The Day of Thunder

[Jiyo Sora]

It starts as a snort, then a chuckle, then a full-throated laugh with Anjing holding her sides. It takes a few moments for her to find her voice again.

"Perhaps we are not completely lost, Sora. We have humour at least, even in times like this."

He found himself grinning.

"After a few decades of being taken entirely too seriously by most of the people around us, might be laughter's what we need the most."

[Anjing]

He found himself grinning.

"After a few decades of being taken entirely too seriously by most of the people around us, might be laughter's what we need the most."

"If you can't laugh at yourself...." She shrugs. "And ties in nicely with everything Shinse's about anyway."

A deep sigh.
"Look, Sora. We've had our differences for a long time. But, maybe, until we butt heads again. We can...tolerate one another, at least until this is over."
She raises an eyebrow at him.

[Jiyo Sora]

"Look, Sora. We've had our differences for a long time. But, maybe, until we butt heads again. We can...tolerate one another, at least until this is over."
She raises an eyebrow at him.

"I see no reason to put a planned end date on it."

He looked over her camp.

"Maybe we just let it go. I don't see either of us reopening any petty squabbles in the time ahead, and after that, we might not ever see each other again. Might be neither of us lives out the week. We let it go, and maybe our kids don't even need to think about it at all. Could be a nice thing to leave 'em."

He glanced at her.

"We might never become friends, Anjing, and maybe that's a bad thing on some level, but when we kick Yume-Jigoku's ass so hard it thinks it's doing a handstand, we might sleep a bit easier with one less grudge."

[Anjing]

Snip

"You got lucky, Xia thinks the world of you so the Sora in our stories is perhaps a little embellished. You come by and they'll be looking past you for the ruggedly handsome scholar they were told was arriving."

Holding out a hand for a warrior's grip.
"To kicking the enemy's ass and easy sleeping?"

[Jiyo Sora]

"You got lucky, Xia thinks the world of you so the Sora in our stories is perhaps a little embellished. You come by and they'll be looking past you for the ruggedly handsome scholar they were told was arriving."

Holding out a hand for a warrior's grip.
"To kicking the enemy's ass and easy sleeping?"

"She's not the only one who talks me up too much. People keep expecting me to set the world ablaze or some damn thing."

He took her hand.

"To kicking the enemy's ass and easy sleeping for everyone."

[Anjing]

"She's not the only one who talks me up too much. People keep expecting me to set the world ablaze or some damn thing."

He took her hand.

"To kicking the enemy's ass and easy sleeping for everyone."

She squeezes his hand firmly with a nod.
"It is quite literally the dream."

Anjing extracts her hand. "Right, okay. Didn't think this would happen when I turned up here. Guess I can still be surprised."
Grinning.
"You want something to drink? I got something from home, not this dirt water they serve in the village."

[Jiyo Sora]

"

Anjing extracts her hand. "Right, okay. Didn't think this would happen when I turned up here. Guess I can still be surprised."
Grinning.
"You want something to drink? I got something from home, not this dirt water they serve in the village."

"I mean, it's been a while since I had any of the Hikaru-style beer Koyama still makes, so sure, thrill me."

[Anjing]

"I mean, it's been a while since I had any of the Hikaru-style beer Koyama still makes, so sure, thrill me."

It doesn't take Anjing long to return with two gourds filled with a drink whose fumes alone could stun a horse.
"This will put some hair on your chest. Good on wounds too, does everything."
She takes a deep drink with a pleased expression. "Now that's the stuff. Can't let the empire be destroyed or they couldn't make any more, and then where would we be?"

[Jiyo Sora]

Sora, between a stout constitution and the Strength of the Earth Advantage baked into him, also enjoyed it.

"Hm. Might be useful for lighting fires, too..."

He eyed the gourd speculatively.

"What's this made out of, anyway?"

[Anjing]

Sora, between a stout constitution and the Strength of the Earth Advantage baked into him, also enjoyed it.

"Hm. Might be useful for lighting fires, too..."

He eyed the gourd speculatively.

"What's this made out of, anyway?"

"Bottle gourds, you grow them right and then when you dry them, they can be used to store drinks. Useful stuff."
She takes another swig as if to demonstrate before turning to spit into the fire which flares in response.

"You want one? I can have a talk with our quartermaster and see if we have some spare."

[Jiyo Sora]

"Bottle gourds, you grow them right and then when you dry them, they can be used to store drinks. Useful stuff."
She takes another swig as if to demonstrate before turning to spit into the fire which flares in response.

"You want one? I can have a talk with our quartermaster and see if we have some spare."

"I meant the recipe for the booze, but a good drinking vessel's nothing to turn up my nose at."

[Anjing]

"I meant the recipe for the booze, but a good drinking vessel's nothing to turn up my nose at."

"Ha! Perhaps a metaphor for how each of us approaches the world?"
Holding up the gourd.

"We make the drink from barley, means it has a real kick to it. And it's easier to grow up north. Took us a while, a couple of our brewers nearly went blind, but I think we got the technique down now."

[Jiyo Sora]

"We make the drink from barley, means it has a real kick to it. And it's easier to grow up north. Took us a while, a couple of our brewers nearly went blind, but I think we got the technique down now."

"If you would take some political advice from an Imperial samurai, I would suggest sending a barrel to Shinjo Koyama. It'll earn you goodwill at the highest echelons of the Ki-Rin Clan."

[Anjing]

"If you would take some political advice from an Imperial samurai, I would suggest sending a barrel to Shinjo Koyama. It'll earn you goodwill at the highest echelons of the Ki-Rin Clan."

"Might have to send a few Chroniclers along to explain it, otherwise they might think it some kind of poison."
She takes another swig as if for emphasis.

"We don't have that much to do with them to be honest, but I suppose a barrel and a few courtiers couldn't hurt."

[Jiyo Sora]

"We don't have that much to do with them to be honest, but I suppose a barrel and a few courtiers couldn't hurt."

"Might want to change that. The Ki-Rin use a lot of their lands for pasture, but they also farm. And they watch the other end of the north, so a bit of coordination might be good. Swap ideas, techniques..."

[Anjing]

"Might want to change that. The Ki-Rin use a lot of their lands for pasture, but they also farm. And they watch the other end of the north, so a bit of coordination might be good. Swap ideas, techniques..."

"Pfft, they watch a few miles at best. Wouldn't know a mountain if one fell on them. But we could use some ponies that can withstand the cold. Won't be easy to trade for but might be we could find something. Haven't actually spoken to Otaku properly, maybe I should reach out."
Raising an eyebrow.

"She seems reliable, quiet. Anything more I should know?"

[Jiyo Sora]

"Pfft, they watch a few miles at best. Wouldn't know a mountain if one fell on them. But we could use some ponies that can withstand the cold. Won't be easy to trade for but might be we could find something. Haven't actually spoken to Otaku properly, maybe I should reach out."
Raising an eyebrow.

"She seems reliable, quiet. Anything more I should know?"

"Well, a bunch of the Hikaru went with them, so they throw good parties. Lots of dancing, singing, throwing heavy stuff competitions."

He gave Anjing a pointedly direct side-eye.

"They also take an interest in the wider world, so they'd probably be very interested in what your chroniclers have to say about what you see beyond the border. Some things they might just trade for a good map. Besides Otaku, there's my old friend Jin, who knows a lot about healing and always wants to learn more..."

[Anjing]

"Well, a bunch of the Hikaru went with them, so they throw good parties. Lots of dancing, singing, throwing heavy stuff competitions."

He gave Anjing a pointedly direct side-eye.

"They also take an interest in the wider world, so they'd probably be very interested in what your chroniclers have to say about what you see beyond the border. Some things they might just trade for a good map. Besides Otaku, there's my old friend Jin, who knows a lot about healing and always wants to learn more..."

"...I do quite enjoy throwing heavy stuff competitions." She ignored any pointed side-eye.

"But sharing stories, we could do that, maybe maps too."
A little surprised. "Jin's still alive? Well, another surprise for the evening. We don't have much about healing, hmmm. A couple new herbs perhaps? Have to think on that a while. Maybe Otaku will have some ideas."

[Jiyo Sora]

"...I do quite enjoy throwing heavy stuff competitions." She ignored any pointed side-eye.

"But sharing stories, we could do that, maybe maps too."
A little surprised. "Jin's still alive? Well, another surprise for the evening. We don't have much about healing, hmmm. A couple new herbs perhaps? Have to think on that a while. Maybe Otaku will have some ideas."

"I'm sure she would know better than I. But after all, it's a hard life Anjing, I don't think any of the Clans could have too many friends. And if the Dragon, Bat, and Spider have been able to help, then adding the Ki-Rin into the mix is hardly ill-advised, hm? It won't all be sunshine and rainbows, but I don't need to tell you that."

[Anjing]

"I'm sure she would know better than I. But after all, it's a hard life Anjing, I don't think any of the Clans could have too many friends. And if the Dragon, Bat, and Spider have been able to help, then adding the Ki-Rin into the mix is hardly ill-advised, hm? It won't all be sunshine and rainbows, but I don't need to tell you that."

"Maybe, I'll see if we can meet halfway. They treat us right, we can do the same."
She shrugs.
"Either way, very in the spirit of things, very Shinsei. I would give a lot for a sunshine and a rainbow after this endless fog, the enemy has dreary taste indeed. I shall never look at a mist quite the same way again."

Gesturing at this eye.
"That thing any good for seeing through fog?"