[Day 13, Mid-Morning] Losing It (Open)

[Shiba Raizo]

The Kyuden is driving me nuts.

The Moto had mentioned grabbing a pony, but in point of fact, Raizo didn't have one, and wasn't going to be moving on soon enough to make "borrowing" one at all sensible.

So he ran.

He didn't go for the overhead walkways, and contented himself with running full-tilt along the forest paths at a punishing pace.

Maybe if I tire myself out I won't feel so... on edge.

Well, it was a hope, anyway...

[Suzume Senseki]

The Kyuden is driving me nuts.

The Moto had mentioned grabbing a pony, but in point of fact, Raizo didn't have one, and wasn't going to be moving on soon enough to make "borrowing" one at all sensible.

So he ran.

He didn't go for the overhead walkways, and contented himself with running full-tilt along the forest paths at a punishing pace.

Maybe if I tire myself out I won't feel so... on edge.

Well, it was a hope, anyway...

As he did, he eventually met the Sparrow he'd met so many times before. Not running, but walking with his usual slow but certain pace through the forest, and crossing the forest path just in front of Raizo.

"Oh, good morning, Shiba-sam...san", the man said, bowing and... trying not to get in his way as he saw him running. "It's a pleasant day for some exercise, isn't it?"

[Shiba Raizo]

As he did, he eventually met the Sparrow he'd met so many times before. Not running, but walking with his usual slow but certain pace through the forest, and crossing the forest path just in front of Raizo.

"Oh, good morning, Shiba-sam...san", the man said, bowing and... trying not to get in his way as he saw him running. "It's a pleasant day for some exercise, isn't it?"

Raizo pulled up short, running in place.

"Suzume-san... well, it'll do. It's as much about doing something as anything else..."

[Suzume Senseki]

Raizo pulled up short, running in place.

"Suzume-san... well, it'll do. It's as much about doing something as anything else..."

The man in the wicker hat and dusty clothes nods. "I understand. Helps clear the mind, ne?"

He looks around, then at the man again. "I wouldn't want to get in your way, Shiba-san... would you want to run together, perhaps? Or maybe change to some hiking, if you'd like. Have you explored the woods around while we were here?"

[Shiba Raizo]

The man in the wicker hat and dusty clothes nods. "I understand. Helps clear the mind, ne?"

He looks around, then at the man again. "I wouldn't want to get in your way, Shiba-san... would you want to run together, perhaps? Or maybe change to some hiking, if you'd like. Have you explored the woods around while we were here?"

"Eh, I can slow up. Might suit some of my purposes better, actually. No sense running away from the Kyuden only to race back."

He slowed, eventually stopping.

"I've poked around the forest some- there's a lovely little pins a bit to the west of here, actually..."

[Suzume Senseki]

"Eh, I can slow up. Might suit some of my purposes better, actually. No sense running away from the Kyuden only to race back."

He slowed, eventually stopping.

"I've poked around the forest some- there's a lovely little pins a bit to the west of here, actually..."

"Oh, I can increase my pace to match yours as well, Shiba-san. Whichever way you prefer. If we go slower we can share stories while we hike, though.... To that pine, then?"

[Shiba Raizo]

"Eh, I can slow up. Might suit some of my purposes better, actually. No sense running away from the Kyuden only to race back."

He slowed, eventually stopping.

"I've poked around the forest some- there's a lovely little pins a bit to the west of here, actually..."

"Oh, I can increase my pace to match yours as well, Shiba-san. Whichever way you prefer. If we go slower we can share stories while we hike, though.... To that pine, then?"

[Somehow, autrocorrect on my phone turned "pond" into "pins." How nice ]

"Sounds like a plan. And slower works fine. No point in rushing to get back to the place I rushed to get away from..."

[Suzume Senseki]

[Somehow, autrocorrect on my phone turned "pond" into "pins." How nice ]

"Sounds like a plan. And slower works fine. No point in rushing to get back to the place I rushed to get away from..."

"Fair point", the Suzume says with a small smile. As they set out walking, he looked back at the Shiba. "I trust Shiba-san still doesn't feel... all that confident in the whole thing?", he says, not quite mentioning what the 'thing' was, but assuming it was reasonably clear.

[Shiba Raizo]

"Fair point", the Suzume says with a small smile. As they set out walking, he looked back at the Shiba. "I trust Shiba-san still doesn't feel... all that confident in the whole thing?", he says, not quite mentioning what the 'thing' was, but assuming it was reasonably clear.

"Not even a little. If I trust the Deer's judgment, then my performance in the tasks they've set us is pretty mediocre. If I don't trust the Deer's judgment, then I don't trust the entire framework of the event we're in. Neither one exactly inspires confidence."

[Suzume Senseki]

"Not even a little. If I trust the Deer's judgment, then my performance in the tasks they've set us is pretty mediocre. If I don't trust the Deer's judgment, then I don't trust the entire framework of the event we're in. Neither one exactly inspires confidence."

The Suzume nods, thoughtfully... and slightly worried, maybe.

"Hm. Given the Shika's reputation, I would tend to trust their judgment... but then stories and reality are never the same thing. And which stories are told is obviously a choice of the storyteller. Hm..."

He looks at the Shiba.

"I wonder, though... has Shiba-san's heart on the whole event changed at all? I remember you were rather sceptical when we first spoke."

Some silence.

"Putting it another way... would Shiba-san say the event has changed you in any way?"