The Day of Thunder

[Haka Soju]

"They have their ways. I will probably never truly understand. I'm just a hunter myself who started a new path once upon a time. I don't think I've ever heard the songs of the Scorpion, so this will be new." The hikari had never been big on music. Too much noise attracted predators.

"After today, you will still not have heard them," she says with a smirk. "I have only been a Scorpion for a few years. All my songs are passed down, or made up, or learned from others. The Scorpion only care that I sing, and few of them are any good at writing music."

[Nozomi]

"After today, you will still not have heard them," she says with a smirk. "I have only been a Scorpion for a few years. All my songs are passed down, or made up, or learned from others. The Scorpion only care that I sing, and few of them are any good at writing music."

She gave her a careful look at Soju, taking in the bone fetishes while she did, her lips thinning. "You know the songs of the Shoji then?" She chuckled darkly. "Tell me. What sorts of happy songs do they have in the Shoji? The only one of that tribe i ever knew had a ... curious sense for what was pleasant." What had she called her all those years ago? Damn. Had she really called the daimyo of a family 'little blind girl?' Yes. Yes, she had.

...

She idly wondered if she'd still answer to that.

[Haka Soju]

She gave her a careful look at Soju, taking in the bone fetishes while she did, her lips thinning. "You know the songs of the Shoji then?" She chuckled darkly. "Tell me. What sorts of happy songs do they have in the Shoji? The only one of that tribe i ever knew had a ... curious sense for what was pleasant." What had she called her all those years ago? Damn. Had she really called the daimyo of a family 'little blind girl?' Yes. Yes, she had.

"There are a few happy songs," she replied, somewhat warily. "There were times for celebration among my people, despite our situation. Marriages. Births. Important festival days."

Soju made a familiar warding gesture with one hand. "And a great deal of sad ones, as well. If you know about the Shoji, you know that a happy festival is not an auspicious time to discuss them."

[Nozomi]

"There are a few happy songs," she replied, somewhat warily. "There were times for celebration among my people, despite our situation. Marriages. Births. Important festival days."

Soju made a familiar warding gesture with one hand. "And a great deal of sad ones, as well. If you know about the Shoji, you know that a happy festival is not an auspicious time to discuss them."

Watching the old warding gesture, Nozomi looked over at Soju with a sort of piercing gaze. Nothing glowed. Nothing seemed magical at all, but the woman's eyes were penetrating with the intensity they sometimes got behind them. 'You're paranoid to look for signs after all these years.' she thought to herself. Then again, it wasn't like she didn't have reason to be a bit paranoid.

"Yes. A conversation for another day, or perhaps the middle of the night. Not here." It would almost certainly have not suited the sorts of scene that they were in. "But I'm glad to hear that there's some more happy tunes. It'd be interesting to hear those tonight, so I am looking forward to that." She frowned a little to herself, taking the hint that if she wanted to ask too much more, now was probably not the time.

"If fate doesn't conspire to make our lives miserable with storm clouds, I think I'd like to talk again sometime." She smirked a bit and gestured to everyone having fun. "I have a bad habit of bringing down the mood wherever I am. It's an old, terrible habit."

[Haka Soju]

"Yes. A conversation for another day, or perhaps the middle of the night. Not here." It would almost certainly have not suited the sorts of scene that they were in. "But I'm glad to hear that there's some more happy tunes. It'd be interesting to hear those tonight, so I am looking forward to that." She frowned a little to herself, taking the hint that if she wanted to ask too much more, now was probably not the time.

"If fate doesn't conspire to make our lives miserable with storm clouds, I think I'd like to talk again sometime." She smirked a bit and gestured to everyone having fun. "I have a bad habit of bringing down the mood wherever I am. It's an old, terrible habit."

"It happens more and more, the older you get." Soju allows her words to linger for a moment before continuing. "We can speak more later. For now, I had best get to my performance, before I am drowned out by the fireworks."

[Nanzi Ai]

Ai fell into a groove and was doing well matching the pace till she tried to improvise and go to town on the song. But she got a bit ambitious and hit a rather sour note as she tried some more exotic and experimental beats with her solo.

She smiled and said, “My apologies, I suppose you are not ready for that… but your children…”

She then fell back into the song without missing another beat, inwardly she chuckled as mother would have probably fainted at her antics. Or at least she thought she would… if she was not locked in combat with the greatest evil known to the Realm.

OOC: Playing the Shamisen TN 15 trying not to suck... | 5k3 ⇒ 12 (TN: 15) hits a sour note, but recovers with Playing the Shamisen TN 15 trying not to suck... | 5k3 ⇒ 19 (TN: 15)

[Nozomi]

"It happens more and more, the older you get." Soju allows her words to linger for a moment before continuing. "We can speak more later. For now, I had best get to my performance, before I am drowned out by the fireworks."

"Heh, it's more of a natural talent of mine, aged to perfection. But of course. We'll chat later," she said, nodding to the other woman and settling back. As Ai began to play, she fell silent. The samisen was very different from the music she often played, but it was certainly something worth enjoying. The sour note definitely hit a little off, but she could hardly pretend to be any better herself. Either way, she wasn't about to say anything.

No reason not to enjoy the evening.

(OOC: PM if you approach Nozomi. I'm fully available, but y'all know how these threads get.)

[Reiko Ohta]

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"Fair enough."

She looked towards Reo as he disappeared amongst the stalls.

"Maybe I just take some things for granted since I've known Hisomu-sensei so long."

Ohta turned back to the other three, "Good to see you again, Otaku-san. Not a bad shot yourself."

[Otaku Xiaochen]

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Ohta turned back to the other three, "Good to see you again, Otaku-san. Not a bad shot yourself."

Xiaochen glanced over her shoulder, smiled in recognition, picked up her drink and strode back over. "Thank you, Reiko-san. I was pleased to see that I still have some room to grow, though!"

[Hiruma Naraku]

Naraku cringes at the misplaced note. This is exactly why he ABSOLUTELY hates musical performances. He takes another bite from his wagashi - not that he likes it or anything.

[Akodo Kenji]

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Ohta turned back to the other three, "Good to see you again, Otaku-san. Not a bad shot yourself."

Xiaochen glanced over her shoulder, smiled in recognition, picked up her drink and strode back over. "Thank you, Reiko-san. I was pleased to see that I still have some room to grow, though!"

"As do I." Kenji said with an easy smile, his eyes moving across the group. They all seemed to have met each other at least once already.

"But I can't imagine a time when I won't have more to learn either." Perfection was still very far away.

[Kai]

Kai just wandered around the festivities. The many people made him wonder how will he be known... Not many will care for a amateur artist as myself... I may let him down.

[Haka Soju]

Soju nods to Nozomi, and winces slight as Ai hits an off-note in her performance. Still, she smiles supportively and applauds when she finishes.

Motioning to the musicians, she steps forward and addresses the crowd. "Thank you all for coming here tonight! It is a lively festival, and the Scorpion Clan hopes that you enjoy my singing. I will do my best to rise to the high levels of talent demonstrated thus far."

She takes a moment to scan the crowd. "This is the first of the two songs I will be performing tonight."

Soju closes her eyes, centers herself, and begins to sing.


"I remember when...
I remember when I lost my mind.
There was something so pleasant about that place
Even your emotions have an echo
In so much space...

And when you're out there without care...
Yeah, I was out of touch.
But it wasn't because I didn't know enough;
I just knew too much....

Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Possibly...

And I hope that you are having the time of your life!
But think twice
That's my only advice.
Come on now, who do you...
Who do you think you are?
Ha ha ha, bless your soul....
You really think you're in control?

I think you're crazy
I think you're crazy
I think you're crazy
Just like me...

My heroes had the heart to lose their lives out on the limb
And all I remember is thinking 'I want to be like them.'
Ever since I was little
Ever since I was little it looked like fun!
And it's no coincidence I've come
And I can die when I'm done...

But maybe I'm crazy
Maybe you're crazy
Maybe we're crazy
Probably..."

(Base TN 20, 3 Raises for Quality, TN 35, 56 = success)

Soju's voice filled the area, hitting every note perfectly as she poured her soul into the lyrics, stirring the hearts of all who heard it. She allowed the last note to linger for a moment, then smiled happily and bowed to the gathered crowd.

[Nanzi Ai]

She continued playing... but so sugoi... she really was talented.

[Bayushi Norikage]

Norikage walked the festival with a bit of a sour look in his eyes. He didn't like this, he couldn't enjoy it with the itch he had from whatever it was that was really wrong in this village.

Tsk.

Maybe Han-Hei was around. Hopefully she didn't go get herself killed doing something stupid.

[Haka Tae-soo]

Tae-soo was there with Ha-yeong - the festival was clearly the talk of the whole town, after all. The young one seems as somber as usual, although his eyes shifting from stall to stall suggests the spirit of the festival may not be wholly lost on him. Tae-soo, meanwhile, seems almost to smile now and then, but his eyes shift instead from person to person, and there's some hesitation in his steps.

(OOC: Please PM or quote, I'm awful with these threads...)

[Shiba Kumori]

Norikage walked the festival with a bit of a sour look in his eyes. He didn't like this, he couldn't enjoy it with the itch he had from whatever it was that was really wrong in this village.

Tsk.

Maybe Han-Hei was around. Hopefully she didn't go get herself killed doing something stupid.

She wasn’t dead… yet.

She caught the man standing there awkwardly and walked over to him.

“You look to be havin’ such a good time.”

[Bayushi Norikage]

“You look to be havin’ such a good time.”

"You've never seen me having a good time, and honestly you're missing out", he replied with a slight bow of greeting, same as always. "Let's get a snack and talk about your day." He jerked his thumb at a skewer stand.

[Shiba Kumori]

She chuckled and followed him towards a stand, “I think the real question is… can you even have a good time?”

[Wu Zhe]

The diplomat of the Wu stalked the food stalls. When one was found to have a brief calm between visitors he would swoop down to talk to the owners and talk...food and produce.

Talks of cooking, food supply and local production interspersed with praises for the local's work. Hard working folk liked their labor recognized and Zhe could tell the efforts that had been put into the festivals

And of course he would take a few samples...for a hungry red panda intent on having the first bite on nearly everything

His steps would sometimes, just by chance, take him within sight of the village head.

(pm or quote me!)