The Day of Thunder

[Jiyo Sora]

Chuchu, half-asleep, finally toddles into the headwoman's house... she fell asleep on accident again... blearily she looks around for a friendly human to lean against.

Sora motioned to the Nezumi.

[Chuchu]

Sora motioned to the Nezumi.

She drops to all fours and scampers over to use the old man as a pillow. Looking around, Chuchu tries to gauge "temperature" of the room.

[Otomo Akutou]

Shang shook her head and let out a sigh. "At some points during the stay, I almost wonder if we kept the camp separate from the village, it would have been best for both of us. Maybe not but it's too late to conjure some scenario that will never come to be. The fish has already been skinned, hard to put it back together and throw it in the river, I guess. That's a saying you're familiar with, right?"

That gets a short, almost rueful laugh from Akutou.

"Not in s' many words," he says. "But th' concepts clear 'nough."

He regards her. "That's 'bout th' first time anybody's used one o' them simile things that's made sense t' me. Us'lly, they're all flowery and circumlocutive, get all turned in on themselves, an' take more time t' figure out than seems worth takin'.

"You often go fishin', ma'am?"

[Hisomu Reo]

The Spider tched at Makime's words. She didn't uncross her arms as she strode down from where she stood, heading to her fellow Spider. Standing before him, her eyed narrowed.

"Consider what you are you doing. Consider that you are trusting a demonfucking hag. Our mandate as given by Lord Hisomu is to destroy all corruption. Not to expose ourselves to it. Evil tempts and deceives with false promises." She spoke plainly, though not loudly.

"If you do this, and you so much as have a hint of corruption, I'll take your fucking head myself."

"Matsu." Reo can't help but see the small child that had joined him to the pit. "I've always exposed myself to corruption. From the days of cutting open the creatures of the Shadowlands to see how we can defeat them, to hounding every trace and rumor of the last twenty years. And yet, my little cadre of librarians was still unawares of the threat. We can't secure or contain anything if we don't understand it enough to see if our methods work. And that means, someone, anyone, putting themselves on the line when it is truly dangerous. It's not a matter of trusting our host, no offense Chouri, but this is about understanding enough about the overlap with the spiritual realm so we know what to do with this place."

"As for taking my head." Reo smiles. "I am counting on it. Though if you want reliable third parties to test and don't trust me, I recommend Reiko Ohta and Hiruma Naraku. Naraku in particular has a rather clever bit of chemistry that should be an excellent indicator."

He looks back to Chouri. "I am ready when you are."

[Saru Shang]

That gets a short, almost rueful laugh from Akutou.

"Not in s' many words," he says. "But th' concepts clear 'nough."

He regards her. "That's 'bout th' first time anybody's used one o' them simile things that's made sense t' me. Us'lly, they're all flowery and circumlocutive, get all turned in on themselves, an' take more time t' figure out than seems worth takin'.

"You often go fishin', ma'am?"

"It's a saying that's used in a settlement I've visited before, likely a fishing one. Now that I think about it, it's hard to forget that one when the whole place smelt like fish juice from several hills away when the wind blew in a certain direction! That said, it's probably me more having fish on the mind after our meeting with Haka-san today earlier at the river," she nodded soundly at that. The Haka was given a spot to respond in the thread before that memory continued being realized.

"As for fishing, no," she said with a frown. "I've tried, believe me, but there's something about it that I couldn't get a handle on and I'm not talking about the slimy scales. It does look very easy to just leave out a net and take them as they swim towards them. I know I've tried too hard on my first attempt when I tried to shoot arrows into the river! For some reason, I thought that would be easier and more efficient!"

[Otomo Akutou]

"As for fishing, no," she said with a frown. "I've tried, believe me, but there's something about it that I couldn't get a handle on and I'm not talking about the slimy scales. It does look very easy to just leave out a net and take them as they swim towards them. I know I've tried too hard on my first attempt when I tried to shoot arrows into the river! For some reason, I thought that would be easier and more efficient!"

"Thing is," Akutou responds, "there're some types of fish as that works on, though you wanna have a line tied t' your arrow afore you loose it. Works well wi' other things in th' water, too, turtles an' such.

"O' course, they get too big, y' need a spear for 'em. True o' some bigger game, too."

[Reiko Ohta]

SNIP

SMOP

Ohta had been standing near by, taking notes on what people said and the results of tests in neat, crisp, hurried handwriting. She didn't look up at the interaction of her Clanmates, but listened intently.

"If it's all the same, Matsu-sama, I'd just as soon take my sensei's head if this proves to be something stupid; With all the times I've told him that he takes too many risks, it would only be fit payback for my warnings I think."

[Saru Shang]

"Thing is," Akutou responds, "there're some types of fish as that works on, though you wanna have a line tied t' your arrow afore you loose it. Works well wi' other things in th' water, too, turtles an' such.

"O' course, they get too big, y' need a spear for 'em. True o' some bigger game, too."

Shang placed a hand on her forehead and gave a troubled shake of her head at that thought. "Now I'm realizing that I have much to learn when it comes to catching fish. For whatever reason, I thought the arrow would pin them on the ground and keep them from swimming away. This is in a swallow stream, to be clear. That would also take care of needing to take care of them when they go flopping out of water. That's the idea, anyway, if I could line up my shots to hit them in the first place."

"Turtles? Those things are edible?" She brought up with narrowed eyes.

[Otomo Akutou]

Shang placed a hand on her forehead and gave a troubled shake of her head at that thought. "Now I'm realizing that I have much to learn when it comes to catching fish. For whatever reason, I thought the arrow would pin them on the ground and keep them from swimming away. This is in a swallow stream, to be clear. That would also take care of needing to take care of them when they go flopping out of water. That's the idea, anyway, if I could line up my shots to hit them in the first place."

"Turtles? Those things are edible?" She brought up with narrowed eyes.

"D'pends on th' turtle, ma'am," Akutou says. "Some're good eatin', some'll do in a pinch, an' some...there're some as do their best t' get you back f'r takin' 'em."

He gives an almost theatrical shudder. "Found that out from direct pers'nal experience more'n once. Ain't many people as I'd recommend it to."

He grins wickedly. "O' course, there're a few folks I don't rightly like, an' them, I give the recipe to."

[Ryoshun Nao]

Having seen enough, Nao poked at San until the pig was awake. Then they walked off.

/exit

[Saru Shang]

"D'pends on th' turtle, ma'am," Akutou says. "Some're good eatin', some'll do in a pinch, an' some...there're some as do their best t' get you back f'r takin' 'em."

He gives an almost theatrical shudder. "Found that out from direct pers'nal experience more'n once. Ain't many people as I'd recommend it to."

He grins wickedly. "O' course, there're a few folks I don't rightly like, an' them, I give the recipe to."

"That's one way I get back at someone, it's a shame that you won't be able to be there to see the result of your advice." She pursed her lip at that questionable anecdote. "I'm sure you can eat anything, just thought they weren't worth the trouble! Then again, I'm surprised people would bother to eat crab at all. All that crunching and smashing, for a sliver of meat? An attrition of appetite."

[Otomo Akutou]

"That's one way I get back at someone, it's a shame that you won't be able to be there to see the result of your advice." She pursed her lip at that questionable anecdote. "I'm sure you can eat anything, just thought they weren't worth the trouble! Then again, I'm surprised people would bother to eat crab at all. All that crunching and smashing, for a sliver of meat? An attrition of appetite."

"Dependin' on what kinda turtle," Akutou says, "there's a surprisin' amount o' meat on 'em. Often rich, too.

"An' there's this, too: what it takes a lotta gettin' to get is us'lly what folks value. Think on it; are y' more proud o' what come easy, or what y' had t' work hard t' do?"

[Wu Dai Lu]

"a demonfucking hag"

The mood of the villagers shifts, the group muttering to one another at expressions turning to glares at the insult to Chouri.

Appreciated SCP Foundation reference.

Chouri smiled and shook off the no offense. "None taken. I understand the distrust. Please, sit across from me in such a way that I can reach where you need help."

[Wu Zhe]

snip

Zhe observes the deteriorating mood and decides to step closer to the imperial princess for some quiet words

''Your highness.'' he bows ''While skepticism is wise in the face of the unknown, the aggression and open distrust exhibited can only help the enemy. Perhaps we should reduce our numbers here to give the peace''

[Hisomu Reo]

The mood of the villagers shifts, the group muttering to one another at expressions turning to glares at the insult to Chouri.
Chouri smiled and shook off the no offense. "None taken. I understand the distrust. Please, sit across from me in such a way that I can reach where you need help."

Reo does as indicated, parting his kimono in a way that reveals the bony, gristled and twisted leg underneath without revealing the parts reserved for Ninube concealed.

Reeaaaally don't want her thinking she needs to "steal that back". Or maybe I do...

[Saru Shang]

"Dependin' on what kinda turtle," Akutou says, "there's a surprisin' amount o' meat on 'em. Often rich, too.

"An' there's this, too: what it takes a lotta gettin' to get is us'lly what folks value. Think on it; are y' more proud o' what come easy, or what y' had t' work hard t' do?"

Shang found herself glancing around for a moment. She supposed her words could constitute as political commentary but honestly, she thought that the crab that people catch from nearby water sources for sustenance were not worth the trouble of eating. "That's a fair point. Maybe one day I'll come across a settlement in my travels where the only thing they have is crab and be happy there is food at all."

She grimaced at the Reo preparing himself for the ritual, her voice immediately lowering behind her fan. "No chance that's something from one of your turtle recipes, right?"

[Otomo Akutou]

She grimaced at the Reo preparing himself for the ritual, her voice immediately lowering behind her fan. "No chance that's something from one of your turtle recipes, right?"

Akutou shakes his head.

"No'm," he says. "Trip t' th' south, if'n I recollect m' lessons correctly."

[Wu Dai Lu]

Reo does as indicated, parting his kimono in a way that reveals the bony, gristled and twisted leg underneath without revealing the parts reserved for Ninube concealed.

Reeaaaally don't want her thinking she needs to "steal that back". Or maybe I do...

She places a hand lightly on the gnarled leg, on his calf toward the ankle. She seemed to show no interest in how high the kimono spread went. "This has been... this way for a long time, ne? I'll do my best."

"Please close your eyes and concentrate as hard as you can on your image of yourself, with both legs as perfect reflections of one another." She closed her eyes, apparently concentrating.

[Shiba Kumori]

Zhe observes the deteriorating mood and decides to step closer to the imperial princess for some quiet words

''Your highness.'' he bows ''While skepticism is wise in the face of the unknown, the aggression and open distrust exhibited can only help the enemy. Perhaps we should reduce our numbers here to give the peace''

“I wouldn’t turn anyone away from watching if they so choose… Let as many see what happens here as truthfully as their own eyes can perceive…” She replied gently.

“If there are attempts towards violence… then we should escort the offenders away.”

[Reiko Ohta]

Ohta did not move to far away from Reo; Giving enough space for the ritual, but close enough to assist as always. Not that she was sure how she would assist, but at least this close she could more clearly hear what was said. Which she wrote down.