-Tora-
'Well that just happened. Of course I didn't really have a choice, since my options for staying here and accepting the job were "yes" and "yes, my lord". I just need to keep my head about me. And attached to my shoulders.' Nobunaga ordered for a feast to celebrate the appointment of his new chatelaine-me. there were several piles of food, fit for a daimyo, but I wasn't very hungry. 'I'm Nobunaga Oda's chatelaine. And that mean what exactly? How do I take care of a castle? And everyone living in it?' The feast ended with me in no better moods or better informed. Mitsuhide was the first to stand up. "If you'll excuse me, my lord, I should be going." Ieyasu was quick to follow, "I'm going too, Nobunaga." 'Everyone's going off to work. What should I do?' "You're looking lost, Tora." I guess my troubled thoughts weren't just in my head, but were also displayed on my face. "Actually, Hideyoshi, you're not wrong. I want to get to work, but I don't knw where to start." He nodded with his classic serious look. "I'm pleased you're taking this seriously. You should start with the basics first. Familiarize yourself with the castle. Mitsunari and I will show you around." I smiled, "Thank you! That will be a big help." "And if I think you're acting suspiciously, the next place I'll show you to is the dungeon." 'And of course the trust issues had to make an appearance.' "Right. Let's save that for last." 'Obviously I don't have the trust of my coworkers. I'm going to have to work on that. Wait...the back of my neck feels itchy. Someone is staring at me.'
I turned and found Masamune's intense eye that looked at me thoughtfully. 'He's frowning, it really doesn't suit him. I wish he would smile again. I guess I really don't have anyone's trust.' "Shall we, Tora?" I shook my head to clear my thoughts and turned to Mitsunari. "Yeah, I'm done here." Perfectly fine with an excuse to escape Masamune's stare, I followed Hideyoshi and Mitsunari out. After a super, super long tour, I returned to my room, absolutely exhausted. "I should have drawn a map. This castle is huge!" Not surprisingly, walking around Azuchi castle had taken the entire day. 'I'm definitely not going to have this place figured out in a day or two. it's the Sengoku, the warring states. I've already seen how people's attitudes are different and can change in an instant. I'm not going to make it, I know I will, but today has taught me just how high a hurdle that's going to be.' I spotted my bag, which was still laying where I left it this morning. "Right now, my dream job literally feels 500 years away." I pulled out my sketchbook and settled myself next to the light. Sometimes, flipping through my old designs gave me a peace of mind. "Tora, I'm coming in." "what? Who is this?" Suddenly my door was thrown open by none other than Masamune Date. "Masamune? It's late at night, what are you doing-" *Shiiiink* "s-sword?!" The sound of his sword being drawn from his sheath echoed in my ears. I held my breath. I really didn't have any choice with the very sharp tip pointed at my neck. 'Why in the world is he pointing a sword at me?!' I leaned back away from the blade, but it followed me. "I have a question for you." The lamplight danced over Masamune's warlike features. 'What did I do?! What is happening?! Stay calm. Stay calm Tora. Let's not aggravate the possibly homicidal man.'
"You'd better answer truthfully." I could see Masamune's reflection in the mirror-like gleam of his sword. "I heard you came from 500 years in the future. Now, is that a story, or no?" I gulped, "It's true." Masamune studied me for a moment. It was very clear that he would need more than just my word before he would trust me. Then, like the moon being revealed from the clouds, a smile appeared on his lips. "I see. Well, welcome to Japan of the past, Tora." I eyed him warily, not liking his sudden mood changes. "Just to clarify, does that mean I get to live?" "Having you here really will keep things interesting." As though I suddenly posed no threat, he slid his sword back into it's sheath. 'That was his only question? Really?! Tank goodness it was an easy one!' "My turn." I started calm, then lost my temper. "Why in the world did you need to point a SWORD at me?!" He shrugged off my outburst as if it was nothing. "That? Your story was so farfetched, I needed to be sure you were telling the truth. Hard to lie with a blade at your throat." I stared at him in shock, 'I would have told you I came from ancient Egypt to get you to not point a sword at my throat.' This information left me more stunned than mad. 'Masamune is just as crazy as the rest of them. Maybe more.' "I'm looking forward to hearing your stories about life in the future." His one eye dropped to my sketchbook, which I was holding tightly. "What's this? Are those pictures?" I looked down at it and held it closer. "This is my sketchbook. It's full of my rough designs. They're what I use for making clothes." I looked at me in amazement, "You drew these?" "Yes, I did." "Let me see." I bit my lip and hesitated, but eventually I handed him my sketchbook. He flipped through the pages, studying them as he had done to me.
