The Day of Thunder

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

The garden was quiet that morning, and the dense fog gave it a rather ethereal look. Yoshitsune Ayako found it rather restful, and she sat cross-legged on a large flat stone and thought about the past night’s dreams, and the advice Kaiu Tai had given her.

Maybe things will be okay, she thought to herself.

—
3MM Meditate for void recovery, Void/Meditation, +5 TN (Lost Love) | 7k4 ⇒ 31 (TN: 25)

[Otomo Akutou]

A silent figure walks the garden path that leads into the area where Ayako is sitting and remains silent, watching from a respectful distance--and one that will allow him to move if needed--until she is done.

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

After a few minutes passed, Ayako finished her meditations. Opening her eyes, she hesitantly gave Akutou a wave. Then, unsure if the mysterious figure had intended to be seen, she turned and peered at the pond, allowing the man to pretend not to have seen her, if solitude had been his intention.

[Otomo Akutou]

"Mornin', ma'am," Akutou says.

"Didja eat yet?"

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"Mornin', ma'am," Akutou says.

"Didja eat yet?"

"Good morning," the Crab woman said, looking up from the pond and bowing politely. "I had a little tea, but that's all. How about you?"

[Otomo Akutou]

"Good morning," the Crab woman said, looking up from the pond and bowing politely. "I had a little tea, but that's all. How about you?"

"More'n tea, ma'am," Akutou replies. "An' y' been sleepin' alright?"

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"More'n tea, ma'am," Akutou replies. "An' y' been sleepin' alright?"

"No," the woman admitted truthfully. "I had a rough night of it. Bad dreams... very bad. I hear there's been a lot of that going around. Why do you ask?"

[Otomo Akutou]

"No," the woman admitted truthfully. "I had a rough night of it. Bad dreams... very bad. I hear there's been a lot of that going around. Why do you ask?"

"That very reason, ma'am," Akutou says. "Fig'red since it's an ongoin' concern, an' we're all in this t'gether, I'd ask after how you're doin'."

He shrugs.

"Meant it kindly, didn't intend no disrespect. 'Pologies f'r it if any came 'cross."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"Ahh, I see," the Crab said, pondering Akutou's explanation. After a moment, she appeared decide to take his words as being well-meant.

"Please pardon me if I seemed rude," she said, bowing again. "I'm afraid I slept poorly and it must've affected me more than I thought. I'm called Yoshitsune Ayako."

[Otomo Akutou]

"Otomo Akutou," he says, touching the brim of his hat.

"An' nothin' t' pardon, ma'am" he adds. "Things're tense. Folks're cooped up, and stuff's bein' sprung on 'em."

He takes a deep breath and holds it a moment before releasing it slowly.

"'Sides, guy like me's not 'xactly th' picture o' couth," he continues, grinning.

"How all're y' trained, if'n I c'n ask? Might be standin' b'side you afore long, be good t' know it. An', just t' let y' know, ma'am, I'm a Hunter."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"How all're y' trained, if'n I c'n ask? Might be standin' b'side you afore long, be good t' know it. An', just t' let y' know, ma'am, I'm a Hunter."

"I'm a warrior, like many in my clan," Ayako replied. "I studied with Lord Yoshitsune's school, in fact."

"As a hunter, you must've seen a lot of the 'Stag' lands, Otomo-san," she said, with a hint of coolness. "What are they like? Are they as beautiful and as bountiful as I've heard?"

[Otomo Akutou]

"I'm a warrior, like many in my clan," Ayako replied. "I studied with Lord Yoshitsune's school, in fact."

"As a hunter, you must've seen a lot of the 'Stag' lands, Otomo-san," she said, with a hint of coolness. "What are they like? Are they as beautiful and as bountiful as I've heard?"

"Beauty's most always where y' find it, ma'am," Akutou replies. "There're parts as're beautiful, yes. Hills and scrub woods in th' main. There're mountains, but they're lower'n these an' ain't got th' purty tops.

"I've usually been able to feed m'self fr'm th' land, but most o' where I been's been out away fr'm towns an' such. Makes a hot meal an' a place I ain't got to move m' tent ev'ry night 'r two welcome."

He sighs.

Prob'ly shouldn't oughta say anythin' 'bout the Relocation, he thinks. Prob'ly a sore spot, an' not one as needs pokin'. Not right now. Still a lotta Seppun pissed 'bout it, little as they'll say it t' anybody else.

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"Beauty's most always where y' find it, ma'am," Akutou replies. "There're parts as're beautiful, yes. Hills and scrub woods in th' main. There're mountains, but they're lower'n these an' ain't got th' purty tops.

"I've usually been able to feed m'self fr'm th' land, but most o' where I been's been out away fr'm towns an' such. Makes a hot meal an' a place I ain't got to move m' tent ev'ry night 'r two welcome."

"I've never been that far south," Ayako said with a sigh. "It sounds very nice. Old folks are always going on and on about the old country, maybe there's something to it."

"It's a pretty long way from here, though, isn't it?" she asked. "What made you decide to come to Blue Lotus Village?"

[Otomo Akutou]

"I've never been that far south," Ayako said with a sigh. "It sounds very nice. Old folks are always going on and on about the old country, maybe there's something to it."

"It's a pretty long way from here, though, isn't it?" she asked. "What made you decide to come to Blue Lotus Village?"

"Th' older Seppun go on, too," Akutou affirms. "An' yes'm, it's a ways off. Took a while t' come up, walkin' an' a riverboat an' a lot o' walkin'. But th' O-Iemoto said I oughta come, an', well, I weren't 'bout t' tell 'im 'no.' He'd've beat my butt, an' I'd've had it comin'!"

He gives a snort of a laugh. "Hell, I still ain't 'ntirely sure he ain't up here, hisself. Be just like him t' pop out fr'm behin' some tree'r somethin', whittlin' away on some project'r 'nother."

He makes a show of looking about. One can never be too careful.

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"An' yes'm, it's a ways off. Took a while t' come up, walkin' an' a riverboat an' a lot o' walkin'. But th' O-Iemoto said I oughta come, an', well, I weren't 'bout t' tell 'im 'no.' He'd've beat my butt, an' I'd've had it comin'!"

He gives a snort of a laugh. "Hell, I still ain't 'ntirely sure he ain't up here, hisself. Be just like him t' pop out fr'm behin' some tree'r somethin', whittlin' away on some project'r 'nother."

"That sounds like quite a journey," she commented. "I suppose it's good that you're here now, though; from what the revered teacher said, Something Important is happening here soon. And like you said, there might be fighting."

[Otomo Akutou]

"That sounds like quite a journey," she commented. "I suppose it's good that you're here now, though; from what the revered teacher said, Something Important is happening here soon. And like you said, there might be fighting."

"I've heard tell fr'm several folks," Akutou puts in, "that Shinsei spoke to 'em personally afore they came this way. That the case f'r you, ma'am?"

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"I've heard tell fr'm several folks," Akutou puts in, "that Shinsei spoke to 'em personally afore they came this way. That the case f'r you, ma'am?"

"Ohh, no~~," Ayako said, a little dismissively. "I'm no one so important as that. I mean, I've seen Shinsei preaching in my village before, but he didn't ask me personally. I just came with Lady Anjing's party. I wouldn't be surprised if he talked to her directly, though."

[Otomo Akutou]

"Ohh, no~~," Ayako said, a little dismissively. "I'm no one so important as that. I mean, I've seen Shinsei preaching in my village before, but he didn't ask me personally. I just came with Lady Anjing's party. I wouldn't be surprised if he talked to her directly, though."

Akutou laughs a little more openly at that.

"It do seem a bit overwhelmin' t' have s' many here as're up in things. I mean, y' got how many daimyo and Jiyo Sora an' kids o' Kami here--an' then folks like us an' wanderers like Han-Hei, just normal folks tryin' t' get by an' gettin' swept up in--" and he gestures around.

"Though th' Librarian did talk about normal folks bein' th' ones as b'came th' heroes we see now. S' mebbe there's hope f'r folks like us t' do somethin', too."

He shrugs.

"What's th' alternative, really?"

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"Though th' Librarian did talk about normal folks bein' th' ones as b'came th' heroes we see now. S' mebbe there's hope f'r folks like us t' do somethin', too."

He shrugs.

"What's th' alternative, really?"

"Yes, it's all a bit overwhelming, but I'm hoping I can find some small way to help with these Big Important Things," Ayako admitted. "I guess I'd better start by mastering my own dreams; someone said yesterday that that's a way 'they' can attack us."

[Otomo Akutou]

"Yes, it's all a bit overwhelming, but I'm hoping I can find some small way to help with these Big Important Things," Ayako admitted. "I guess I'd better start by mastering my own dreams; someone said yesterday that that's a way 'they' can attack us."

"I've no doubt you'll do well, ma'am," Akutou says, recalling the previous evening's excursions. "How d' you think t' go about that kinda mastery, though? I'll admit I ain't thought o' dreams as somethin' that c'n be much mastered, but, well, diff'rent folks've got diff'rent strengths."

An' some of us, not a lot o' 'em, he thinks.