Promises of Paradise [D8 LM, Crane's Gift]

Togashi Myo-en · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 4:27 am **Posts:** 418

Myo-en steps under the eaves of the shrine hall dedicated to Asahina and pauses there, rainwater still dripping from the edges of her wide hat, to look out across the shrine courtyard with sharp dark eyes. She flicks some of the water from her hands, which are barely wetter after the ritual hand-washing than they were before it, and removes the hat carefully, so that the rest of the water still clinging to its woven straw surface rolls off to the paving stones and not her clothing.

Asahina, a man who mastered war between human beings--and then mastered letting it go. What would he think of a war between humans and their own most brutal ancestors?

Osamu · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 9:53 pm **Posts:** 408

Never liked the Asahina much, always struck me as a particularly pointless bunch. The Doji are pointless too, but as least most of them I met had nice tits. "I don't think there are many of either here, grandfather." Osamu replied as he approached the Shrine.

Stepping inside he placed it in a rack for such things before offering a bow to the young Dragon woman? Yes, she certainly appeared female on second glance; standing by the doorway. "Good Morning, Dragon-sama." He offered politely.

Togashi Myo-en · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 4:27 am **Posts:** 418

The Dragon woman turns toward the sound of Osamu's voice, shaking the last loose drops from the hat her fingertips now hold lightly by its edge. "Good morning..."

Keen dark eyes inventory the man and his clothing for a beat or three. Myo-en is not much of a judge of fashion, but he's obviously wealthy and not shy about it. Scorpion? No...

"...Mantis-sama." Her voice lifts upward a little at the end there, though not enough to make it an actual question--just enough to telegraph the fact that she had to think about it. She cups her hands together and bows, left over right.

Osamu · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 9:53 pm **Posts:** 408

Osamu nodded, letting the woman know she was correct. "Osamu, of the Mantis to be precise." He replied introducing himself before turning his gaze towards the rain falling outside. "Enjoying this nce weather or, did you come here to offer some prayers to the shrine then? If you don't mind me asking."

Togashi Myo-en · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 4:27 am **Posts:** 418

"This weather..." The Togashi woman sighs. "Spring is welcome even when it means rain, but this... this is so much rain. Too much of a good thing, maybe." She steps in away from the edge of the eaves to add her hat to the rack of waiting possessions left outside the shrine hall door, bringing her closer to Osamu.

"Hm... to pray, yes. Or to contemplate. This is a good time to consider the wisdom of Asahina." Her dark eyes, unfocused for a moment, flick back to Osamu, and her lips quirk a little. "Oh. I am called Myo-en, by the way, of the Order of Togashi."

Now that she's standing closer he might well have guessed her affiliation anyway, by the dense riot of tattoos showing at the tops of her shoulders where the open collar of her padded jacket hangs loosely and peeking from under her sleeves.

Osamu · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 9:53 pm **Posts:** 408

"Yes, it does make me wonder why the Phoenix asked for it." He replied as he looked towards the sky. "This hinders both sides of this conflict. Though that itself might be why."

"I guessed as much from your haircut." Osamu replied, running a hand through his hair. "Though it is a pleasure to meet you Togashi-sama." He added after a moment.

Turning towards the shrine he frowned, the expression seemingly well suited to his features. "Do you think that will help, when our opponents are murderous spirits from another realm?"

Togashi Myo-en · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 4:27 am **Posts:** 418

"...Asked for it?" she echoes, her gaze sharpening in curiosity. "I don't know what you mean, Osamu-sama."

She rolls some of the chill out of her shoulders. "Asahina's wisdom is most valuable now, I think, of all possible times. He was a man who learned to turn revenge and slaughter into peace. I am not that kind of monk, to lawyer and make theories about the laws of kharma, but if I were..." she peers into the dim shrine interior, picking out the image of Asahina lit by lamplight as her eyes adjust, "I might guess that he saved his own soul from going to Toshigoku. Surely that is not easy."

She makes a warding gesture.

Osamu · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 9:53 pm **Posts:** 408

"Ah... I was saying the Phoenix are responsible for the rain, Togashi-sama. That's what I was saying. One of their number asked for this from one of the Elmental Dragons, though I have no idea how or why for that matter." He continued to watch the sky apparently looking for something. "If you watch closely enough you can even see it in the cloud cover."

Shaking his head he glanced back towards the Togashi. "You might be onto something there. Perhaps in learning how to avsave ourselves from it, we can learn how to safe others. Though I'd say its a long shot."

Togashi Myo-en · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 4:27 am **Posts:** 418

"Really...?" Myo-en says with dawning wonder, directing her intent gaze back out at the rain. "A dragon? This rain is more auspicious than I knew, then." She blinks--knowing a dragon is there, it's hard to look away again--and shakes her head. "Those days on the road, I thought I saw something, but later thought it must have been the clouds and my own mind. I should have trusted my eyes after all." Her lips quirk ruefully.

"If the answer to the Empire's questions were easy just now, we would have it already. That we do not means no path for us is simple, I think. So we have no choice but to search." She nods, graver again.

Osamu · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 9:53 pm **Posts:** 408

"Yes, I didn't believe it at first myself, but the water Kami have no reason to lie." Osamu confirmed, a bit amused at the Togashi's reaction. "And knowing the cause of the rain does make me more comfortable with it as well." He paused for a thoughtful moment. "It makese me wonder if I should chastise people for comaplining about it?"

He reached up a hand to rub his jaw thoughtfully. "I think most of us have the answer, just some of us haven't reached the same one. Which is no great suprise in and of itself, and that perhaps is making others waiver? You do make a hood point though, we do need to search."

Togashi Myo-en · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 4:27 am **Posts:** 418

"Maybe not chastise. But... enlighten?" Myo-en arches an eyebrow. "Endless rain feels unlucky, especially when one has to work in it. But a dragon's blessing? That might be different." The corners of her eyes crinkle happily.

Some people might still complain, of course. Being wet all the time still isn't fun. Still-- "Knowledge can change how the eyes see. The rain might turn from a curse to a gift in a blink."

"I have the answer to 'what do I hope may happen,' more or less. How to attain it? There, I'm still not sure," she admits with a slight shrug

Osamu · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 9:53 pm **Posts:** 408

"Perhaps so, but tell to many and you might have people standing in the streets looking towards the sky to catch a glimpse." He shook his head. "It would be a terrible thing for have the city to come down with a chill because of it." Then there was the fact that there was a mortals influence involved.

He nodded at her next words. "That's the question isn't it. Though I suppose I am a bit curious as to what you hope might happen as well."

Togashi Myo-en · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 4:27 am **Posts:** 418

"Chilled and comforted, or dry but fearful...? That is an interesting choice to think on, Osamu-san," she says in a thoughtful tone, apparently quite serious. "What I hope? Hm. It is one thing for mortal men and women to contend against one another, another thing for realm to war against realm. It's unnatural for returned spirits to march the Empire taking the lives of those who are still on the wheel of being."

Osamu · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 9:53 pm **Posts:** 408

"Well, only one could potentially kill you." People ddn't typically die from fear alone. "You're right though, it's something to consider. " He replied with a small frown making it's way onto his lips.

"Sounds to be that you want to find a way for the spirits to return home them, without having to kill them all by hand?"

Togashi Myo-en · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 4:27 am **Posts:** 418

"That would be best, but I doubt most of them would go willingly. If they were used to conducting their lives with the heavenly order in mind," she frowns slightly, too, "they would not have found their way to the Realm of Slaughter when their lives ended."

She rubs a palm over her scalp and sighs. "Maybe the mortal realm will... rub off on them."

Osamu · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 9:53 pm **Posts:** 408

"Perhaps so." Osamu agreed, though from his tone one could likely infer that he thought it unlikely. Most of them were dead set on killing right about now, and from what he had heard had spent months among the mortal realm with no change in their personalities. In fact many had been hiding their darker natures the entire time.

"Do you think you will try and turn your efforts in that direction? Tryign to show them the positive aspects of our realm and change them?"

Togashi Myo-en · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 4:27 am **Posts:** 418

Instead of answering right away, Myo-en looks out again at the rain-dragon-lashed sky. "There was an army once that marched far into a deep forest. They became lost and crossed out of the realm of human beings, into the realm of animal spirits. Some of the warriors kept marching, others fell in battle with great wild beasts defending their own realm."

She squeezes her crossed arms together as if a chill had just got up her sleeves. "And some warriors walked or ran into the woods, and were not seen again. Others swore they saw their fellows transform into beasts of many kinds before disappearing into the trees."

Myo-en shakes her head slightly. "What would you think if you heard such a story?"

Osamu · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 9:53 pm **Posts:** 408

"That someone encountered some very ill luck." Osamu offered after a moment. "There are portals between some of the realms after all, though they aren't always open. From what I understand they are often in the wild and unexplored regions of Rokugan."

He reached a ahdn up to scratch at his cheek. "For an army to encounter such a thing they much of been far off the beaten road, and blessed by ill fortune. Or so I would think."

Togashi Myo-en · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 4:27 am **Posts:** 418

"Yes." She shrugs diffidently. "Fortune changes often in war. The army did find its way back to Ningen-do and win its campaign, so their ill luck was not decisive."

She cocks her head. "And the warriors who changed into beasts? What do you make of that?"

Osamu · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 9:53 pm **Posts:** 408

"Hard to say as I wasn't there." Osmu offered after a few moments. "A sad loss at the very least, but I must wonder if their soul was lost in the transformation? Or are they just returned to the wheel in a type of death that's quite unusual in the design."

"I suppose it does warn aganist mortals moving into realms not their own, and does make one wonder if spirits are effected in a similar way in our realm."

Promises of Paradise [D8 LM, Crane's Gift]

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