The Day of Thunder

So...

Since clearly nobody knew what they were doing, and she wasn't exactly better, she might try... something. Well, it was old magic, and it would have worked in the old times. But now were the new times, and magic had changed, and it might not work. But regardless, there was strength to be found in doing it even knowing it was only the symbolical that was symbolical and not the symbolical that was also magical.

Anyway. She had sto... found some paint. Her first thought had been to use actual spider silk, but turns out spider silk is like super fragile and spiders only produce very small amount of it anyway. So she had settled for a representation of the thing instead of the actual thing. Which was very human thinking. She was proud of that.

Anyway. Old magic. Spider could weave a net so perfect it could catch bad dreams and let good dreams go through. At least, they say they could. But Spider power was to make truth out of their lies. So they could.

Anyway. She was no Spider. She was not-so-Tiger anymore. But she had paint. And now she was facing a wall. So she could paint a web. A big web. To catch as many nightmares as possible.

Well, she did draw... something. Unclear if it was supposed to catch demons or summon them however.

---

Genji was...walking? Patrolling? He himself wasun't really sure. As he was passing along, he found a...street artist? Drawing some kind of....crack, in the stone? Or something?

"Greetings." He gave a bow, his voice a pleasant tenor, and there seemed to be a slight...shine to him? "Is this a customary festival tradition?" He gestured vaguely at her....art.

"Traditions have to start somewhere. Is dreamcatcher. The web of a Spider to catch bad dreams."

She took a few steps back. Contemplated the result of her efforts.

"Artists have to start somewhere too.

You are... another blood children of the gods? I'm Kai."

The young man bowed. "Hantei Genji, aye, son of the kami Hantei. Heir to the Stag. And all that other stuff." He looked her over then turned back. "Are you with the Spider then Kai-san, or is it just..the folklore I guess?" He tilted his head and looked it over. "I thought it was a duck at first."

"The other way around. It's a tale old enough to have inspired your other uncle for his choice of spirit animal. Animals had meanings before the gods looking like humans arrived. They were wise to dig into that existing fountain of spiritual power, to tie their names to these powerful symbols.

Kai has no allegiance save to the world. The one in need of saving."

Kaijarisuigyo wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 28, 2023 8:08 pm

"The other way around. It's a tale old enough to have inspired your other uncle for his choice of spirit animal. Animals had meanings before the gods looking like humans arrived. They were wise to dig into that existing fountain of spiritual power, to tie their names to these powerful symbols.

Kai has no allegiance save to the world. The one in need of saving."

Genji nodded in understanding. "Ah, I see." He smiled. "And what do you know about the history and symbolism of the Stag, Kai-san, if I may ask?" He glanced back towards the art project. "You are something of a tribal historian, or shaman, I take it?"

"I was once the White Tiger of the West. I've talked with Spider in person in many occasions. In about all of them I got tricked, humiliated, sometimes ending up with serious injuries. I know firsthand that their talents are many, and their lies powerful.

The Deer is a weird case actually. Each time I met a deer, it turned out to be something or someone else under a disguise. Probably because the wise deer keeps away from the Tiger, for otherwise they would eat them?

In general, my knowledge of non tricky grass eaters is poor. Not likely for us to just hang around."

Kaijarisuigyo wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 28, 2023 9:30 pm

"I was once the White Tiger of the West. I've talked with Spider in person in many occasions. In about all of them I got tricked, humiliated, sometimes ending up with serious injuries. I know firsthand that their talents are many, and their lies powerful.

The Deer is a weird case actually. Each time I met a deer, it turned out to be something or someone else under a disguise. Probably because the wise deer keeps away from the Tiger, for otherwise they would eat them?

In general, my knowledge of non tricky grass eaters is poor. Not likely for us to just hang around."

Genji frowned in thought. "I see....well, why did you seek them out after the first few occasions? And what happened to you?" He chuckled. "So the deer is merely a front for something...else." Well, that struck uncomfortably true, at least in his case. "Perhaps you should extend your social circle then, Kai-san. Or would that be Tora-san?"

"I was a creature of the world of dreams. You, and that's a collective you, really need to understand that the logic of dreams is not the logic of this realm. Each day was a different story, with the details of how I came to forgive Spider since the last time handwaved. That lack of continuity feels as weird to you as to my human brain. But it was perfectly logical to Tiger's brain. And if you ever have to enter the world of dreams to face the darkness, that's the kind of things you will have to deal with. Dream logic, not mortal logic.

Tiger was defeated by the darkness. Their fangs crushed, their claws shattered, their fur skinned, reduced to almost nothing. Fled with their tail between their legs rather than become corrupted. I'm the part of them that managed to reach this realm. Not Tiger anymore, not fully human either.

Is a story I have told many times already, under many forms. Planned to tell it once for all at that fancy meeting this afternoon and be done with it. But the ambiance was all wrong for story telling. It was like the darkness had made people so afraid of dreams they kept theirs under wraps, contenting themselves with not being special in any way.

And Kai is fine. Tiger is the me of the past, and Jugemu Gokō-no Surikire Kaijarisuigyo a bit long for everyday use."

Genji felt pensieve, as he listened to it all. "Well...perhaps Destiny is indeed quite among us. You see Kai-san, I...have avoided sleeping and dreaming as much as I can. Despite my parentages, I am still mortal, mostly, and I require it. But when I have recurring dreams of the bloody remains of my wife and my children and my father and my sister and my mother...on occasion even at my own hands. "He allowed a shudder to leave that he was holding back ever since he left Kogi behind.

He turned his full expression towards her. "That must have been harrowing then. When did you.. come here, I guess? And do you still dream, Kai-san?"

"Depends on the mood of the realm of dreams. Sometimes, like last night, I'm refused access. The other times, I get to see the places and people I knew in their corrupted form. Those are not pretty dreams.

The no sleep will kill you if you persist. Bad dreams you can defeat. Not an easy fight, but can. Your own mortality, you cannot.

Oh, and I'm... four? Close to five?"

Genji smirked. "Aye, certainly. Trying to catch sleep, where I can, but will see..." He stepped up towards the scrawled spider. "So you are invoking Spider1s strength to help us then? May I?" He indicated towards the arts supplies that must surely have been lgeitimtely bought with money earned from honest work.

"And what do you think of the village? And the worsening of the Corruption?"

"I like the village for I feel it is still tied in some way to the old ways, when the tales of Tiger, and Spider, and Monkey, were more commonplace and more powerful. I have overheard there might be weird things happening there... But overheard the word. Relevant details, if any, for rumors are also a form of story, are one of the many pieces of information people keep close to their chest.

... I don't think we are ready to form the hunting party asked for by the Little Man that is not that little. The pack is not united.

And sure. Final result supposed to be a spider web. A big one."

Kaijarisuigyo wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 28, 2023 10:54 pm

"I like the village for I feel it is still tied in some way to the old ways, when the tales of Tiger, and Spider, and Monkey, were more commonplace and more powerful. I have overheard there might be weird things happening there... But overheard the word. Relevant details, if any, for rumors are also a form of story, are one of the many pieces of information people keep close to their chest.

... I don't think we are ready to form the hunting party asked for by the Little Man that is not that little. The pack is not united.

And sure. Final result supposed to be a spider web. A big one."

"It certainly seems we lack in unity. An apt metaphor for our Empire. Though, even with the kami paving the way, that doesn"t mean we need to forget the old ways and tales. Some things change, but we are only a scant few decades into the Empire. Perhaps I shall be weaving the tale of the Tiger that outsmarted the Dreamland in the upcoming years."

He stepped forward to try an attempt at a spider web.It looked like he has heard of spider webs as described by the cleaning staff. Presumebly.

OOC:
D2 LA, untrained paint/awareness roll, tn20? | 3k3 ⇒ 18 (TN: 20)

Kai looked at the new result.

"Hmm. Don't think the dreams will get fooled by that either. Less they are afraid of duck-rabbit.

You wouldn't happen to know some of these artsy people who are somehow magically able to conjure the image of something as delicate as an actual spider web, each thread thinner than a ray of light, with such rough tools?"

She shook the brush to emphasize her words. Which was likely not a good idea for anyone's clothes when it was still covered in paint.