The Day of Thunder

[Otomo Akutou]

The gyoza are excellent!

[Shiba Kumori]

"I imagine she was referring to their champion. But, she's keeping who or what they are a secret." she shrugged.

“Lovely…” She said with an annoyed tone.

“Well… I’m glad you made it back. Got ourselves a party here to celebrate it… You feeling up to eating?”

[Doji Hikaru]

"Yes. I was wondering if I could ask for your collaboration for a project tomorrow. To be more specific I would like your help in painting kites"

"Kites?" Hikaru frowned. Then he sighed, nodding.

"I should be able to devote some time." He said, his expression serious. "May I ask, what is the nature of this project?"

[Togashi Satsuki]

"Ah, but haven't we all? I'll admit, my pleasant dreams last night.... I had to fight for them. Something wanted to show me my wife in terror, cradling our youngest daughter."

He grinned rather savagely.

"And if you will pardon the expression, I fucking refused to have any part of that."

"Our enemy can go sit on a shit-stick for all I care," she noted in agreement. She felt no need to explain what sort of nightmares it had been giving her.

"How's it going trying to organise and delegate stuff though? Not exactly your usual job, right?"

[Jiyo Sora]

"Our enemy can go sit on a shit-stick for all I care," she noted in agreement. She felt no need to explain what sort of nightmares it had been giving her.

"How's it going trying to organise and delegate stuff though? Not exactly your usual job, right?"

"Well. I vastly preferred it when people were trying to kill me with spears, does that help?"

He shook his head.

"So many egos to balance. And we have an interesting mix of talents that tend to be very focused in their area of expertise, while being absolutely awful in others. I honestly wish we had your mother here, she's always had a real gift for diplomacy."

[Togashi Satsuki]

"Well. I vastly preferred it when people were trying to kill me with spears, does that help?"

He shook his head.

"So many egos to balance. And we have an interesting mix of talents that tend to be very focused in their area of expertise, while being absolutely awful in others. I honestly wish we had your mother here, she's always had a real gift for diplomacy."

"I'm not gonna lie, I really wish she was here too. I think she would be able to do so much so easily..." her shoulders rose with a sigh. "But she's been busy the past years. With dad... I know he never asked her to step up, but she's been practically leading the Dragon for the past years now during this crisis."

For a moment, Satsuki was silent, her thoughts offering prayers to her family for their continued safekeeping. "But you know, we're not doing too badly. Sure, we have some pretty big names and all, but in camp, I feel like there's no problems really. People are getting along, working together across the clans. The daimyo all seem to be on the same page even. Which says a lot when auntie Anjing and Lady Makime can find an accord."

[Jiyo Sora]

For a moment, Satsuki was silent, her thoughts offering prayers to her family for their continued safekeeping. "But you know, we're not doing too badly. Sure, we have some pretty big names and all, but in camp, I feel like there's no problems really. People are getting along, working together across the clans. The daimyo all seem to be on the same page even. Which says a lot when auntie Anjing and Lady Makime can find an accord."

"Oh nonsense, all it takes for them to agree on something is for some young idiot to piss on a wall!"

He... appeared to be joking?

"But the Empire is more than the Clans, isn't it? The daimyo are in accord, but what of the clans who sent no daimyo? What of the farmers, the monks, the unsworn warriors? Can the daimyo of a Clan, accustomed to routine obedience, see to all of the needs of a mixed group of people, some of whom owe them no fealty at all? Can they be flexible?"

He shrugged.

"I ask, Satsuki, because I seriously have no idea. We all need to come together, and I hope that we can, but... there are things you need to worry about when you're coordinating and delegating."

[Canary]

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Sora can feel a headache coming on, creeping slowly from the back of his head forward.

[Jiyo Sora]

Sora can feel a headache coming on, creeping slowly from the back of his head forward.

"Your pardon, Satsuki, something seems... amiss."

[Strength of the Earth means he's able to be this polite ]

[Togashi Satsuki]

"Oh nonsense, all it takes for them to agree on something is for some young idiot to piss on a wall!"

He... appeared to be joking?

"But the Empire is more than the Clans, isn't it? The daimyo are in accord, but what of the clans who sent no daimyo? What of the farmers, the monks, the unsworn warriors? Can the daimyo of a Clan, accustomed to routine obedience, see to all of the needs of a mixed group of people, some of whom owe them no fealty at all? Can they be flexible?"

He shrugged.

"I ask, Satsuki, because I seriously have no idea. We all need to come together, and I hope that we can, but... there are things you need to worry about when you're coordinating and delegating."

"I understand your concerns," she nodded. "So far I think it's going well though. Ranmaru and Shang seem to be fine letting me coordinate with the daimyo, and so far I don't think anyone is objecting to what is being done there." Even Ai and Naraku seemed to have worked out their little difference easily enough to her.

"As for the others, I think that..." her words trailed off a bit in thought only to be interrupted.

"Your pardon, Satsuki, something seems... amiss."

[Strength of the Earth means he's able to be this polite ]

"... What's wrong?" her voice lowered and she instantly stepped closer to the older man, ready to support him or defend him.

[Jiyo Sora]

"... What's wrong?" her voice lowered and she instantly stepped closer to the older man, ready to support him or defend him.

"Either thinking about Makime and Anjing this much has finally gotten to me, or..."

He closed his eyes. Mostly for the sake of the oracular one.

"... I'm about to see something urgent."

[Togashi Satsuki]

"Either thinking about Makime and Anjing this much has finally gotten to me, or..."

He closed his eyes. Mostly for the sake of the oracular one.

"... I'm about to see something urgent."

She didn't say anything, but as he closed his eyes, she put her hands on one of his arms to support him. In case he would fall and break his hip or something, like old people worried about happening to them.

[Shiba Kumori]

"Either thinking about Makime and Anjing this much has finally gotten to me, or..."

He closed his eyes. Mostly for the sake of the oracular one.

"... I'm about to see something urgent."

Sora reacting as if in pain caught Kumori’s eye from a short distance away… and she kept watching the old man…

[Canary]

"... I'm about to see something urgent."

The vision hit him like a boulder dropped off a 200 foot cliff.

Him, and everyone near him.

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Pain spikes as you suddenly see the world shifting around, molded like clay in the hands of a skilled sculptor. Yet there is something consistent in the midst of it. A statue of a tall woman made of stone, dressed in dark blue armor. She stands as a bulwark against the shifting world, protecting eight vaguely human-shaped shadows behind her of far less defined attributes.

Then it ends and you're back in the hearth room.

[Jiyo Sora]

Sora let his breath hiss out.

"That... was a bit intense."

[Shiba Kumori]

Not being use to visions herself…. Han-Hei took a step back after seeing what she saw.

“Who was that…?” She asked aloud to no one in particular.

[Jiyo Sora]

"One of Nine."

Sora frowned.

"I do hope I don't have to do that eight more times..."

[Doji Hikaru]

Hikaru grit his teeth, both hands coming up to clutch at his head as the vision took hold. Fear, confusion, and a healthy does of nausea all seemed to wash over him in those few seconds.

He swallowed as he came out of it, blinking, looking around, confusion turning to shock as he realized everyone else had gone through the same thing.

"What was that?" Hikaru swallowed again. "Who was that?"

[Togashi Satsuki]

Satsuki had initially planned to support Sora, but ended up clinging to him for support as this glimpse hit her like a boulder. She had experienced glimpses of the future before, but never like this.

"..." Anjing? Or... Ayako? her thoughts raced, without realising her hands were holding Sora's sleeve in a death-grip.

[Jiyo Sora]

"It would seem my vision was a shared one."

Sora looked about to see if any of the villagers had seen it too.