The Day of Thunder

[Haka Soju]

"I hope that you can do so! Are you are singer as well?:

At the question, she nods. "Yes. Festivals and courts, and whatever other events Haka decides are necessary. She is a priestess, you remember correctly on that account. She is also a terrible person, and very weird, and quite possibly insane. I hope I am very, very far.away from her when she finally dies and all the ghosts she has following her around go on their inevitable killing spree." Soju shudders at the thought and raises a hand from the water to make a warding gesture.

[Nanzi Ai]

“I see,” she said at the words about Haka.

She smiled and added, “I can sing, nowhere near my sister’s ability or that of Mother, but I prefer the shamisen. I was gifted one a couple years ago and learned to play while I… traveled. If they do not mind an amateur, then I would gladly play for any willing to listen.”

[Haka Soju]

"Consider yourself forewarned if you ever have to meet with her." She moved quickly onto more pleasant topics. "You will have to play for me, then. I even know a few songs that would work well with shamisen accompaniment, if you wish to perform together."

Soju smirked as an idea occurred to her. "We could even pitch it as a battle between Clans, if you'd like. I can pick something that lets us go back and forth, with an easier shamisen part to boost you up a bit. Then I can just sing down a bit so that it appears close. People love to see our Clans wrestling with each other."

[Nanzi Ai]

Soju smirked as an idea occurred to her. "We could even pitch it as a battle between Clans, if you'd like. I can pick something that lets us go back and forth, with an easier shamisen part to boost you up a bit. Then I can just sing down a bit so that it appears close. People love to see our Clans wrestling with each other."

The Crane princess preened at the idea. It was just so interesting and certainly clever. She agreed instantly, “I would be honored, Haka-sama. That sounds like a lovely idea, and I appreciate the handicap to keep things interesting.”

“I am humbled by the offer.”

[Haka Soju]

"Think nothing of it. I will have to hear you play beforehand so that I can get a sense of our comparative skill levels, but after that it should be easy to get things set up." She ponders her schedule as she glances up at the darkening sky. "Maybe in two days' time? That should be enough time to spread the word around. I'll play up our rivalry a bit to sell it."

[Nanzi Ai]

"For the performance, I shall be ready," she responded.

"Is there an inn, by the by?"

[Haka Soju]

"Not that I have seen." She frowns at the reminder. "Which is a shame, as I do not have a tent. With any luck, one of my fellow Scorpion will have space in their tent... and hands that stay on their side during the night."

[Nanzi Ai]

"Thankfully I brought a tent, if you have issues with wandering hands Haka-sama you are welcome to seek shelter," she offered.

[Haka Soju]

"That would be quite preferable, thank you. Not that I don't trust my fellow Scorpion, but I don't trust my fellow Scorpion." She smirks at the younger woman. "We're quite untrustworthy, as a general rule."

[Nanzi Ai]

"Perhaps," she said kindly. "The offer stands, all the same."

"Scorpion life sounds complicated."

[Haka Soju]

"It's exhausting," Soju admits with a sigh. "I try to stay on the road to avoid the worst of it. One can only image the sort of nonsense they would have me doing if I were your age."

She shakes her head. "In any event, I am happy you take up space in your tent. I don't snore, so that's something."

[Nanzi Ai]

"Where has your role taken you, Haka-sama?" She said with great interest.

"Surely you have met some interesting people, I find travel to be an adventure."

[Haka Soju]

"Hmm, let's see... I started in Scorpion lands for a year or so, until they realized that I was actually good at singing. That was mostly small gatherings and festivals, with a stay in... some half-built castle or another for the winter. Everyone there had a vague sort of miserableness to them, but that was more due to temperature than anything else. Warm court room, warm rooms, absolutely freezing hallways. I was stabbed once that winter, and then again on the road leaving the castle. I think Mai had been hiding among the servants there."

She shakes the memory from her head. "I'll skip those parts, I think. Anyways, that led to the Crane lands for another year and a half, which was certainly more pleasant. There were larger gatherings, and I met a few Crane who were interested in my work, either for the sake of appreciation or trying to show me up. There was a very handsome healer in one of those villages who tried very hard to convince me to extend my stay with him." There was a faint smile at the memory.

"Oh, I started a sword duel over a song a little before that. Two samurai started arguing over the meaning of a song, and it broke out into violence. I'm there, trying to calm them down, but they seemed dead set on cutting each other up. Fortunately, one of your Clan's enforcers... what's the word for it, a magistrate? They showed up and shouted the two men back into common sense. I try not to sing that particular song anymore, just in case."

[Nanzi Ai]

Ai listened intently, the mention of being stabbed brought some minor shock to her face but nothing untoward or outside of the bounds of proper Crane etiquette especially without the shield of a fan. Mention of the Crane brought back memories, she was relieved that she had enjoyed her time among her Crane.

At the mention of the altercation at the end she finally spoke and said, “Perhaps that is for the best, my elder sister angered the Spider, particularly Matsu with a play once, I don’t know the details but I believe the enmity is deep and ongoing.”

“I am elated that you enjoyed the tie with my Clanmates, I have ever enjoyed visiting the Scorpion,” she responded.

[Haka Soju]

"I think far too many people get upset over art. If I'm writing a song specifically to get a rise out of someone, then the most annoying thing they can do is to laugh it off and tell me that I got them good. Getting red in the face and storming off is the desired outcome. And if I didn't intend to mock them, then it's just a misunderstanding anyways." Soju rolls her eye at the presumed drama.

"I generally like older Scorpions, the ones who were recruited into the Clan, so long as they're not too high up the chain of command. The ones that still have some common sense and don't have servants tending to their needs. The younger ones, the ones your age, are just the worst, though. Running around in their masks, all 'kekekekekeke' and 'hohohohoho' whenever anything happens, as if it were part of some master plot. Most of them couldn't find their ass with both hands and a map."

[Nanzi Ai]

"I think far too many people get upset over art. If I'm writing a song specifically to get a rise out of someone, then the most annoying thing they can do is to laugh it off and tell me that I got them good. Getting red in the face and storming off is the desired outcome. And if I didn't intend to mock them, then it's just a misunderstanding anyways." Soju rolls her eye at the presumed drama.

She thought back to her education on the matter of art appreciation and more importantly what was expected of her. She said, “Yes in principle I think among what I know of the lesser tribes, that would be the desired outcome… maybe even a potential brawl but among samurai even an errant word can bring dishonor or disrespect to a fellow samurai.”

“Action, deed and words are the same, so even a joke or omission…can be considered an attack on one’s Honor or the Honor of their family or Clan, and many take that to be deadly serious. Even if there was not actual ill intent,” she said softly.

“Not that I mean to preach or tell you something you don’t already know,” she added.

"I generally like older Scorpions, the ones who were recruited into the Clan, so long as they're not too high up the chain of command. The ones that still have some common sense and don't have servants tending to their needs. The younger ones, the ones your age, are just the worst, though. Running around in their masks, all 'kekekekekeke' and 'hohohohoho' whenever anything happens, as if it were part of some master plot. Most of them couldn't find their ass with both hands and a map."

“Living a life of intrigue seems overly complicated, to me,” she responded. Soju’s final words brought about a slight titter of laughter, “I think I know the type, among the Crane we don’t… well I don’t plot but there are some that get way too serious about Art and Beauty to the point that it becomes some kind of sport to be as extreme and esoteric as possible.”

She frowned briefly as she didn’t have the ease that the elder Scorpion had put things and tried to clarify, “I guess I just mean they get so wrapped up in these little worlds that they forget that the rest of the world exists. Lose touch… to steal a phrase they too could not find their ass with hands and a map.”

[Haka Soju]

She thought back to her education on the matter of art appreciation and more importantly what was expected of her. She said, “Yes in principle I think among what I know of the lesser tribes, that would be the desired outcome… maybe even a potential brawl but among samurai even an errant word can bring dishonor or disrespect to a fellow samurai.”

“Action, deed and words are the same, so even a joke or omission…can be considered an attack on one’s Honor or the Honor of their family or Clan, and many take that to be deadly serious. Even if there was not actual ill intent,” she said softly.

"Mmm... so you are saying, the tribals understand that mistakes happen and are willing to move on with their lives with a roll of the eyes or a few grumbles, while the samurai look at such slights - or even not saying something - as reasons to cut each other open or live their lives in seething hatred?" Soju raises a skeptical eyebrow. "Are samurai not supposed to be better than tribals? How is a more narrow mind and a shorter temper an improvement?"

“Living a life of intrigue seems overly complicated, to me,” she responded. Soju’s final words brought about a slight titter of laughter, “I think I know the type, among the Crane we don’t… well I don’t plot but there are some that get way too serious about Art and Beauty to the point that it becomes some kind of sport to be as extreme and esoteric as possible.”

She frowned briefly as she didn’t have the ease that the elder Scorpion had put things and tried to clarify, “I guess I just mean they get so wrapped up in these little worlds that they forget that the rest of the world exists. Lose touch… to steal a phrase they too could not find their ass with hands and a map.”

Soju nods in agreement. "Young people have their heads filled with the words of their teachers and elders, and that leaves precious little room for thinking. With the way things are now, they learn all about art and fashion and writing letters and how best to cut someone apart, but nobody is teaching them how to sow a field, how to cook a chicken, how to deliver a child. It's no wonder they focus entirely upon their own little worlds of shallow specialization, if that is all they are being taught."

[Nanzi Ai]

"Mmm... so you are saying, the tribals understand that mistakes happen and are willing to move on with their lives with a roll of the eyes or a few grumbles, while the samurai look at such slights - or even not saying something - as reasons to cut each other open or live their lives in seething hatred?" Soju raises a skeptical eyebrow. "Are samurai not supposed to be better than tribals? How is a more narrow mind and a shorter temper an improvement?"

Ai furrowed her brow at the response and gave it careful thought before saying, “I would say if a samurai has such a narrow view of Bushido that all paths lead to drawing one’s sword then they make a poor samurai. Strength is important, Courage is important, but we should always practice Compassion; patience and thinking things through.”

“Death is the final release from Duty but we should not rush into head long unless our Lord demands it of us. But it is a poor Lord that wastes the lives of his samurai needlessly.” She thought of taking a cheap shot at the man-beasts that call themselves Matsu but did not feel like muddying the waters.

Soju nods in agreement. "Young people have their heads filled with the words of their teachers and elders, and that leaves precious little room for thinking. With the way things are now, they learn all about art and fashion and writing letters and how best to cut someone apart, but nobody is teaching them how to sow a field, how to cook a chicken, how to deliver a child. It's no wonder they focus entirely upon their own little worlds of shallow specialization, if that is all they are being taught."

“Being overly specialized has its perks but yes it can lead to folks lacking some basic skills if they feel it sits outside their respective wheelhouse. Though sowing a field is the work for the farmer… at least among the Crane,” she finished.

“I did sow a few fields in my travels, that’s hard work and a long day; it only reinforced that I would make a poor farmer.”

[Haka Soju]

Ai furrowed her brow at the response and gave it careful thought before saying, “I would say if a samurai has such a narrow view of Bushido that all paths lead to drawing one’s sword then they make a poor samurai. Strength is important, Courage is important, but we should always practice Compassion; patience and thinking things through.”

“Death is the final release from Duty but we should not rush into head long unless our Lord demands it of us. But it is a poor Lord that wastes the lives of his samurai needlessly.” She thought of taking a cheap shot at the man-beasts that call themselves Matsu but did not feel like muddying the waters.

"But if an errant word or joke or even an omission can be considered an attack on one's Honor - or the Honor of their family or Clan - and samurai consider that to be deadly serious, then how long until a samurai is forced to cut down all around you? Does failing to sing your praises bring about death? Making a joke that doesn't land ends your life?" Soju gestures with her hand, splashing some water to one side.

"You say that a samurai with such a narrow view is a poor samurai, but even the best samurai is compelled to act when their honor is challenged, yes? And that can, apparently, be done by a simple word, or even by not saying the right word when needed. It is a... a... a tower made of song, an impossible expectation, not just of samurai like yourself, but of those around you. A farmer - who is untrained in your ways - says the wrong thing, and now he is dead, because a samurai felt bad for a moment."

Soju shakes her head in disagreement. "Fighting for those you love is honorable. Being brave in the face of a hungry ghost, this is honorable. Being kind to others, also honorable. But I do not believe in any sort of honor that requires defending. That is not honor, that is reputation and ego, and the people who care so much about those as to believe they need defending are assholes."

[Nanzi Ai]

“It is not an easy code to understand or live by,” she admitted.

“It even seems daunting but as my honored Father explained, that we must interpret between the lines and always aim for a just and orderly society. But that is why politeness and choosing words carefully is so important, when you said I was apologizing too much part of it is to show that I meant no ill will to you and yours.”

She frowned and looked down at the water, “It could be that a farmer could stir… well let’s not mince words a farmer could piss off a samurai and such could happen, but that samurai should remember that we have a Duty to those below us as much as we have a Duty to those above us. Killing a farmer is a slight to that farmer’s Lord and they should be prepared to answer for such a slight,” she continued.

“Yet to be a samurai is to be a servant, we are always call to Defend and serve our Lord and that Lord should act with Honor and understand their responsibility to those above and those below them. All life is precious and even if Honor demands I act, I must have my Lord’s permission before I take such action that could cost my life.”

“It is both a way for individuals and a society to order itself.”