The Day of Thunder

[Canary]

The veranda around the house has a few people milling about, but it's quite a bit quieter than the garden. Enrou is settled out here, a pipe in hand.

[Ryoshun Yukara]

At the farthest edge of the porch, Yukara sat in her only spare clothes, her attire from the day before having been torn and bloodstained, and needing a bit of time and effort to repair. Something she was not particularly equipped to do at the moment, as evidenced by the tied sleeve hanging loosely from her right shoulder.

Her dark hair had been washed and combed out, and hung in two curtains to either side of her pale face as she attempted to balance a small plate on her knees, clumsily eating a very small bowl of rice with a spoon. Beside her was a clay jug of sake, unopened thus far. She had already had nearly an entire waking day to adjust to her new self.

It wasn't enough, but she was getting there.

It did make conversation with the villagers a little awkward, so she had moved to somewhere quiet to try not to get too overwhelmed.

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

Ayako had stopped by that evening to check on how Shizuku and Yukara were doing, and to see if Enrou needed any more help.

Her dark hair had been washed and combed out, and hung in two curtains to either side of her pale face as she attempted to balance a small plate on her knees, clumsily eating a very small bowl of rice with a spoon. Beside her was a clay jug of sake, unopened thus far.

"Can I help open that jug for you?" the Crab offered in a low voice. "I'm Ayako, I ... was here when you were brought in."

[Ryoshun Yukara]

"Oh!"

Yukara started, surprised by the woman's question. She had been absorbed with the task of handling the spoon with her off-hand, attempting to avoid throwing rice all over herself. Well, that particular ship had now sailed.

Chuckling humorlessly, she brushed herself off, still finding herself trying to use a hand that wasn't there anymore, as though at any moment it may re-appear. "If you like, I worry I will just spill it all if I open it too soon - I believe myself capable of but a single task at a time." Looking up at Ayako, she smiled weakly. "I am sorry, I must have been a mess. They said a crab helped with the surgery. Was that you?"

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"If you like, I worry I will just spill it all if I open it too soon - I believe myself capable of but a single task at a time." Looking up at Ayako, she smiled weakly. "I am sorry, I must have been a mess. They said a crab helped with the surgery. Was that you?"

"Yes, that was me," Ayako said with a small smile. She picked up the jug and unstoppered it, then placed it on the ground on Yukara's good side. "I heard you were injured fighting those unnatural wolves. You must've been very brave."

[Ryoshun Yukara]

"Yes, that was me," Ayako said with a small smile. She picked up the jug and unstoppered it, then placed it on the ground on Yukara's good side. "I heard you were injured fighting those unnatural wolves. You must've been very brave."

"Thank you for helping save my life. I owe you a debt, Ayako-sama.

Yukara seemed to struggle for words, memories of the battle still jumbled with her nightmares in her weary mind.

"I do not know if it is bravery to fight what you have hunted for many years-what took away your home and family... I was selfish. I wanted to bring her down myself. I put myself in harms way and then could not run. To fight then was only natural."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"I do not know if it is bravery to fight what you have hunted for many years-what took away your home and family... I was selfish. I wanted to bring her down myself. I put myself in harms way and then could not run. To fight then was only natural."

"Those beasts would have ravaged the village if someone didn't stop them," Ayako pointed out. "To put yourself in harm's way to stop them... I'd still call that brave. I think the villagers would say the same."

[Kaijarisuigyo]

Kai was coming in and out of the house continuously, as if she couldn't make up her mind about whether she preferred to be inside where it was warm and outside where it was fresh.

The quantity of food on her plate appeared to never diminish although there were more and more crumbs alongside her portion with each round trip.

[Saru Shang]

After grabbing a cup full of local spirits, Shang wanderings around the house would eventually bring her out to the porch where a part of the gathering would be found. It was less busy here but she didn't mind it, so long as the drinks were flowing and the food was free. She didn't even have to earn it, either!

For the occasion, she wore her slightly more fanciful robes, a hanfu that was light green and tan tones, almost reminiscent of a scheme of a bamboo clearing. After being on the road for a few months, it was the one outfit she would wear on more elaborate occasions such as this one.

[Ryoshun Yukara]

"Those beasts would have ravaged the village if someone didn't stop them," Ayako pointed out. "To put yourself in harm's way to stop them... I'd still call that brave. I think the villagers would say the same."

"I suppose you are right. I simply followed the dictates of my heart."

Yukara offered her best attempt at a smile. "It did at least work out better for me than for them, I think."

She was trying to convince herself of that, at any rate.

"If you would like to unseal the jug, I would be happy to share it with one of those who saved my life."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"If you would like to unseal the jug, I would be happy to share it with one of those who saved my life."

"I only helped a little, Enrou and Nao did all the skilled work," Ayako protested. But the young Crab returned Yukara's smile as she unstoppered the jug and poured two cups.

[Ryoshun Yukara]

"And I only slew the alpha - The horsewoman and other warriors slew the pack and saved the villagers. We all play our parts, Ayako-sana."

Yukara was not having any preferential treatment, it seemed.

"Besides. I do not think Enrou-sam would approve of me drinking this entire bottle alone."

Setting down the bowl carefully, she picked up the less full of the two cups, her hand still shaky, and toasted, "Kampai. To the future."

She even managed to drink it without spilling, which was a step in the right direction.

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"Kampai!" Ayako downed her own cup quickly, then released an "ahhh!" of appreciation.

"So, I wonder why the village headwoman called us all here," she commented conversationally. "Surely they can't have a celebration every night. Or maybe they can? I guess it is a festival."

[Ryoshun Yukara]

"Indeed. I would assume they don't throw a party this extravagant every dinner."

To Yukara this was perhaps the most extravagant she had ever seen.

Setting the cup down, she rested her hand in her lap, gazing across the grounds, adding, "I do not recognize your clan symbols, but they are similar to the ones worn by another warrior who fought with me. Could you tell me about your clan, about yourself? I am curious about this empire - I have seen so little of it, this gathering has made me aware of how little I know."

[Kaijarisuigyo]

snip

Being surrounded by people who (Crab expected and according to their character descriptions) were rather on the skinny side, Kai decided she should bring more food from inside and dish it up to all these famished humans. Hence why she was now carrying out a large plate of fish and rice:

"Another serving disciple of the Dragon? Humans require extra nutrients to keep their strength as temperature gets colder."

[Enrou]

"Besides. I do not think Enrou-sam would approve of me drinking this entire bottle alone."

"If it helps you cope, it helps you cope," the man himself observed from where he was sitting on the porch, smoke emerging from his mouth as he spoke before he blew it out properly.

[Saru Shang]

Being surrounded by people who (Crab expected and according to their character descriptions) were rather on the skinny side, Kai decided she should bring more food from inside and dish it up to all these famished humans. Hence why she was now carrying out a large plate of fish and rice:

"Another serving disciple of the Dragon? Humans require extra nutrients to keep their strength as temperature gets colder."

"Uhm, oh!" Shang exclaimed when Kai presented her with a plate of food. She might have seen her around in passing. Was she one of the locals this entire time? Nevertheless, she gingerly took some of the offered food with her hand, assuming that they were serving them in ways that could be eaten informally. That was presumably the method it was served if people were free to wander without a strict table setting.

"...Thank you, I was just thinking that I could use more drink with my food. I mean, the food that I have yet to have and that you've given me." Her response was a bit stumbly, maybe she was caught by surprise or had a bit too much early on. "Thank you! Are you one of the locals here? I don't think we've been acquainted yet."

[Kaijarisuigyo]

snip

"Kai."

She didn't risk a bow while carrying the plate.

"My place of coming into the world is on the other side of your territory actually. Near the cascade that people say is holy, some because Shinsei drank there, some because older sacred things used to drink there.

I'm sure we can acquire more tea in the kitchen. As for fermented beverages, I would advise against them. Their consumption always ends with awakening with a headache and Monkey having stolen some important thing from you or Spider having made you confess some secret of yours."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

Setting the cup down, she rested her hand in her lap, gazing across the grounds, adding, "I do not recognize your clan symbols, but they are similar to the ones worn by another warrior who fought with me. Could you tell me about your clan, about yourself? I am curious about this empire - I have seen so little of it, this gathering has made me aware of how little I know."

"Oh~~! Well, I'm of the Crab Clan," Ayako explained. "We're followers of Lord Hida, and for me, Lord Yoshitsune. We're mostly warriors, though there are some merchants and shugenja. The Emperor has tasked us with establishing control of a large part of the northern mountains. We're gradually settling the area, but ... well, there's a lot of mountains. So it's something of a work in progress."

"If it helps you cope, it helps you cope," the man himself observed from where he was sitting on the porch, smoke emerging from his mouth as he spoke before he blew it out properly.

"Well, then! Doctor's orders," Ayako said with an impish grin as she picked up the jug again and refilled Yukara's cup.

[Saru Shang]

"Kai."

She didn't risk a bow while carrying the plate.

"My place of coming into the world is on the other side of your territory actually. Near the cascade that people say is holy, some because Shinsei drank there, some because older sacred things used to drink there.

I'm sure we can acquire more tea in the kitchen. As for fermented beverages, I would advise against them. Their consumption always ends with awakening with a headache and Monkey having stolen some important thing from you or Spider having made you confess some secret of yours."

Shang was perhaps in mid-gulp of her cup when Kai mentioned the fermented beverages which made her eyebrows raise. However, that didn't exactly deter her when she gingerly gulped down her mouthful before speaking once more. "Oh, I'm sure I'll be just fine, Kai-san. That's the thing with fermented beverages, if you don't drink them then somebody will and then you end up in a situation where they'll have too much and end up in such a situation. There's something about sharing the workload so that nobody ends up in a compromising situation, it's quite responsible, actually. I think given the situation, this communal cooperation we have hear is something everyone will appreciate."

She took another sip of her cup as she gathered her next thought. "Your place is rather interesting. Is it close by chance? I'm always open to new places to visit. Wherever inspiration lives, I will go!"