The Day of Thunder

[Bayushi Norikage]

“How interesting…” She replied.

It’s never fun being the only sober one.

“Surprised you didn’t end up with scratch marks on your face.”

"Impossible to you as it may sound, she was nice to me. So take that." He looked around for his drink and finding it, took a sip.

[Jiyo Sora]

"Mark the day Sora, I agree with you on something." Makime remarked dryly.

He sized her up.

"Hm. Did that hurt? It feels like it hurt..."

[Otomo Akutou]

Akutou finally manages to stop staring at the towering Spider woman.

"Now, where were that shiny thing?" he muses to himself as he starts to cast about.

[Shiba Kumori]

"Impossible to you as it may sound, she was nice to me. So take that." He looked around for his drink and finding it, took a sip.

“You’re free to bunk with your sweet kitten if you so desire.”

Her face didn’t wander from the crowd.

He’s totally shitfaced… Maybe I shouldn’t antagonize him…

No kind words accompanied Han-Hei’s moment of hesitation…

[Bayushi Norikage]

“You’re free to bunk with your sweet kitten if you so desire.”

Her face didn’t wander from the crowd.

He’s totally shitfaced… Maybe I shouldn’t antagonize him…

No kind words accompanied Han-Hei’s moment of hesitation…

"Oh, I see." With a grunt he stood up. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, maybe I'll have something interesting to tell you then." He started to walk off. "Later."

[Shiba Kumori]

"Oh, I see." With a grunt he stood up. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, maybe I'll have something interesting to tell you then." He started to walk off. "Later."

“Don’t keep Yoshie and Daisuke up worrying about you!” She called out after him.

She watched him walk away for several quiet moments.

[Kaiu Tai]

Dumb looks. Not many had the guts to say that about Hida, but the fact that Tai did spoke well of her spirit... and that Hida probably liked the old woman too. He always liked the honest ones, she remembered.

The strange smells, now that she was growing more aware of them, tickled the inside of her nostrils, and rather unladylike she rubbed her nose against her sleeve. "Mom says that it's a good sign for the first generation of the Empire that so many more children are growing up healthy now. She tells me a lot of stories of how things used to be back in the day, before the Kami - both the good and the bad. With that in mind, I don't think they intend to leave us with any sort of mess? Or, I think they hope they've taught us well enough to stand on our own when that time comes..." her words trailed off, as a worry sunk into her previously good cheer. What if something happened to her parents while she was here?

At least Tai was quick to distract her dark thoughts, and she looked at the smaller but older woman. "Yeah, I... I know. I tried to go there earlier today, but the way was barred. I'm as curious as they get, but I don't wanna intrude on holy places. But it feels wrong. Hm, and I did some talking with the air kami earlier too, and something doesn't quite seem right here. Auntie Anjing told me to talk with you, actually."

She grins, then wrinkles her nose, waving a hand in front of her face at the funk a moment. "Anjing's sensible above all else. Probably the only reason she stuck with that lunk after he agreed to haul up north on his brother's say so."

There's an amused snort at one of the dancers getting particularly acrobatic. That one was going to be a bit sore come morning. "Did they say what spirit is enshrined there? The water and earth have been slow to answer me...sluggish. Which seems odd with all the fog. I'd expect water to maybe even be a bit unbalanced here, and very active."

[Togashi Satsuki]

She grins, then wrinkles her nose, waving a hand in front of her face at the funk a moment. "Anjing's sensible above all else. Probably the only reason she stuck with that lunk after he agreed to haul up north on his brother's say so."

There's an amused snort at one of the dancers getting particularly acrobatic. That one was going to be a bit sore come morning. "Did they say what spirit is enshrined there? The water and earth have been slow to answer me...sluggish. Which seems odd with all the fog. I'd expect water to maybe even be a bit unbalanced here, and very active."

"I don't know, I'll have to ask," she shook her head, which only made her senses worse under this noise and drug. Satsuki blinked with wide eyes and decided she wasn't going to be trying this kava anytime soon if she had a choice. I won't cause a fuss over it to the villagers though, even if I had preferred to not be under the influence of this. "But yeah, even the air kami seemed sleepy and unfocused. Said that the reason with all the fog was because they were snuggling up thick, because they felt sleepy."

Satsuki watched the dancers with an airy-smile, while also rubbing her forehead. She wasn't sure if she felt hotter than usual or just more relaxed and in an excited (yet dazed) mood. "... Is this kind of thing normal, or was before? The kava used like this, I mean."

[Kaiu Tai]

"I don't know, I'll have to ask," she shook her head, which only made her senses worse under this noise and drug. Satsuki blinked with wide eyes and decided she wasn't going to be trying this kava anytime soon if she had a choice. I won't cause a fuss over it to the villagers though, even if I had preferred to not be under the influence of this. "But yeah, even the air kami seemed sleepy and unfocused. Said that the reason with all the fog was because they were snuggling up thick, because they felt sleepy."

Satsuki watched the dancers with an airy-smile, while also rubbing her forehead. She wasn't sure if she felt hotter than usual or just more relaxed and in an excited (yet dazed) mood. "... Is this kind of thing normal, or was before? The kava used like this, I mean."

Tai snorts with a suppressed laugh. "Lazy water. Well that's new. Definitely worth looking into."

"Can't say we ever used it this way in the old days. But I'd think those who know of it are likely using it more these days as folks have trouble sleepin'" She peers at the Dragon more closely, concerned frown creasing forehead and the space around her eyes. "Feelin' ok? Like anything, some don't react well to it." She jerks her head off toward the edge of the market. "Might be good to get you to some clearer air, neh?"

[Hisomu Tadaka]

Goju bowed to the Matsu daimyo as she joined the group because his player forgot to put it in his previous post.

[Saru Ranmaru]

The younger one's eyes do linger on the bare-chested man, not for long, but enough for a second look. Tae-soo's linger longer, although the way he shifts from the man to the younger one, then back, suggests he might be equal parts curious and worried.

The man stepping closer is initially received with a step back, but he soon bows to the man. The voice that answers is surprisingly grave for a festival. "I... wish I knew, Hyeongnim. Hopefully we will after... all this.", he gestures vaguely.

The lack of upper garments makes it easier to guess, and looking down at the man's lower body to look for signs proves somewhat awkward, but it seems to help at least some. "Dragon-nim also here for this... Destiny thing?"

(OOC: Assuming this is before effects for the rolls, since I couldn't get around to do those yet... sorry!)

"Hmm! Mysterious parents, mysterious manner of speaking." Ranmaru smiled faintly. "Peculiar. But I am sorry to hear that you do not know. Did you come for that reason or were you summoned here for something else? Destiny, as you put it?"

[Otomo Akutou]

Seeing another glinting in the firelight, Akutou giggles a bit.

He moves towards it.

How sneaky he will be will depend on whether rolling is still allowed...

[Togashi Satsuki]

Tai snorts with a suppressed laugh. "Lazy water. Well that's new. Definitely worth looking into."

"Can't say we ever used it this way in the old days. But I'd think those who know of it are likely using it more these days as folks have trouble sleepin'" She peers at the Dragon more closely, concerned frown creasing forehead and the space around her eyes. "Feelin' ok? Like anything, some don't react well to it." She jerks her head off toward the edge of the market. "Might be good to get you to some clearer air, neh?"

"Right? Water is always in a hurry, and air rarely stand still... imagine my surprise. Maybe check in with some other shugenja too, and see if they have similar experiences? I know there's a Yuzuru here investigating some spirit portals... hm? Ah, yeah..." she shook her head once more to clear her head, then blinked. "Yeah, I think I want to get some clearer air."

Satsuki looked in Nao's direction, who seemed fine now. And there were others here to look after her. She'll be fine. "Yeah, let's do that. Fresh air."

[Otomo Akutou]

Seeing the shiny shit, Akutou steps to the side and somehow manages to lose himself amid the crowd. It's easy enough to avoid notice, really, just moving along with the people as they stumble about, giggling and carousing under the influence of food and drink and whatever the grassy earthy smell really is. In many ways, it's like being a kid again--but with a fuller belly and a warmer place to sleep.

And, childlike, Akutou tries his hand again at gentler, defter pursuits--only he wishes he'd been so good in his younger days. Might've eaten a few much better meals then had he been able to take a whole coin purse then as he does now.

He doesn't need the money now, though, not like he did then, and so he makes sure to leave it at the back of the vendor's stall. No sense beggaring the man just to remind himself that he's still got it.

But the dancing's starting to wind down, now, and it might be time to find a quiet drink or a bite to eat soon.

~~~
Stealth 26, https://sakkaku.org/r/11097
Sleight of Hand 50, https://sakkaku.org/r/11098

[Kaiu Tai]

Tai snorts with a suppressed laugh. "Lazy water. Well that's new. Definitely worth looking into."

"Can't say we ever used it this way in the old days. But I'd think those who know of it are likely using it more these days as folks have trouble sleepin'" She peers at the Dragon more closely, concerned frown creasing forehead and the space around her eyes. "Feelin' ok? Like anything, some don't react well to it." She jerks her head off toward the edge of the market. "Might be good to get you to some clearer air, neh?"

"Right? Water is always in a hurry, and air rarely stand still... imagine my surprise. Maybe check in with some other shugenja too, and see if they have similar experiences? I know there's a Yuzuru here investigating some spirit portals... hm? Ah, yeah..." she shook her head once more to clear her head, then blinked. "Yeah, I think I want to get some clearer air."

Satsuki looked in Nao's direction, who seemed fine now. And there were others here to look after her. She'll be fine. "Yeah, let's do that. Fresh air."

Tai's already moving. "Sounds sensible. Spirit portals? Yeah, would like to hear if those are about. Might explain some of the weird." She moves toward the edge of the crowd. If it was like any other celebration of the sort, folks would dance and chat well into the night.

"Met a Haka woman by the river who warned me about drinking there. My rapport with water's not the best, so might be good to ask them if they know more by now too. A lot going on, and maybe not much time to figure it all out."

[Haka Tae-soo]

"Hmm! Mysterious parents, mysterious manner of speaking." Ranmaru smiled faintly. "Peculiar. But I am sorry to hear that you do not know. Did you come for that reason or were you summoned here for something else? Destiny, as you put it?"

The Saru's answer evokes a little smile on the Haka's face as well. The question is met with a moment of thoughtful silence, though.

"We..."

Answering seemed less straightforward with the question asked directly like this. Perhaps even more so after the monk's words this morning.

"I... do hope we may find abeoji and eomeoni after this. So... that's part of the reason, ne."

But... destiny? That monk months back, close to home... was it Destiny?

"And Dragon-nim? Is it Destiny that brings you here", is all he says for now, though.

[Togashi Satsuki]

Tai's already moving. "Sounds sensible. Spirit portals? Yeah, would like to hear if those are about. Might explain some of the weird." She moves toward the edge of the crowd. If it was like any other celebration of the sort, folks would dance and chat well into the night.

"Met a Haka woman by the river who warned me about drinking there. My rapport with water's not the best, so might be good to ask them if they know more by now too. A lot going on, and maybe not much time to figure it all out."

"More heads are better than one," Satsuki followed Tai out of the crowded area, and was feeling a bit better already by putting some distance between herself and the noise of the party.

"Can't say water much for water myself, as it doesn't even respond to me. Fire has always come easy to me, so that probably explains it. Too much fire, not enough water." The young woman chuckled a bit. "Maybe we should meet this Haka priest by the river then? See what we can discover?"