(D6 LM Open) - Working the Fields

[Togashi Udo]

Udo goes out to the fields when he wakes up, looking to help the heimin with their tasks.

Though the rain and mud gets in the way, there is still work to do, and Udo sets his mind to the task.

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

Tomonaga always took at least a bit of a walk in the morning. This time, he'd felt compelled to go to the shrine first. Now, though, it was time to take his usual trip through the fields.

He hadn't gone far before spotting the Togashi. With a cheerful wave, Tomonaga altered his course, bringing him over to the monk. "Good morning, Togashi-san." He said cheerfully. "Nice day, eh? Or at least, not so wet. Ummm... what brings you out here this morning?"

[Togashi Udo]

"Good morning, Yasuki-sama. I thought I would put in some work this morning." Udo looks out over the fields. "I think my mind has become too focused on the miai, and that perhaps some return to normalcy will help."

Looking at his hands, he adds: "Not that farming is normal, exactly, for the Dragon. More that a day's labor is. Working in a field is just good experience."

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

"Ah, I see." Tomonaga said, nodding. "That makes sense." It might have seemed strange for another samurai, but it fit Udo perfectly.

"Say..." Tomonaga said. "You know, we've shared a drink, twice. And you're a, I don't know, a battle brother of my friend, Hiroji-san. If you'd like, you can call me by my given name."

Tomonaga peered at the monks hands, then over at the work. "I haven't worked fields in years. And that hardly counted." His parents felt that all the children should be at least a little familiar with all aspects of the business, but they'd only made them put in a token effort. "Good experience, you say?"

[Togashi Udo]

Udo smiles and nods. "Yes, Tomonaga-sama, good experience."

"If you wanted to know a person well, talking to them is not enough for they only know one part. Their parents, their friends, the places they've lived. These will also tell you something about them."

Udo takes back up his work, looking into the crops for anything damaged by the rains that might be able to be saved.

"I may never need to be a farmer, but part of me comes from a farmer's work. One of the Unicorn was recently reminding me how all things are one. So the more I get to know this thing," he brushes a grain with his hand, "perhaps the more I know myself."

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

Tomonaga glanced at Udo. Then back to the crop. Then back to Udo. Then up at the sky. Then back at the crop. Then back to Udo.

He shrugged. He was wearing his traveling clothes anyway. "Well... need a hand?" He stepped forward a bit, rolling up his sleeves.

As they went on, though, he continued to speak. "I see what you mean about knowing people, about their parents and friends and such. I'd never thought about this part of it, though." He nodded at the crop. "A Unicorn said that, though? How interesting. Did you find a fellow monk among the Unicorn?" He shot Udo a quick grin.

[Togashi Udo]

"Certainly. It will make the work more enjoyable."

Udo grins as his other comment. "A priestess. She said that some were treating her as a curiosity more than a person, but I think it's because she looks like someone from a far away land, but she sounds a bit more like those we might be more accustomed to hearing. Sort of like if you grew up being told that left is right. We've both agree that it's the same direction, and yet we'd both say it totally differently."

A short pause. "I'm afraid I'm even more the monk today than last we spoke." As Udo works, Tomonaga can see that he is grinning.

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

Tomonaga worked slowly, the motions unfamiliar, but it seemed to be coming back to him quickly.

He slowed further for a moment as he considered what the monk was saying. "Hmmm. You certainly are." He chuckled, shaking his head as he spotted Udo's grin. "That's too bad that she's being treated like that. It probably isn't helping any potential suitors." He said dryly.

"I guess, though, that's going to be one of the biggest differences between the Unicorn and the rest of us. They talk to the spirits in an entirely different way. Of course, that makes that a curiosity, not one of their priestesses, I'd think."

[Togashi Udo]

"She is not high on the lists, but I'm not sure she needs to be. There are more men than Unicorn women at the miai. Unless I've been missing some that are participating. I know I still haven't met them all and our time is almost up." Udo gives a half shrug as he works.

"Talking to the spirits... I do think I'd enjoy that. But as to her. I think the initial acceptance speech is wearing off, and soon this miai will be like any other event."

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

"More than half over." Tomonaga agreed. "Things will be settled soon... I guess." He sighed, his brow lightly creasing.

He gave Udo a wry look. "I'll bet you would enjoy that. After all, if part of you comes from a farmer's work, surely part comes from the spirits, as well?" His look grew curious. "I'm not sure I follow the rest, though. You think the miai will be like any other event?"

[Togashi Udo]

"I am just saying that I feel that it all started with more acceptance and camaraderie than it is likely to end with. Already, people seem to be fallen into patterns of behavior that are exclusive instead of inclusive. I suppose it is just in our nature..."

Udo shrugs. "Or maybe I've just been in a different place and seen less myself. It is hard to say if it is truth or limited vision."

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

Tomonaga nodded. "I haven't really seen that myself, but I certainly believe that you're right. I think maybe part of it is that ten days seemed like a long time, five days ago. Anything seemed possible, so there was room for everything. Now a lot of things are seeming less possible."

He paused a moment, looking down, a shadow seeming to cross his handsome features. "And in some cases, people don't quite realize just how, ummm, not possible some things are. I have a friend... I should really have a word with her. I just hope that when people figure it out, they won't be hurt."

[Togashi Udo]

"I think, perhaps, that was more cryptic than anything I've yet said. At least you know when you retire there's a future for you in Shintao."

"But, to some extent, I understand your meaning. A miai such as the Unicorn returning... it seems a time rife with possibilities. But it is not so."

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

That cleared the worry away from Tomonaga's face pretty quickly. "Was it?" He said with a smile. "Hah! Well, no doubt it's your influence, there."

He shrugged. "But it kinda relates to what the Bayushi told me, the night before you and I first shared a drink. Benten may choose who to inspire, and certainly seems to be inspiring rather a lot, here." His tone was a little dry. "But... it's the Unicorn running this miai that do the rankings, not Benten." He reddened a little; that probably wasn't quite the way to talk around a monk. "Errr... anyway, I can look at the ranking boards, and tell that unless something changes in these last few days, certain rumored couples are not going to happen. Like you said, it seems like there are possibilities, but, well, numbers don't lie."

[Togashi Udo]

"That is true... and it would be an affront to the Unicorn not to pick to try to assist those who have less choice. It is an unfortunate situation. I have put my everything into events to try to be one with the power to choose. Amusingly, I think those who see the choice coming fret over it, and those that are less likely to be able to choose have already chosen."