The Day of Thunder

[Ryoshun Nao]

"What happened?" Nao asked

[Yuzuru Hoto-Hori]

He held up a finger in a 'wait a minute' gesture, before slashing his claws . . . hand through the air again. Once again the slash of light flared and then faded to nothing.

"Well fuck me . . . that's annoying. I can't reach through to Chikushudo or Sakkaku . . . "

[Ryoshun Nao]

"I can try." Nao offered. "But, I'm not as familiar with those realms."

[Togashi Satsuki]

"...So... would that mean they have either closed off their realms, in fear of corruption from us, or... is this place cut-off?" Satsuki wondered out loud with a tinge of worry.

[Kaiu Tai]

"And if we're cut off from other realms, how's another bleedin' through.... hmm, only cut off from some realms maybe?" She's not entirely surprised that the Yuzuru have someone with that sort of odd and mythical skill, but it's certainly something to see first hand. "Don't suppose you have the same trick for opening a path to Yume-do?"

After a moment she shakes her head. "Nevermind, that would probably be a bad idea." She looks to Nao, "though, when you visited, did you go there whole, or walk the soul out there, leavin' the body of yourself here?" It wasn't a skill she'd courted, but she'd known a few over the years who could do that.

After a long moment to think, she adds, "the ritual I know as can bind something from another realm to this one...or send it home, involves the spirits of earth. Seems they'd be the ones to ask if there's anything blockin' some realms and openin'? bleedin' to others?"

[Yuzuru Hoto-Hori]

He shook his head.

"Just Sakkaku and Chikushudo. Never bothered with the other realms. Others around to sort those out."

[Ryoshun Nao]

"The latter." she said. "I can send my spirit to other realms."

[Togashi Satsuki]

"With what we know so far, and that Hoto-Hori seems cut off from the other realms... maybe we should try communing with the kami together? Maybe we can get some better answers if we all put our efforts into it?" Satsuki suggested, chewing her lip with an intensity spurred on from their situation.

[Kaiu Tai]

Tai nods. "It'd be good to know more of what's goin' on with the river and whatever's bleedin' through here. I'm thinkin' the earth might be able to answer if um...bleed from Yume-do is what's happenin'. Then we know for sure. I'd like to ask if it knows how to stop that, but I'm not sure we'll get a great answer."

[Haka Tae-soo]

The two Haka kept quiet during the whole thing. Both of them looked with great interest and surprise at the Yuzuru's attempt to reach through other realms - Tae-soo slowly making some sense of what those were supposed to be considering the stories heard among his people, Ha-yeong apparently understanding some of it too, and whispering questions to his brother here and there.

He nodded at Tai when there was a pause, finally speaking again.

"Un... obsidian! That was the name for heugyoseuk. That and strange, bright green lights is what the River said had hurt it".

Then, looking at Nao, then Hoto-Hori. "I... don't know how such things work. But if Yuzuru-nim were in the lands of dreams, could you reach through to the lands of nature or the lands of tricks?" Then, looking at the River again. "And the land of dreams... if it is changed, as Ryosshun Nao-nim said... could we be somewhere where that bleeding is happening? Or from where it is happening?"

A very worried look comes to his face. "The spirit lands don't try to take over the lands of now, do they?"

He then nods in agreement with Satsuki and Tai. "We could try to ask different spirits. Maybe Gangmul-ssshi will have seen something else... or they could ask if the River, or the Rain, or the Fog know something".

[Yuzuru Hoto-Hori]

"I guess my technique does assume I am in Ningen-do when I try to reach through to Chikushudo or Sakkaku. Like I said, never bothered with Yume-do, others deal with that."

He kept staring at the absence of portal in front of him like it was a personal insult.

[Togashi Satsuki]

"Yeah, we could try asking different spirits..." Satsuki mused. "A ritual to speak with multiple kami at once for a better communion would take some preparation, I think."

She looked between them all, and figured she could get the ball rolling with the kami that were closest to her; fire. Removing the ribbon that held most of her hair back in a bun, she wrapped it around her palm before making a cut to her skin. The soft fabric of the ribbon, a gift from the Crane during her visit there, begun to soak up the blood, staining it with an almost golden-hued crimson.

Her fist clenched, and the ribbon began to burn as she chanted the familiar words her sensei had taught her to properly appease the fire kami, who were often brash and unhappy with being summoned.

"Friends of fire, I command to to answer me. Accept this offering that you may consume in your fiery desires, and answer my questions."


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D2 LA. Commune with Fire. 2 Raises for Clarity. +1k0 Dutiful Disciple | 7k4 ⇒ 33 (TN: 20)

OOC: If Satsuki could get a simple Medicine or Path to Inner Peace, that would be great, as it would help her avoid any penalties later on from all the spellcasting on Day 2.

[Canary]

The fire leaps up with enthusiasm, devouring the ribbon eagerly.

Delicious!

[Togashi Satsuki]

The fire leaps up with enthusiasm, devouring the ribbon eagerly.

Delicious!

It felt so much more nicer with the fire kami. She understood them more, and they her.

"Answer my first question: is this place we are now within the realm of humanity, Ningen-do?"

[Canary]

It felt so much more nicer with the fire kami. She understood them more, and they her.

"Answer my first question: is this place we are now within the realm of humanity, Ningen-do?"

Their voice sounds like the roar and crackles of a cheerful hearth fire.

Yeah! Lots of stuff to burn in Ningen-do!

It's damp, though. Burning isn't easy.

Did we make too much water?

It wasn't us, it's just there.

[Togashi Satsuki]

Their voice sounds like the roar and crackles of a cheerful hearth fire.

Yeah! Lots of stuff to burn in Ningen-do!

It's damp, though. Burning isn't easy.

Did we make too much water?

It wasn't us, it's just there.

So the village and the surrounding are wasn't in another realm at least. Or so it seemed. It was possible to fool the kami, but she didn't think it likely.

"Then my second question: why are we unable to leave this place, either by magic or walking out on our legs?"

She had her ideas about Hoto-Hori, but the best way she could describe his attempt earlier to open a portal (perhaps a Yuzuru-teaching?) was magic.

[Canary]

So the village and the surrounding are wasn't in another realm at least. Or so it seemed. It was possible to fool the kami, but she didn't think it likely.

"Then my second question: why are we unable to leave this place, either by magic or walking out on our legs?"

She had her ideas about Hoto-Hori, but the best way she could describe his attempt earlier to open a portal (perhaps a Yuzuru-teaching?) was magic.

We don't know!

We can't leave either. It's too thick and wet.

And we get sleepy.

With magic...

Huh.

Maybe there's too many layers.

[Togashi Satsuki]

We don't know!

We can't leave either. It's too thick and wet.

And we get sleepy.

With magic...

Huh.

Maybe there's too many layers.

"I see... thank you friends. You may return." She continued to hold out her hand, allowing the kami to finish burning up the ribbon.

Looking to the others, her brows knitted together in concern. "So we are still in Ningen-do," which was the good news, "but when I asked why we can't leave, the kami say that they don't know and they can't leave either, claiming it's too thick and wet, and they get sleepy. And if we couldn't get out with magic, they suggested that maybe there's too many layers."

It was all concerning. "Something is locking this place off completely. Including the kami and the spirit-realms. I don't like that. Nao, have you been able to reach into the other realms, with the exception of Yume-do? Like Sakkaku, or Chikushudo?"

[Ryoshun Nao]

"I can try now." She offered. "Which should I try?"

[Togashi Satsuki]

"Both can be equally dangerous or safe... perhaps Chikushudo first, since Hoto-Hori tried that too, and it is more closely related to our realm, yeah."