The Day of Thunder

[Anjing]

She laughed with great mirth. "Oh, you know my home and upbringing was quite different than the likes of my kin among the Stag, Crane, or Imperial, for that matter. My brothers and I had free run of the mountains from early on, and haven't exactly had servants waiting on us hand and foot." Not that the Crab had either, which is one thing she liked about her Crab-cousins.

"But I'll admit I'm not exactly the best survivalist out in the wilderness. Plenty of more still for me to learn there. I've been practicing the sword, as well as the bow though."

"Mmmhmm. You didn't grow up stuffy, thank the fortunes. Some of your cousins are wound tighter than a drum. Not a healthy way to live."

She blinks in surprise. "The sword and bow? Have you become a mighty warrior while I wasn't looking? If you're better at stabbing things than I am you'll leave me with nothing. Maybe I could retire and just smuggle sweets into the Dragon Lands and make my fortune."

A little curious. "I've heard there's a man in the Dragon lands with an odd method of fighting, he uses two swords? Is he compensating for something?"

[Togashi Satsuki]

-

"I'm sure you'd make a fortune doing that - who doesn't love sweets?" she laughed warmly. "But no, don't worry, I'm nowhere near a warrior who's trained since they were old enough to swing a weapon. Just learning a bit here and there, it's good to have an understanding of everything - and traveling the Empire these days, gotta know how to defend yourself, or hunt." Not that she hunted, but others did. Satsuki just didn't have it in her to harm helpless animals. Self-defense was a different thing of course.

Anjing's question made her blink. "Mirumoto? Not... that I know of." What would he be compensating for? "He says he uses two swords because he was gifted with two hands and would be a shame to not use them. His teachings are rather popular I'd suppose, as I think he's gotten more and more students over time."

[Anjing]

Snip

"He'd be compensating for his...ah, well all the usual stuff." Moving on quickly. "Most of us have two hands, and you can use both of them to swing a club just fine. Maybe he just needs a bigger sword." She chuckles.

"Probably onto something if people are signing up though. Just another one of those strange new ideas. Tell me niece, are you using two swords or one these days?"

[Togashi Satsuki]

beep

"Well I only have one sword, so that makes the choice easy for me," she patted her wakizashi. "I've seen how Mirumoto does it though, as my brother Hoshi's been learning it too. You kinda like use the short sword in a defensive way, and strike with the katana. Or well, that is one way of doing it." Satsuki tried to mimic the movements with her hands.

"He's rather happy that swords are becoming more popular now too - seems like it's more acceptable for folks to be walking around with swords these days than other weapons, so he says that it will be easier to protect yourself or others since you'll usually always have your swords with you."

[Anjing]

snip

Anjing watches with a squint. "Right, well that sort of makes sense. Probably need to be able to rub your stomach and pat your head at the same time to pull it off. Might be beyond me."

As for everyone carrying swords around. "I suppose an empire with more swords is a safer empire. Not like a corrupted beast or a invader are going to care much if you're armed or not. And if people are happy for everyone to just carry swords around..." she shrugs. "Then it is what it is."
Tapping her own scabbard
"I hardly ever use the thing myself. People kept giving me horrified looks when I used it to cut up eggplant. It is really good for the larger vegetables though."

All that talk was making her peckish though, she pops another date into her mouth.
"It's gonna be expensive to get everyone a sword and teach them how to use it. But I suppose after the first little while it'll get easier. Parents can teach their children and then had down their swords."

[Togashi Satsuki]

boop

Satsuki giggled at the mental image of Anjing using her sword to cut up food. Already she could imagine the scandal that would be with some clans. "Oh dear."

"But yeah, nothing wrong with hand-me-downs, be it weapon or armor. It's expensive to make and at some point you're not using it, no point in it just collecting dust, mhm. It would be nice if in the future, we won't need weapons though, right? That everything could be at peace, and there are no more monsters."

[Anjing]

Satsuki giggled at the mental image of Anjing using her sword to cut up food. Already she could imagine the scandal that would be with some clans. "Oh dear."

"But yeah, nothing wrong with hand-me-downs, be it weapon or armor. It's expensive to make and at some point you're not using it, no point in it just collecting dust, mhm. It would be nice if in the future, we won't need weapons though, right? That everything could be at peace, and there are no more monsters."

Anjing gives her a long look.

"Yeah, yeah that would be nice." Looking over at her battered weapons and armour. "A good dream. Could get some rest, focus on the family, on what's important."

She's silent for a few long moments, lost in thought.
"Monsters though, corrupted creatures, demons, nezumi. They're all bad enough. But as long as you have people you'll have monsters. Some folks just aren't right, and they'll hurt the people you love if you let them."

[Togashi Satsuki]

snip

"Are you telling me that humans are the worst monster of them all, even more so than Nezumi?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

[Anjing]

"Are you telling me that humans are the worst monster of them all, even more so than Nezumi?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"...Okay well I wouldn't go that far. But a monster, something with weird long black tentacles or that spits acid or is 8 foot tall and covered in fur. You know them by sight. A human could be a monster and you'd never know, they could be smiling at you from across the market, pouring you some water, farming your fields. And them you can't just wipe out forever, they'll always be there."

[Togashi Satsuki]

snip

"Have you ever met people like that? People who just seem normal, but are truly monsters?" she asked, curious.

[Anjing]

"Have you ever met people like that? People who just seem normal, but are truly monsters?" she asked, curious.

"More than a few. I've met people who threw their own children out into the cold to save a few coin. Seen more than a few who were rich and powerful but still consorted with the dark to get a little more, and made others pay the price. People who would kill you without a thought for the coin you carry."

She holds up her hands.
"Now, most people aren't like that. Most are just trying to get by and plenty of folks will give you the clothes off their back if you need 'em. But the monsters are there too. Same way you carry that sword for defence, you need to be on guard to the people who come to you with smiles."

[Togashi Satsuki]

"Now, most people aren't like that. Most are just trying to get by and plenty of folks will give you the clothes off their back if you need 'em. But the monsters are there too. Same way you carry that sword for defence, you need to be on guard to the people who come to you with smiles."

"A smile could also be a weapon then. Who would auntie Anjing warn me to be careful of then, here in this village?" This totally-not-sus village.

[Anjing]

"A smile could also be a weapon then. Who would auntie Anjing warn me to be careful of then, here in this village?" This totally-not-sus village.

"It's easier to tell you who to trust. My people, your people, folks you know personally. Makime and the Hikaru boy seem alright. Everyone else, you keep your eye on. We don't know them, we don't know what they want or how they operate. Could be they're the nicest, weirdest fortune worshipping Emperor loving free tribe in Rokugan. Could be they're not."

Firmly. "And if they're not, you don't want to be having tea with them when it happens."

[Togashi Satsuki]

snip

"I don't think the people themselves are bad here," she mused her thoughts out loud, "but rather, it's the village itself. The land even perhaps? There's weird stuff going on. I've been told you shouldn't drink the water from the river here, but from the well instead. And then there's this blasted fog!"

[Anjing]

"I don't think the people themselves are bad here," she mused her thoughts out loud, "but rather, it's the village itself. The land even perhaps? There's weird stuff going on. I've been told you shouldn't drink the water from the river here, but from the well instead. And then there's this blasted fog!"

"Don't drink from the river? Why'd you settle alongside a river you couldn't drink from? Strange folks."
At the mention of fog she gives the mist a good glare.

"It's unnatural is what it is. Anything could be out there. And it's like they don't even notice." A second glare, just for good measure. "Hopefully we can at least find out what is going on and solve it. There are a lot of monks running around, we could ask them to pray."

[Togashi Satsuki]

snip

"It is strange, yeah, but maybe the river wasn't like that when they settled down here. Certainly a question to ask in my investigation into this."

She couldn't help but to join Anjing in scowling at the mist. "I get the impression it's always been foggy here though, from how the folks here speak. I don't think prayer will solve this, but monks often have insights many others don't."

[Anjing]

"It is strange, yeah, but maybe the river wasn't like that when they settled down here. Certainly a question to ask in my investigation into this."

She couldn't help but to join Anjing in scowling at the mist. "I get the impression it's always been foggy here though, from how the folks here speak. I don't think prayer will solve this, but monks often have insights many others don't."

"If prayer won't solve it what's the point of praying at all? They just need to pray harder, louder. Lady Amaterasu is capable of burning through any mists...although clearly it is just taking a while."

The sun did seem to be struggling to cut through the billowing white clouds.
"And the monk's insight ended up being 'use peace and love to save the world' which, I suppose, is very monkish so I can't complain. But it's not exactly what I was expecting."

[Togashi Satsuki]

"Prayer can solve many things, and we shouldn't ignore its powers, but there is more power in doing something yourself than praying to a higher power all the time," Satsuki said with a smirk. At least she had learned those Dragon-lessons well.

"I'll do my part to investigate this strange mist though. So I'll keep you updated if I discover anything, mhm?"

[Anjing]

"Prayer can solve many things, and we shouldn't ignore its powers, but there is more power in doing something yourself than praying to a higher power all the time," Satsuki said with a smirk. At least she had learned those Dragon-lessons well.

"I'll do my part to investigate this strange mist though. So I'll keep you updated if I discover anything, mhm?"

"You had better, no more sweets for you if you don't share what you discover."
She scoops up the remaining dates and starts wrapping them again with an innocent look.

"And I will pass on anything I find out. Perhaps I can corner someone and ask them a few questions."

[Togashi Satsuki]

snip

"Oho, so that's how it's going to be, huh? Trading sweets for information?" she crossed her arms over her chest, only half-managing to not smirk like an idiot. "You drive a hard bargain, mighty Anjing! But I accept."

"... Just don't beat anyone up for answers, right?"