The Day of Thunder

[Shiba Kumori]

"They do not." Hikaru wasn't humorless by any means, but some subjects he was unwilling to joke about. "I would say that in most respects, they are simply more than human. Stronger. Wiser. Even taller." A smile just touched his lips at that.

He looked around, likewise noting the various Kami children about. "Their children seem mostly like the rest of us, although..." He frowned thoughtfully. "While not universally so, many are spiritually gifted." He gave a tiny shrug. "Perhaps it is just a coincidence. Visions of the future were not unheard of in the previous generation, either. Lady Reiko, for instance, or Jiyo Sora-sama."

“I see… Well damn. Disappointing and not at the same time.” She said with a nod.

“Seems like lots of visions out there nowadays. Hopefully we can puzzle them all together right.”

[Reiko Ohta]

Akutou sighs into a "Hell, I don't know. An' I'm gettin' the impression that I'm one o' th' few as don't."

Ohta cleared her throat, "Well, not as few as you think, I feel..."

She tried listening into the noise of the conversations around them and shook her head, "Yes, not as few at all. I'm sure things will come together sooner or later though."

[Otomo Akutou]

Ohta cleared her throat, "Well, not as few as you think, I feel..."

She tried listening into the noise of the conversations around them and shook her head, "Yes, not as few at all. I'm sure things will come together sooner or later though."

Another sigh.

"That's actually some comfort, ma'am," Akutou says. "At least I ain't the only one ain't in on th' joke."

[Nozomi]

-snip-

Reo offers a little shake of his head. "The stories about Taoshu...they get me. Oh, he would have liked them, no question. But I was there at the end." Reo pauses. "Some parts are better off unsung. All those others were better than me, and I got away because I limped away with a bum leg and the poison meant my ogre couldn't maul me in time."

"What's going to happen to us when we go? Do we become stories like that? I know Matsu didn't make any friends when some Crane put on a show that diminished her father's sacrifice."

Reo pauses.

"Man

She sighed and nodded. "I ... recall. With a good story, you have to be careful. There is embellishment to raise spirits and guide people in their path, but ... we were both there." Her lips thinned. "I don't want the people I traveled with lessened. Taochusu wouldn't have wanted it either."

"And ... like you? They were greater than me. It's why I tell my stories about them, not me."

[Reiko Ohta]

Another sigh.

"That's actually some comfort, ma'am," Akutou says. "At least I ain't the only one ain't in on th' joke."

Remembering she was still holding the gentleman's waterskin, Ohta held it back to him.

"I don't think it's a joke so much as a mystery. And I'm not sure as many people are 'in on it' as they think they are. A lot of samurai tend to show an outward face of composure and confidence, even when they really have no grounds for it. If I were in a better frame of mind, or if the rumors weren't so wicked, I might be the same myself."

[Doji Hikaru]

“I see… Well damn. Disappointing and not at the same time.” She said with a nod.

“Seems like lots of visions out there nowadays. Hopefully we can puzzle them all together right.”

"Perhaps it's just not in front of me." Hikaru said, entirely straight-faced. Well, perhaps he could joke about it a little...

He frowned, glancing towards Shinsei. "Perhaps one of these visions is what we are here for?" He glanced around. "I travelled here with Lady Makime. She had little patience for visions, or riddles. I hope that things here are considerably more clear. For her sake." Hikaru's lips pressed together; it was, in fact, not just for her sake.

[Otomo Akutou]

Remembering she was still holding the gentleman's waterskin, Ohta held it back to him.

"I don't think it's a joke so much as a mystery. And I'm not sure as many people are 'in on it' as they think they are. A lot of samurai tend to show an outward face of composure and confidence, even when they really have no grounds for it. If I were in a better frame of mind, or if the rumors weren't so wicked, I might be the same myself."

Akutou accepts the waterskin back, absently tucks it into his pack as he replies.

"It's somewhat vexin', to be sure. Gotta wonder how many prob'ems it hides that could be solved easy an' quick.

"Not my call t' make, though."

[Shiba Kumori]

"Perhaps it's just not in front of me." Hikaru said, entirely straight-faced. Well, perhaps he could joke about it a little...

He frowned, glancing towards Shinsei. "Perhaps one of these visions is what we are here for?" He glanced around. "I travelled here with Lady Makime. She had little patience for visions, or riddles. I hope that things here are considerably more clear. For her sake." Hikaru's lips pressed together; it was, in fact, not just for her sake.

“Lot of fancy names here…” She said with a nod.

“I hope the festival and whatever else this is can keep ‘em all busy.”

[Reiko Ohta]

snip

"Perhaps it's this way precisely because there are no quick and easy solutions. It would make sense why one would call so many people together, with so many different outlooks and skills. If it just took one thing, one could just focus on having certain people, and a clear goal."

[Doji Hikaru]

“Lot of fancy names here…” She said with a nod.

“I hope the festival and whatever else this is can keep ‘em all busy.”

"Many of the most famous in the Empire..." Hikaru agreed, then frowned, as he once again faced inner doubt over whether he belonged in that category or not.

He shook his head, shaking away the strange feeling. "I expect it will. Surely we're not just here to enjoy the festival." Hikaru frowned. "Not that I am against festivals, or anything like that. It's just that I would be loathe to have left my Lady's household except for the best of reasons." His lips remained parted a moment longer, then pressed firmly together.

[Otomo Akutou]

"Perhaps it's this way precisely because there are no quick and easy solutions. It would make sense why one would call so many people together, with so many different outlooks and skills. If it just took one thing, one could just focus on having certain people, and a clear goal."

"Accordin' t' the stories, that's how it was down south back some years. Might could be somethin' similar's goin' here, an' this's some kinda selection process. But it'd've been good t' know that, comin' in, if so."

Another shrug.

"Above my head, in th' end."

[Hisomu Tadaka]

Goju was in attendenace.

((PM if approaching))

[Reiko Ohta]

snip

"A lot of things in life that go over our heads. Best not to worry about it and take things one step at a time. Like my headache, or your accent."

A wry smile.

[Shiba Kumori]

"Many of the most famous in the Empire..." Hikaru agreed, then frowned, as he once again faced inner doubt over whether he belonged in that category or not.

He shook his head, shaking away the strange feeling. "I expect it will. Surely we're not just here to enjoy the festival." Hikaru frowned. "Not that I am against festivals, or anything like that. It's just that I would be loathe to have left my Lady's household except for the best of reasons." His lips remained parted a moment longer, then pressed firmly together.

She looked out over the crowd as well. Sensing his trepidation she replied, “You’ll fit in just fine Doji-sama. If the Lady Doji trusts you… then you can trust your instincts too.”

[Otomo Akutou]

"A lot of things in life that go over our heads. Best not to worry about it and take things one step at a time. Like my headache, or your accent."

A wry smile.

"What accent?"

[Saru Shang]

"Really?" Satsuki seemed oblivious of any markings that Shang might bear from her artistic pursuits, but rather very interested. Maybe not unexpected among the Dragon these days. "I'd love to see some of your works some day. This place will no doubt provide you will several interesting vistas, if landscape is what you're interested in? Or is it people? I usually find people more interesting than landscape, to be honest, though," she managed to take a breath in her speech which seemed to be letting loose like water bursting from a dam, "this is a bit more people than I'm used to, to be honest. Kinda cramped and crowdy, yeah?"

Shang gave Satsuki another small smile and dipped slightly in something of a bow/curtsey to show gratefulness for her interest. "Thank you, Togashi-sama. Your enthusiasm is well appreciated by this one. I paint too, of course, but my time on the road hasn't quite afforded me the environment or comfort enough to practice without some sacrifice. Charcoal and parchment do provide an interesting medium, however, especially when we consider that we've been minimalistic up until when the Kami gifted us with so many of these colours. A balance of yin and yang, in a way. I do hope inspiration does show itself here, I've been trying to find it for many months now on the road and it's been already a long journey. It would help if the fog wasn't so eager to hog the foreground or perhaps I should consider them as my subject?"

"Yes," she said as she drummed her fingers on her fan again in thought. "All the more I'm convinced that there is something to be witnessed here. I personally don't like to leave my audience in suspense but I do agree that the abundance in it could be considered an experience in itself. Again, the whole abstract vibe of it all."

Since they were waiting, she supposed she should remember her formalities, even if they were in a setting with standing space. "I'm Shang of the Saru, by the by."

[Matsu]

"Yes, yes, you are right," Ayako said. Taking Matsu's advice, she rolled her shoulders once more, then balanced her weight and brought her hands down in front of her center. The young woman's eyes flickered closed for a moment as she took a few deep, calming breaths. The din of the crowd seemed to recede into the distance.

Ayako's eyes opened again and she looked more at ease. "I'm honored to make your acquaintance, Matsu-sama. You ... you must be a great teacher in your lands. I think you must be right, we are on a battle front; but what are we supposed to fight? This ... this sickness is a strange enemy."

"We'll find out." She said with all manner of seriousness, keeping her focus on Ayako. A hint of delight at the physical signs that she had heeded the words to relax. "I don't know about great teacher, and don't you -sama me." There was a jovial edge to the words, as if spitting in the face of the polite decorum that the damned Doji espouse.

"Shadows, demons, sickness. In the end it all can be defeated. It's just finding out how. The will of men can overpower anything that comes at us."

[Kaijarisuigyo]

snip

"At the moment? Your own poison used against those who love. A simplistic tale of bad karma, but all the more strong for that. And the sudden shift of this conversation toward the subject of inflicting pain seems to only reinforce that narrative.

As for your Naraku, they seem more like the invention of some of one of these humans who derive pain from pleasure. Though with enough belief in it, from which mind it came first is of little importance. Any story repeated enough time becomes true.

The snakes I'm more familiar with are more characterized by their gluttony, always trying to drink the ocean or to eat the sun."

[Hiruma Naraku]

snip

"My poison will never be turned to those that are pure," he replied coldly, his eyes flaring with fleeting anger. "And do not mistake yourself Kai. I do not derive pleasure from the pain I inflict. I derive pleasure every time one of those stories, as you put it, becomes undone. Hopefully the pain which terminated the story is sufficient to send ripples against the whole narrative."

"I would sooner finish my tale than to become that which I hunt."

[Doji Hikaru]

She looked out over the crowd as well. Sensing his trepidation she replied, “You’ll fit in just fine Doji-sama. If the Lady Doji trusts you… then you can trust your instincts too.”

Hikaru sighed, but gave the strange woman a nod, some of the lines in his handsome features fading. "Of course. Thank you."

Then he tilted his head, regarding her. "If you were trained by Lord Kakita, I expect you have a good draw." He said. "If you would be join me in practice some morning while we are here, I would be honored." His chin tilted upwards. "One must keep one's skills sharp, after all."