The Day of Thunder

[Kaiu Tai]

It's a good thing Tai does not consider herself much of a visual artist, because the fog-dimmed lighting wouldn't be great for painting. First though, are small but sturdy cairns, stacked up to avoid people tripping over them or moving the important stones.

She'd have to clear them away, along with the tents, when they left. Assuming they survived all this, at least. But those were problems for Future Tai. Today, she carefully stacked stones where the resulting wards would cover the most tents, she expected to need a few of these.

[Doji Hikaru]

Hikaru had received a description from Lady Anjing, enough that he should be able to find the person who he was looking for. However, the most important features were:

1) Earth Shugenja
2) Old

And so, when encountering an older woman stacking stones, Hikaru was almost certain he'd found his quarry, even before taking a closer look at her.

"Kaiu Tai-san?" Hikaru greeted her from a good dozen paces away. Drawing closer, he bowed with a crispness to match the blue and grey Crane kimono he wore. "This one is Doji Hikaru. I was given your name by Lady Anjing." He straightened, a polite expression on his handsome features.

[Kaiu Tai]

snip

Tai looks up from the task, frowning slightly at the very obviously Crane fellow. An expression that softened as he mentioned Anjing. "Hmph, suppose that means you need somethin' the spirits provide, since I can't offer much else Anjing wouldn't have been better at."

She brushes the dirt from her palms against simple, sturdy pants. "Yep, I'm her. Just Tai is fine. Leave the fancy terms for court...which I'll never be in." Her grin reveals blackened teeth...apparently sturdy enough, but the general shade of charcoal. "And you must be ok if she sent you my way." Or she figures he's annoying enough that it'll be quickly obvious that she should drop a rock on his foot and call it a day.

[Doji Hikaru]

"I do." Hikaru said firmly, nodding. "Or, at least, it would seem to be the best way."

He nodded again. "Tai-san, then. And you may call me Hikaru." Perhaps she'd meant him to drop the honorific as well, but such an option did not occur to Hikaru. Gently, he smiled. "Lady Anjing and I spoke for some time yesterday. I gave her some tea. The other night, she fed me some of her stew. I hope that means that I meet with her approval."

His eyes noted the blackened teeth, but his expression showed nothing. Except determined politeness. "I'm looking for..." Hikaru frowned uncertainly, "-shiny rocks."

[Kaiu Tai]

"Ah, well, if it was good tea, she's likely in your debt. Doesn't do as well up north, and some of us miss what used to grow in the south." She chuckles lightly. "And I'm just servin' up tonic teas. Not to everyone's taste."

There's a pause at the request. "Shiny Rocks. You could just say gold if that's what you're after. But I can't pull that out unless there's a fair bit of it nearby." She pauses to think a moment. "But I honestly haven't checked, I could see if there's some nearby. But I don't think Anjing's sendin' me folks lookin' to get rich quick. This for somethin' artsy?"

[Doji Hikaru]

Hikaru smiled gently. "As it happens, I brought a supply of fine Crane tea with me. I would be honored if you would share it with me sometime."

Tilting his head, Hikaru frowned. "No, I don't think gold. Um." His frown deepened, and he crossed his arms over his chest. "Perhaps shiny is the wrong word. Something that sparkles, and might be smashed into very small sparkling pieces. Is there such a thing?" Crane appreciated art, and while he might recognize an exquisite necklace or something, rocks were rocks.

He bowed. "It is. I hope to supplement a painting with it."

[Kaiu Tai]

"Hmm...I'll hold you to that. Haven't had tea that's not an old brick in ages."

She listens to his description, dark on dark eyes focusing at a distance, searching memory. She reaches into a small bag at her hip, pulling out a handful of small stones that she pokes through with one stubby finger. One is a smoothed stone from a river, with an iridescent sheen. But that's more shiny than sparkly.

Finally she holds out one that's a clumpy mix of reddish and paler stone with bits that do flash in the light as she turns it to and fro. "The flashy bit in this, maybe?"

[Doji Hikaru]

"Of course." Hikaru said. He gave her a polite nod. "And, in fact, if there's anything you require assistance with in the here and now, I should be happy to provide it." He said.

Squinting, Hikaru leaned forward to look at the stone, his hands behind his back. "Yes... yes, I think so. If it can be found by itself. Too much of another stone would dilute its sparkle too much, I fear.

He straightened. "Does it have a name?" He asked.

[Kaiu Tai]

"there's crystal gleams a bit in there, but it's dull when ground up. Been callin' that one glittergrain when it's on its own. Can split it into fine sheets, or pound it small and it's pretty sparkly." She'd used it to good effect in carved work here and there. That reflective sparkle could help you pick out a marker with a lantern at night.

"Should be able to convince the earth to bring us a bit of it." It's such a small request too, honestly. "Give me a moment here." She squats low pulling her small stone knife and pricking the end of her thumb to press into the earth with a low growling sort of sound. There's a pause as she begins scraping loose dirt together and sort of kneading it between her hands as she switches to a bit more of deep hum. The frost-damped earth is rolled and flattened, rolled and flattened until it seems to grow larger and slowly firmer, eventually yielding a fist-sized lump that Tai brushes off as she rises. It has a shine to it, but the larger piece doesn't glitter as much as the smaller ones had. "You'll need to pound it into smaller bits for that sparkle" she says holding it out to him.

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D3: MM Summon Earth, +1k1 Friendly Kami. one raise for a pure mineral | 9k5 ⇒ 38 (TN: 15)

[Doji Hikaru]

"Glittergrain. Very good." Hikaru nodded.

He watched, his expression neutral, but his pale eyes curious as she performed her magic. He blinked as she pulled up a fair-sized lump of material, recognizably glittergrain, even in it's slightly different configuration.

"I see. Thank you." Hikaru accepted it with both hands and a bow. He hefted it in one hand, studying it with narrowed eyes. "Yes, I think this shall do nicely." For a moment, he paused, considering tucking it away in his pack, but he decided to keep it in hand instead.

"I am very much in your debt, Tai-san." Hikaru said. "If there is anything I can do for you, now or in the future, please do let me know."

[Kaiu Tai]

She's somewhat tempted to say it was unlikely the Crane had much she'd want...but there was tea at a minimum. "Hmm...to start, I'm curious how you're usin' that. It's an odd request here, and...not terribly useful for defense or guardin' dreams. Which is what an awful lot of the talk is about these days."

[Doji Hikaru]

"Right." Hikaru said, frowning. "It's not for either of those, in fact." He turned his gaze briefly to the pile of stones she'd been working on. "Am I correct in guessing that that is?" He gestured at the pile with open palm.

He looked back to Tai, a smile just barely touching his lips. "But it's... a bit strange to explain. When Lord Nanzi wished to marry Lady Doji, she set him three tasks to prove his worth. Though they were impossible, he achieved them. Since then, well, in truth most Crane marry the same as other Clans" albeit with much more formality, "-but some have one party completing three tasks."

Hikaru held up the rock, using both hands almost reverently. "I have begun courting Togashi Satsuki, and she has set me three tasks. I believe this will be instrumental in completing one of them."

[Kaiu Tai]

Tai nods, bending to lift a broad, flat stone to the top of the little cairn. "Yep. Wards against those corrupted by Jigoku's influence. No help for nightmares though, since that's all in the other realm. Should've started settin' 'em soon as we got here. But.." she shrugs. "Better late than never. Ought to coordinate more of them as we can. Sadly they only last a day."

The story is listened to earnestly, then she snorts in amusement. "Well, that's not the worst kind of courtin'. Clever, and awfully public if anyone objects, or ought to object. And you say Anjing sent you? Guess she's not objectin' then." Unless she thought Tai *couldn't* help. Oh well, she'd have to find a more direct way to object then.

Her expression soften to worry, with a bit of sadness. "If we're about to see bad times, I guess...find the best moments you can till we're there. Let me know how it goes, neh?"

[Doji Hikaru]

"I see." Hikaru studied the little pile, frowning, but of course he could not see anything significant about it.

"Fortunately, there have been no objections." Hikaru smiled gently. "Not that I think Satsuki would listen if there were. She's been very clear that this is her decision."

"As for Lady Anjing..." Hikaru inclined his head. "She very much wants what's best for her niece. I think I have her tentative support, along with her advice. I am very grateful for both, in fact. Her marriage with Lord Hida seems..." Hikaru's brow creased, "To hear her talk of it, it sounds imperfect, but all the better for that." It was a strange concept for a Crane.

His expression softened. "I dare to hope that we might come through these bad times." He sighed. "Since I cannot wish I'd asked to court her earlier."

[Kaiu Tai]

Tai snorts, an amused, if indelicate, sound. "I mean, they got their start squarin' off to punch one another...which was mostly Hida landin' blows and Anjing landin' in the trees before fillin' the giant lunk in on the history of our folk. They're both solid sorts and fighters, so that's part of how they've gone on. But can't forget that stories were part of it too."

Her concentration shifts a moment as she smacks the stone with her index finger three times before pricking that finger and beginning to swipe a careful, geometric pattern in blood across the flat stone. There's a low, humming growl to accompany the simple process.

When she speaks again, running her finger around the stone's edge to redden it, her expression is farther away. "And then the long walk north was... well, things weren't sweet between 'em then, you know? And still they're the ones as kept us together through learnin' a new place." She looks to Hikaru. "Win or lose here, if you're still around, and able to go home together, you'll need that kind of glue too. She might not lead her people...but they're *her* people to take care of, aren't they still? Win, and there's the hard work of mending what dreams that go mad has done to people. Lose, and ...I don't even know what it'll be like tryin' to hold together as that all gets even worse."

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D3: MM Ward of Purity #1 CrabCamp | 6k3 ⇒ 27 (TN: 15)

[Doji Hikaru]

"Stories..." Hikaru echoed, his expression thoughtful. "I grew up surrounded by art, and stories were no exception to that, including ones about Lord Hida and Lady Anjing." He gave one of his tiny smiles. "I am learning a lot more details now, actually meeting some of the legends I've heard so much about."

Once more, Hikaru watched silently as Tai performed her ritual. Such things were not entirely unfamiliar to him, even if he was very much not part of that world.

Tai's words made Hikaru frown, clearly thinking deeply. He was silent for some time, then: "Either way, there will be a great deal to be done." He took a deep breath. "For years now, her path and mine have been parallel, sometimes crossing for brief moments, but sometimes... far enough that I could only have faith that she still walked it." He smiled gently. "Even if the path grows dark, I want to walk it with her."

[Kaiu Tai]

There's a dark smile at that, charcoal teeth on full display. "A hard path can make you stonger together for sure. The walk north made a lot of pairings tough as old leather, while others cracked apart at the seams. I'll offer some thoughts to you making it out of here together. We're in a space where dreams are awful close and real. Thoughts affect those."

She pauses, recalling something. "Reminds me. The ritual yesterday seemed a bit... Well it focused all of us here and the whole village on our fears. I'm a bit worried that affected folks' dreams when we're already fightin' nightmares regularly. Might be better if folks focused more on things they'd want to see..hopes not fears, you know?"

[Doji Hikaru]

Hikaru frowned as he considered her words. "Yes." He said. "The battle against corruption has been in the mind almost since the very beginning. Invading through our dreams..." His lips pressed together. "That feels especially distasteful."

He turned to look at her, his frown deepening. "Perhaps. I admit, yesterday's ritual unsettled me more than it comforted me." Grimacing, he shook his head. "But perhaps it is just unfamiliarity? The customs of this village are different than those I've seen elsewhere across the Empire."

[Kaiu Tai]

"There were all sorts of rituals among the tribes scattered across the lands these kami have decided will all be one Empire. Might be these are fine. But the way it's just pushed so many into more nightmares and less sleep...that weakens a person and feeds into the way corruption's been invadin' dreams I'd think." She sighs. "I'm just plannin' to be watchful of the rest of these rituals, but I'm not outright gonna outright stop them....yet."

"Just be careful out there. Want to hear how that bit of rock does in your quest and all."

[Doji Hikaru]

"Like a river gradually wearing away the bank." Hikaru said, his tone thoughtful.

Then he shook his head. "I shall. This is the first step." He said. "Now that I have this rock, it is the step I am least concerned about. I think I need just a little more inspiration for the other two..."

Again, Hikaru shook his head. "I shall." He bowed. "And you please be careful as well, Tai-san. Please, call upon me whenever you wish." Once more, he gave one of his tiny smiles. "Even if it just for some tea."