The Day of Thunder

[Anjing]

Anjing carefully sets down her battered tea sea by the fire. She didn't know the Unicorn well, but from what she'd seen the other Daimyo was careful with those she didn't know. So, no need to go overboard on informality, some polite tea, seating not too close, good visibility of the surrounds and oh, yes.

She stands and reaches into a nearby sack, checking it was still there. Some quality feed for that horse. Truth be told Anjing didn't know much about the creatures, but they seemed to always be eating something, even if it was just threadbare grass. Well, not in this camp.

Now she just had to wait for the response to her invitation.

[Otaku]

Otaku is timely and looks, unlike an awful lot of people in this cursed village, fairly well-rested. The drizzle beading on her hair and simple padded coat doesn’t seem to faze her as she leads Tsubame on foot through the camp, the tall horse delicately avoiding tent ropes and stakes. Otaku had tried to ask one of the other Crab if there was someplace they’d like her to turn him out, but they had just shrugged and waved her past the picket, so she’d continued along with her equine plus-one.

“Well met, Anjing-san.” The quiet greeting is accompanied by a wave and followed with a polite bow. Both women are daimyo, but Anjing is the older and the spouse of a Kami, after all.

[Anjing]

Otaku is timely and looks, unlike an awful lot of people in this cursed village, fairly well-rested. The drizzle beading on her hair and simple padded coat doesn’t seem to faze her as she leads Tsubame on foot through the camp, the tall horse delicately avoiding tent ropes and stakes. Otaku had tried to ask one of the other Crab if there was someplace they’d like her to turn him out, but they had just shrugged and waved her past the picket, so she’d continued along with her equine plus-one.

“Well met, Anjing-san.” The quiet greeting is accompanied by a wave and followed with a polite bow. Both women are daimyo, but Anjing is the older and the spouse of a Kami, after all.

"Otaku, thank you for coming, I hope your day has been blessed."
She inclines her own head respectfully.

"And... horse, it is nice to meet you too."
Another nod, not quite as deep.

"Can I offer you something to eat or to drink? I am eager to get to know you better are peoples' are close, but not close. And while trapped in this village it seems a useful opportunity to remedy that."

[Otaku]

Otaku is timely and looks, unlike an awful lot of people in this cursed village, fairly well-rested. The drizzle beading on her hair and simple padded coat doesn’t seem to faze her as she leads Tsubame on foot through the camp, the tall horse delicately avoiding tent ropes and stakes. Otaku had tried to ask one of the other Crab if there was someplace they’d like her to turn him out, but they had just shrugged and waved her past the picket, so she’d continued along with her equine plus-one.

“Well met, Anjing-san.” The quiet greeting is accompanied by a wave and followed with a polite bow. Both women are daimyo, but Anjing is the older and the spouse of a Kami, after all.

"Otaku, thank you for coming, I hope your day has been blessed."
She inclines her own head respectfully.

"And... horse, it is nice to meet you too."
Another nod, not quite as deep.

"Can I offer you something to eat or to drink? I am eager to get to know you better are peoples' are close, but not close. And while trapped in this village it seems a useful opportunity to remedy that."

Otaku laughs quietly. "This is Tsubame." An opened hand indicates the horse, who shakes his mane almost as if he's acknowledging Anjing's respect and (doubtless, right?) admiration. "Out of Lady Shinjo's favorite mare. He'll get affronted if I don't tell you that part."

She steps into the ring of Anjing's campsite (while the horse sensibly stays just outside it). "Thank you. If you are having something, it would be an honor to share with you. I've heard provisions from the village might be..." she hesitates, re-routes tactfully. "As we may be living off what we brought with us from here on out, I would not tax your supplies if they're tight."

[Anjing]

Snip

"Well met Tsubame, you are a fine horse indeed."Turning to Otaky,. "If you're welcome in a Crab camp you're welcome to what we have, even got something special for Tsubame."

Anjing stomps over and holds out the sack of feed before awkwardly hanging it off a tent pole. "Had to trade some scraps for that, but think I got the better part of the deal. And for us." She stops stomps back. "Strong tea, tea that will make you feel young again."

Indeed, the pot has been boiling for some time so the tea Anjing pours into two battered cups, offering the first one to Otaku, is pungent indeed. "And we have plenty of dried fruits, enough to get by. You're welcome to it all. And please, sit under the shelter, you'll catch a death of cold in all this drizzle."

If not prevented Anjing will shove the warm tea into Otaku's tea and escort her under the crude awning.

[Otaku]

Otaku raises her eyebrows in pleased surprise that Anjing even has a snack for her mount.

“A little rain never hurt,” she defends herself mildly, but steps under the canvas cover nevertheless, wrapping her hands around the hot cup of tea with murmured thanks.

“Your camp is very neat,” she adds, looking around again from her now-sheltered position. “Orderly. The other camp is a little more… organic.”

[Anjing]

Otaku raises her eyebrows in pleased surprise that Anjing even has a snack for her mount.

“A little rain never hurt,” she defends herself mildly, but steps under the canvas cover nevertheless, wrapping her hands around the hot cup of tea with murmured thanks.

“Your camp is very neat,” she adds, looking around again from her now-sheltered position. “Orderly. The other camp is a little more… organic.”

"Well we're smaller and more tight-nit, it's been easier for us. Everyone knows what they have to do and where to do it."
She rolls her shoulders.
" 'Organic' camps are a recipe for all sorts of issues, infighting, the spread of disease, chaos if attacked. I've had a lot of experience helping setup camps with thousands. This was nothing."

"Now." She sips her tea. "How are you holding up? Hear you took the lead dealing with some corrupted wolves the other day, good stuff. Your people doing alright? Anything we can help with?"

[Otaku]

"Only Xiaochen-san and I are here from Shinjo's clan. We are few, so it's easy to stay in good order." Otaku's lips quirk. "We're used to travel. The rest of the other camp is... fine, thus far, apart from the dreams many are suffering." She takes a careful sip of the steaming tea, balancing get warm quick against the risk of scalding. "Some are quartering on the villagers, too, I hear. I wonder if that's a good idea, but they're not under my orders."

"The sooner we're prepared to meet other attacks like those wolves, the better. They might be only a distraction, but distractions can kill too."

She rests the teacup on her knee and leans forward a bit. "Did you know, that other monk--Nozomi? She says this has all happened before." The inflection of her quiet voice suggests Otaku hasn't decided whether or not to believe this yet.

[Anjing]

"Only Xiaochen-san and I are here from Shinjo's clan. We are few, so it's easy to stay in good order." Otaku's lips quirk. "We're used to travel. The rest of the other camp is... fine, thus far, apart from the dreams many are suffering." She takes a careful sip of the steaming tea, balancing get warm quick against the risk of scalding. "Some are quartering on the villagers, too, I hear. I wonder if that's a good idea, but they're not under my orders."

"The sooner we're prepared to meet other attacks like those wolves, the better. They might be only a distraction, but distractions can kill too."

She rests the teacup on her knee and leans forward a bit. "Did you know, that other monk--Nozomi? She says this has all happened before." The inflection of her quiet voice suggests Otaku hasn't decided whether or not to believe this yet.

Anjing takes a big swig of her own scalding tea in an act of pure madness.
Her tone neutral "We've also been invited to quarter in the village. I expect that Wu boy to put together the proposal. I'll sleep on it, hear what the Clan has to say."

Leaning in as Otaku does, lowering her voice. "Nozomi? Met her once, heard a story or too. She seemed...sad, regrets maybe. Doesn't mean she's wrong though. Apparently this happens every thousand years or so?" Anjing shrugs deeply. "Long enough for everyone to forget by the next time, but could be so, could be so. Means this is the big one, we get it right and our children and their children's children will only have to worry about little things."

Arching an eyebrow. "Way I see it, either way, the only thing that changes is how we tell the stories afterwards, maybe try and leave something to whoever is still kicking next time."

[Otaku]

"That's true." Otaku sips her tea in silence for a bit. "I didn't like to hear that even if we succeed, it will all be undone again. That it always gets undone. But a thousand years is still a long time for our children."

She frowns. "I would not sleep in the village, friendly as they seem. Did your Naraku tell you yet about the note they found in that cave yesterday?"

[Anjing]

"That's true." Otaku sips her tea in silence for a bit. "I didn't like to hear that even if we succeed, it will all be undone again. That it always gets undone. But a thousand years is still a long time for our children."

She frowns. "I would not sleep in the village, friendly as they seem. Did your Naraku tell you yet about the note they found in that cave yesterday?"

"Nothing ends, Otaku, nothing ever ends. Anything we build will be dust one day. How long is what we can control."
Grinning.
"And a thousand years is a long time for our children. Long enough to give them time to figure out how to do the next one better anyway."

She blinks. "Note from the cave? Not yet. Was it some kind of clue to what's going on? I swear if it was more cryptic koans..."

[Otaku]

Otaku sighs. "I would rest happier if our children could at least fight new battles, not our same old ones over again," she admits, softly. "But you are probably right. And they may do better than us."

She explains the note Naraku and the rest of the scouting party brought out of the dreamstone cave. "The shugenja will have to work out the diagrams that went with it. Still, alone it's enough to know someone or something is watching the town."

[Anjing]

Snip

"Well, the number of power, suspicious women in the village is few, I can only really think of one. But she has been granted Imperial protection and so has been vetted. There must be more to this, perhaps some kind of demon woman?"
Anjing frowns...not knowing much about demon gender and sexual politics.
"But it confirms just how impossibly cursed this village is, I tried to speak to he headwoman today but she assured me she know of no such thing."

Pausing.
"Now I feel I can hardly in good conscience bring up the main reason for me inviting you over. Here we are talking about the apocalypse and then I launch into the painfully mundane, boring topic of trade routes and other nonsense."

[Otaku]

"Makime and Matsu and the Imperials will need to lay plans on those findings too. No sense doing it all twice." Otaku's lips quirk wryly as she picks up her now-cooler teacup again. "Besides, it is as you said. The future's for our children. If we can't plan for that, what is the point?"

She turns the cup in her hands, thinking. "Ide--my husband--has the better head for trade routes and harvest numbers. But by all means, let us speak as if I expect to see him again soon, whole and in a happier world."


((Setting aside the "Demon Lady???" topic for a bit since we have the daimyo scene later anyway!))

[Anjing]

"Makime and Matsu and the Imperials will need to lay plans on those findings too. No sense doing it all twice." Otaku's lips quirk wryly as she picks up her now-cooler teacup again. "Besides, it is as you said. The future's for our children. If we can't plan for that, what is the point?"

She turns the cup in her hands, thinking. "Ide--my husband--has the better head for trade routes and harvest numbers. But by all means, let us speak as if I expect to see him again soon, whole and in a happier world."

((Setting aside the "Demon Lady???" topic for a bit since we have the daimyo scene later anyway!))

"Well then we're probably evenly matched then. I only have to pay attention because of necessity. If you don't know your numbers merchants try to take advantage of you, but you smack too many of them and they stop coming. So you smack a few of them, but reach deals with the ones you can stand."
The invisible tetsubo of the Crab market.

"So-" She goes to fetch more tea, refilling Otaku's cup first if she indicated she would like more. "-Your people have the best horses around, everyone says so and I mean, look at Tsubame he's very horsey. My people don't have a lot of horses. But what we do have is all the good resources you find up in the mountains and some rare stuff from north over the mountains. So I was thinking."

She leans in conspiratorially.
"We trade, some of your horses for some of our resources. Doesn't have to be a lot mind, you can keep the real special ones. But we need some hardy beasts that are good with hills and the cold. What do you reckon?"

[Otaku]

Otaku nods gratefully in acceptance of the tea top-up.

"I haven't been much in the high mountains. Only as far as Lady Saruko's town in the Dragon lands." She tilts her head to one side, her eyes going a bit distant as she considers. "The air is thinner up there, if you go high enough, I heard? And the trails must be quite steep. How is the ground? Is it very rocky?"

She stops herself before she can wander too far in her thoughts of mountainous conditions and horse bloodlines. "Lady Shinjo and I have been working on breeding tall plains coursers like Tsubame over there." She lifts her chin a bit to indicate the mighty steed currently nose-deep in the snack Anjing provided for him. "Some traits you need in your hills might be the same, others different."

[Anjing]

Snip

"Yes, it's strange, like you have to breathe harder to do anything. And if you go too high your head pounds with every heartbeat until you have stayed for a few days."
Crossing her arms, cup in hand and thinking.
"The trails are steep, but where we would take a horse is not quite so bad, a steep hill, not a mountain side. The rocks are worse lower down, but there are plenty there. Do horses have trouble with rocks?"

She eyes the happily consuming Tsubame with a slight frown.
"What traits would a hill horse need that a plains courses wouldn't?"

[Otaku]

"Deep chest and good lungs," Otaku says promptly, leaning in a bit and cupping her chin in her palm. "Not too big and tall. Strong, though, especially in the hindquarters. Endurance, not speed."

She purses her lips, and then, after a moment, adds, "Tough feet." She opens a hand in Tsubame's direction. "For war, you can fix bronze or iron shoes on their hooves, but it's costly and they must be trained to it. On rocks and slopes, you want beasts with feet that won't bruise easily, or split."

[Anjing]

"Deep chest and good lungs," Otaku says promptly, leaning in a bit and cupping her chin in her palm. "Not too big and tall. Strong, though, especially in the hindquarters. Endurance, not speed."

"Hmmm, I suppose the same goes for a partner of any species." It all sounds very sensible to Anjing.

She purses her lips, and then, after a moment, adds, "Tough feet." She opens a hand in Tsubame's direction. "For war, you can fix bronze or iron shoes on their hooves, but it's costly and they must be trained to it. On rocks and slopes, you want beasts with feet that won't bruise easily, or split."

That hadn't occurred to her though and she looks thoughtful. "Tough feet, huh? Makes sense. So you want strong, horses who won't give up who have hard feet." Pause. "You have any like that? Or do we have to start breeding? And how'd you breed for tough feet anyway.

Clearly getting the right horses was gonna take some time.
"But it can be done though, right?"

[Otaku]

"Yes, I think--"

The full sense of Anjing's reply takes a moment to catch up to Otaku, preoccupied as she is with mentally flipping through the catalogue of equine bloodlines she and Shinjo were building out for the Ki-rin Champion's growing herd. She colors.

"..."

With a shake of her head and a soft cough, she clears away the distraction. "That is, I, I think we have some who would suit now. Over five or ten years, or twenty, we could select for better still. Hm." She clears her throat slightly. "What work do you think your Crab would use them for, mostly?"