staying too much. At least for a little while."
Wilson let out a snort. "Oh please, you'd take your wife to a backwater like this?"
"It's a hell of a lot better looking than Manhattan, you fucking pompous New Yorker."
"Oh yeah, well imagine how great it would look next to Philly then." Wilson said with a huff.
"Did I strike a nerve?" Stevens asked with a laugh.
There was an awkward knock on the sliding door of their room, interrupting the two's banter.
"Guys, Smith's back." Padron called from the other side. The two quickly dropped their conversation and rushed out, the subdued tension the two had attempted to ignore finally flaring back up by the possibility of answers.
They exited the room, carefully closing the door behind them, and hurried through the small courtyard into the main entrance hall. Jenkins and Padron were both already there, standing impatiently in front of a completely dead-faced Smith.
As the men all met up, those who noticed politely ignored the visible redness around Smith's eyes.
"So what happened?" Jenkins asked, although he seemed to already know the answer before the words had left his lips.
"Yeah, where is everybody else?" Wilson asked.
Smith swallowed nervously. before he spoke.
"Walters, Jones, Brown and Miller are dead."
The room fell silent as everyone tried to process the revelation. On some level, it wasn't much of a surprise. They hadn't been there with them, and the complete radio silence was a bit strange if they were only wounded. Besides, Smith's body language didn't leave much open to interpretation beyond just how bad the situation actually was. That, of course, didn't make the confirmation any less painful.
"You're kidding, right?" Wilson asked with a nervous laugh. When Smith remained silent, he began to visibly panic "I mean, it'd be one thing if it had been an enemy plane or anti-aircraft fire, but there's no way that a bunch of random weirdos in the sky could just..."
"You saw Miller with your own eyes." Smith said softly, his thoughts traveling back to the man as he lay bleeding out.
"Yeah... but..." Wilson's face fell as he tried to come up with some sort of rebuttal. In lieu of words, Stevens simply patted him on the back, his face tense as he stared at his commanding officer.
"What about Woods?" Jenkins asked tersely.
"Woods was captured by those bird...wolf... animal people." Smith explained, aware that, in any other situation, this would likely have gotten him thrown into an asylum.
"And you just left him there?!" Stevens shouted, marching over to glare at Smith. Smith was by no means short, but Stevens still had a few inches in height on him.
"What was I supposed to do? Those things aren't human!" Smith snapped back, his frustration roaring back to life now that he had an outlet. "They could take a .50 to the face and walk it off! You think I could do anything to them?!"
"You could've at least tried!" Stevens growled back.
"I did everything in my power to try and get him out of there, and... I know it wasn't enough, damn it, but what the hell was I supposed to do?!"
"Stevens, just... stop." Padron's tired voice interjected.
Stevens turned and glared at his fellow soldier, before the spark of anger in him finally died. "I... I know, but..." He balled his fists, his nails digging into his skin.
The men all stared at the pilot, a mixture of anger, pity, and grief of varying levels in their eyes.
"I'm gonna go lie down." A morose Wilson said in between sniffs, tears flowing down his face. The three men watched him leave, before Stevens, after sharing a look with Padron and Jenkins, followed after him.
"Poor kid." Jenkins said with a sigh, before he turned to those who remained. "He really wasn't cut out for this."
"Most people aren't, for good reason." Padron replied. "I doubt anyone really is, no matter what they try to tell themselves."
As the rest of the squad slowly filtered out of the room, Smith was left alone, or at least as alone as he could be, considering how thin the walls here were. At least, that was what he assumed.
"Is everything alright?" A voice called out to him. Smith looked up to see a woman, very clearly a local judging by the long flowing white robe she was dressed in. She looked to be in her early 30s, with long black hair flowing down her back. Her brown eyes stared at him, concern tinged with curiosity. "I heard yelling."
"Not at all, but I'll make do." He replied, thankful for the language barrier that protected their privacy.
"With an answer like that, you can't not expect me to be concerned."
"I'd rather not get you dragged into this whole mess."
"If it makes you feel any better, I've already been dragged into it. "That Youkai-Demon-Monster-Spirit-"
Smith let out a grunt, a headache forming from the strange sensory overload caused by all of the conflicting meanings battling within his mind simultaneously. It seems not every word had any sort of clean translation, and whatever glitch in the system of reality that that Yukari woman was using to grant him fluency in the language was struggling to accommodate.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, just a bit of a headache. I'll be fine." He said with a soft chuckle. Thankfully, he got the gist of what the word meant, albeit not the specifics. So youkai was the term used for whatever these creatures were. From the sound of things, it didn't seem to be a term of endearment. "Sorry for interrupting you. What were you saying?"
"The sage told me she needed a place for some outsiders to stay, and seeing as this is the only inn in the village, there weren't too many other options." The woman explained.
"You run this place by yourself?" Smith asked. The place was by no means large, but from the standards of the area around them, it was much bigger than most other buildings.
"I do, now at least." She explained tersely.
"O-oh." Smith stuttered out in surprise. "I..."
"Seeing as I was told to prepare for several more guests, I can guess as to what caused that uproar earlier." She said, changing the topic.
Shit. So much for privacy.
"Four of my men were killed, and one was taken hostage by the... Tengu, I think it was?"
"Hostage?" She asked. "Are you sure he's still alive?'
"That Yukari woman struck a deal to keep him safe, for now at least." Smith hoped desperately that said deal would be kept to.
"I see. I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your men, although I doubt hearing from me is much comfort." She said, bowing her head. Smith remained silent,
"It takes some time for the grief to pass, but time eventually blunts the pain." She said.
"Yeah, I guess so." Smith said. He had his own experiences with loss and grief. "But that still means it takes time for it to go away."
"It's one of the sad realities of life. Our time here is limited, so it's best to not get too attached to this world."
"I think I'll be able to manage fine," he lied, "I'm more concerned about my men..." Smith paused, realizing he'd forgotten the most basic steps of conversation. "Uh, may I have your name?"
The woman giggled. "Shimizu Yadoka." She said.
"Gregory Smith." He replies, before he realizes something. "Or, Smith Gregory, I suppose." The reversal of name order felt bizarre, especially when applied to Western names.
"Gure-go-ree..." She said, mouthing out the syllables. "An odd name, but I'm sure it must feel the same for you as well."
"It gets a bit less odd with every name I come across."
"Oh, and what number would I be?"
"Fifth, maybe sixth?." He replied. "I'm sure by the tenth it'll start to feel fairly ordinary."
"Well then, shall number five or six show you to your room for the night?" She asked, eyeing him carefully. "You look about ready to collapse."
"I've had worse." He truly had, although it wasn't something to be proud of. More so just a fact of his life. "But if you wouldn't mind, then please, because I probably will just fall over at some point."
She led him through the small courtyard, decorated with a stone path and a small pond in the corner, to a different section of the building. Here there were several sliding doors, which he assumed to lead to different rooms for guests. He could hear the sounds of his other crew members, although they seemed to be uncharacteristically quiet at the moment, as he could only hear some muffled conversation and occasional quiet sobs from the other rooms.
"You should get some rest. We can speak more in the morning." Yadoka said softly, before leaving him at the entrance of the third room.
Smith carefully opened the sliding door and stepped into the room, closing it behind him. He was sure the room was interesting, and well decorated, but none of that mattered to him once the full weight of exhaustion finally hit him. He could barely stumble across the room before he collapsed to the surprisingly comfortable floor, although for him, anything would likely feel comfortable right about now. Within moments he was fast asleep.
March 11th 7:00 AM
Smith groaned as the increasing brightness filled his strained eyes. He'd fallen asleep quickly, but had struggled to remain that way throughout the night, drifting in and out of consciousness as his thoughts circled around in his mind. Even with the strange mattress he'd found that had proved surprisingly comfy (although that wasn't saying much when he'd long since gotten used to sleeping on whatever was available) he still found himself barely able to actually remain asleep, in spite of just how tired he was. Instead, he'd been spending the time between bouts of exhausted sleep retreading the past day (or two days? He wasn't even sure on that point) for what he could've done to have changed the fates of his men.
Had it been his flying that had caused this to happen? It might've been, but the plane had been under fire, so it's impossible to know how big a role it'd played. And yet that didn't stop him from second guessing himself at every step. Maybe he could've tried to do something himself back during that farcical trial. He'd been explicitly warned not to, but was that really a good enough excuse? Even if it would've been futile, wouldn't it have been better to have tried and failed? Hell, if he'd just followed his orders and had his gunner crew stay behind in the first place, they wouldn't have been at risk in the first place.
His thoughts spiraling, Smith rose up on unsteady legs, letting out a yawn as he forced his mind into some semblance of wakefulness. If only he had some more coffee right about now. That'd be nice, but he wasn't sure if people around here would even know what coffee evenwas. Coffee was... Arabic, or was it African? It wasn't from around here, he knew that much.
Looking at himself, he only now realized that he still had his full kit had kept happening one after another, so the thought hadn't even crossed his mind that he could take most of it off. A few minutes later, he'd placed his life preserver, gloves and parachute onto the table in the middle of the room, glad to be free of the pointless weight. He carefully opened the sliding door to the room he was staying in, trying not to wake up his crew who he could hear sleeping in the other rooms. Trying to enforce some measure of discipline at the moment didn't feel very important, even if whatever rest they were having was doubtful to be restful. Better to just let them try and get some sleep, he figured.
As he walked he got a better look at the small courtyard, which had several trees placed around a small pond. There were small green buds forming on the branches, which he figured meant the trees were likely to bloom at some point, although when that would be beyond some vague idea of "soon" he really didn't know.
"Not for a bit longer, I'm afraid." He heard Shimizu's voice call out. "Good morning, Mr. Smith." Turning, he spotted her, dressed in a light blue robe rather than a green one from the previous night. He briefly glanced at his own clothes, wishing he had a spare set to change into, before he looked back to her.
"Good morning Ms. Shimizu." Smith said in response. The words that actually came out of his lips, however, were "Shimizu-san." The experience of consciously saying something, yet having your mouth move in a different way than you expect, and the sounds that you produce being somehow both intelligible and nonsensical at once was surreal to experience. "Not for a bit longer until what exactly?"
"Until the cherry blossoms bloom." She said, gazing longingly at the still flowerless trees.
Ah, so they were cherry trees. At least, they looked like cherry trees. It was hard to be sure until they were in bloom.
"What kind of cherries are they?" Smith asked, curious. One of the few fond memories he had of his father was him bringing home some Michigan cherries as a gift for him. He'd really enjoyed the tart taste they had, much more than the sweeter ones he'd had years later.
"Pardon?" She asked, turning to look at him with confusion.
"You know, are they sweet or sour cherries?" Smith asked. Was there some other kind of cherry? Bitter cherries? He wasn't sure why anyone would want to grow any, but there were stranger things in the world..
"Why would you want to eat the fruit of a cherry tree?" Yadoka asked, seemingly revolted at the notion. "They're bitter and tough, and wholly inedible."
"Why would you bother growing a fruit tree if you're not going to eat the fruit?" Smith asked, bemusement evident on his own face.
"It's for the cherry blossoms. Why else would you grow a cherry tree?"
"Okay, we seem to be going in circles here." Smith said with a sigh. He noted the word coming from his lips seemed to be 'sakura' rather than anything to do with cherries as a fruit, so it seems that the two were somehow related. At times like this, he wished he was actually speaking the language rather than whatever this stop-gap he was stuck with was. "Back where I'm from, we have similar trees, although they're grown for their fruit."
"Really?" Yadoka asked. "Strange. Don't you enjoy the trees when they start to flower?"
"I mean, it was always nice and pretty, but growing fruit trees for just that wasn't really a thing, at least where I came from." Smith said, scratching his head.
"Are you sure they're the same kind of tree?"
"I mean, it looks like a cherry tree, and whatever that woman did to let me understand you seems to be translating the words as if they were the same thing."
"Well, I'm not sure how all of that works, but I'm sure you'll enjoy the cherry blossoms when they arrive. They don't last very long, but that's part of what makes them so beautiful."
"Not sure I really get the appeal of something being only temporary, but alright."
"There are many poets who've explained their beauty far better than I could ever hope to." She said with a laugh. "Too many, honestly. You'll understand when you see them for yourself."
"I'll have that to look forward to, then." Smith said. As awkward and confusing as this conversation was proving to be, he was relieved to have something to help keep his mind off of the nightmare of the previous day. He knew if he was alone with nothing to do, his mind would be constantly drifting back towards it. Luckily for him, Yadoka seemed to notice him starting to drift away.
"I prepared some breakfast, if you're at all hungry," She said, drawing him back away from his ruminations, "although the others didn't seem interested."
"You checked with them?" Smith asked, confused.
"As much as I could. I only got some muffled grumbles and what I think was profanity, but they sounded both exhausted and upset, so I figured it was probably best to just leave them be. Besides, they seemed to have some food with them when they arrived."
Well, it wasn't like she could actually understand them, but he figured they weren't exactly polite with whatever they were saying. Likely because they knew that she couldn't understand them. Smith knew that they'd all likely complain about being left out later, but he didn't have the energy to drag them all out kicking and screaming at the moment, especially when he had other matters he had to take care of.
"I'm starving, so if you have something to eat, I'm not going to refuse." He said, trying to remember the last meal he'd actually had. It was probably before they took off, come to think of it. It was little wonder he was so hungry at this point.
Smith followed her into what he assumed to be a dining room of some sort, although the low-to-the-ground table and lack of seats continued to feel odd to him.
"Wait right here, I'll go grab the food." Yadoka said, leaving Smith alone in the room. He awkwardly sat down at the table, a deep longing for a chair to sit in filling his soul. Yadoka returned relatively quickly carrying two bowls, each filled with a light brown rice with a sauce coating it, along with what looked like some pickled vegetables.
"t's by no means high-class, but I hope you enjoy it." Yadoka said sheepishly as she set the food down on the small table in the middle of the room, before she sat down on the other side facing him.
Yadoka put her hands together. Smith, confused, did the same. Was she saying grace? That didn't track at all for obvious reasons, but maybe it was something similar? In his head, he began to recite the words that he hadn't felt any real need to bother with in years, not even noticing that he was mouthing the words, before he was interrupted by Yadoka.
"I humbly receive." She said, before she picked up a pair of wooden utensils and began to eat her meal. Smith instinctively reached for a utensil, before realizing that the only one's available were the same wooden sticks that he had no idea how to actually use. As he awkwardly picked them up, Yadoka looked over, a mixture of confusion and what seemed a bit like amusement on her face.
"I'm guessing you don't use chopsticks where you're from?" She asked, noting his obvious unfamiliarity with them.
"Do you have, I dunno, a spoon or something?" Smitha sked, accidentally dropping one of the sticks as he tried and failed to mimic her usage of the utensils.
"Sorry, but the only spoons I have are used for cooking. They're a bit too big to eat with."
"Going to guess that forks are out of the question as well?"
"I don't know what a fork is, so you're out of luck there as well I'm afraid."
Dismayed, Smith looked back at the chopsticks in his hands.
"Oh come on, just try and use them." Yadoka said, although whether the smile present on her face was from kindness or amusement he couldn't tell.
It took him some time, and it was honestly rather embarrassing, but after several minutes of coaching, along with what she claimed was
not mocking laughter, he managed to actually lift some of the rice to his mouth and eat it. It was, truth be told, not a particularly delicious meal. It was something that Yadoka had whipped up for a quick breakfast, rather than something intentionally made to impress one's palate. Even then, by the time he'd finished it after around a half hour of repeated failure and embarrassment, he found himself completely satisfied in a way that he hadn't been in years.
"I haven't had a home-cooked meal in a decade at least." Smith said, finishing the last of the pickled vegetables. "There really is nothing else like it."
"I'm glad that you liked it." Yadoka said with a smile. She had long since finished eating, having spent most of the time watching Smith try (and fail) to eat his food, and occasionally offering suggestions in between fits of laughter.
"I'd like to apologize to you for last night." Smith said, bowing his head.
"What about it?" She asked. "You didn't do anything wrong."
"You still ended up having a group of men shouting at each other in your lobby. You deserve an apology for having to put up with that much." Smith said, raising his head.
"Oh, that?" Yadoka said, a hint of mirth dancing around the edges of her voice. "I appreciate the apology, but it's alright. Truthfully, it was actually somewhat nice, in a way."
He stared incredulously at the woman. "In what way would you call a bunch of grown men yelling at one another 'nice'?"
"This village doesn't have many guests, so just the presence of life was a welcome relief for me." She hesitated, realization dawning on her face. "Ah, not that it wasn't sad or anything. I'm sorry if this comes across as strange to you."
"I think I get what you mean." Smith said, leaving just how depressing her statement sounded unsaid. " Do people from the village really never come here?"
"My family has always been viewed as a bit odd by the rest of the village; not as bad as the Hakurei have it, but that isn't saying much. That stigma continued even after my father passed away, although things didn't get too bad until..." She paused. "Nevermind, is there anything else you might need?"
Smith was curious, but he knew when not to pry.
"I was told I need to try and find some more permanent lodgings for me and my crew. Do you have any idea of where I could go about that?"
"Would you not want to just stay here?" She asked.
"Would that really be fair to impose on you? We don't exactly have money to pay for our continued stay, and I doubt that that woman is going to be willing to pay for us in the long-term."
"Hm, well, your best bet would be to ask around town, and see if you can find anyone who'd be willing to offer a place to stay
"Is there no mayor, or, I don't know, town council, or something?"
"There's the Hieda. I know the headman's from their line, but I've never seen him actually use his authority for anything besides getting some drinks on discount."
"That's not an abuse of power?"
"He paid it back later. He was just too lazy to run back and get the money then and there." She explained. "This place isn't exactly the strictest in terms of hierarchy, is what I'm trying to get across."
"Well," Smith said, pushing himself to his feet. "Do you have any idea where I might find this Hieda family?"
"Their home is on the far eastern side of the village, so you'll have to travel through most of it to get there." She explained. "Try and look for the canals, and you'll be heading in the right area."
"Much appreciated." He said, doing a brief stretch. "If all goes well, I'll be back soon with some idea about what's going to happen in the near future."
"Do you want me to help you get there?" She asked, concerned.
"No, it's alright. Smith said with a smile. "I'll be back soon." Yadoka seemed concerned, but chose not to say anything as the man walked away.
As he was leaving, Smith considered checking to see if anyone else would want to come with him, but he figured the rest of the squad likely wasn't in the mood for much of anything right now, at the very least not if it involved him. With that, he set out to the human village in search of the Hieda.
March 11th, 6:00 PM
In hindsight, he really should have accepted her offer. He spent the day wandering through the so-called village, although considering its size, the name felt rather forced. He was met with annoyed and confused looks of the residents, most of whom seemed uneager to interact with him. It wasn't too surprising, considering how much he stood out with his khaki uniform. Even after having stripped off all of the more odd bits and pieces, the style of the outfit clashed so heavily with what everyone else wore that he could practically feel everyone's eyes on him as he wandered around.
After he'd managed to get directions to the Hieda's mansion, which in hindsight should have been obvious as it was the only truly large building around, he worked his way there, only to be turned away at the entrance, as the head wasn't currently home. He'd apparently gone out and they weren't sure when he'd be returning, meaning that Smith would have to track him down himself. With little other choice, he spent the rest of the day wandering aimlessly around the village, in hopes of finding where this Hieda guy was. His mind kept trying to drag his thoughts back to the previous day, and each time he tried all the harder to push the thoughts away.
As he wandered, he began to appreciate the size of the place. It was by no means enormous, but it was still pretty large, with rather interesting sights to see. The canal especially stood out as something impressive, especially when he wandered back to it three times by accident. This was partially due to this being his first time here, partially it was because he was wandering around trying to find somebody whose appearance he didn't even know, and partially it was because as long as he kept putting a foot in front of another, he could put off the ruminating for that much longer.
Eventually, Smith looked up at the horizon. The sun was already setting, meaning he'd spent the entire day likely walking in circles without getting much done. It was like he was an infantry-man.
"Ah, excuse me?" A voice called out, shaking Smith out of his thoughts.
The man, much like everyone else, was wearing a flowing robe that Smith had by this point figured to be the standard fashion around here. He had short, black hair, with a face that could only be described as 'average.' Despite this, the man seemed to have a natural charisma to him, somewhat tied to those very same ordinary features. He was the kind of person who was never out of place, always managing to fit in regardless of location. The man could likely rob a place by just walking in the front door, taking what he wanted, and leaving.
"Ah, you must be one of the foreigners." The man said. Despite the wording, the man didn't seem to be expressing distaste at the prospect, but rather seemed interested in the idea.
"And what if I am?" Smith asked cautiously. He hadn't thought the news would spread so quickly, but clearly news traveled fast in this place. In hindsight, it wasn't too surprising; any news must've been interesting when there was nothing else of note going on.
Rather than escalate the situation, the man merely chuckled.
"Then it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance!" He said, with a slight bow. "Kirisame Katsu."
"Gregory Smi- Smith Gregory." Smith said, correcting himself, before he instinctively offered a hand, which the other man stared at quizzically. The two stood there awkwardly, before the other man seemed to catch on.
"Ah, is this a greeting from where you're from?" He asked, before reaching his hand out and gripping Smith's.
"Still, Gure-go-ree..." The man said, sounding his name out phonetically. "Now that is a foreign name if I've ever heard one."
"Is there something wrong with that?"
"That would depend on who you asked." The man explained. "I'm sure plenty of people around here might be resentful to some random outsider being given free stay in our home."
"And you?" Smith asked tersely.
"Well, I'll never say no to new customers." He replied with a grin.
"A businessman, I take it?"
"I run a second-hand goods store in the village, although I came to check out what all of the fuss was about."
"What fuss? I've been here all day, and it's been completely quiet." Smith said, before he realized the obvious.
"They said there was a strange man with gold hair walking in circles like a buffoon, but I'm not sure I'd call it gold seeing it in person." Katsu said, examining the other man's hair while he stared back, clearly unamused.
"It's not like I've ever been here before. Can you really fault me for getting lost?"
"There's a difference between being lost, and being in a complete daze and wandering aimlessly like you were. Tell you what, why don't you let me take you out for a drink. How's that sound?" The man asked with a disarming smile.
"While I could really use one, I do have some other stuff I need to take care of." Smith admitted. He wasn't a fan of alcohol by any means, but watching his grandfather's drinking in moderation had led to him not rejecting the stuff out right, and frankly anything that could help him relax right now would be appreciated. That is, provided he kept it in moderation.
"Oh?" Katsu inquired, likely curious as to what he was up to.
"Do you know how I could meet with the Hieda family? I need to find lodgings for the rest of my crew, rather than imposing on Ms. Shimizu." Smith asked the merchant. Katsu's eyes widened a bit when he heard the name, but he didn't react much beyond that.
"If you're looking for someplace for your men to stay, I think I might be able to help you out, although I can't make any promises about the Hieda." Katsu said with a shrug of his shoulders.
Smith briefly pondered his options. He could trust this random stranger, or he could wander around aimlessly for another few hours.
"Well, not like I have any better options."
"It's a good thing that you already have the best option then, eh?"
"Yeah, we'll see about that." Smith said with a half-hearted chuckle.
As the two men walked through the village, Smith noticed that, while most of the stares and glares were directed at him, quite a few were directed at the store owner who was leading him around. A few people stopped to have a brief chat with Katsu, usually offering a polite greeting, or just wishing him well, but just as many glared at the man as they passed as if he personally affronted them.
Eventually, they reached yet another wooden building, much like all of the others. Truthfully, they all seemed to blend together in Smith's eyes. There were certainly differences between them, but the similar architecture and construction made his mind glaze over the details that made each stand out from one another.
Inside this one, however, was what Smith took to be the local equivalent of a bar. There were, once again, no chairs to be seen. The bar was seemingly meant for people to stand in, although there seemed to be a few of those short tables off to the side likely meant for people looking for a bit of privacy, such as a tired, older looking man who sat, nursing a cup of some kind of liquor.
While there was a fairly large number of people present, two stood out from the rest of the crowd, mostly because they were literally doing exactly that.
"Oi, Kirisame, where the hell have you been?" A middle aged man with short black hair called out, his skin flushed red.
"Yeah, do you know how long we've been waiting for you?" Another man, a bit younger than the other, asked. "Too damn long, that's how long!"
"Ah, my apologies Kanemoto, Tamashiro, but I've had something else come up." Katsu said with a soft smile.
"Eh?" The first man, Kanemoto, asked, before he seemed to finally notice Smith standing behind him. "Oh, found one of the foreigners, did you?"
"Trying to get close to outsiders is risky business, Kirisame. Are you sure about this?" Tamashiro asked.
"Oh please, I'm sure about everything I do." Katsu replied, waving them off.
"Like Kirisame would ever do anything but risky business." Kanemoto said with a laugh. "He's not afraid of Youkai, nor the Shrine Maiden!" He turned to smirk at Katsu. "I can't wait to see how this one'll blow up in your face."
"And this is why you'd never cut it in business." Katsu said with a smirk of his own. "Potential profit could bite your ass and you'd just kick it away."
"You're damn right I would, if that's what you consider potential. I enjoy having
all of my limbs, thank you very much!"
"Like you even need all of them, Kanemoto." Tamashiro said with a snort. "The only thing you get off your ass to do is come and drink!"
Smith turned to look at Katsu as the two men devolved into an argument of their own.
"Friends of yours?"
"Sorry, they're always like this.." Katsu said apologetically. "Why don't you grab a seat? I need to speak with someone quickly, and then I'll join you."
"Well, alright." Smith said, before wading his way through the crowd of people towards one of the tables set out to the side, eventually settling for the one in the corner.
After a few minutes, Katsu returned to the small table in the corner that he'd secluded himself in carrying two bottles. Placing them carefully on the table, he sat down across from Smith, and offered him a ceramic cup, which he accepted gratefully. Katsu carefully opened the first bottle, before he filled Smith's cup and placed the bottle back on the table. The two sat in awkward silence for a moment. Smith stared at the other man, confused, before Katsu realized the obvious issue.
"Ah, foreigner, right." Katsu chuckled. "It's tradition for each person to pour the drink for the other when drinking around here." He explained.
"That's a bit of a strange custom, but fair enough."
"It's meant as a sign of respect. What part of that do you consider to be strange?"
"Ah, I meant no disrespect, it just feels... overly polite, I suppose." Smith explained, as he poured Katsu's drink in return.
"I don't understand how someone could be overly polite." Katsu said with a shrug, before he took a sip from his drink. "But, if you're willing to learn, that's good enough in my book."
"Well, if I'm going to be here for a while, I figure I might as well try and learn how best to do it."
Truthfully, for Smith it was less about being polite and more about not making unnecessary enemies. He didn't have any reason to want these people to hate him, so if doing the bare minimum and treating their culture with some measure of respect kept him and his men alive and in good standing, then why wouldn't he?
"Let me know what you think, by the way." Katsu said with a smirk as he watched Smith lift his own cup and take a sip.
It was certainly stronger than he'd expected. While it didn't quite burn going down his throat like whisky or rum, it was much stronger than the beers he was more familiar with. If anything, it was more like wine. There wasn't much bitterness to it, rather it was a bit fruity, with the barest hint of sweetness, but it was largely dry. He swallowed, appreciating the floral aftertaste that filled his mouth, although that too swiftly vanished.
"It's pretty good." He admitted, setting the still half full cup back down. "Though I tend to prefer weaker drinks personally."
"I'm afraid that's the weakest you'll find around here."
"Just my luck." Smith said with a sigh, before he was offered another cup, likely filled from the other bottle, which he accepted with a bit of confusion.
The second was much stronger than the first, as the burning in his throat attested to. It was drier as well, with a somewhat savory taste to it. While there were still some subtler tastes, they were much harder to notice with just how dry the drink was.
"That's... pretty strong." He said. While not as bad as some liquor he'd had, he never had been a big fan of liquor in the first place. "I'm guessing it's distilled?"
"Right on the money. That one's shochu. Never been a big fan of it myself, but it has its enjoyers." Katsu explained. "Do you have a preference yourself?" The bar was noticeably quiet, Smith realized, as Katsu waited for an answer.
"The first, without a doubt." He replied, weirded out by the strange shift in the atmosphere.
He heard a loud groan from the other end of the bar, accompanied by another man's laughter, as much of the bar broke out into cheers, while some seemed to scoff at his answer.
"What the hell was that about?"
"We don't have travelers, let alone foreigners, arrive very often, so it's hard to get unbiased opinions on things, like Takemoto and Koyama's endless debate over who makes the better drink."
"So what, you used me to settle some argument?"
"Do you want to have to pay for it, with all of the money I doubt you have?" Katsu asked with a wide smirk.
Smith wisely refrained from commenting, instead just grumbling to himself.
"Damn it Katsu, you rigged this beforehand again didn't you?!" A man yelled as he marched up to Katsu, his squat face's features flattened further by his anger. The man's steps were messy, and judging by the smell of alcohol he was very clearly beyond simply being drunk.
"I promise you Koyama, he didn't even know about it before he'd finished drinking."
The man turned to glare at Smith. Smith could smell the sheer extent of alcohol coming from his breath, and he instinctively tensed up in response. Before it could escalate any further, however, another voice called out, interrupting the man's tirade.
"Koyama, leave 'em alone and join us for another round to celebrate!" Another man, tall and thin in contrast to his fairly rotund compatriot, came up, grabbing ahold of Koyama's arm. He too was clearly drunk, and Smith nearly gagged at the combined stench coming from the two of them.
"Celebrate what?"
"Why, my victory of course!" He said, before turning to Smith. "I'm glad to know that even outsiders can understand the value in subtleties."
Koyama continued glaring at the man Smith assumed must have been Takemoto.
"Fine, but you're paying!"
"There we go! C'mon, drinks are on me everyone!" Takemoto shouted with a laugh, dragging the other drunk back with him as the rest of the bar erupted into cheering.
"If he'd gotten any closer to me..." Smith grumbled out as soon as he was sure the men were out of hearing distance.
"Koyama is normally fine, but he tends to act up when he's drunk, which has gotten more common since his brother passed. He's become convinced that the point of a drink is to get you drunk first and foremost."
"I can't stand people like that." Smith spat with disgust.
"Bad experiences?" Katsu asked, his excited energy starting to die down a bit as the two began to talk. He raised his own cup, to which Smith refilled in return.
"You could say that." Smith said flatly. "I learned the value of moderation rather early on in my life."
"Around these parts, almost everyone's a hard drinker."
"Does that include you?" Smith asked.
"Eh, that depends on the day." Katsu said with a shrug.
"Still, that's quite a reputation you've got for yourself."
"Hm?" Katsu looked at Smith, mid-sip of his drink.
"Immediately being accused of shady deals and cheating. Not exactly a good look, you have to admit." Smith said, to which Katsu smiled after he put his cup down.
"People who make bad deals would rather blame the other party than realize their own mistakes." Katsu shrugged. "Besides,the village isn't the largest of places, so you're bound to end up with a reputation of some kind."
"True." Smith was well aware of that fact. It was hard not to be when you'd grown up in a small community yourself. "Still, not all of the looks we got coming here were directed at me."
"Some people appreciate my business, and others disdain it. But they should know the value of their own stuff before they want to try and sell it to me, you know?"
"Can't say I know much about business."
"I try not to take advantage of people, but I still need to make a profit. Some people get that, and others don't. That's just the way it is."
"Fair enough." Smith nodded, before taking another sip of the sake from earlier.
"So, where're the rest of your men?"
Smith stiffened, almost choking on his drink out of his surprise. He broke out into coughs, trying to clear his throat.
"Ah, sore topic?" Katsu asked, a hint of embarrassment visible on his face. "My apologies, it seems I'm bringing a fair bit of those up tonight."
"It's... a fair question." Smith said, trying to steady his breathing. "The... ones who are left are back with Ms. Shimizu."
"I see. I didn't know that you'd lost men coming here." Katsu said solemnly.
"You had no way of knowing." Smith replied.
"How long do you all plan on staying?"
"Until we're allowed to leave, whenever that is."
"What's stopping you?"
"That woman, Yukari Yakumo, I think she said her name was." At the mention of the name, Katsu's eyes widened. He glanced around, but the rest of the bar was filled with energetic revelry, and there didn't seem to be any attention directed their way at the moment.
"Be careful around that... thing. It might look like a woman, but it's not. It hasn't been for well over twenty lifetimes at the least."
"You don't need to tell me. Just being near her made me feel like a bug that she could have swatted if the mood struck her."
"Listen, don't mention her to anyone else in the village. The only people who are supposed to know anything about her are the Hieda, the Hakurei and the Shimizu."
"Then how do you know about it?"
Katsu glanced around in an almost paranoid fashion, as if checking to make sure nobody was listening. "I was friendly with the late Mr. Shimizu, and as he was getting on in years, he let several things slip, and from there I did some digging of my own. Everyone around here would recognize that name, but most don't actually know what it belongs to, beyond the fact that it's a Youkai's name. And trust me when I say that you don't want to become associated with Youkai."
"Seeing as the Tengu or whatever they're called are holding one of my men hostage, it's a bit hard to say that I'm not."
"That is... uncharacteristic of the Tengu, but my point stands. "
"Alright, alright." Smith said, rubbing his head. "I mean, I kind of get why I shouldn't be associated with her, but she did save me and my men's lives." Smith still felt some resentment towards the woman, but the fact that there had been any survivors at all was entirely thanks to her. Even if they had survived the crash-landing, they'd probably have been killed shortly afterwards by whatever abomination passed for wildlife around here.
"The Tengu bothering to take a hostage, and Yakumo saving a bunch of outsiders... What is going on right now?"
Smith shrugged, finishing off his cup, to which Katsu moved to refill for him.
"I'm alright, thanks."
"Ah c'mon, one more. You can't just stop with so little."
Smith narrowed his eyes, before begrudgingly accepting a refill. "ONE more, but that's it."
"Alright, alright. Is everyone like this where you're from?
"Some people were a lot stricter. A bit over two decades ago they tried to ban all alcohol entirely."
"And how'd that go?"
"About as well as you'd expect. Crime skyrocketed as people started making booze illegally." Smith explained.
"If someone tried that here, they'd end up with riots." Katsu said, snickering.
"But yeah, that idea failed pretty miserably because most people love to drink, and many of those enjoy it too much in my opinion."
"So you're not the hardest buzzkill around?"
"I just know my limits." Smith said, taking another sip of the drink. He honestly did enjoy it, but that was exactly why he was so hesitant to have more. He'd made an exception out of courtesy, but there was a limit to what even that courtesy would allow.
"So you said that you're staying with Ms. Shimizu, right?" Katsu asked. The general revelry in the bar continued to grant them privacy, a fact which Smith appreciated.
"Until we find somewhere else to stay, that seems to be our only option." Smith explained, sipping calmly at his sake.
"Don't be too harsh on her." Katsu said, the last of the boisterous energy and charisma that he used to strike deals falling flat as he spoke with seeming sincerity. "Her fiance passed away a few years ago from a youkai attack, followed shortly by her own father, and after she refused to remarry she's become like a pariah amongst the villagers."
"Is there a reason you're telling me all this?" Smith asked. He was starting to feel like he was inadvertently invading her privacy.
"Like I said before, I was friendly with her father for quite a while, so seeing the state she's in feels like I'm seeing my sister being forced to fend for herself."
"So why don't you help her yourself?"
"Why do you think she's still in business?" He asked. "I can't do anything too direct; we're... not exactly on speaking terms and I can't let her find out it's from me, but I can make sure that she receives enough to eat and whatever else she needs to be comfortable. I've been doing it ever since her father became ill."
"How'd you get around to pissing her off?" Smith asked. "She seemed pretty sweet, I can't really see her holding that level of a grudge."
"You'd be surprised. You remember how I said that me and her father were friendly for quite some time?
"I'm guessing that stopped being the case before he died."
"The man sold me a sword he had found lying around, only to turn up claiming it was the Sword of Kusanagi!"
"I... don't know what that is." Smith admitted, "but I figure it's something important."
"Suffice it to say that it's very valuable. The issue is that it's arguably too valuable, so how was I supposed to pay him for it? I offered to return it, but he'd already spent the money I'd given him."
"So what, you just ended up keeping it?"
"At first I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but he died shortly afterwards. It wasn't too surprising, he'd been ill for quite some time, he was already a widower, and his future son-in-law had been killed recently. The stress of everything probably just became too much. And truth be told, I didn't want to just give up something so valuable for free."
"That's honestly pretty shitty of you."
"I can't deny that, but I just couldn't help it." Katsu said with a sigh. "Besides, it wasn't like I didn't give him a good price originally. It was quite a nice sword, after all. But what he demanded afterwards was impossible for me to give him." Katsu finished his cup, and motioned for Smith to refill it, which he obliged and received a thank you for. "I can understand why she's upset, but I doubt just giving it back to her now would really solve anything, even if I were willing to do so."
"Yeah, doesn't sound like she's mad about the object in question, but rather the whole mess with her dad."
"Yeah, that's what I figured as well." Katsu said. "Not the kind of situation you can fix so easily."
"How'd he even get something so valuable?" Smith asked.
"Apparently he just up and stumbled on it covered in seaweed somewhere. Not sure what the seaweed was doing here, but he just found the damn thing out of nowhere, and then kept it in his personal collection for a few decades. The only reason he even sold it to me was that he apparently forgot what it was." Katsu frowned, before downing the rest of his cup in one go, placing it down gently onto the table before he continued. "Age took a toll on his mind even more than his body. He started getting more and more agitated, while he constantly forgot where he was, and who people were. The last time I spoke with him, he didn't even recognize me beyond being the one who he claimed had cheated him."
"I'm sorry." Smith said. There wasn't much he could offer the man, and anything more would likely come across as insincere at best.
"Thanks, but I dug all of that pain up myself. It's only fair that I do the same after doing it to you."
"It's a bit much to bring up when talking to a stranger, don't you think?
"Probably, but such is the power of alcohol." Katsu said, motioning for Smith to fill his cup once again.
"Well, as much as I'd love to sit around and chat the rest of the night away with you," Smith said, pushing himself to his feet, "I do need to actually try and find some housing."
"You need a place to stay?" A voice called out. Smith turned to the old man he'd spotted as he entered the bar, who was sitting off by his lonesome.
"Tell you what. We're always in need of extra labor for the farms. You and your men help out with the planting and the rice harvest, and we can see about finding you all someplace to stay for the time being." The man said, taking a sip of his liquor.
"Really? Are you sure?"
"What, is there something wrong with that deal?"
"No, it's perfectly reasonable. I'm no stranger to farm work myself, although I can't say the same for the rest of my men."
"So can you, or can you not?"
"We can. Thank you very much for this." Smith said gratefully.
The man eyed Smith carefully, before he sighed. "Until the planting and harvest come in, however, you'll all be earning your keep.
"That'll be hard with the language barrier for the rest of my men, but I'll see what I can do. So, do you have some place for us to stay, then?"
"It'll be looked into. You're staying with Ms. Shimizu, correct?"
"How do yo-?" Smith asked.
"The two of you may have tried to be quiet, but I was sitting right here." The old man said with a chuckle. "For now, let her know that your stay will be covered " He said, waving the younger man off.
"Thank yo-"
"Eh, what're you still doing here?" The old man said, eyeing Smith. "You shouldn't leave that poor girl waiting."
Smith blinked, before he seemed to realize something. Swearing under his breath, he quickly ran out of the bar, much to the amusement of the old man.
As Smith hurried out of the bar, Tamashiro and Kanemoto watched him leave, before they both left the crowd and joined the old man.
"What was that about?" Kanemoto shook his head, bemused.
"He only now realized just how long he'd been out." The old man said, smirking. "Stress can rob even the most resilient of people of the most basic things."
"Are you truly fine with all of this, Hieda-sama?" Tamashiro asked.
"Having more labor for the planting and harvest won't hurt. Besides, it's only five mouths. We can afford that without much worry." Hieda no Takashi answered.
"But why give some foreigners such favorable treatment, especially after how rude he treated you? Are you sure it's fine allowing such people to stay here?" Kanemoto inquired.
"From what I can gather, he simply didn't know any better, andI'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt for now, but are none of you curious?"
"About what?" Kanemoto asked.
"What a bunch of foreigners are doing here, of all places?" Heida no Takashi asked. "There is something happening right now, but what it is, I can't say I know."
"Hieda-sama, what do you think of him?" Tamashiro turned to the old man.
"Well, he has a poor taste in alcohol for one thing." He said, finishing his cup of shochu with a satisfied sigh. "He also seems the type to take too much onto his own shoulders, before collapsing under the weight." The older man added. "Regardless, the Child of Miare still has yet to be born, and at this point I'm left to assume that it will not happen while I still live. I doubt that anything these foreigners get up to will get out of hand, but I'd rather keep them close than risk setting them loose."
"So you really are going to give them the go ahead, Hieda-sama?" Kanemoto asked.
"Like I said before, it's more labor for the village, and we can very much afford the expenses."
He left unspoken the other reason as to why he was so willing. The Sage hadn't exactly been subtle when she'd made her 'suggestion'. It wasn't like she could force her will onto the village; that would go against the earliest agreements struck, as well as the very nature of Gensokyo itself. However, she wasn't the type to ever resort to hard power when soft power worked just fine. If she ever had to, she'd probably consider it a defeat in its own right. Regardless, he didn't trust her whatsoever, or these foreigners for that matter, but leaving them to be eaten by Youkai was a fate few deserved.
"It is sad though. I always hoped I'd get to meet the Child of Miare." Tamashiro said.
"Truthfully, it's a relief for me." Hieda no Takashi admitted. "As honored as I would be to see the Child of Miare for myself, I'd much rather not have to live in the interesting times that would entail."
"Who's to say that we can't have any interesting times of our own, Hieda-sama?" Katsu asked, a wide smirk spread across his face.
"Let an old man hope, would you?"
March 11th, 8:30 PM
Finding his way back turned out to be a much simpler affair. While the alcohol in his system didn't do him any favors, nor did the fact that the sun had long since set, the fact that all he had to do was stick to the outer wall and walk around until he came upon his destination meant that there wasn't any real chance of him actually getting lost. Luckily for him, it wasn't a New Moon yet, only a waning crescent, so there was still a faint amount of moonlight.
"Are you okay?" Yadoka, seated in the lobby room of her inn, asked as Smith finally trudged back in, far later than he'd thought would be realistic.
Smith paused. It wasn't the question that he'd expect to be posed to him when he entered the building. He thought she;d ask about whether he'd tracked down the Hieda family head, or would just let him know what nonsense his men had gotten up to while he'd been out. He wasn't used to people expressing concern for him. It made him oddly uncomfortable.
"Yeah, I'm alright." He somehow managed to actually get something out of the whole mess that today had become, which was surprising in its own right.
"Really?" She asked, clearly thinking differently on the matter. Smith couldn't tell whether she was concerned, amused, or frustrated with his response.. "I heard rumors about some golden hair fool bumbling blindly around the village for most of today, and there aren't many people who fit that description."
"I said I could handle it."
"Whether or not you could isn't the point. There's a reason I offered to show you the way, you know. It was to prevent exactly this from happening."
"It's not like I had anything better to do. Hell, at least it was
something to do." The last thing he would want is to sit on his ass and have the past two days replay in his mind over and over and over. At least the external stimulus could help distract his mind.
"That isn't the..." She sighed. "Did you even manage to get a meeting with the Hieda?"
"Not exactly. I mean I think I found that Hieda guy,"
"How do you know it was him?"
"Well, I don't, but everyone seemed to be treating him like he was important."
"Everyone was? So you didn't speak to him in his residence?"
"Look, I ended up at a bar-"
"That explains the smell."
"-and there was this old man who seemed really confident about what he was saying. He told me to hurry back and tell you that our stay will be covered for now.."
"Hm..." Yadoka paused, thinking. "Not many people would have that much money lying around that they'd be willing to drop on some strangers. So you either met the Hieda head, or you met Kirisame."
"Both, actually."
"Watch yourself with Katsu. He's got a silver tongue, and knows how to wrap people around his finger without even trying."
"He didn't seem like any sort of heartless monster."
"I never said he was. But he always has his own motives. You have to keep that in mind when dealing with him."
"Is that why you refuse to?" Smith asked, a small smile forming on his lips, to which Yadoka laughed.
"I just can't deal with how smug he can be." She said, absent-mindedly brushing some of her hair. "I'm guessing he told you about how he fleeced my father by accident?"
"He didn't exactly phrase it like that, but yeah." Smith said with a nod.
"The fact that he still thinks that's why I don't like being around him proves my point.
"So you weren't upset about that whole mess?"
"Oh, no, I absolutely was. But that was years ago at this point, and..." Her face darkened. "My father wasn't well in his last few years. He became obsessed with finances, but would waste whatever money he could get his hands on. The only reason he wasn't able to sell the inn is that nobody was willing to buy it from him."
"I can't blame him too much for being afraid of poverty." Smith replied with a shrug. "Nobody wants to be left fighting for scraps."
"The thing is that we were never at risk of becoming impoverished. But that was just one of the things he seemed to have forgotten about, like how he kept asking where my mother was." She shook her head. "No matter how many times I reminded him of things, my words seemed to slip through his fingers. By the end, he didn't even question when Katsu's 'gifts' began arriving."
"Wait, you know about that?" Smith asked. Katsu had seemed sure that it was a secret. Almost proud, even.
"Of course I know. I don't actually need most of it, but I accept it for the sake of the man's own ego."
"So if this place doesn't see much business, how do you not need outside help? How are you supporting yourself?"
Yadoka froze up, her mouth clamping shut. There was a tense moment as she stared at Smith, before she let out a deep breath that she hadn't seemed to notice she was holding and smiled.
"That one's my secret."
"Riiight." Smith said. Prying any further into this wasn't worth the effort, he quickly realized. There was a brief moment of silence, as the conversation died off and the two sat in their own minds.
"Really though, I'm just relieved that you're alright." Yadoka said.
"I didn't realize that you would be worried about me." Smith replied, still oddly uncomfortable with the notion. It was one thing to receive concern from a fellow soldier, but that was from someone in a life or death situation.
"It can be dangerous around here. If you aren't careful, you're liable to get eaten by Youkai, or haunted by phantoms, or, well, I could go on, but I'm sure you get the point."
"Are things like that actually common around here?"
"Of course. I doubt they're as common elsewhere, but they surely still happen, don't they?"
"I can't say that we have monst-" he cut himself off, noticing the word didn't seem to have a direct translation, "Youkai attacks very often, no. And we certainly don't have ghosts or phantoms showing up."
"So the outside world really is like that." Yadoka said. Oddly, she seemed almost sad at the prospect. Why would somebody want to be at risk of getting eaten by monsters?
"By the way, might I recommend heading for the bathhouse tomorrow?" Yadoka asked. "I hate to be rude, but you
really need one."
"You don't need to tell me that." Smith said with a dark chuckle. To say that he felt filthy was an understatement. He figured the only reason people hadn't complained earlier was out of politeness and the smell of alcohol in the bar overpowering whatever odor he must have been letting off. "Wait, bathhouse?"
"What about it?"
"Isn't that more of a city thing?" He asked. He'd never actually been to one himself, although he'd been told that they were somewhat common in urban areas to allow those without the space for private bathing to be able to keep themselves sanitary.
Rather than give a verbal reply, Yadoka merely shrugged.
"I'm starting to get why some people get frustrated having to deal with foreigners." She said, a small smirk on her lips despite her words.
"It isn't fun for me either, believe me." Smith said. "Interesting, I suppose, but way too damn stressful." Smith finished, before letting out an involuntary yawn,
"Feeling tired?" Yadoka asked.
"That doesn't even begin to describe it." Smith said with a sigh.
"Well, it's probably a good time to head to bed." Yadoka said, standing up with a stretch. "Good night, Mr. Smith." She gave a brief bow.
"Good night, Ms. Shimizu." He replied back, awkwardly returning the bow.
With a smile, Yadoka left Smith alone once more, heading to her private quarters. Once she was gone, Smith's small smile quickly fell back into a frown as his thoughts began to swirl through his head once more. Sighing, Smith made his way carefully back to the room he'd been given, before flopping onto his back on the small mattress he'd been given.
Closing his eyes, he wished for dreamless sleep that would come to him easily.
He wasn't so lucky.
Author's Note
As much as I wish otherwise, ultimately my own understanding of foreign cultures is superficial at best, due to being an outsider who has not lived within them. I've done my best to avoid the most egregious mistakes, but as an outsider there are many aspects that I am no doubt unfamiliar with. If anyone more familiar with Japanese culture, particularly that of the Edo period, notices anything that can be corrected or improved, I'd be very much grateful if you could let me know.
Also, this has been the longest single piece of writing I've ever done by far. The earlier parts I had had a fair amount of prior work done before I first posted this story, but that was much less so with this, especially as it kept continuing to grow longer and longer.
