The Day of Thunder

[Anjing]

"I love reading!" Ohta chirped before composing herself, calming and blushing before continuing, "I will admit, I do like hearing the stories from other people first hand too. About different experiences, parts of the Empire, the lands beyond, the past... It is nice that they can be preserved though and spread across the lands, since there are so many people across such a large land, and people are lost over time..."

"Ha! Passion is good." The Spider's enthusiasm is infectious and despite the setting Anjing finds herself not wholly not enjoying the evening. First the Clanless girl and now this herbal scholar.

"Well then no wonder you know so much, you're packing other peoples' thoughts into your own head. You should come to our lands one day, if you promise to provide us with copies of anything you write you're welcome to see if there's anything that interests you here or in the north beyond the mountains."
A little more sombrely. "And preserving what would otherwise would be lost is important. My people consider that one of our most important duties. If you tell someone's stories then even after they are gone a part of them remains. If you never speak of them....then it is as though they never lived."

[Reiko Ohta]

snip

"Hai, the second death."

She paused a moment, thinking.

"Anjing, Anjing... Crab lands then? I have been to the very border of Crab lands before, picking up a package. There is supposed to be a Crab outpost or castle of some sort about a five day's journey northwest of where I grew up. Up in the mountains. Thus why the trading village I went to is starting to build up where it is. Where in Crab lands do you come from, Anjing-dono?"

[Anjing]

"Hai, the second death."

She paused a moment, thinking.

"Anjing, Anjing... Crab lands then? I have been to the very border of Crab lands before, picking up a package. There is supposed to be a Crab outpost or castle of some sort about a five day's journey northwest of where I grew up. Up in the mountains. Thus why the trading village I went to is starting to build up where it is. Where in Crab lands do you come from, Anjing-dono?"

"About 6,000 Li south here where they are Crab Lands no more. But these days I travel between Kyuden Hida and our villages and outposts, sometimes that means walking the mountains east and west. It sounds like you were near one of the eastern outposts? When they grow worthy of a name we will supply one. Still, it is good the outpost can help support your people who will hopefully aid it in return."

With a slight frown. "Those warriors are far from home and face a difficult duty, anything that can ease that is appreciated. You are from the north then?"

[Reiko Ohta]

With a slight frown. "Those warriors are far from home and face a difficult duty, anything that can ease that is appreciated. You are from the north then?"

"Hai. I am of the Spider Clan, so the northeast edge of the Empire. I trained in the Spider Archives on the southern edge of the Great Forest, but grew up in a larger community west of the forest, between it and the mountains. A very beautiful land."

[Anjing]

"Hai. I am of the Spider Clan, so the northeast edge of the Empire. I trained in the Spider Archives on the southern edge of the Great Forest, but grew up in a larger community west of the forest, between it and the mountains. A very beautiful land."

"But not always an easy one to survive in. Still you are right, it is rugged and beautiful despite the cold."
She glares at the fog.
"I'm not sure I'll ever truly love the weather up here, even if most is not as cursed as this. I have never had an opportunity to visit the archives, I imagine they are quite impressive, no? What does training their entail? How do you school someone in such things?"

[Reiko Ohta]

"I'm not sure I'll ever truly love the weather up here, even if most is not as cursed as this. I have never had an opportunity to visit the archives, I imagine they are quite impressive, no? What does training their entail? How do you school someone in such things?"

"That depends, Anjing-dono; What impresses you? As to the training... it is a lot of reading, a lot of experimenting, a lot of trips out into those forests and mountains for hands on lessons."

She followed Anjings eyes and shook her head, "This weather certainly wouldn't be usual where I'm from."

[Kai]

"It is hard to know, but it's still important to try and rest at some point. Otherwise, you might just fall over at important moment, and that would be for the best. Especially with the way things are. Better to try and sleep somewhere safe or at least as safe as it can be then to pass out who knows where."

"Any advice on how to do so? I don't think anywhere is where the dreaded fog is, is safe." He sighed.

[Anjing]

"That depends, Anjing-dono; What impresses you? As to the training... it is a lot of reading, a lot of experimenting, a lot of trips out into those forests and mountains for hands on lessons."

She followed Anjings eyes and shook her head, "This weather certainly wouldn't be usual where I'm from."

"Impresses me? Hmmm, well, are they large?" That seemed like a good impressive baseline. "Sounds a bit more hands on than I would have expected. A good thing, you need to be out in the world if you want to learn anything outside of a scroll."

Still glaring at the fog.
"I've seen conditions like this for a day or 2 in the mountains if the weather is particularly bad, but this cursed mist blankets everything. It's a perfect cover for monsters and other creatures."

[Akodo Kenji]

"Any advice on how to do so? I don't think anywhere is where the dreaded fog is, is safe." He sighed.

"You might try and chat with one of the various priests here. They would likely have a finer way go deal with these things then I."

"They might not be able to drive off the fog, but they might be able to use their prayers to provide someplace safe."

"Although." He said after a moment. "I did receive a potion from the villagers that us supposed to allow for a restful night's sleep."

[Isawa Kyosei]

A man wanders into the garden. He took the time to (very) quickly wash, but it didn't help as much as might be hoped. Since that point he has somehow managed to pick up more dust.

Honestly, he looks like a low ranking merchant, one of the wandering ones.

Which, to be fair, he sort of is. Sort of.

But, he is also a fairly proficient spirit-speaker, and has contacts all over the Empire.

Little of which shows on his person at the moment, however. Instead, he looks like a weary wanderer, who hovers near one of the braziers, trying to stay warm.

[Reiko Ohta]

"Impresses me? Hmmm, well, are they large?" That seemed like a good impressive baseline. "Sounds a bit more hands on than I would have expected. A good thing, you need to be out in the world if you want to learn anything outside of a scroll."

Still glaring at the fog.
"I've seen conditions like this for a day or 2 in the mountains if the weather is particularly bad, but this cursed mist blankets everything. It's a perfect cover for monsters and other creatures."

"Well, there's a lake and waterfall to the west of where I grew up, a place that's supposed to be a religious pilgrimage of sorts. I know they see a lot of fog there certain days... As to the archives, I've not seen larger certainly. But then, I've not seen any other proper archives. Only small one room scroll collections and libraries."

[Anjing]

"Well, there's a lake and waterfall to the west of where I grew up, a place that's supposed to be a religious pilgrimage of sorts. I know they see a lot of fog there certain days... As to the archives, I've not seen larger certainly. But then, I've not seen any other proper archives. Only small one room scroll collections and libraries."

Anjing raises an eyebrow. "Well, why haven't you? The end of the world is here and you've missed out. A good lesson in the importance of acting sooner rather than later I should think. Do you have plans once this is all over? Should we survive it could be a good opportunity to stop and re-examine what we are doing and what we value."

[Reiko Ohta]

Anjing raises an eyebrow. "Well, why haven't you? The end of the world is here and you've missed out. A good lesson in the importance of acting sooner rather than later I should think. Do you have plans once this is all over? Should we survive it could be a good opportunity to stop and re-examine what we are doing and what we value."

Ohta blushed slightly, "I'm only twenty years of age, Anjing-sama. I only graduated from my studies two years ago or so. And since that, I've been so busy, between my duties and studying the Maddness..."

[Anjing]

Ohta blushed slightly, "I'm only twenty years of age, Anjing-sama. I only graduated from my studies two years ago or so. And since that, I've been so busy, between my duties and studying the Maddness..."

"Sounds like you've got good knees, plenty of youthful energy and an accuse to travel far and wide seeing and reading all you can."
She crosses her arms, her expression amused.
"If not now, when? If not you, who? Hmmm? Do not delay on what is important or age and duty will wear you down."

[Reiko Ohta]

"Sounds like you've got good knees, plenty of youthful energy and an accuse to travel far and wide seeing and reading all you can."
She crosses her arms, her expression amused.
"If not now, when? If not you, who? Hmmm? Do not delay on what is important or age and duty will wear you down."

"But... mmm."

Ohta had other ideas, objections. But there was no reason to bring them up; This wasn't a debate, just some advice from a more experienced samurai-ko.

"I will keep that in mind. Certainly, there are things one cannot discover staying close to home. And it is very easy to come up with excuses. But you bring up good counterpoints to staying within the usual avenues."

[Anjing]

"But... mmm."

Ohta had other ideas, objections. But there was no reason to bring them up; This wasn't a debate, just some advice from a more experienced samurai-ko.

"I will keep that in mind. Certainly, there are things one cannot discover staying close to home. And it is very easy to come up with excuses. But you bring up good counterpoints to staying within the usual avenues."

She chuckles. "Perhaps not convinced yet? No matter, so long as you are doing something worthwhile that is good enough. Just make sure you don't leave behind any regrets. If you do, you'll find yourself trapped at some party full of food you don't want to eat lecturing someone younger than your daughters about what she should be doing."

[Reiko Ohta]

She chuckles. "Perhaps not convinced yet? No matter, so long as you are doing something worthwhile that is good enough. Just make sure you don't leave behind any regrets. If you do, you'll find yourself trapped at some party full of food you don't want to eat lecturing someone younger than your daughters about what she should be doing."

Ohta's eyebrows went up, "You think it's possible to live without regrets? And besides, there is no way I can be younger than your daughters, Anjing-sama. You certainly appear younger than my parents, or my sensei."

[Anjing]

Ohta's eyebrows went up, "You think it's possible to live without regrets? And besides, there is no way I can be younger than your daughters, Anjing-sama. You certainly appear younger than my parents, or my sensei."

"Without any? Perhaps if moments after being born you were tossed off a cliff. Without many is the goal, big regrets, not wishing you ate something different from lunch or finding yourself outside in a thunderstorm, regrets that matter."

She raises an eyebrow back.
"Well there's no harm in a little flattery I suppose. Perhaps the years don't show as much on my face as they weigh on my soul. Perhaps the secret to fewer wrinkles is such extreme stress all the new wrinkles cancel one another out?"

[Reiko Ohta]

"Without any? Perhaps if moments after being born you were tossed off a cliff. Without many is the goal, big regrets, not wishing you ate something different from lunch or finding yourself outside in a thunderstorm, regrets that matter."

She raises an eyebrow back.
"Well there's no harm in a little flattery I suppose. Perhaps the years don't show as much on my face as they weigh on my soul. Perhaps the secret to fewer wrinkles is such extreme stress all the new wrinkles cancel one another out?"

"Perhaps then this 'all-important-quest' for the fate of the realms the Teacher talks about shall leave me wrinkleless until the end of my days. I shall not object if so. For now though, I think I shall get back to the plants; It seems most people have found what they're here for, and I should get back to mine."

[Anjing]

"Perhaps then this 'all-important-quest' for the fate of the realms the Teacher talks about shall leave me wrinkleless until the end of my days. I shall not object if so. For now though, I think I shall get back to the plants; It seems most people have found what they're here for, and I should get back to mine."

"Of course child, there is still much to do. Fortunes watch over you and let us pray a few wrinkles is the worst to come of all of this."
She nods politely at the Spider.

((Thanks for the RP ))