Into the Woods (D4EA)

[Funegao no Hirame]

Hirame was an explorer at heart. Raised in the Mantis, he was used to seeing a new horizon every morning. Even following the same route month after month, more or less, still gave a feeling of change. Sure, he liked his shoreleave; what sailor didn't? But this wasn't quite the same.

Still, a forest! Hirame had never been in a proper forest before. The explorer in him had to see more. He stepped carefully along mossy rocks and over fallen trunks, moving with an easy confidence. His chest rose and fell as he breathed deeply, inhaling the scent of the forest. So different from the sea, but very nice in its way.

He paused, looking out over the river. He'd been following it to make sure he didn't get lost... and perhaps the water made him feel better, too.

[Shiba Kuroneko]

Instead of looking for bunnies Kuroneko stayed around looking now for squirrels. He looked atop the trees to check out the small critter that chitter and forage for seeds. The young shugenja still had the feeling of the previous day lingering in the back of his mind. His ribbon is now almost to the floor and his hair is almost loosen enough that instead of a tail it is more of a curtain. The man still seem lost and trying to find himself. He is but a little fish in a big ocean.

[Isawa Natsuko]

Natsuko looks up from the flowing water. After the test, she hadn't really wanted to return to the inn after the test. The weather was too nice for huddling indoors all day again. Her staff lies beside her, and a small pile of scavenged greenery and bark.

Offering something of a seated bow in way of greeting, she pauses a moment remembering. "Funegao-san, is it?

[Funegao no Hirame]

Natsuko looks up from the flowing water. After the test, she hadn't really wanted to return to the inn after the test. The weather was too nice for huddling indoors all day again. Her staff lies beside her, and a small pile of scavenged greenery and bark.

Offering something of a seated bow in way of greeting, she pauses a moment remembering. "Funegao-san, is it?

Hirame hadn't been expecting to find someone there, but hadn't been not expecting to find someone there, either. And seeing that it was one of those strange Phoenix from that strange school, well, that made it a rather unsurprising surprise.

"Hello." Hirame said smiling. "Yeah, Funegao no Hirame." He bowed. "Isawa Natsuko-san, right? We shared a table that first night. That was interesting. How've you been since then?"

[Isawa Natsuko]

"We did," she answers with a nod. "There was fish." At that, her eyes drift back to the river, where there are also, presumably, fish. It look's like the wind's blown her hood back, pretty much all day, and then taken liberties with her hair.

When she looks back, it's just in time to miss the small fish leaping briefly from the water, before splashing back, a larger shadow giving some hint as to what the little one was fleeing. "I have been well, even if my performance has been poor to average. I have met people, including my betrothed, and have seen the shrine to the Fortunes much improved. Despite the imbalances of yesterday's weather, I think everything is off to a fortuitous start." Her words are soft, but clear and steady as the softly running river.

"I hope the fortunes also find you well?"

[Shiba Kuroneko]

Elsewhere
Kuroneko somehow captures a squirrel.
More fluff later

//D4 EA Survival hunting squirrels Fire approach | TN: 2 | Success: 5 / Opportunity: 1 / Strife: 4


1 opportunity= -1 strife

[Funegao no Hirame]

"We did," she answers with a nod. "There was fish." At that, her eyes drift back to the river, where there are also, presumably, fish. It look's like the wind's blown her hood back, pretty much all day, and then taken liberties with her hair.

When she looks back, it's just in time to miss the small fish leaping briefly from the water, before splashing back, a larger shadow giving some hint as to what the little one was fleeing. "I have been well, even if my performance has been poor to average. I have met people, including my betrothed, and have seen the shrine to the Fortunes much improved. Despite the imbalances of yesterday's weather, I think everything is off to a fortuitous start." Her words are soft, but clear and steady as the softly running river.

"I hope the fortunes also find you well?"

"There was fish." Hirame echoed, smiling. Yep, she was definitely from that school.

"Your betrothed, huh? Uh..." Hirame frowned, thinking. Why did that sound familiar? Oh, yeah. "I think my fellow Mantis here in the tournament mentioned meeting him. She seemed to have a good impression of him." He cleared his throat. "And yeah, the shrine is looking a lot better. Good for that poor monk. He's getting up there in years."

Tilting his head, Hirame regarded her curiously. "Ummm... do the spirits feel good about it, too?" He wasn't sure that was a question she could answer, but it seemed like a good guess.

[Isawa Natsuko]

"About the shrine? Yes. They were leaving before and starved for attention and care. I think Saito-san might have been..." her hand clutches against her chest and then moves as if pulling something away from herself, "giving up his own health and vitality to keep them up. So he may feeling better too." After a pause, she looks up. "You were there helping. Thank you. It is dangerous to leave things so imbalanced."

"Your fellow Mantis is the girl who was up in the rigging most of the trip? Are the Crane trying to curry favor with your clan? With that test? It's not traditional to do tests on a boat."

[Funegao no Hirame]

Hirame chuckled. "You know, that's true on ships, too. You have to balance the cargo carefully, or it makes for trouble with the sailing. But I was happy to lend a hand."

"Yeah, that sounds like her. Or me; I spend a lot of time climbing." Hirame frowned. "But I don't know about currying favor. Is it not traditional? Maybe someone just realized that ships are important. How else are you gonna move a bunch of stuff?" It seemed like a fair question to Hirame.

[Isawa Natsuko]

"Based on what I was told to expect when sent here, it is not traditional. I was told that the Crane tend to use it to build connections but also show off the things they are best at, which has not traditionally been," she pauses, searching for words. "Things on boats?" Despite all their coastline, it definitely wasn't an element the clan tended to highlight, after all.

"I think most clans move things in carts, honestly. Perhaps they have also added events involving those?"

[Funegao no Hirame]

"Well, ships are faster and better." Hirame said, tilting his head as he considered. "But maybe you're right. Kasumi-san and I did great at that test, and a Unicorn did great on the test with horses. Maybe the Crane want to make connections with lots of people? That fits with some of what I know about them."

He flashed her a quick grin, which became a little strange as he realized she might be serious. "Probably no cart events, I'd guess. What clan is the cart clan?" He shook his head, chuckling softly. "But huh, that gives some clues as to what else we might see for tests."

[Isawa Natsuko]

She does consider the question seriously. "I suppose everyone uses carts. But everyone also has traditions of fitness, even if they're not the specific game used in the first event. Do you think they are trying to set events that are aimed at each clan?"

"I suppose I may hope there is a test that involves spiritual matters then. That is what the Phoenix are known for, yes?"

[Funegao no Hirame]

"I do." Hirame said confidently. Then he shrugged. "I mean, it seems like a good guess. We've got samurai coming from all over, meeting each other. I think that's part of it, too." He gave the Phoenix a friendly smile.

"It is." Hirame said nodding. "Also, knowing stuff and being mediators. But yes, spiritual stuff..." Hirame gave a vague wave of his hand. "It's kinda hard talking about what your clan is known for to other clans, huh?" He said. At least her clan wasn't known for piracy. Slightly unjustly.

[Isawa Natsuko]

Well, she wasn't going to mention the piracy. And they certainly hadn't worked that into the test.

"Hmm, right. Shiba Jiro-san is a mediator of an artistic sort. He may not do as well if they place a spiritual test before us, I suppose." She doesn't smile so much as not frown, honestly. "I hope I am not interrupting you ./?" Scooping the small pile of greenery to the center of a worn cloth, she adds, "not that we seem to be all that busy here."

[Funegao no Hirame]

"Mediator of an artistic sort? That sounds like a Phoenix." Hirame frowned, scratching his head. "Or a Crane. I guess Clans aren't just one type, eh?"

Smiling, he shook his head. "Not at all. I was just exploring a bit." He looked out over the river. It was flowing steadily here, neither slow nor fast, not too deep or wide. A fish jumped, drawing Hirame's attention briefly. "You know, I haven't spent much time in forests. They're pretty common on the mainland, right?"

[Isawa Natsuko]

Natsuko nods, tying up the little bundle. "They blanket the mountains, and there is the Shinomen farther in. There are trees there and in the Isawa Mori older than the Empire, though I have not met them. I would like to, someday."

"Do islands... not have forests?" She says it slowly, thoughts jumping elsewhere between words. "The Cat are also an island clan, right?"

[Funegao no Hirame]

"Sounds nice." Hirame said. He did a double-take. "Met them?"

"They do." Hirame nodded. "But the Funegao pretty much just circles between the major ports. I've never been to where the Cat are from." Hirame frowned. Actually, he wasn't totally sure where that was. He needed to check a chart...

Casually, he sat down at the edge of the bank, arms resting on his knees. "So I've been lots of places, but most of it's big cities and open ocean. Maybe someday, when I have my own ship..." Hirame shrugged.

[Isawa Natsuko]

"Old things awaken. Family heirlooms become nemuranai. Ancient trees often have their own spirits," she explains, looking back to her bundle as he admitted to not having visited the Isle of Cat.

"Does every Mantis get their own ship? Or you're kind of expecting it since you were good enough for the Tournament here?"

[Funegao no Hirame]

"Huh..." Hirame turned his attention away from the water, looking at Natsuko. "You know, in the Mantis, we talk about our ships like they're living things. And... you know, they really kinda feel like it. I could tell you all about the Funegao's quirks." He briefly grinned, reminded. "Maybe that's the same sort of thing?"

Grinning again, he shook his head. "Nope. Just the best." The grin turned a bit rueful. "I mean, yeah, it's not like I'm guaranteed a ship. But being in the Topaz... yeah, I think that shows that I've got what it takes. And gets me recognized. That's a lot of it; making sure you make a name for yourself. This is only the beginning." The confident tone was only slightly marred by the "... I hope." That followed a moment later.

[Isawa Natsuko]

"I have not heard of an awakened boat, but it may not be impossible," she says evenly. "I do not know much about boats after all. Do they last long enough?" The little herb bundle is tucked into her crowded satchel. "quirks like choosing a direction to its own liking or pitching people into the water?" Those seemed in line with the trickier sorts of nemuranai, at least.

"Making a name is..important for your future assignment in the Mantis?" she asks with a hint of curiosity.