The Day of Thunder

Somewhere on the outskirts of the farmlands surrounding Blue Lotus Village, a group of travelers stopped for a break after having walked throughout the morning hours. Normally it would perhaps look like a strange party; a stern-looking woman of the Lion, a tall radiant man of the Stag along with a red-haired companion, an immaculately dressed swordsman of the Crane, and lastly a pale young with the green colors of the Dragon.

The pale young lady - Satsuki - shook off the frost on her traveling cloak as she took it off from her shoulders, and placed it down on a rock to sit on. Having walked for so long now, she was feeling hot underneath the warm layers as the day was getting warmer.

"Guess we're almost there..." she remarked as she also took off her wide-brimmed hat. The veil on it kept her face protected from the elements, though she had mostly taken to using it the past years while traveling as she did draw slightly less attention that way. "I think there's going to be lots of people there. Shinsei has had a tendency to draw a crowd, from what I understand?"

"From what I've heard. Have any of you ever met him in person?" The red-head asked, turning his head to the side in curiosity.

The stern looking Lion adjusted her own hat and cloak. Makime, daimyo of the Makime family, was an imposing figure. She commanded a family, an army, and a growing network of trade.

Now she was babysitting two children of the Kami and a Crane hanger on.

Her brown eyes shifted from the road ahead to the others. "Yes." Her neutral expression turned to one of distaste, "And yes, the little monk has a certain way with people." And mischief.

Makime's attentions refocused on the growing fog. "...I don't like this fog." She rubbed her chin and her frown only deepened, but whatever further thoughts she had stayed private.

It was impossible to travel and remain completely clean. Even stepping carefully over the chilled ground, ones boots inevitably end up with flicks of mud. Underbrush would leave similar flecks, or perhaps little bits of broken twigs, on ones cloak. And yet, to the extent that it was possible, Hikaru's garb seemed unusually clean.

This was not fussiness. Hikaru did not hesitate as he walked, even occasionally holding a branch aside for his more noble (as he judged them) companions. But when he had a moment, he took it to clean his garments of their accumulation of travel dirt; a constant struggle, but one he seemed to find worthwhile.

He did so now as he came to stand next to Satsuki's chosen rock, frowning as he squinted into the fog. "I did as well." Hikaru answered. "At that Winter Court, five years ago. I sought his wisdom, and he was there." Hikaru's frown deepened.

"Yeah, I met him there too," Satsuki chimed in as she fussed with her hat. "Met him like a couple of times briefly before that too, since mom considers him a friend, but like..." she trailed off with her words before shrugging and moving on, "I don't know, I didn't have much of a specific impression of him before, but I hear all sorts of different stuff everywhere. Some say he's like a bad omen walking on two legs, while other thinks he's a wise man."

To her senses, she couldn't see anything out of the ordinary with the fog. Usually it was foggy over the fields like this, especially in the morning hours as the sun would make steam out of the frost (or so her teacher had told her)... but it was already afternoon? "... The fog is kinda creepy, yeah."

"Many an ambush has been aided by the presence of fog." Makime commented dryly, "I have encountered the man before. I was not impressed." She adds about Shinsei.

"But he either draws or is drawn to trouble." Brown eyes settle back on the others. A finger levels at one of them. "You. If you were planning on attacking us while using this fog...where would you approach?"

Hikaru was busy handsomely brooding, but as one of Doji's retainers, he was all too aware of when a family daimyo was demanding his attention. He turned sharply, looking at Makime. For just a moment, his lips parted, only to press together, stopping the very confused what from escaping his lips.

Still, he definitely thought it. What?

"I..." Hikaru began, blinking. "From behind a tree, or rock, or somesuch, right at the very edge of what vision the fog allows." His voice was deep and soft as he spoke. "I suppose even tall grass would do. Let me be upon..." Hikaru grimaced, "-us, before we knew what was happening."

Still frowning, Hikaru looked around suddenly, as though wondering if such an attack might be coming.

"You have to crouch low and move carefully, or your prey will spot you," Akito said with absolute confidence. "Then hit them before they know what's happening. You gotta be careful, 'cause eyes are drawn to movement."

If given time to think about it, Satsuki would probably had thought of something from Leadership as it was the closest she knew about actual strategy like Makime was asking about. So she had to rely on basic hunting knowledge. Which she barely had.

"Ah, uh, make sure to not have the wind at your back, that's for sure," she said, certain of her words after the initial thinking. "So if the fog hides you from their sight, they can't smell you either!" Very sure of herself now. Not a bad idea if your target was some kind of animal.

As if aware of the reason why Makime was asking this, she was already being more alert to their surroundings. And which way the wind was blowing.

"..."

Makime let her hand drop, that and the slightest shake of her head spoke volumes on her opinion of the Doji's response. If Hikaru could feel shame as a weight...it would be crushing.

Her eyes shifted to the red headed Hantei and Satsuki. There was a small sigh, but at least the daimyo seemed more satisified with their answers.

"My request was...unclear." She gestures to the surroundings, "From what direction."

"Ah, hmmmm..." She raised her hand and pointed in the direction of where the sun currently was. "From there?"

Hikaru remained silent and still. His attention remained on Makime; she had not dismissed it, after all. And he did want to know the answer from the co-author of Leadership.

But his next blink was lingering, his pale eyes closing for longer than strictly necessary. He would give Ayano a gift when they next met. If they were to meet again.

Togashi Satsuki wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 16, 2023 12:17 am

"Ah, hmmmm..." She raised her hand and pointed in the direction of where the sun currently was. "From there?"

"Why?" Makime's eyes settled on the Dragon. Her tone said nothing as to whether she approved of the answer.

Makime wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 16, 2023 12:45 am

"Why?" Makime's eyes settled on the Dragon. Her tone said nothing as to whether she approved of the answer.

"Wouldn't it be harder to see us, if the sun's light was also in their eyes?" Which depending on the day would certainly work. Satsuki was pretty sure Akodo had written that somewhere in that text of his.

Togashi Satsuki wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 16, 2023 12:54 am

"Wouldn't it be harder to see us, if the sun's light was also in their eyes?" Which depending on the day would certainly work. Satsuki was pretty sure Akodo had written that somewhere in that text of his.

Makime sighed, "Of course. Such was written by Akodo himself." Before the effects of what might have been a complement could really felt, the Lion continued. "However, is the sun in your eyes? Through the trees? The fog?"

She shook her head and looked ahead, "Think on it. There is no ambush out there today at the very least. This close to the town we could be aided by the villagers. Of course...they could always have been a part of such an ambush."

Seemingly done with this portion of the lesson she waved a hand dismissively. "But I do ramble. Let us return to the subject of the village and the monk. What, may I ask, are the rumors you have heard?"

Lady Makime is as stern and unforgiving as the highest mountains, Satsuki thought as she felt some relief that the quiz had ended. She had once called the older woman 'auntie', and then never again. It would forever be Lady Makime now, as she just demanded that sort of level of respect with her innate nature.

"I heard rumours that people were following Shinsei here, saying that he had some idea of how to stop the plague of nightmares. Some words about Thunder, or something. All I can say for certain is that I know something important will happen here, and soon." Her fingers raked through her white hair until she found the tension at the back of her head - the same tension many were feeling with the lack of proper rest these days. "I don't have my father's keen gifts of foresight, but to me when I look this way," a nod toward the village's direction, "it kind of seems like a bubble. Tensed. Ready to burst? That make sense?"

As the lesson, test, whatever it was finished, Hikaru glanced briefly away. Did he flick the briefest of smiles at Satsuki, to match the briefest of compliments? It was hard to say.

In any case, while the lesson was concluded, the conversation was not. Hikaru turned back, his serious expression returning. "My understanding is that it has something to do with combatting the corruption." He said. "Although what, or how, I haven't heard." His jaw briefly tightened. "Perhaps there is a need for secrecy. I wonder if we're past that." The tension lines around his eyes and in his forehead had gotten deeper in the last year, were deeper now.

He shot Satsuki a quick look as she spoke, his frown turning more thoughtful. "I do not feel it. Not... exactly." Hikaru shook his head, his white lock following a moment behind the rest of his hair. "But it very much makes sense to me."

Makime frowned, she preferred things more solid then spiritual ramblings...but even to her entirely mortal senses, something was simply wrong with this town. Maybe her words on the ambush were...premature.

"The stormcrow is making his nest here in the midst of this ongoing madness, its proof enough something is wrong." She glanced back at the others, "But what of village itself? Just another of many, and by all I know relatively unremarkable. Until now."

"Well, we haven't seen any craziness for a while, right?" Akito observed. "Everything seems... really normal around here."

Satsuki shrugged, which she did when there was a subject she didn't know enough about to actually form an opinion. "All I know is they're supposed to have some sort of festival? Might not be a bad idea, as at the very least it might lift the people's spirits." Her attention shifted to Akito.

Hantei Akito wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 16, 2023 2:05 am

"Well, we haven't seen any craziness for a while, right?" Akito observed. "Everything seems... really normal around here."

"I don't know. Is this fog normal in these plains?" Judging by her question, she hadn't seen too much of this landscape at this time of year.