The Day of Thunder

[Shiba Kumori]

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."

“If you’d like to. Though in Iai… I wouldn’t say I’m his best student.” She said with and smirk.

[Makime Omoi]

Omoi sat in the middle of it all listening and writing, his daughter's head whipping back and forth as new new people arrived and alerting her father.

[Ryoshun Yukara]

The conversation had carried on, with Yukara just nodding in what she hoped was a polite way.

Glancing back to Shinsei, she wondered when he'd explain this entire... whatever this was.

It did seem rather abundant in famous names, even if she'd not heard of them before now, they certainly sounded important.

[Kaijarisuigyo]

snip

"Death should never be evoked lightly. I think you need to speak with someone who's good with words and good with people. Maybe that Shinsei guy? That's his job to listen and provide advice from what I've understood."

She waved in the general direction of Shinsei.

"Hey Shinsei! Are you free at the moment?"

[Hiruma Naraku]

snip

Anger flared once more in Naraku's eyes. He wanted to answer, tell her that she knew nothing of his motives or about his story, but all was cut short when she decided to call Shinsei so casually. Naraku wasn't particularly pious but even he knew who the man was.

He stared dumbfound at Kai "What?" he managed to blurt out

[Reiko Ohta]

snip

She held back a sigh.

"Everyone has an accent, Otomo-san. Ways we learn to talk, learned from family and friends. It's just a thing. I suppose I'm just somewhat isolated. Spending so much time out in the field and in libraries."

[Otomo Akutou]

snip

"I s'pose that makes sense," Akutou says. "Never thought 'bout it like that, but it makes sense.

"But it seems I'm vexin' you, ma'am. I ain't intendin' to."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"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.

"Alright, as you wish... Matsu," the younger Crab said with a friendly smile at the Spider's insistence at dropping honorifics. "Then you must call me Ayako."

"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."

"I only know how to hack things and pray," Ayako confessed. "I'm hoping Shinsei will have some better ideas for what we can do about this problem."

[Reiko Ohta]

snip

"Is that so? Hm... I think I've done pretty well, all things considered. Headache and noise and mysterious fog not withstanding. I've never really studied language much. Would be interesting to look into more one day."

[Otomo Akutou]

"Is that so? Hm... I think I've done pretty well, all things considered. Headache and noise and mysterious fog not withstanding. I've never really studied language much. Would be interesting to look into more one day."

"Might be some willow bark in town. That might help."

Akutou flexes his one rank in Medicine.

[Reiko Ohta]

snip

"Hm? Oh, you're right I suppose. The water is already helping though. Hydration is always important. As long as this is a one time thing and not something recurrent while I'm here, I'm not worried. If it is, I'll need to look into... I don't know, maybe a different pillow?"

[Otomo Akutou]

"Hm? Oh, you're right I suppose. The water is already helping though. Hydration is always important. As long as this is a one time thing and not something recurrent while I'm here, I'm not worried. If it is, I'll need to look into... I don't know, maybe a different pillow?"

Akutou nods.

"That last matters," he says. "What all're you usin' a' th' moment?"

[Wu Zhe]

snip

The dragon had not recognized the tribe this man had come from so, being practical, he attributed any odd behavior to the cultural wealth the tribes possessed. The kami knew he had oddities as well.

''Oh indeed. Shinsei-sama did a lot of travel to bring everyone here.'' he gave a bow ''I am Wu Zhe. A pleasure to meet you''

[Reiko Ohta]

snip

"Nothing unusual, just a roll pillow I was provided. Probably full of buckwheat or chaff. It's not like I wished to carry my pillow all the way from home, across the Empire."

[Otomo Akutou]

"Nothing unusual, just a roll pillow I was provided. Probably full of buckwheat or chaff. It's not like I wished to carry my pillow all the way from home, across the Empire."

"Might be worth doin' if you travel again," Akutou says. "I always benefit from somethin' firmer with a softer outside, m'self. Usu'ly keep it in m' bedroll. Might help you, too. Just a thought."

[Togashi Satsuki]

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."

"Satsuki of the Togashi, a pleasure to meet you, Shang-san," Satsuki bobbed her head in greeting, even remembering the honorific this time. "It seems like it would be difficult to ignore the mists here, if you were to capture the moment to canvas... but I suppose it has it's place? There's something very dream-like to it."

There was certainly something to that, she suddenly thought after she uttered those words. This required further investigation later today. "From all I know, rarely does something not happen when Shinsei is involved. From what I hear from people, he tends to make stuff happen wherever he goes, for better or worse, depending on who you ask." Her eyes shifted over to the monk, who was watching everyone gather around in a huge crowd.

Surely something would happen soon, right?

[Ukyou]

He practically growled in response to the wink.

"Fucking donkey and fucking flappy wise-ass thief. Both fucking deserve each other. Why am I surprised to find them both fucking here.
I am going to roast that fucking crow . . .

The conversation from before having gotten away from him a bit, he took the opportunity to wander over and antagonize someone without them being able to do anything about it in a crowd. Wasn't life grand? "Why, I don't believe we've met before, Yuzuru-sama. Surely I would have remembered such a refined member of the Imperial families." He bowed deeply and came up with a grin. The damn crow was always grinning, despite not having teeth most of the time.

[Reiko Ohta]

snip

"Firmer? Mmmm... I think, back home, my pillow is softer, if anything. Full of goose down and cloth scrap with a silk covering."

[Kai]

Omoi sat in the middle of it all listening and writing, his daughter's head whipping back and forth as new new people arrived and alerting her father.

Kai noted the man and his daughter. Maybe it was time to know this man a bit better. "Hello Makime Omoi... how are thee today. And who is this little one?"

[Jiyo Sora]

tag

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."

"Take it from one who has to sift a lot of what the Libraries are taking in, the distinction between what actually happened and the stories that are told is pretty immense. Drives poor Kinyoubi batty..."