The Day of Thunder

[Chuchu]

Chuchu watches Chouri, her ears going up. Oh... this looks like...

[Saru Shang]

"No'm," he says. "Trip t' th' south, if'n I recollect m' lessons correctly."

"Oh, uhm," Shang murmured before turning quiet with a tinge of red on her cheeks, that feeling of embarrassment of making a joke about something serious.

"...If she can fix even this, these effects are powerful. Whatever they are."

[Otomo Akutou]

"...If she can fix even this, these effects are powerful. Whatever they are."

Akutou nods.

"'Deed so, ma'am," he says. "An' that's the worry f'r many."

[Hisomu Reo]

Reo squints in focus, trying to imagine the shape he needs it to be.

(OOC: Assume losing the Lame Disadvantage?)

[Wu Dai Lu]

Reo squints in focus, trying to imagine the shape he needs it to be.

(OOC: Assume losing the Lame Disadvantage?)

(OOC: Yes.)

As with Yukara, she chants under her breath as her hand rests on Reo's leg. The world shifts briefly for him into a beautiful sunlit place. In his vision, the sun is just rising, shining dappled light through the forest that illuminates the cherry blossoms blooming in the tree above. The crowd sees the brief, odd blur, and as the vision ends, she lifts her hand away from his flawless leg.

[Hisomu Reo]

Reo puts a hand to his mouth, still unbelieving. But after a moment, he steels himself. He clutches the Jade around his neck with his hand.

"I present myself to be examined." He motions to Ohta and Naraku along with the skeptical ones. Normally, he would be one of those so he can't offer and resentment.

-snip-

-snip-

[Saru Shang]

Akutou nods.

"'Deed so, ma'am," he says. "An' that's the worry f'r many."

"Once again, another sudden miracle," she said at the conclusion of the ritual performed on Reo. "It's going to take a while for these things to seem normal, even if we're getting exactly what we're being told here. I don't know why I as expecting overwise here."

[Otomo Akutou]

"Once again, another sudden miracle," she said at the conclusion of the ritual performed on Reo. "It's going to take a while for these things to seem normal, even if we're getting exactly what we're being told here. I don't know why I as expecting overwise here."

"Don't know as anybody expected quite what all we've run inta here, ma'am," Akutou replies. "I certainly didn't think I'd be seein' all o' what I've seen or meetin' th' people I've met. Ain't exactly th' kinda thing folks in my line o' work encounter often."

[Chuchu]

The ratling gets up from her place beside the Imperial to creep closer toward Reo. She looks back to Sora, and then to Reo, then Sora again, tail up all the way as she cheeps before scurrying back to him. Name magic! It looks like NAME MAGIC!

[Jiyo Sora]

The ratling gets up from her place beside the Imperial to creep closer toward Reo. She looks back to Sora, and then to Reo, then Sora again, tail up all the way as she cheeps before scurrying back to him. Name magic! It looks like NAME MAGIC!

Sora managed to keep a straight face at the nezumi's excitement.

Barely.

[Saru Shang]

"Don't know as anybody expected quite what all we've run inta here, ma'am," Akutou replies. "I certainly didn't think I'd be seein' all o' what I've seen or meetin' th' people I've met. Ain't exactly th' kinda thing folks in my line o' work encounter often."

She titted with a shake of her head. "Even after seeing that baku you talked about? I get the feeling that sentiment runs true for most visitors to the village and our time here. I do kind of fear that this might do in our sentiments in the future. Suppose we go to the next village and see someone else capable of such a thing because they've been granted the healing power of a lake or sacred sap from a tree. Do we find ourselves shrugging that off as commonplace? Not that I'm saying this isn't unique but it seems clear that we're still discovering much of the land in parts unknown."

[Otomo Akutou]

She titted with a shake of her head. "Even after seeing that baku you talked about? I get the feeling that sentiment runs true for most visitors to the village and our time here. I do kind of fear that this might do in our sentiments in the future. Suppose we go to the next village and see someone else capable of such a thing because they've been granted the healing power of a lake or sacred sap from a tree. Do we find ourselves shrugging that off as commonplace? Not that I'm saying this isn't unique but it seems clear that we're still discovering much of the land in parts unknown."

"Still ain't sure it were a baku," Akutou replies, "an' still ain't rightly sure what a baku is, anyway.

"But as far as gettin' inured t' wonder," he continues, shrugging, "I don't know 'bout all that. I still marvel at th' sunrise ov'r th' hills an' such, an' at th; flowers as bloom in th' spring. But then, I also ain't got cause t' doubt that I'm seein' true when I see 'em. Here, gotta be more wary. An' I ain't th' only one as's been thinkin' so."

He does not gesture, but he does cut his eyes to certain folks standin' about.

"But I won'er how much o' mine's just bein', mebbe not 'overwhelmed,' like, but kinda like bein' popped in th' face. Kinda stuns a body, e'en if it don't hurt much."

[Saru Shang]

"Still ain't sure it were a baku," Akutou replies, "an' still ain't rightly sure what a baku is, anyway.

"But as far as gettin' inured t' wonder," he continues, shrugging, "I don't know 'bout all that. I still marvel at th' sunrise ov'r th' hills an' such, an' at th; flowers as bloom in th' spring. But then, I also ain't got cause t' doubt that I'm seein' true when I see 'em. Here, gotta be more wary. An' I ain't th' only one as's been thinkin' so."

He does not gesture, but he does cut his eyes to certain folks standin' about.

"But I won'er how much o' mine's just bein', mebbe not 'overwhelmed,' like, but kinda like bein' popped in th' face. Kinda stuns a body, e'en if it don't hurt much."

"A talking something that shouldn't have talked, at least. Still very much fantastical. It's a shame that your encounter was so brief, I could imagine the sort of conversations you could have with such a thing."

"You're right about that now that you've mentioned it. Just because some things are constantly in front of us, all but the most jaded and downtrodden souls wouldn't take them for granted. I suppose maybe I fear more that we might find ourselves downtrodden after this experience, what life we might find after the storm clears, so to speak! Sure, you reorient yourself after each blow, wounds heal to be hurt once more. However, scars do form and sometimes the senses become numb."

She gave a glance around and shook her head. "Mm, perhaps not a great analogy at the moment."

[Otomo Akutou]

"A talking something that shouldn't have talked, at least. Still very much fantastical. It's a shame that your encounter was so brief, I could imagine the sort of conversations you could have with such a thing."

"You're right about that now that you've mentioned it. Just because some things are constantly in front of us, all but the most jaded and downtrodden souls wouldn't take them for granted. I suppose maybe I fear more that we might find ourselves downtrodden after this experience, what life we might find after the storm clears, so to speak! Sure, you reorient yourself after each blow, wounds heal to be hurt once more. However, scars do form and sometimes the senses become numb."

She gave a glance around and shook her head. "Mm, perhaps not a great analogy at the moment."

"It weren't happy I shot it," Akutou says. "Can't blame it f'r that, honestly, but it ain't the best start t' a good talk."

[Saru Shang]

"It weren't happy I shot it," Akutou says. "Can't blame it f'r that, honestly, but it ain't the best start t' a good talk."

"I can blame you for that. Even I wouldn't walk up to a creature in the woods with the expectation that I'll be having tea and an enlightening conversation. So, kind of hard to wish that I would be in your boots instead there, Otomo-san," she said with a sigh of dismay.

"But I suppose it was a learning experience. I shall now roam the woods with bow in hand but with a more open mind for possibilities. Not that I hope such conversations are commonplace, it would make the relationship with hunting far too complicated. To think that anything you shoot or spear could talk back to you is confounding, to say the least. The relationship with nature would be flipped on its head!" She raised her fan slightly as she added another point. "Also, the possibility that you might also find yourself before a roaring bear but be so diluted to think that you can smooth this misunderstanding with words when none are known!"

[Otomo Akutou]

"I can blame you for that. Even I wouldn't walk up to a creature in the woods with the expectation that I'll be having tea and an enlightening conversation. So, kind of hard to wish that I would be in your boots instead there, Otomo-san," she said with a sigh of dismay.

"But I suppose it was a learning experience. I shall now roam the woods with bow in hand but with a more open mind for possibilities. Not that I hope such conversations are commonplace, it would make the relationship with hunting far too complicated. To think that anything you shoot or spear could talk back to you is confounding, to say the least. The relationship with nature would be flipped on its head!" She raised her fan slightly as she added another point. "Also, the possibility that you might also find yourself before a roaring bear but be so diluted to think that you can smooth this misunderstanding with words when none are known!"

Akutou chuckles.

"It would make f'r a more complicated time," he admits. "And f'r folks like me who ain't s' good wi' their words, it'd be a hardship, t' be sure."

He pauses, considering.

"Might mean we'd have t' direct our attentions otherwise th'n th' world outside th' cities an' such. An' that might be a concern f'r some."

[Saru Shang]

Akutou chuckles.

"It would make f'r a more complicated time," he admits. "And f'r folks like me who ain't s' good wi' their words, it'd be a hardship, t' be sure."

He pauses, considering.

"Might mean we'd have t' direct our attentions otherwise th'n th' world outside th' cities an' such. An' that might be a concern f'r some."

Shang shrugged at that. "With only a few cities in the land, I think this is something that'll happen incidentally, I'm sure. Clearly, we're both already doing that in our travels. We can't all fill out and comb through the land to discover every corner of the claimed Kami Empire to realize this. Well, an obvious hyperbole! Do you mean in more of an official capacity, like an office meant for discovering the unknown?"

[Otomo Akutou]

Shang shrugged at that. "With only a few cities in the land, I think this is something that'll happen incidentally, I'm sure. Clearly, we're both already doing that in our travels. We can't all fill out and comb through the land to discover every corner of the claimed Kami Empire to realize this. Well, an obvious hyperbole! Do you mean in more of an official capacity, like an office meant for discovering the unknown?"

"More'f an inward turn, I think," Akutou says. "There're things as loftier folks like t' think don't happen that do. E'en in a place like this, there's some o' it t' be found, if'n you know how t' look. There's a lotta overlap b'tween th' skills th' O-Iemoto teaches an' th' skills as hunt out that kinda thing, an' I c'n think there might be some shift over thataway."

He shrugs. "But that's f'r after all this resolves."

[Saru Shang]

"More'f an inward turn, I think," Akutou says. "There're things as loftier folks like t' think don't happen that do. E'en in a place like this, there's some o' it t' be found, if'n you know how t' look. There's a lotta overlap b'tween th' skills th' O-Iemoto teaches an' th' skills as hunt out that kinda thing, an' I c'n think there might be some shift over thataway."

He shrugs. "But that's f'r after all this resolves."

"Considering work, no matter how difficult and nebulous, is perhaps an expression of hope. At least, being optimistic that there will be a mostly normal future where we can seek to improve. I'll say that was the purpose of our thought exercise at the very least," she nodded a few times on that note.

"That said...I think I might have seen enough here for today. Thank you for the conversation, Otomo-san. I suppose I'll see you in the continued future," she said bowing politely to excuse herself.

[Otomo Akutou]

"Considering work, no matter how difficult and nebulous, is perhaps an expression of hope. At least, being optimistic that there will be a mostly normal future where we can seek to improve. I'll say that was the purpose of our thought exercise at the very least," she nodded a few times on that note.

"That said...I think I might have seen enough here for today. Thank you for the conversation, Otomo-san. I suppose I'll see you in the continued future," she said bowing politely to excuse herself.

"I shall look for'ard to it, ma'am," Akutou replies, touching the brim of his hat in reply.

"Very much so."

~~~~~
Thank you!