The Day of Thunder

It turns out the one being fashionably late today was the monk of all people. Well, in her defense, there appeared to be quite a bit going on. A gentle rap at the door was followed by her bowing to those present. "Good afternoon. Apologies for the wait. I hope you have not been waiting too long."

"Meditation will, without question, be of use. Anything that helps to ensure that a person maintains and keeps their mind focused and clear will help in the face of fear and other threats." She nodded, glad to see that the Crab was well trained in this. "A clear mind resists temptation better. As fo...

Nozomi nodded at the display. "You're showing the strengths of your father's technique. I recall seeing just how fast he could be once in my life." That had been the day that he'd helped save Matsu's life. She honestly still felt bad that she'd suspected him of something all those years ago on that ...

She nodded to Sora. "Honestly? That's not a bad suggestion. I seem to recall that there were old stories about your and Taochusu's march to the south where the ability of a few to keep our spirits up helped in their own way, and who would ever think that a musician's talents might be useful down the...

"She is very good at it. I've never been one for a blade. My studies have kept my skills where they are." She also liked the fact that those old beat sticks could absolutely shock someone who wouldn't have expected them to do as much damage as they really could. She also tried not to need to use the...

Oh, the falling dream again. It had been a long time since she'd experienced this particular nightmare. Hers tended to involve a lot more faceless people or loved ones dissolving into undistinguishable masses. But, the whole sensation of being unmoored and out of control that caused a dream like thi...

"Y'know, I've run inta some plants as're like that," Akutou replies. "Seen some o' them as is carnivorous, too. Smell real purty and look real nice, an' eat what all falls in 'em. "I'd imagine there're places some of 'em get big enough as could eat a full-grown person. Ain't seen such, but jus' lik...

Sora ambled along the streets taking stock of the village. He spotted Nozomi speaking to some young Crab bushi and opted not to immediately inject himself into the conversation. He was still getting a feel for the place... She caught sight of Sora and waved him over, giving him a bow. "Old man," sh...

"If Jigoku has made the realm of dreams its staging ground, it might not be the worst to prepare that as a front." Reo pauses. "I have had some thoughts about how" "Good for you to have those thoughts, but as you and I both know be careful about voicing them. Just in case. Even in such a public pla...

"..." She... tried to focus. She tried to think. Her eyes widened and she looked legitimately confused. Wait, he was Kinsen's kid? How did she not remember this properly? In reality? She'd been told the story and the more she thought on it, the more that she managed to gradually muddle the thoughts....

g'night for now!

"You know, I think you do, but it never hurts to refresh my memory." It brought her a bit of a sinking feeling, but yeah. She thought she remembered the tale. still, it had been at least five years now, so it was better to be sure of the details. After all, the topic was ... pressing, wasn't it?

-snip- "Pffft, the teacher would shoulder the weight of the whole of Ningen-do on his shoulders if you gave him the chance and reason." She managed not to roll her eyes, though she did smile as she said it. "We travel with him to make sure he's not alone." Oh, there were a lot of other reasons in h...

Goju waited by a place waiting for the monk to hopefully show up. Nozomi was prompt in her own way. The query she'd gotten from Goju was something she knew a little bit about, but at the same time she was afraid that she didn't really have the answers he'd want. Still, there was only one way to fin...

"Good morning, sister monk," the Crab woman said, bowing politely. "In fact, I was looking for the local shrine. Maybe you could help? I think you were one of the monks with Shinsei earlier?" "I'm called Yoshitsune Ayako," she added. "Nozomi. It's good to meet you." She frowned as she looked around...

"The Snakes aren't the only venomous things in the swamps out there. Used to think that there was something in the plants that they ate that made them not safe, but you have to be careful of just about everything out there. The more colorful and pretty? The less safe. It's the weirdest combination."...

Reo offers a small snort. "We all got our turns at destiny. It is a privilege of the older generation to use our embers to light the forge of the next generation. " The archer looks over to Nozomi. "How terrible a weapon shall I craft to weild against this champion? " She considered a moment before...

"Y' c'n always clean up after," Akutou says. "Somethin' some seem t' forget." "Mud's just mud." She agreed with him as she said it, nodding once firmly. "There's a certain beauty in places that most people would never choose to live. They're wild. Quiet. Undisturbed." After a moment, she paused and...

-snip- Nozomi simply took all of this more or less in stride. She didn't voice her concerns, though she gave Shinsei such a look when nobody was looking. She was dead sure that a certain someone was doing exactly what she'd expected him to do, which was keeping secrets and taking too much of the bu...

Unfortunately? The first person that the young crab would happen upon had literally no clue about the directions to the local shrine. She'd just gotten here yesterday herself. A middle-aged monk with short-cropped black hair happened upon her as she was walking, bowing once and offering a rueful smi...