The Day of Thunder

[Shiba Kumori]

Kumori sat nearby as the village headwoman and Ai shared their exchange.

She’s a good kid… No… not a kid anymore.

[Haka Tae-soo]

Snip

"Mostly kept to the river since we came here. Not being able to go, and the monk being..." the sentence is stopped halfway through, once again. "We've been hoping to help the River, at least. And then hopefully be able to go. We... I came here with expectations, I guess. Now I don't even..."

He stops again. Turns the fish around, gets some of it that already seem ready, places them on a wooden slab nearby.

"Been to the cave though. Yesterday. Met the rodent-child Chuchu there, is why I asked. I figure Otomo Akutou-sshi has met her too?"

Snip.

Seeing the imperial come closer and bow, the younger Haka initially seems to freeze, then seems to remember words engrained into his head over a long time and bows back. Almost appropriately low. They keep there for a long time, awkwardly long in fact. Then they raise the top of their head slightly, raises their eyes as if to see if it's appropriate to raise already. The hood they have on falls on their eyes, making that prospect difficult, so they finally stand upright again - mostly to arrange the hood.

When they finally speak, it's in a voice so low it's almost a whisper, despite a mid-high pitch.

"A...Annyeong, Jiyo Sora-nim."

[Otomo Akutou]

Snip

Snip.

Akutou is about to answer Tae-soo, but he sees Sora approach the younger Haka and notes what looks like a flicker of the older one's eyes thereto.

"I think that'n'll be fine," he says. "Th' Librarian's more approchable'n many'd give 'im credit f'r bein. An' more'n many who ain't got s' much cause to be full o' themselves.

"But, yeah, I've met Friend-of-Humans. Seen 'er power, too, rather directly. Damned impressive."

[Jiyo Sora]

"A...Annyeong, Jiyo Sora-nim."

"It is not possible to make a mistake, my young friend. I wished to thank you for your help in providing food for everyone here."

A pause.

"Is Haka-san your brother?"

[Togashi Satsuki]

tag

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"Ah, excuse me, Akuto-san," Satsuki bowed to Akuto and to Tae-soon as well, "Tae-soo-nim." She recalled the form of adress he used, so she figured that would be the honorific he felt most comfortable with.

"You said you wanted to share with us a blessing from your tribe, yes? I think everyone seems to be in a good and relaxed mood to participate in that, if you feel the time is right."

As Tae-soo's player had informed Satsuki's player to go ahead, Satsuki did go ahead.


"Everyone, a moment of your time please."
(OOC: not shouting too loudly but bolded and enlarged for notice)

Satsuki bowed once more to the crowd. "To bless the festivities tonight, Haka Tae-soo of the Scorpion Clan, a keeper of the river traditions, wishes to honor us all with a prayer for continued health and purity."

[Otomo Akutou]

snip

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Akutou, of course, tips his hat to Satsuki, replying "Ma'am" to her greeting.

And then he starts as she speaks out.

And then he doffs his hat in deference to the prayer.

[Nanzi Ai]

Ai turned her attention to her cousin and then the Scorpion.

[Haka Tae-soo]

Snip

"Ne!", the younger Haka answers along with a shy nod. "...Been together long", they add, then draw their hood closer to them.

Snip

The young man looks at his younger sibling again, almost instinctively, then nods at the Otomo with a small smile. He's about to nod again as he takes some more minnows out from the fire when he hears Satsuki's voice.

Hear ye, hear ye!

The way Satsuki refers to him makes him blush a little - he wasn't that important, even back in the village, although some insisted on using it now and then in ceremonies. It's only after a while that it hits him that it was Satsuki using it - not a Mosu, not a Baegma. That brings a shy smile to his lips, slowly growing more open - apparently also brings a smile to Ha-yeong, although his looks somewhat more sheepish.

"Satsuki-nim, thank you very much!", he said with a deep bow as he places the long chopsticks aside, the minnows now all properly set aside and ready to be shared. He then bows to the others around, one, two, three times. "Yeoreobun - ah... minasan!" There's a clear effort to make the usually low, shy voice loud enough that it could reach those around. "I - we..." his points at Ha-yeong with his head for a moment. "The last months, with many terrible stories spreading throughout the lands... stories which many have seen or experienced, even."

A long breath.

"For us, it's made it hard to trust. But we stand here together today. Despite difficulties, uncertainty, and rather strange conditions. And we can all share words, time and food together. We thank Jiyo Sora-nim for this effort to bring us together - those who followed advice, rumours or other paths here, and those who were already here."

He gestures as if calling everyone closer.

"I'd... like to invite a friend to bless this meeting, this food and our souls today."

"I invite to gift us their blessing a good friend, one whose kind has been friends and family to our people since the times of Halmeo - of my grandmother's grandmother - and way before that. A friend who's been and will be with us day after day, even when it suffers"

As was the case here - but hopefully not for long.

Another long breath. He places he draws one of the knives at his hips, touches it to his extended forearm.

"Sharing their bounty, giving us life. Keeping us healthy and pure. "

The knife digs in, a gush of blood drops down to the ground.

"Gangmul-sshi, spirit of the River, the Dew and the Rain, please share with us your blessing of life as you drop onto us your soft, cleasing touch!"

-------
OOC:
D5 ME - Casting the Blessing! Heaven's Tears, 3 Raises for Area of Effect (to 45 ft radius around Tae-soo). VP for +1k1. | 9k5 ⇒ 39 (TN: 30). Tae-soo suffers 8 wounds.

The rain lasts for 2 rounds and touches everybody within 45 ft of Tae-soo. Everyone with no Taint or Shadow corruption, Honor Rank 4.0 or better is healed for 4 Wounds each round the rain touches them.

Anyone with Taint or Shadow corruption suffers 1k1 Wounds for each Round they are exposed to the Tears.

[Otomo Akutou]

Snip

Huh. Rain, Akutou thinks, and he returns his hat to his head before more than a few drops of rain have fallen.

The incantation has no real effect on him, other than to get him wet.

It's not the first time he's stood in the rain, though, or moved about in it.

And the cooking does smell good.

[Jiyo Sora]

"Ne!", the younger Haka answers along with a shy nod. "...Been together long", they add, then draw their hood closer to them.

"It must be his care for you that gave me that impression, Haka-san."

He smiled. And then... At the miraculous rain, Sora grinned.

"Oh that is lovely."

He wouldn't have noticed any failure to heal, since he was uninjured, but the gentle rain was pleasant to the old Hikaru, who turned his face up to it.

[Togashi Satsuki]

Satsuki looks up as she feels the first splash of a raindrop on her forehead, surprised by actual rainfall in this moment... Normally she hated being caught in the rain, but this time, it felt nice and pleasant. And it soothed her inner energies, restoring what she had given to the kami earlier.

"So beautiful..." she murmured pleasantly, holding out her hands to feel the refreshing water.

[Wu Dai Lu]

Chouri took a deep breath as the cool rain began and let it out with a soft smile, closing her eyes to enjoy it.

snip

She looked to Tae-soo. "Thank you, Haka-sama. This is beautiful."

[Nanzi Ai]

Ai smiled and enjoyed the brief respite.