The Day of Thunder

The fight had apparently been a pretty savage one, and given the persons involved, that was no surprise.

But the same collection of personalities meant that Sora was... concerned.

Matsu, Shinsei, Satsuki, and Ayako.

Fuck me running, it's miracle the damn village is still standing.

Only the archer, Sugri, wasn't someone he had much of an opinion on.

That's where Matsu dropped. Those scorch marks must be Satsuki's work...

The Imperial Librarian, sometime babysitter, and increasingly irritable Master of the Willow Sect shook his head and snarled.

I should have been here, but I was tucked up in my fucking tent having fucking visions. None of them covered this.

And Ukyou... the Crow. Karasu. Kichi's mentor...

This is very, very bad. Struck us right where we can least afford it.

On with the game face, old man. Time for some of your inspirational oratory.

"Fuck."

"Come to magical eye some answers while there are still some leftover things to look at old man?

Because I could also help myself to a full service of understanding of what's going on."

The voice came from a Kai in arms and armor, sweating profusely from her unintended morning marathon.

"Or just to pick at the blood and bones left over."

He sighed.

"Seems Shinsei got in over his head with whatever in hell he's been doing. Not the first time, but could be the worst time. So many people here on his say-so, this is going to hit hard."

"I didn't know him that well. Or at all really. But I understand people looked up to him for hope in these dark times.

Hope is eternal. Its beacons are not. Did he leave a disciple or someone who could pick up the torch? I'm afraid of what could happen if people succumb to despair tonight."

Since the player wasn't sure if Shinsei had survived the fight or not, particularly since if ANYONE was packing Great Destiny it'd be Shinsei, Sora... shrugged, and decided to list some people who were almost definitely alive.

"Well. There's Nozomi. And Kichi. And me, far as it goes, although that stretches the word 'disciple' a bit far. And if it's hope you want, there's always Kumori."

"Except for you, I have no idea who any of these people is."

"Two monks and a princess, Kai. Two monks and a princess. I kinda reckon the princess will carry more weight with most of the more.... stubborn samurai here."

"Which princess? Half the people there are direct blood children of the Kami.

Likewise, there are more than two monks around."

He cocked his head at her.

"Could always go around introducing yourself, and see who you turn up... but as it happens, Nozomi is an old friend of mine. Very pale lady. And Kichi and I share a past acquaintance. He's a rather handsome fellow, and a little less dark than Nozomi is pale. As for Kumori... we may have other children of the Kami present, but only one whose safety I guarded in her tender years. She's the daughter of our Emperor, and shares his virtues. Including, unfortunately, his willingness to set himself on fire to keep someone else from catching a chill."

He sighed.

"So of course I'm painfully proud of her."

"Okay, so a couple of monks, one white, one black, and... I suppose the princess isn't literally on fire or I should have noticed her. Does she have a sword that's magically aflame when unsheathed or some other obvious ways in which she stands out? Samurai who feels like the whole world is going to collapse if they aren't here to help bear it is an apt description for a lot of people around there."

"She's got a tendency to smirk during her downtime, she h spoke up at the party last night, and if you really want to find her, she's the only person with the family name Shiba in the whole damned region."

"Can't say I managed to see, hear, or smell anything at the party yesterday except for the people immediately next to me. There was such a crowd I wouldn't be surprised a few attendants just materialized out of thin air to join the fun.

The smirk isn't helping much either. It's safe to say people who came to this expedition have a type.

The name, maybe? If it's attached to a particular symbol. Does she have a Crowned Phoenix on her back?"

"No, she came here incognito, intent on being just a masked wanderer. Then she decided that was silly."

He shrugged.

"She was the one wearing the fox mask for the first day or two here, if that helps."

"Oh, her.

Okay, but if she isn't wearing the fox mask anymore, how am I supposed to recognize her?

I mean, I, me, myself, could recognize her from scent. However, how is supposed someone who hasn't met her yet to identify her as an important person?

There's a reason chieftains and shamans wear silly things in their hair. It makes everyone knows at first glance they are in charge of something, and thus that someone around there is in charge of something.

Did she exchange her mask for a crown? Or a different mask, still fox-like, but more regal and showing more of her face?"

Nearby the Crane duelist was observing the scene while playing her shamisen. She observed and voiced words, "Maybe it's too soon.... to do this right..."

OOC: Shamisen | 5k3 ⇒ 41

"Speaking of princesses..."

A pair of them, as Nao also arrived. San was not with, having been told to stay at their tent. Quietly, the Bat looked around, trying to understand the story.

"The guard who was here... the last one to get hurt does anyone know his name?"

Kenji was a little late to arrive on the scene, having awoke only a short time before, but he was interested in what had happened here, so he did eventually make his way over.

It wasn't surprising if course to see that it was relatively crowded of course and he offered polite nods to those he knew as he looked the area over.