The Day of Thunder

[Doji Hikaru]

Draw and cut. Draw and cut.

The garden was pleasant, perhaps even soporific. But Hikaru did not sleep. Indeed, the young man was fairly active, practicing his cut again and again. It was a smooth motion, the blade sliding from its sheathe, completing a smooth cut, circling around, and returned to its home. Trained eyes would be impressed by the grace and near-perfection with which Hikaru moved.

The best eyes, though, would be able to see the flaws. The draw just a little too long, clearing the sheathe by a fraction more than necessary. A bit of extra tension in his arm as he swept it across his body. Hikaru was good enough to know these things, but not good enough to correct them without practice. Would he ever be? One day might he stand among the masters like Lord Nanzi, or Lord Kakita?

Would his skills ever be enough?

Hikaru's sword snapped back into his sheathe with a click; he sighed, brushing a hand through his hair, his white lock tumbling down his shoulder. He glanced around, regaining awareness of his surroundings.

[Ryoshun Yukara]

A woman was watching him.

It was hard to say how long she had been there. She had the stationary quality of a cat observing a bird.

When he met her gaze, she simply nodded, as if unwilling to interrupt of her own accord.

[Doji Hikaru]

Hikaru had already interrupted himself, however. Breaking the flow... well, while he could get it started again easily enough, it was also a fine time to take a break. He paused a moment, carefully wiping some sweat from his brow, tugging his kimono back into proper place.

That done, he turned to fully face the... Bat? Yes, Bat samurai who watched him. How long had she been there? It didn't matter. Hikaru bowed.

"Ryoshun-san." He greeted her. "This one is Doji Hikaru. What brings you to these gardens this morning?" His tone was polite.

[Ryoshun Yukara]

She contemplated the question, and then replied with "Nothing in particular that I can see, That One Doji Hikaru Sama. I simply needed a place to sleep and it had fine trees with shade from the rain."

A pause, as if she were processing some ill used internal manual of manners, and then she offered, awkwardly, "I am Yukara. Ryoshun Yukara."

[Doji Hikaru]

"I see." Hikaru said, just as politely. If he saw anything wrong with her manners, nothing of it showed in his answer or on his face.

He took a deep breath. Perhaps he had grown more winded than he thought. "You are a recent arrival, then?" It was only half a question. He frowned suddenly. "You should know, if you do not already, that Ryoshun Nao-sama is here. I believe she travelled here herself." The pig didn't really count.

[Ryoshun Yukara]

"Oh." Yukara seemed unaware of who that was, if her lack of reaction was any indication.

"I did arrive only a day ago. I was caught up in my task before I came." A pause. "I didn't expect so many people from so far... were you all invited by the man with the rock?"

[Doji Hikaru]

Hikaru frowned. "You mean Shinsei-sensei?" He blinked. "You are familiar with Shinsei, are you not? He is considered to be the wisest man in the Emperor."

He cleared his throat. "May I ask what your task was, Ryoshun-san? Is it how you served the Bat?" Hikaru's brow furrowed. This was a strange conversation.

[Akodo Kenji]

This garden was weird, and its presence in the small village set off some sort of weird alarm bells in Kenji's head. After all no self-respecting small village would put so many resources into such a thing, not when it could be well maintained farmland. Not to mention how it felt so serene and peaceful. It was obvious there was spirits at work here and he was going to do his best to find it.

Eyes and ears open for something out of place, he hardly noted the presence of the other humans as he made his investigations, far too intent on the mystery in front of him.

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This garden is weird. Mostly Fluffy investigation/perception. | 6k3 ⇒ 30

[Ryoshun Yukara]

"OH? I didn't realize. He didn't say... he just gave me some advice. Cryptic. Very enlightened."

She shrugged and shifted her balance onto one foot, seemingly without realizing.

"I was helping a magistrate visit outlying villages. Trying to stop people getting too... unbalanced. And cleaning up if they did."

As the lion wandered past, he got an appraising glare, as if checking if he was also caught in the throes of... imbalance.

[Doji Hikaru]

Hikaru stared at her a long moment before speak. "I see." He finally said. "I, too, have fought against the spread of corruption. Is it bad in Bat lands?"

This garden was weird, and its presence in the small village set off some sort of weird alarm bells in Kenji's head. After all no self-respecting small village would put so many resources into such a thing, not when it could be well maintained farmland. Not to mention how it felt so serene and peaceful. It was obvious there was spirits at work here and he was going to do his best to find it.

Eyes and ears open for something out of place, he hardly noted the presence of the other humans as he made his investigations, far too intent on the mystery in front of him.

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This garden is weird. Mostly Fluffy investigation/perception. | 6k3 ⇒ 30

Hikaru frowned as he watched the Lion samurai walking around. Looking at things. "Good morning, Akodo-san." He called to the other samurai, bowing.

[Akodo Kenji]

Kenji looked up at the sound of someone calling for him. At least it was likely for him. "Good morning, Doji-san." He offered after a moment with a bow in return, turning to the bat to over another to her. "Ryoshun-san." He continued.

"My apologies if I disturbed your conversation."

[Doji Hikaru]

Hikaru shook his head. "The beauty of the garden is for everyone to share, Akodo-san. Or if it is not, no one told me otherwise."

He bowed. "My name is Doji Hikaru." He would allow Yukara to introduce herself.

[Akodo Kenji]

"If I'm right no one would of told you." Kenji offered somewhat vaguely. It would just go poorly for the villagers if they talked after all. Spirits could be like that after all.

He shook his head. "But it is good to meet you Doji-san, I'm Akodo Kenji."

[Doji Hikaru]

Blankly, Hikaru nodded. "I see." He said. He didn't actually see, not really, but that was the proper thing to say.

He cleared his throat. "Did you travel alone to this village? I had the honor of travelling with Lady Makime, in fact."

[Ryoshun Yukara]

Hikaru stared at her a long moment before speak. "I see." He finally said. "I, too, have fought against the spread of corruption. Is it bad in Bat lands?"

Hikaru frowned as he watched the Lion samurai walking around. Looking at things. "Good morning, Akodo-san." He called to the other samurai, bowing.

"I do not know if it is better or worse... but I would view it as bad. Madness is rarely good."

And then the Lion came and they were discussing travel, and so Yukara sat and observed, expression still bland and eyes travelling from man to man, that feline mannerism vaguely unsettling.

While they talked, she took a moment to center herself and find her balance in the world, as she did every morning.

"I traveled alone."

It was volunteered, perhaps in case anyone planned to ask and she could save them some time?

[Akodo Kenji]

Blankly, Hikaru nodded. "I see." He said. He didn't actually see, not really, but that was the proper thing to say.

He cleared his throat. "Did you travel alone to this village? I had the honor of travelling with Lady Makime, in fact."

"Yes, I haven't yet come across any sign of a spirit or anything But it's just too odd to have a garden like this in such a small town." Kenji replied with a nod before shifting towards the other topic.

"But yes, I traveled alone much like her." He gestured towards Yukara. "Word came too late for me to join Lady Makime's party."

[Ryoshun Yukara]

"Which word came to you?"

Yukara inquired, leaning against her bisento with an odd ease - as if it were quite natural to lean against a stick braced against nothing.

"This is such a varied gathering, I wonder if we all came as answer to the same call."

[Doji Hikaru]

"Yes, I haven't yet come across any sign of a spirit or anything But it's just too odd to have a garden like this in such a small town." Kenji replied with a nod before shifting towards the other topic.

"But yes, I traveled alone much like her." He gestured towards Yukara. "Word came too late for me to join Lady Makime's party."

Hikaru frowned. "Maybe. In Crane lands, perhaps not. But we are far from Crane lands." Maybe also Dragon lands... still it meant nothing more to Hikaru than a curious frown.

"Which word came to you?"

Yukara inquired, leaning against her bisento with an odd ease - as if it were quite natural to lean against a stick braced against nothing.

"This is such a varied gathering, I wonder if we all came as answer to the same call."

Hikaru glanced at the strange woman, then gently shook his head. "I have met some who came here based on a strange feeling." He frowned again. "Unless that is what you meant."

He looked around. "This is a strange place." He said simply.

[Ryoshun Yukara]

"It is."

Yukara shrugged. "Normally a place this... unusual... has already turned. That all present are still themselves is itself strange. I keep expecting something to go awry, and it makes me itch."

The way she said it made it almost sound like she was offended by the lack of monsters attacking her, but perhaps that was just how she talked?

"Do you know anything about this festival? Do you plan to take part?"

[Akodo Kenji]

Hikaru frowned. "Maybe. In Crane lands, perhaps not. But we are far from Crane lands." Maybe also Dragon lands... still it meant nothing more to Hikaru than a curious frown.

Hikaru glanced at the strange woman, then gently shook his head. "I have met some who came here based on a strange feeling." He frowned again. "Unless that is what you meant."

He looked around. "This is a strange place." He said simply.
[/quote]

"That is what I mean, this garden is so well maintained and cleverly designed. It's not the sort of thing you would fine just anywhere. Add to that how peaceful it is here." He shrugged. "It just feels a bit unnatural."

Turning towards Yukara he offered that answer he could. "I heard that Lady Makime was traveling to this village here and escorts were needed. I unfortunately was to far a field to make it before she left, but I did my best to catch up." Though now that he thought about it, it was a bit odd that she left before he got there.