The Day of Thunder

[Otomo Akutou]

Lotta folks here f'r this, Akutou thinks. This'd best be good.

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"Exactly. Which is why you need to relax. You won't be able to react in time, or act in general, if you're so tense. Breath slowly, and deeply. The time to be the most calm and relaxed is right when bad things are going to happen, Ayako." The smile didn't disappear, turning more fully to face the Crab.

"Yes, yes, you are right," Ayako said. Taking Matsu's advice, she rolled her shoulders once more, then balanced her weight and brought her hands down in front of her center. The young woman's eyes flickered closed for a moment as she took a few deep, calming breaths. The din of the crowd seemed to recede into the distance.

"I am Matsu. It's nice to speak with you," she kept her voice low, and relaxed. There was a hint of enjoyment in her eyes.

"Don't be so formal, either. We're all on the front here."

Ayako's eyes opened again and she looked more at ease. "I'm honored to make your acquaintance, Matsu-sama. You ... you must be a great teacher in your lands. I think you must be right, we are on a battle front; but what are we supposed to fight? This ... this sickness is a strange enemy."

[Shiba Kumori]

The soft jingling of an exorcist staff sounds nearby as two monks appear, one small with pale hair and odd eyes, the other the very definition of the phrase "tall, dark, and handsome." The taller one follows slightly behind the smaller, clearly an acolyte or student of some kind.

The clanless fox decided to pounce on the pious corvid… Not knowing this game had been played with different participants for years prior.

Han-Hei turned to the monks and nodded her head, “Friends of the man of the hour?”

[Doji Hikaru]

The soft jingling of an exorcist staff sounds nearby as two monks appear, one small with pale hair and odd eyes, the other the very definition of the phrase "tall, dark, and handsome." The taller one follows slightly behind the smaller, clearly an acolyte or student of some kind.

The appearance of two monks caused Hikaru to respectfully bow, as he'd been taught. "Monk-san. Monk-san." He greeted each of them in turn. A frown briefly crossed his handsome features as a strange tingle ran down his spine, but he shook off the curious feeling.

"Did you travel here with Shinsei?" He asked the two of them politely, slightly favoring the shorter.

"Ah..." He also gave a bow to the fox-masked samurai. "Your pardon, samurai-san." Well, that was enough that it seemed best to introduce himself. "This one is Doji Hikaru. At your service."

[Nozomi]

"In other words, business as usual..."

"Business as usual. Second verse. A little bit louder, a little bit worse." She snorted once, shaking her head. "He's been more quiet than usual..."

"It's good to see that some things don't change." Reo leans back on his stick, rocking slightly to keep the blood flowing. "I never completely understood Shinsei's choices on people, but they always seemed to work out."

He pauses for a moment. "He was right about Old Man Yama. And Matsu turned out...well, she's certainly the most honorable of the Spider. And the last I would want to face in a fight."

"He has a way of seeing things you didn't know where there, or things you wouldn't admit to yourself." That got a bit of a wry twist that didn't match her earlier statement. "Like you said. He saw something in Yama and some old man I could mention, along with a certain Nezumi and Seppun. Something I don't think any of them knew was really there." Her eyes cast towards Matsu and the smile warmed considerably. "His daughter is her father's image in almost every way. I imagine he's proud of her." She, on the other hand, was worried that the girl was going to get killed in this little sortie.

She probably wouldn't regret it for a moment if it happened.

[Ryoshun Huan]

There was a resounding thump as a stone was dropped to the ground unceremoniously in the middle of the camp where most of the newcomers to the village were staying. Until now, it had been carried over hill and dale by the short man who had set it down. The fatigue written in this movements gave the impression that it might be the stone's final resting place... not that that was likely with Shinsei moving around as much as he did.

The monk settled down on it, taking a meditative pose.

Huan enters the gathering and finds a place near to Shinsei. He didn't know what the briefing would entail, but he and Soju had an encounter with something evil the night prior and it was important that people understood how it had revealed itself and what to be wary of. He sat in meditation facing the little teacher and remained quiet until he was given an opportunity to share after listening.

[Ukyou]

The clanless fox decided to pounce on the pious corvid… Not knowing this game had been played with different participants for years prior.

Han-Hei turned to the monks and nodded her head, “Friends of the man of the hour?”

The monk looked at her intently for a moment, then grinned. "I am, he's not. Ukyou, pleased to meet you." He leaned over to stage whisper. "I have to ask, why a fox mask? There are so many more noble creatures. Like crows."

The appearance of two monks caused Hikaru to respectfully bow, as he'd been taught. "Monk-san. Monk-san." He greeted each of them in turn. A frown briefly crossed his handsome features as a strange tingle ran down his spine, but he shook off the curious feeling.

"Did you travel here with Shinsei?" He asked the two of them politely, slightly favoring the shorter.

"Oh, no, no. We came here on our own, though we're supposed to be here."

[Kichi]

The taller monk bowed to both of them. "Kichi. An honor to meet you, samurai-sama, Doji-sama."

[Jiyo Sora]

"Old Man Yamadono. Felt like he'd always be around..."

Sora sighed.

[Yuzuru Hoto-Hori]

Hoto-Hori was at the back, openly scowling at the debacle before him. Through his mind a beautiful mantra was repeating.

Fucking donkey. Fucking donkey. Fucking donkey. Fucking donkey . . . . . .

[Shiba Kumori]

Han-Hei bowed respectfully to the Crane… a slight moment of pause as if tying something together in her mind passed her features.

“A pleasure Doji-sama.” She then bowed to the other two as well.

“Han-Hei is my name.” She said to the group.

The monk looked at her intently for a moment, then grinned. "I am, he's not. Ukyou, pleased to meet you." He leaned over to stage whisper. "I have to ask, why a fox mask? There are so many more noble creatures. Like crows."

“I have a sensei who was really into crows… Always been fond of foxes though. Had some running through the woods outside my home as a little girl.”

She smiled, “They are noble in their own… mischievous way. Probably better fits my personality.”

[Saru Shang]

"Ah, good morning. I hope I'm not blocking your view?" the tall girl inquired with a friendly smile.

There was a small smile that made its way to Shang's lips before she dipped down to a respectful bow at Satsuki. "Good morning, Togashi-sama. No, I suppose you're not. We make our own view and I was just trying to make the best of it, in a way. I confess that I haven't the faintest what's happening at the moment, so perhaps I'm already murking up with the show by putting myself where I'm not supposed to be. Some context is needed."

She drummed her fingertips at the edge of her rounded fan in thought as she considered the scene. "...I'm getting a bit of a vague and abstract vibe here. A monk and a stone. It makes me wonder if he's trying to draw inspiration from the stone, adopting its traits of stoicism and endurance. An inspiring message for us all and something we should consider in our day-to-day lives. I've seen this piece before a few villages ago. I hope he doesn't ask us for donations later on. I'm a bit short on coin right now."

[Doji Hikaru]

Hikaru's lips twitched a little at the crow joke. It was almost a smile. "I very much hope we're all supposed to be here." He said, pitching his voice low. "Although I suspect it will be for a multitude of reasons."

He gave Han-Hei a look. "May I ask with whom you trained, samurai-san?" He bowed politely. "Although I will respect your privacy if the answer is no." The young woman didn't fit neatly in Hikaru's understanding of the world, so defaulting to politeness seemed best.

[Ryoshun Yukara]

The monk looked at her intently for a moment, then grinned. "I am, he's not. Ukyou, pleased to meet you." He leaned over to stage whisper. "I have to ask, why a fox mask? There are so many more noble creatures. Like crows."

“I have a sensei who was really into crows… Always been fond of foxes though. Had some running through the woods outside my home as a little girl.”

She smiled, “They are noble in their own… mischievous way. Probably better fits my personality.”

A third monk materialized from the mist, her coming foretold by the soft thump of her walking staff on the damp earth. A walking staff crowned by a vicious looking blade, no less. The sight of Shinsei made her pause, recognition passing over her visage

Casting her baleful gaze across the gathering, she offered nods of greeting to first the foxy masked woman, then to the enlightened ensemble, and finally the crane, before inquiring "I have not missed the... enlightening?"

[Hisomu Reo]

"He has a way of seeing things you didn't know where there, or things you wouldn't admit to yourself." That got a bit of a wry twist that didn't match her earlier statement. "Like you said. He saw something in Yama and some old man I could mention, along with a certain Nezumi and Seppun. Something I don't think any of them knew was really there." Her eyes cast towards Matsu and the smile warmed considerably. "His daughter is her father's image in almost every way. I imagine he's proud of her." She, on the other hand, was worried that the girl was going to get killed in this little sortie.

She probably wouldn't regret it for a moment if it happened.

"Was. I'm sure." Reo clears his throat. "At least, I think? That's how she made it sound the other day...I didn't tell you that by the way."

He leans in. "Like I said, we are becoming relics"

[Togashi Satsuki]

"...I'm getting a bit of a vague and abstract vibe here. A monk and a stone. It makes me wonder if he's trying to draw inspiration from the stone, adopting its traits of stoicism and endurance. An inspiring message for us all and something we should consider in our day-to-day lives. I've seen this piece before a few villages ago. I hope he doesn't ask us for donations later on. I'm a bit short on coin right now."

"Ah," she nodded. Not that she had much coin left herself from her long travel, but if Shang needed it she wouldn't mind parting with some of them. "I don't think it's in his style to ask for coin so directly, from what I've heard. But yeah! The stone is a curious piece, I agree, hmm. Do you think he seems like a stone though?" Satsuki gave the monk and his rock a curious look, and obviously seemed to wonder if there was something special about that particular rock.

[Jiyo Sora]

tag

"Oi! Leave the indiscretions to me, Reo-san, I've got farm more practice at them..."

[Wu Zhe]

snip
(OOC: Please PM or quote if approaching! I'm awful with large threads)

Zhe had been looking from the back to get a good view of the gathering crowd, confident that Shinsei's words could be heard from there. He might have stood out too much if he'd come closer anyway, being armored and seemingly intent on dual-wielding a spear and a fhishing rod.

He saw a great number of people he knew from the winter court and some new faces. He was surprised to see one who seemed to still be following the tribal ways to a degree.

''Good morning'' he greeted, walking over

[Ukyou]

Hoto-Hori was at the back, openly scowling at the debacle before him. Through his mind a beautiful mantra was repeating.

Fucking donkey. Fucking donkey. Fucking donkey. Fucking donkey . . . . . .

“I have a sensei who was really into crows… Always been fond of foxes though. Had some running through the woods outside my home as a little girl.”

She smiled, “They are noble in their own… mischievous way. Probably better fits my personality.”

A third monk materialized from the mist, her coming foretold by the soft thump of her walking staff on the damp earth. A walking staff crowned by a vicious looking blade, no less. The sight of Shinsei made her pause, recognition passing over her visage

Casting her baleful gaze across the gathering, she offered nods of greeting to first the foxy masked woman, then to the enlightened ensemble, and finally the crane, before inquiring "I have not missed the... enlightening?"

"I suppose one can't argue with matters of taste," he says with a shrug and speaks up a little bit. "Foxes always just seem to end up with their noses in the mud, though."

Hikaru's lips twitched a little at the crow joke. It was almost a smile. "I very much hope we're all supposed to be here." He said, pitching his voice low. "Although I suspect it will be for a multitude of reasons."

He gave Han-Hei a look. "May I ask with whom you trained, samurai-san?" He bowed politely. "Although I will respect your privacy if the answer is no." The young woman didn't fit neatly in Hikaru's understanding of the world, so defaulting to politeness seemed best.

"Oh yes... Some we may not expect at all," he muses.

[Shiba Kumori]

Hikaru's lips twitched a little at the crow joke. It was almost a smile. "I very much hope we're all supposed to be here." He said, pitching his voice low. "Although I suspect it will be for a multitude of reasons."

He gave Han-Hei a look. "May I ask with whom you trained, samurai-san?" He bowed politely. "Although I will respect your privacy if the answer is no." The young woman didn't fit neatly in Hikaru's understanding of the world, so defaulting to politeness seemed best.

“It’s no problem Doji-sama. I am simply one of many hopeless fan girls who ran off to study from the Lord Kakita after his exploits at the Winter Court five years ago became known. You can imagine our disappointment when he married Bayushi’s daughter and we found him to be as charming as a toad… despite the good looks.”

She smiled, “I was told that he used to be a Crane in his younger days. And he continues to hold them in high regard.”