The Day of Thunder

[Doji Hikaru]

Hikaru nodded. "I've fought before. Tainted things. Samurai who turned to corruption." He grimaced. "I found them more distasteful in their way than bandits or the like." He met her gaze. "But thank you. Such praise means a great deal from one of your prowess."

He continued to work, carefully polishing one piece after the other. And brushing the mud from his clothes, and face, and hair, as best as could be done without an actual bath.

Frowning, Hikaru looked at the pot. "Tai-san helped me a great deal, I think. I still owe her some tea, actually." Reaching over, he carefully nudged the pot, shifting its position over the fire, giving it a satisfied nod as he did so. "How long have you known her?"

[Anjing]

Hikaru nodded. "I've fought before. Tainted things. Samurai who turned to corruption." He grimaced. "I found them more distasteful in their way than bandits or the like." He met her gaze. "But thank you. Such praise means a great deal from one of your prowess."

He continued to work, carefully polishing one piece after the other. And brushing the mud from his clothes, and face, and hair, as best as could be done without an actual bath.

Frowning, Hikaru looked at the pot. "Tai-san helped me a great deal, I think. I still owe her some tea, actually." Reaching over, he carefully nudged the pot, shifting its position over the fire, giving it a satisfied nod as he did so. "How long have you known her?"

"I actually can't stand the bandits. Corruption is corruption, might be the rot was accidental. Bandits, well there are always hard times, but they're a lot harder when folks are stealing from one another. Now days we have plenty of food and work for anyone who could manage banditry, I'll have no peace with them."
She tsks.

"Oh, Tai did? Sounds like her. You make sure to listen when she speaks, she's the wisest woman I know. Never let it get to her head though, always grounded, practical. Good home, good family."
Lowering her voice.
"And very powerful with the spirits, feels the earth something fierce, hence the grounded I guess. Let's see, how long have I know here."
She scatters a few herbs into the pot.

"More than twenty year now....twenty five? We met at the tournament, but there was some shared history. Both picked Hida and that was that, she's being keeping me sane every since."
She leans over and sniffs the strong vapours coming off the water.

"You ever have someone like that? Someone you could always trust?"

[Doji Hikaru]

"I do. I will." Hikaru assured Anjing, nodding. "Although I admit, she did not seem to be the sort to let something go to her head. Very, ah, earthy, in fact." Hikaru spread one hand apologetically. The pun was unintentional.

He watched as she added more herbs, leaning forward to frown. "What sort of tea is that?" Hikaru asked, his polite tone a bit at odds with his creasing forehead.

Anjing's description made Hikaru smile gently, but her question made him frown. "For that long?" A few moments, and he shook his head. "I... might say Lady Doji. But it is not the same." Hikaru said, still frowning. "I trust her completely, of course. Whatever she says is my truth. But it does not feel the same. I would not confide in her, for instance; it would not be appropriate."

[Anjing]

Snip

"Well she's your lord, not your mother, it's different."
One the tea is properly pungent she pours two cups, offering one to Hikaru.

"Definitely not the same. You need to find someone like that, maybe Satsuki is the one? Maybe someone else. No matter who bad a problem is, most of them can be solved if you put a few heads together."

As for the tea, she takes another deep whiff and then sips.
"This is a Tai herbal special, should clear out your head, ease stress. Much better than getting poisoned by the villagers again. Drink up, you'll need your energy."

She shoots Hikaru a firm look. "And what's this 'what she says is my truth' business? Hmmm? Does Doji not prefer warriors who can think for themselves?"

[Doji Hikaru]

The corners of Hikaru's lips curled up. "I do not exactly confide in my mother, either."

With both hands, Hikaru said accepted the cup. Bringing it closer to his face, he inhaled, taking in its scent. He nodded. "It smells good. Thank you," His lips pressed firmly together. While a guest, Crane opinions on what did and did not count as tea did not seem good to share.

For the moment, he let the herbal tea cool in his hands. "I have only known Satsuki-sama for five years. But yes. I trust her completely." He paused a moment. "And I do confide in her."

Hearing the question, Hikaru brought the tea up to his lips, taking a careful sip; it was still a little too hot, but that was fine. "She encourages me to think for myself." He gave Anjing an almost pleading look. "But Lady Anjing... you married one of the Kami. I... am just Doji Hikaru. It is not the same." Hikaru grimaced, unable to explain how the different felt to him.

[Anjing]

Snip

Hearing the question, Hikaru brought the tea up to his lips, taking a careful sip; it was still a little too hot, but that was fine. "She encourages me to think for myself." He gave Anjing an almost pleading look. "But Lady Anjing... you married one of the Kami. I... am just Doji Hikaru. It is not the same." Hikaru grimaced, unable to explain how the different felt to him.

" 'Just'? Mmmmhm. And so if you had married Doji it would be the same?"
She arches an eyebrow at him over her cup.

"I have no time for arrogant men, but you think too little of yourself. If you wish to serve someone, to be their sword, their foundation and their confidence you cannot be 'just' Hikaru. By limiting yourself, you limit them. If you are 'just' Hikaru she is 'just' Satsuki. You are a warrior, a quester, a noble soul. If she wanted to marry a 'just' there's inbred cousins a plenty."

[Doji Hikaru]

Hikaru sat straight up. "Lady Anjing..." He said, frowning strangely. "That is not a thing to be considered. I am not Lord Nanzi." Wait, that was just as hard to explain as the other part. "That is not a thing to have in one's mind." He said.

The comparison to Satsuki gave Hikaru pause. "I... hmmm." He said. Frowning, he shook his head. "There are many things at which I excel. There are few with as much drive as me. But I am not a legend."

The frown deepened. "And yet... Satsuki-sama is the daughter of a Kami. She has the gift of foresight, and commands fire more than any legend I have heard. If am worth of her..." Hikaru took a deep breath. "Perhaps you are right." There was a brief pause, and then he offered her the ghost of a smile. "It seems my thoughts on this have become a bit confused."

[Anjing]

Snip

"Well at least you're thinking with the right head, you'll figure it out in time. And her father might be a Kami but she is a mortal woman, and last I checked you're a mortal man." Grinning. "Or a very squishy spirit, either way, no worshiping your wife. At least not like that."

Gently. "But take your time on it, it's early days, you know what I said about too fast or too slow, figure it out. And remember, if she says yes, you're worthy of her. Don't go growing doubt within yourself. Imagine marrying someone who never believed they were a fitting partner for you? Tssk, sounds awful."

Anjing punctuates this with a deep drink of warm tea.
"Nothing a good night's sleep won't fix, so it might be a few days then. But you'll figure it out together. So long as neither of you do anything stupid before this is all resolved, hmmm?"

[Doji Hikaru]

"Ah... yes..." Hikaru agreed, flushing just a little, as a result of several of the things Anjing had said to him.

But then he sighed, relaxing somewhat. "Yes. Of course. I don't doubt myself, or..." He frowned. "Not exactly. But I have said that I trust her. If she says that I am worthy, I cannot doubt it." The logic seemed to hold; Hikaru smiled.

He took a deep drink of the tea himself. "Thank you, Lady Anjing." Hikaru said, very serious again. "For everything."

[Anjing]

"Ah... yes..." Hikaru agreed, flushing just a little, as a result of several of the things Anjing had said to him.

But then he sighed, relaxing somewhat. "Yes. Of course. I don't doubt myself, or..." He frowned. "Not exactly. But I have said that I trust her. If she says that I am worthy, I cannot doubt it." The logic seemed to hold; Hikaru smiled.

He took a deep drink of the tea himself. "Thank you, Lady Anjing." Hikaru said, very serious again. "For everything."

"And thank you for being there for Satsuki. I have faith in you, in both of you. It will be nice for some good to come of this. Now, finish up that tea and get scrubbing, what will she say if you come back to camp with leaves in your hair?"

((Fade to tea and cleaning? ))