The Day of Thunder

[Nozomi]

"We give up a piece of ourselves when we take up the path, searching for the truth. My talents have always laid, even after all this time, in other pursuits. He has the eye for talent and me? I'm good with a story, living off the land and ... heh, grinding flour." She patted one of the tonfa at her side. Those old millstone handle hadn't ground proper flour in decades.

[Nanzi Ai]

“Well may I say that I am honored to be in your presence all the same,” she said warmly.

[Otomo Akutou]

"The land's bountiful for them as know how t' look," Akutou agrees. "Spent many days doin' just that, an' et well the while."

[Nozomi]

'Her father's daughter, no question. I imagine she could smooth over any conversation, just like he used to.' Definitely not one of her gifts, even if she was much better at 'behaving herself' than she used to be long ago. "A pleasure for me as well. I will definitely say, I meet all sorts of people when I travel with the teacher. It's a good thing." Sometimes, it was also a confusing and distressing thing. Sometimes, it was a treat. She liked to think of it as a learning experience.

[Nanzi Ai]

“I spent several years wandering the length and breadth of the realm, it changed me, and I believe for the best,” she said, agreeing with Nozomi.

[Otomo Akutou]

"Where's been best f'r you?" Akutou asks.

He tips his hat back, scratches his forehead, re-seats the hat.

[Nozomi]

'Would it be weird to say some of my fondest memories were on the verge of hell?' It would absolutely be weird, and she absolutely wasn't going to say that. Then again, her smile turned a little warmer and she mused to herself as she thought about some of the memories of more recent years. "The edges of the Shinomen. I found a lot of contentment finally being able to visit the lands that Bayushi had laid claim to after a long time away, and helping with the building of the temple there." It had been some of the happier times with her daughter, too. Rare moments of peace.

"Once upon a time, I used to hear stories from a girl about the marshes by the mountains. Not the most pleasant to visit, if you like your sandals clean, but good teaching ground."

[Otomo Akutou]

"Y' c'n always clean up after," Akutou says. "Somethin' some seem t' forget."

[Nanzi Ai]

Ai listened to the back and forth for now, it was illuminating.

[Nozomi]

"Y' c'n always clean up after," Akutou says. "Somethin' some seem t' forget."

"Mud's just mud." She agreed with him as she said it, nodding once firmly. "There's a certain beauty in places that most people would never choose to live. They're wild. Quiet. Undisturbed." After a moment, she paused and tapped her chin for just a second. "You do need to be careful of the frogs though. They're not very safe."

[Otomo Akutou]

"Mud's just mud." She agreed with him as she said it, nodding once firmly. "There's a certain beauty in places that most people would never choose to live. They're wild. Quiet. Undisturbed." After a moment, she paused and tapped her chin for just a second. "You do need to be careful of the frogs though. They're not very safe."

"Oh?"

The hunter perks up.

"Do tell, ma'am!"

[Nozomi]

"The Snakes aren't the only venomous things in the swamps out there. Used to think that there was something in the plants that they ate that made them not safe, but you have to be careful of just about everything out there. The more colorful and pretty? The less safe. It's the weirdest combination." She certainly found the idea of something being pretty being a sign that it was more dangerous kind of amusing. "I hear it used to make foraging tricky out that way. Made for a tough sort of people."

[Nanzi Ai]

Ai enjoyed adventure and seeing new sights but she also enjoyed creature comforts, it was interesting but well outside her wheelhouse. She explored new villages and civilized areas not the deep wilds but this was interesting all the same.

She nodded appreciatively.

[Otomo Akutou]

"Y'know, I've run inta some plants as're like that," Akutou replies. "Seen some o' them as is carnivorous, too. Smell real purty and look real nice, an' eat what all falls in 'em.

"I'd imagine there're places some of 'em get big enough as could eat a full-grown person. Ain't seen such, but jus' like y' see small trees an' big 'uns, might could be some big ol' pitcher plants or somesuch."

[Nanzi Ai]

Ai listened and stepped away to get some space and continued practicing her draw and strike, it centered her mind to be doing something worthwhile and the conversation had proceeded to arenas that were well outside her wheelhouse.

She listened but more to see if she was needed to respond than content.

[Nozomi]

"Y'know, I've run inta some plants as're like that," Akutou replies. "Seen some o' them as is carnivorous, too. Smell real purty and look real nice, an' eat what all falls in 'em.

"I'd imagine there're places some of 'em get big enough as could eat a full-grown person. Ain't seen such, but jus' like y' see small trees an' big 'uns, might could be some big ol' pitcher plants or somesuch."

"Oh, I've seen one or two like those. There's this pitcher thing you mentioned out there. Doesn't do anything, just waiting for food to come to it. Not sure why they live in the swamps though." She nodded over at Ai, letting her start her practice up. She'd never understood the Iai strike, but it was definitely fast.

[Otomo Akutou]

"Never have been able t' do much on 'why,' ma'am," Akutou says, "jus' on 'what' an' 'how.'"

He turns to watch the iai practice. "An' that skill, I ain't got, neither."

[Nozomi]

"She is very good at it. I've never been one for a blade. My studies have kept my skills where they are." She also liked the fact that those old beat sticks could absolutely shock someone who wouldn't have expected them to do as much damage as they really could. She also tried not to need to use them much, even if she practiced just in case.

[Otomo Akutou]

"More use f'r a bow on th' hunt," Akutou says, "though I c'n swing a sword if'n I hafta.

"Not that good, though," he adds, gesturing toward Ai.

[Nanzi Ai]

"More use f'r a bow on th' hunt," Akutou says, "though I c'n swing a sword if'n I hafta.

"Not that good, though," he adds, gesturing toward Ai.

She always found some difficulty training alone when working on her draw but she found her Center and the world faded away. Just an opponent in the void, a mystery swordsperson; who was the swifter of the two?

But they were unreadable.

OOC: Iaijutsu + Awareness vs. Swordsperson X IR 4 | 8k3 ⇒ 27 (TN: 30)

That did not deter her Focus, every foe had a weakness. She only needed to find it, just as Father taught her, victory was won often by inches. Especially against a superior opponent.

OOC: Iaijutsu + Void + Center Stance + Nanzi Bonus vs. Swordsperson X IR 4 | 10k5+10 ⇒ 63 (TN: 40)

The strike was swift, as if the Air kami guided the blade to the perfect location… the swordsperson was cut down… the log that represented them was neatly sliced into two pieces.

She frowned at her performance. Father would demand better of her.

OOC:Iaijutsu + Void + Center Stance + Nanzi Bonus vs. Swordsperson X IR 4 +3 FR | 10k5+25 ⇒ 85 (TN: 30)