The Day of Thunder

[Ryoshun Yukara]

Yukara seemed surprised she was being addressed again, and then turned the question over, debating answers until opting for honesty.

"I can't say... I haven't seen them all. But up north in the foothills, things are crazy. It's infectious. "

After a pause, "Did you like them when you went? Maybe they are happy further south."

The comments about Kakita left her nonplussed. "I struggle to imagine a man, especially a swordsman, who would resemble a toad. They are such fat little things."

[Shiba Kumori]

"He was." Hikaru confirmed suddenly with a nod. "I trained with him myself. It is with no shame that I admit he was always my superior with a blade."

His lips quirked. "I had not imagined to hear him compared to a toad. I'm not sure he would be offended by the comparison, though." Lord Kakita was rather unflappable, after all.

“When you are so sure that you’re better than everyone… I guess it’s easy to let the insults you want to ignore roll off you.” She smiled.

“I think he might have mentioned you though… Now that I think of it. Lady Doji’s attendant, right? The pretty one who hangs out with the Dragon Kami’s daughter?”

Yukara seemed surprised she was being addressed again, and then turned the question over, debating answers until opting for honesty.

"I can't say... I haven't seen them all. But up north in the foothills, things are crazy. It's infectious. "

After a pause, "Did you like them when you went? Maybe they are happy further south."

The comments about Kakita left her nonplussed. "I struggle to imagine a man, especially a swordsman, who would resemble a toad. They are such fat little things."

“Very little happiness anywhere unfortunately… I did a sweep of Ki-Rin, Scorpion, and Lion lands in the past few months… Lot of the same.”

She shook her head, “I mean no offense. He’s a lean, mean, cutting machine… and an excellent, if not harsh, sensei. He’s just not the most… entertaining guy… with good reasons though.”

[Ryoshun Nao]

Nao stood, stretched and walked over to Hikaru, the fox-masked woman, and her fellow Bat.

She didn't say anything. She just stood there, watched, and listened. San snuffled a bit.

[Doji Hikaru]

“When you are so sure that you’re better than everyone… I guess it’s easy to let the insults you want to ignore roll off you.” She smiled.

“I think he might have mentioned you though… Now that I think of it. Lady Doji’s attendant, right? The pretty one who hangs out with the Dragon Kami’s daughter?”

"The only swordsman I have seen who might match him is Lord Nanzi himself." Hikaru said. "Unfortunately, they did not test each others' skills when they met, just a few years ago." Hikaru's brow creased, just a little. On the other hand, that may have been best.

There was a brief pause, and then Hikaru bowed. "I serve as Lady Doji's retainer, yes. And I would consider Togashi Satsuki-sama a friend." He left aside the issue of his own prettiness.

He frowned, giving her a direct look. "May I ask, have we met before, perhaps just in passing? I do not recall a student of Lord Kakita wearing a fox mask..." He bowed. "If I should recognize you and I do not, I apologize."

[Ryoshun Yukara]

"Is that not the point of a mask?"

Yukara seemed confused.

[Ryoshun Nao]

"Kakita does have a few special students." Nao spoke up.

[Kaijarisuigyo]

snip

"Kai."

She bowed with her upper body, her legs remaining perfectly still.

"The enemy you're fighting is a story. A dream that has turned sour. More than physical weapons, you need a solid narrative than it cannot turn against. The Crab Who Played With Poison offers so many angles for tragedy it barely needs a push for the darkness to twist it for its own purpose.

For the good of all, it needs to be reworked into something not so easily perverted. The Snakeskin Crab? The Lily Crab?"

[Shiba Kumori]

"The only swordsman I have seen who might match him is Lord Nanzi himself." Hikaru said. "Unfortunately, they did not test each others' skills when they met, just a few years ago." Hikaru's brow creased, just a little. On the other hand, that may have been best.

There was a brief pause, and then Hikaru bowed. "I serve as Lady Doji's retainer, yes. And I would consider Togashi Satsuki-sama a friend." He left aside the issue of his own prettiness.

He frowned, giving her a direct look. "May I ask, have we met before, perhaps just in passing? I do not recall a student of Lord Kakita wearing a fox mask..." He bowed. "If I should recognize you and I do not, I apologize."

“The Bat here is right. Nah, you shouldn’t worry… I don’t think we met. Besides, I’m not anybody that you should recognize right now.”

"Kakita does have a few special students." Nao spoke up.

She then saw the second Bat approach quietly.

Aw… MOTHER FU…

What are you doing here… You are too young.

“The Bat have been very generous to someone such as me.” She said with a polite bow to her cousin.

[Ryoshun Nao]

"We do our best to be hospitable to all of our mysterious guests." she returned the bow.

[Ryoshun Yukara]

Yukara glanced at Nao. Well, the colors lined up. Apparently this was an important person.

She bowed as well, stiffly and perhaps too deeply.

[Ryoshun Nao]

She bowed as well, stiffly and perhaps too deeply.

Nao and her pig didn't seem that important. She bowed in return and smiled.

"Hello, my name is Nao. I'm happy to see that I'm not the only Ryoshun here."

[Ryoshun Yukara]

"Hello. I am Yukara." She wondered for a moment how the girl knew she was Ryoshun, until she remembered the symbols on her clothes supposedly said as much.

All these new letters were so difficult...

"I was told to come by eto... Shinsei. The wise man with the rock."

She pointed surreptitiously, as if that somehow helped.

[Ryoshun Nao]

Her smile grew. "Good. Whatever is happening. We are all in this together."

Good. Rei hasn't sent anyone yet.

[Otaku]

Otaku crouches comfortably on her heels near the front of the growing group, hands wrapped around a steaming mug of hot liquid which she sips occasionally. She seems largely content to listen and observe the hubbub.

((Can't post properly for a bit, but please poke/quote if you would like to interact!))

[Bayushi Norikage]

Norikage entered and watched the people, it was already a bit much. He didn't like gatherings, really.

[Hiruma Naraku]

snip

He frowned at her bow, but did not comment on it as he thought on what they said. "Pain is often a balm for bad dreams. A sharp and resounding pain will break even the most tenacious of nightmares and the echoes of the agony inflicted will resonate like ripples in a lake," he continue before smiling at her mention of the Snakeskin Crab. "Do you know what Naraku is? Probably not since it was something I heard when I was a child. Apparently Naraku is a being that existed before the dawn of our time. A snake or viper that would judge those that accrued bad karma and through the pain inflicted facilitate their reincarnation into a better existance," he sighs, his eyes wandering to the past. "A silly tale," he says with almost a tinge of sadness.

"But I digress. What do you think will be my story," he say breaking from his reminiscing. He did not seem to be a person that enjoying dwelling on the past too much.

[Otomo Akutou]

Damn lot of these folks seem t' know each other already, Akutou thinks. Might make a body feel plum unwelcome.

(I'll add to the Quote to Approach chorus!)

[Reiko Ohta]

Damn lot of these folks seem t' know each other already, Akutou thinks. Might make a body feel plum unwelcome.

(I'll add to the Quote to Approach chorus!)

Ohta is late, having been up late into the night trying to find out about the area, beyond what the village head had been able to say yesterday. She'd also made sure to freshen up and bathe after getting up... not that this was something fancy, but she had a thing for wanting to make a good first impression regardless. For now she was simply a spider on the wall, listening in as she nursed a headache that was slowly fading after having gotten up.

She did notice someone standing nearby though, so she thought to ask, "Excuse me; You wouldn't happen to know if there is any cold water available somewhere, would you? I wouldn't think to bring a waterskin with me to a briefing like this, and..." Ohta trailed off with a small shrug, clearing her throat.

[Otomo Akutou]

snip

Akutou turns to face the new voice, nods his head and touches the brim of his hat. "Cold, I can't swear to, but this might could help," he says and fishes out his water bottle from his pack.

Passing it to her, he says "Otomo Akutou" by way of introduction. "Guessin' you're not local?"

[Doji Hikaru]

“The Bat here is right. Nah, you shouldn’t worry… I don’t think we met. Besides, I’m not anybody that you should recognize right now.”

Hikaru was a Doji; naturally, he took the correct meaning. He bowed. "Of course, Samurai-san." He said. He would respect her wishes.

He turned, bowing again. He did it a lot; he was quite good at it, actually. "May I introduce Ryoshun Nao-sama, third child of Lord Ryoshun and Lady Nazo." He gave Yukara a significant look.