Editing Memories of a Stone Wall (section)

===Act XII: Bonds===
:>We stayed another week in town.
:>Naomi was still too weak to leave the inn, much less resume travel.
:>"Ishigaki-kun, could you bring me a bowl of water, please?"
:>"Of course."
:>"The wider, the better."
:>When I brought back the bowl Naomi asked me to help her sit up, then began to whisper softly.
:>Shapes began to form in the water, and I could see our home.
:>The image shifted, and there were Daiko and Tetsute.
:>The little troublemakers were playing with their nanny. The same way they would play with me.
:>That is, they were trying to climb up her and then topple her over.
:>Whenever they did something clever I would fall over. I wanted to let them know they were on the right track, even if they didn't really have the strength to topple me yet.
:>Their nanny was currently on the floor, Tetsute had wrapped himself around her head, and Daiko was bouncing triumphantly on her stomach.
:>I smiled, pleased at my children's ferocity.
:>Crab children play games with names Strong Wall, and Find the Oni.
:>They don't realize it, but they are already training for the day they will take up their duty.
:>I glanced over at Naomi. She was smiling as well.
:>"They are very strong, for being so young. Neh, Ishigaki-kun?"
:>"A Hida bushi and a Water Tensai were bound to make strong children. It's not surprising."
:>She leaned in to me.
:>"You are right I suppose. Perhaps we should go home soon."
:>"Homesick?"
:>She peered up at me.
:>"I am thinking we will need to hire a new nanny."
:>We shared a chuckle together and watched our children terrorize their nanny until the spell ended.
:>Later on, the Monkey accosted me.
:>"Hey, Ishigaki! I wanna get a gift for my boy."
:>"Okay."
:>"So come on!"
:>"Uh, what?"
:>"Come on! You've got a kids already you should be good at this right?"
:>I had no idea if I was or not, but he clearly wasn't going to let this go.
:>I shrugged and joined him.

:>"So what do you bring your kids when you get time to head home?"
:>"Jade. Sutras to ward off evil spirits. Charms to help them go big and strong."
:>The Monkey stared at me.
:>"C'mon Ishigaki! Even I know you don't make things like that into gifts! Gifts are supposed to be rare, and useless! If you give someone something they actually need you're saying their Lord can't provide for them, right?"
:>"I don't know."
:>"You don't?"
:>"I never have any money to spare on gifts, so I never paid any attention to the etiquette. I just get my children things I think they need when the Yasuki comes by the barracks."
:>"Huh. Okay. Then how about for Naomi? What kinds of things to you get her?"
:>"Intimacy."
:>No way I was going to elaborate further for the Monkey.
:>He looked at me, then blew out a sigh.
:>"Are you trying to be unhelpful?"
:>"No."
:>"But Naomi is not your Hime-san, and Tetsute is not Tokichiro, and you don't live where I do."
:>"Oh, what about this silk? You think the pattern will look good on Hime-san?"
:>I closed my eyes, tried to remember what she looked like.
:>"Yeah, it will."
:>"Great! I'll take this, please."
:>The Monkey casually dumped a pile of Koku on the floor and began counting to pay the shopkeeper.
:>"Monkey, has your stipend increased?"
:>"I don't know, but Hime-san is letting me have a bigger allowance. I'm up to seven koku a month!"
:>I picked my jaw back up off the floor. That was a shitton of money.
:>I had grown more aware of the value of money since marrying.
:>I had been made aware that this happened to all Samurai after marriage.
:>Where once you had food and a place to sleep in the barracks, once you were married it was expected that you would maintain a house, and staff it with many servants.
:>Though it was Naomi who handled the fine details, I at least understood the broad strokes.
:>Enough to know that my plain house and single nanny would make me something of a laughing stock, were it to be known.

:>The Monkey then stopped off at a bookstore
:>Which surprised me greatly. I had never seen the Monkey with a text before.
:>He looked around, as confused as I would expect him to be, before seemingly grabbing one at random.
:>"This one, please."
:>He paid and we returned to the inn.
:>I went to check on Naomi.
:>She was awake, sitting up and even sipping a cup of broth.
:>"My appetite is returning, as you can see Ishigaki-kun."
:>I sat down behind her, and she leaned back.
:>"I am sorry, my love. For worrying you so."
:>"It's not your fault, Naomi. It's Jurojin's."
:>"Ishigaki!"
:>She turned to bop me on the nose.
:>"It is not as though Jurojin wishes to be cruel! There must be balance in all things!"
:>"For every person on whom a Fortune bestows their favor, another must bear their curse, surely you know this?"
:>"So you're saying the reason I'm ugly is because you're pretty?"
:>"You are not ugly, Ishigaki-kun."
:>"I am a little bit, though. Most people flinch when they see my face for the first time."
:>"Most people are fools. They cannot see you as I do. They do not know you as I do."
:>"Keep swelling my head up like that and I'll have a hard time fitting out the door."
:>"It is the duty of a wife to swell her husband's head from time to time."
:>"Ohhh naughty girl."
:>"What? No... I didn't mean... ah!"
:>I grinned as Naomi's cheeks flushed.
:>She could be bold at times but there was no changing her innocent nature.
:>There was a loud coughing from outside the door.
:>Naomi sat up straighter, away from me.
:>Public displays like what we had been doing were impolite, and though none of our friends were truly bothered by it, Naomi preferred to comport herself properly.
:>The door opened, and the Monkey came in.
:>"Um, how're ya feeling Naomi-sama?"
:>"Much better now, Monkey-san. I must apologize for holding everyone up like this."
:>"Huh? No you don't have to apologize for anything Naomi-sama! In fact that's why I'm here. Um, anyway. Here."
:>He knelt down and slid the book he had bought earlier toward Naomi.

:>"What is this? I cannot possibly accept take a gift from so dear a friend."
:>"Oh, you really wanna do that thing, Naomi-sama?"
:>"Okay, um. I got this for you because we all love you. You know that right? I mean, not romantically or anything (nervous glance my way) but you know. None of us would be here if it weren't for you."
:>"I am just a Water Tenasi. It is expected that I heal the injured. Besides which, many of you have been hurt protecting me. You owe me nothing."
:>"I don't care if I owe you or not. I wouldn't have Hime-san or my son today if it weren't for you."
:>"Very well, thank you Monkey-san."
:>She glanced down at the gift.
:>"This... is a pillow book."
:>"Ummmm.... yeah?"
:>Monkeys. Just no sense of right and wrong.
:>Pillow books were stories of romance and love, most popular among the housewives of Rokugan.
:>For obvious reasons no one really spoke about.
:>Since I had watched him buy it, I knew there was no deeper meaning in giving my wife a pillow book.
:>I may have punched anyone else doing so.
:>I wondered if that was the real reason he wanted me to come along on his little shopping trip today.

:>I heard the telltale tumpdrag of Toshiro coming up to the door.
:>I opened it before he could.
:>He held up an empty sake cup
:>I cocked my head at him. I didn't really want to leave Naomi's side.
:>"What is it, Ishigaki-kun?"
:>"Just Toshiro. Doesn't want to drink alone."
:>"So go with him."
:>"But..."
:>"You are a being a worry wart."
:>"I am fine Ishigaki-kun, truly."
:>Tatsuki peeked out from behind Toshiro.
:>"I can stay with her, if you're worried, Ishigaki-sama."
:>"Alright, you win. Let's go get drunk then."
:>"Yosh."
:>Toshiro and I headed out.
:>When we got there, I was surprised to see the Mantis waiting for us.
:>I glanced at Toshiro, saw the smirk on his face.
:>He planned this.
:>It was too late to back out now, though.
:>Fine, I could be civil when I had to be.
:>"Hey."
:>"Hey."
:>Toshiro handled the first pour.
:>We drank our Sake.
:>I took the next pour.
:>"How's Naomi?"
:>"Fine."
:>"How's Tatsuki?"
:>"Fine."
:>"How's your foot?"
:>"It hurts."
:>We drank.
:>Nice, civil, riveting conversation.
:>Mantis took the next pour.
:>I inspected my Sake closely.
:>"Pffft. If I wanted to kill you I'd just hack you up with my kama."
:>We drank.
:>Toshiro poured.
:>"That's assuming you were trying to kill me. Pillow district isn't far from here. Maybe you're just trying to drug me."
:>We drank.
:>"The hell you on about? I've got Tatsuki for that. I don't need your hideous ass."
:>I poured.
:>"So you're saying you'd consider it, if you didn't buy yourself a woman?"
:>We drank.
:>"Nah. Never."
:>Mantis poured.
:>Toshiro spoke up, breaking the little jabs the Mantis and I were taking at each other.
:>"So, what are you going to do with her anyway?"
:>The Mantis glared at Toshiro.
:>Knocked back his sake in one gulp.
:>"Make her my concubine. If she'll go for it."
:>I finished my own cup to hide my surprise.
:>"You really like her, don't you?"
:>Toshiro poured.
:>"No, you dolt. I love her. I'd marry her if I could."
:>I wasn't sure how to answer that, so I just drank.
:>The others followed my lead.

:>As I poured, Toshiro spoke again.
:>So, why can't you? Is it just the class difference?
:>I'm already married.
:>I sputtered a bit as my sake went down the wrong pipe.
:>You okay over there, big guy? Too much to handle?
:>I'm fine. fine. Can drink you under the table any day of the week.
:>Bullshit.
:>Mantis poured.
:>When did you even get married?
:>Before we all met.
:>I never knew that.
:>You never asked.
:>We drank.
:>Whose pour is it?
:>Toshiro's I think.
:>He poured.
:>Well, you never offer up anything about yourself. I figured you wanted to keep to yourself.
:>We drank.
:>I never spoke up because YOU don't like me. Pour the drinks you bastard.
:>I did.
:>I spilled some.
:>We drank.
:>Where the hell did you get that idea?
:>It's written all over your stupid face.
:>The Mantis poured. He spilled too.
:>When you fuckin walked in here, the second you saw me you wanted to leave!
:>We drank.
:>Well, if you were a proper samurai you wouldn't want to be seen with a koku fucker either!
:>Toshiro poured.
:>The fuck is that supposed to mean?
:>We drank. I slammed my cup down and poured.
:>Your a merchant, pretending to be a Samurai.
:>Your whole fuckin clan is obsessed with money.
:>You're worse'n fuckin Cranes!
:>We drank.
:>You ever seen a Crane fight like me?
:>I've seen drunken panda's fight like you, but never anything you could mistake for a samurai.
:>Mantis poured.
:>Where the hell did you see a drunk panda?!
:>Shinomen Mori.
:>We drank.
:>All kinds of freaky shit in there.
:>Whose pour?
:>Toshiro spoke.
:>I'll get it. I can't remember either.
:>He poured.
:>We drank.
:>You're full of shit. You never seen a drunk panda!
:>I poured.
:>You're right. But I have seen a drunk bug.
:>Where?
:>We drank.
:>In front of me
:>Oh FUCK YOU.
:>He poured.
:>Buy me dinner first.
:>We drank.
:>THAT IS ENOUGH.
:>Another Samurai. A Crane, by his hair, came over to our table.
:>You are being very rude and disturbing the other guests. I must insist you take you leave.
:>FUCK OFF
:>The Mantis and I responded in unison.

:>We looked at each other in surprise.
:>Grins spread across our faces.
:>He looked so stupid, swaying all drunkenly while just sitting there.
:>Toshiro poured himself a cup and drank it in one gulp.
:>As the Mantis and I both stood up and punched the Crane in his too pretty face.
:>And the fight was on.
:>The Mantis was one hell of a brawler.
:>Everything he could get his hands on became a weapon.
:>And he seemed quite comfortable weaving around and barely keeping his balance.
:>I swear he avoided more blows due to dumb luck and his own lurching than to any real skill.
:>I, on the other hand, planted my feet firmly on the ground and hit anything that came within arms reach.
:>I'm sure some of them hit me a few times, but I hardly felt it. Might have had something to do with them having the muscle development of a four year old girl.
:>I said as much, and they took exception to that.
:>Two of them went for my legs, and managed to take me down.
:>The Mantis picked up a table and knocked them off me.
:>Good thinking!
:>I know right!
:>Toshiro poured himself another drink.
:>Then broke the empty sake bottle over the head of one of the samurai trying to get up.
:>Several minutes later, the brawl was over.
:>The Crab/Mantis alliance had conquered this drinking establishment.
:>Then the magistrate showed up.
:>Toshiro apologized to the Doji and paid the fine, then promised to get us both back to inn.
:>It took a while, either I or the Mantis kept trying to wander off in search of more alcohol.
:>And we both had to stop to puke at least once.
:>The Mantis looked up at me after he finished one such bout.
:>How in the hell is that Kuni friend of yours not drunk like us?
:>Toshiro overheard him, and answered.
:>My leg is hollow. I keep it all in there.
:>He said this with a perfectly straight face.