Bushido

Date/Timing: 19 - 20 October 2025
Setting: near Minamitane, Tangegashima, Japan
.
Raleigh, chopsticks halfway to his mouth, watches Mako jab her phone. 「Mako?」
A flash of bitter, burning /fury.
Raleigh flinches, cube of kabocha plopping back into his bowl. 「What's—?」
「An inlander,」 she snarls.
He projects support. 
Banging and crashing from the kitchen—and the Sumitani twins.
Raleigh presses his knee to hers under the table.
Mako continues stabbing her phone.
He dials up the warmth.
Mako signs off with an angry flourish; her rage cooling in a cloud of steam. 
「Done slamming down the hammer of justice for today?」
「For now.」 Mako decisively sets her phone on the table.
Raleigh picks up a chestnut—her favorite part of tonight's meal—and holds it near her mouth.
She absently follows the food straight into his kiss and blushes.
Raleigh grins. 「Thought that would distract you from internet assholes.」
Mako snorts, nips the chestnut from Raleigh's chopsticks.
He pouts, tucks a stray strand of Mako's hair behind her ear.
She smiles, picks up her chopsticks, properly attends her meal. >'earnest' denotes speed, clashing with 'they eat slowly'<
They eat slowly, in companionable quiet, while the twins' squeaking and squawking floats from the kitchen. ]
Mako pushes her bowl away, says, 「I want to show you the island this time.」>how long d'you think they visited the last time? Or did they just stick mainly around the house?; I think they were a little rushed, so this is meant to be more of a leisurely, sight-see-y visit<
「That'd be great,」 Raleigh replies, scooting closer so they sit hip-to-hip. 「Can we take a moment at a shrine?」
「Of course.」 Mako rests her head against his shoulder. 「For our family?」
An image of him in a kimono flits by.
Raleigh hums an affirmative.
「Uncle Kanzan will lend us bicycles or drive us.」
「I'd, uh, rather go by car, if that's okay. People might bother—um, follow us if we're in the open.」
Mako laughs. 「They love you here.」
「Pretty sure it's not me they're chasing.」 
She scoffs.
「I'm serious.」
「So am I.」
Raleigh rolls his eyes, then sighs fondly.
「We should clean up—」
「「Don't you dare!」」 shouts a twin. 
「「Don't volunteer me for more dishes!」」
「「We have a dishwasher, imp!」」 Louder, 「「Go outside or something!」」
「Shall we watch the sunset?」 asks Mako. 
「I would love to.」
「Then we'll stargaze for a bit, and then go to bed early.」
「Want a good start tomorrow?」
Mako nods. 「It's prettiest in the morning.」
「Excellent plan, then.」 Raleigh kisses her temple and pushes to his feet.
.
They wake with Mako's alarm and dull, gray light diffusing in the mist. 
「Utano's up,」 says Mako, stretching. 
Sleepy, —-psychic pairbond (jealous) how?—-
—-This room—still feels like home; didn't make it back last year—smell of distant, rice cooker oatmeal—empty get up Kitchen: prep breakfast Bathroom, Bedroom: getting ready Kitchen eat, prep breakfast again Forge: Jingle, Uncle working away room for her--Sorry—- Mako shakes the memory away. 
Raleigh squeezes her hand. 「You wash up and I'll see if it's ready.」
Mako agrees, rolls out of bed. 
.
「Good morning,」 greets Utano, bowing deeply. 「I am Sumitani Utano—」 
—-Amusement—- from Mako. 
「—and I will be driving this morning.」
Something flits across Mako's face as the smell of hot metal flutters past their link. 
Raleigh ... 「We've seen you before? A few times?」
「Yes,」 says Utano. 「That is why this is funny.」 Nods at Mako. 「Sapling [understands.」 Turns on her heel for the car.
「'Sapling'?」
Mako says flatly, 「Puns.」 
「Ah.」
Mako calls,「Jingle, aren't you working on a project?」
Utano looks back] at the house, shrugs. 「The steel is grumpy.」
Mako's shoulders release some tension and she smiles.
Raleigh says—
[「Would you prefer to leave later?」 calls Utano.]
Mako pushes him gently toward the backseat.
Raleigh grins and stuffs himself into the tiny space; Mako squishes in beside him.
「Cozy back there?」
「Very,」 smiles Raleigh, taking Mako's hand in his.
「It's not gonna last.」
Raleigh frowns. 「What's that mean?」
「Father has prepared a monologue for Sapling—」
Mako sighs.
Raleigh squeezes
「—about reclaiming her father's workshop.」 Utano eases around a corner. 「She has steel in her blood and her return would be a boon to the craft.」
「Well, he's not wrong.」
Mako pokes his ribs.
Utano catches Mako's eye in the rear-view mirror—focuses on the road. 「My attempts to explain otherwise were met with more monologues.」
「He wants a colleague.」
「Father would like lots of children to pass along the craft.」 She turns the car down a small lane and brightens. 「The academy believes your accomplishments will herald a swordsmithing revival.」
Raleigh leans forward. 「Really?」
「Will you be ready for an apprentice?」 asks Mako.
[Utano frowns. 「Will an apprentice be ready for /me.」 Sighs. 「And, if you would hold your tongue, Father has his hands full with the Dwarves.」 >the only idiom ALC's found as of yet<
「Those two sure are a handful,」 Raleigh says dryly.
「Mother asked me to withold judgement,」 sniffs Utano--「Success!」 Yanks the wheel--
Raleigh and Mako smoosh against Mako's side of the car.
--and pulls them into a parking space. 
「Jingle!」 whines Mako. as she and Raleigh straighten. 
「/I am driving, Sapling.」 Utano takes the car out of gear and turns it off.]
Mako and Raleigh lever themselves out and stretch.
「Stiff already?」
「We've gotten used to roomier quarters.」
「Ah, you've gone soft now that you're heroes.」
Mako gently shoves Utano's shoulder—
Utano stumbles and swats.
Raleigh eases her back to center. 
「Thank you, Mr Becket,」 she says, resettling her rucksack.
「'welcome,」 He cocks his head. 「What's in the bag?」
「Cucumbers.」
Mako rolls her eyes.
「Cucumbers?」
「For the river child.」
「There're river children here?」
「Utano keeps hoping.」
「I will catch one, Sapling, and I will gloat, and I will laugh at the look on your face.」 Huffs. 「Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment with the pond.」 She flounces down a path into the trees and quickly vanishes from sight.
Raleigh looks to Mako. 「This's a thing for her?」
「Since we were children.」 She offers her arm.
He accepts and Mako leads them through the trees, past carefully manicured gardens, and under the /tori. Raleigh takes a deep breath of autumn air heavy with the scent of sea and forest and sighs contently.
Mako lips curl into a small smile and she presses against him, slows their pace.
Eventually, they draw even with the shrine office and a priest—the same one who greeted them on their last visit—bows deeply, and greets, 「Lady Mori, Liege Becket.」
Raleigh returns the gesture.
So does Mako, adding, 「Greetings, Divine Nakamura.」 
The little man glows. 「Would you like prayer plaques?」
「Yes, please, Divine Nakamura,」 replies Mako.
He bows again and shuffles slowly into the office.
「He has aged so much since January.」
Raleigh nods, wraps an arm around Mako's waist, tugs her close.
She sighs, rests her head against his shoulder.
「You know, I'm still not used to all these super-formal titles.」 Smiles ruefully. 「I keep expecting people to call me 'Heyyou!'.」
Mako snorts a laugh. 「I doubt that will ever happen again.」
「Well, 'Liege Becket' is nothing compared to 'Guardian of Japan'.」
She ducks her head, says quietly, 「We've been invited to spend another day with the Emperor and his family.」
「Did they name a date?」
「The twenty-third.」
「Cool, that gives us a few more days to enjoy this.」
Mako hums approval.
Nakamura-sama reappears with two /ema and a pair of thick black markers.
Raleigh takes his politely, with both hands and a bow. 「Many thanks.」
Nakamura-sama acknowledges, passes Mako hers, then retreats inside.
They move over to the shelter protecting the /ema, stand side-by-side at a small table, apply marker to wood.
Mako writes quickly; her kanji quick, efficient, and elegant.
Raleigh forces himself not to read her wish, takes his time printing neatly in his best Czech.
Yancy,
I have a feeling you'll see this bit of spirit snail-mail. I'll be asking Mako to marry me soon and really hope you'll help me get it right. Wish you were here, bro. 
Love ya
He takes a deep breath, caps the marker, looks up.
Mako stretches to hang her /ema among the others.
Raleigh straightens, places his along the top row, smirking a little as he does.
She huffs, 'show off'.
Raleigh smiles sweetly. 「Should we pay our respects?」
「Of course.」
Hand-in-hand they walk to the /honden and, inside, light and place incense in front of the /kami.
.
[missing transition, Mako and Raleigh head back, return the markers to Nakamura, head up to the kappa pond]
.
「Momoko and Keiko will be joining our dinner with the Emperor.」
「They're coming out of hiding, then?」
「It seems—」
[Utano announces herself.
「They're some old friends and you will not mention this to Uncle until I do.」
「Have I heard of them?」
「Perhaps.」
[「I'm ever fond of mysteries.」 Shifts her weight. 「But Sapling,] we're /family, so you don't need to keep secrets.」
「Sorry, I made a promise.」
「Guess I'll just watch the news then.」
Mako smiles.
「Any luck with the river children?」 asks Raleigh.
「No sightings, but there was a weird ripple a while ago.」
「Seriously?」
Utano sparkles, bats her eyelashes. 「Wanna hang out and see if it happens again?」
「/Yes!」 Turns to Mako, puppy-dog eyes set to full power.
She gives a fantastic eye-roll, but follows Utano and Raleigh along the edge of the pond.
.
[I believe there's more to come]
Category:Ficlet
Category:Tanegashima (setting)
Category:Raleigh
Category:Raleigh's POV
Category:Raleigh (ficlet)
Category:Mako
Category:Mako (ficlet)
Category:Utano
Category:Utano (ficlet)
Category:Food