[D2 LE] Heroic Tales

[Jiyo Sora]

"Hah. We've both softened our threats up over the years, trust me. I didn't used to threaten people in the old days." She just killed them. When they weren't looking.

"We only threaten to thrash you because, thanks to having been hit on the head a few times, we love you. Honest."

"Dad, you always say that honest people never need to say they're honest."

Nozomi looked thoughtful, glancing back at Kuu and then at the children before nodding. "It ... is a thing that we come to as we become more aware of the elements, so I suppose you could call it a 'monk thing,' though it is not quite the same as... let us say teaching the techniques of a school of soldiers." She held a hand up and looked at it for a minute, quietly. "I can feel the wind around me move, and move with it. The air goes where it will go, and with my breath I move with it. I feel the movement in the void and the passage of what is nearby. I can even see into your soul. That trick? I learned from the Teacher himself. He once used it on me."

She smirked and winked at Sora. "When he told me I didn't get to go on a trip, but your dad did."

"Yeah, remind me to thank him for that..."

[Doji Misaki]

Ayano's blush deepened, "I have heard little of them myself." She smiled coyly, "Mother has an interest in them but I believe it is related to their altercation with the Crab. Lady Makime always has her eye to any battle, it helps her refine her theories to study such things."

"But perhaps we might be able to approach this one at some point," Ayano looked down, "If you want someone to accompany you while you speak to them."

Misaki looked at Ayano with a curious glance as the Makime woman spoke; She definitely seemed a bit flustered about something, but the Crane woman certainly was not sure what. She had decided that, whatever it was, it made the young woman look impossibly cute though. Like a small, frail, bird almost, in the colorful attire.

"I would be willing to do that; I certainly think it would be safe enough if they're a guest here, and it might be an opportunity neither of us might have in the near future. And I do so prefer experiencing things first hand rather than just sitting back or reading out them."

[Nozomi]

"We only threaten to thrash you because, thanks to having been hit on the head a few times, we love you. Honest."

"Dad, you always say that honest people never need to say they're honest."

"He isn't wrong." Nozomi grinned over at the lot of them, not answering which of those two statements she was speaking about... or if it was both.

"Yeah, remind me to thank him for that..."

"You came out of that just fine," she said with a wink. "I, on the other hand, am honest enough to say I would have probably gotten you all killed down if I'd actually gone. He wasn't wrong about me in those days, and I knew what he'd tell me before he did." She wasn't the scared girl she'd been long ago, though she had her moments. Shosuro still made her nervous as hell.

[Saru Yatsufusa]

"Congratulations on a story well told. It's not the standard but it illustrates part of the reason we hold heroes in high regard," Kuu says with a bow.

'' Arigato, monk-san.'' He added with a politely bow. '' This one was honored to participate and hopefuly, one day, my words could at least move one soul from the obscurity of the masses in order to rise upon and shine.'' He adds. '' Maybe i'm wrong, but heroic deeds are done every day, but sometimes it takes a bit of outside help for them to be able to really flourish.''

[Kuu]

"Most heroic deeds will never be known because those who perform them are doing so for reasons other than glory. They'll never say anything, they will go unseen by most and those that do see may do nothing more than thank them. Only the most extravagant examples tend to make it to stories and histories," he says with a nod. "But that is fine, because it is those extravagant events that tend to inspire others to follow such an example."

[Jiyo Sora]

"You came out of that just fine," she said with a wink. "I, on the other hand, am honest enough to say I would have probably gotten you all killed down if I'd actually gone. He wasn't wrong about me in those days, and I knew what he'd tell me before he did." She wasn't the scared girl she'd been long ago, though she had her moments. Shosuro still made her nervous as hell.

"Is this about the time Dad went to rescue Hisomu-sama?" Shirayuki's tone was all innocence.

"Isn't everything?" Phi's wasn't.

"You two are seriously angling for another fun camping trip with your old man, you do know that right?"

"I like camping!"

"Not the way Dad does it, Soryu."

"Way too much 'catch food if you're hungry.'"

"And 'no fires, otherwise they'll see where you are, just eat it raw.'"

[Nozomi]

-snip-

"Bring Salt or citrus. Problem solved. Your old man knows how to eat properly on the trail so nobody sees." She snickered at their reactions. Mayumi didn't make a face, but she had the look of someone who'd had their share of salt-cured fish in her life. "He's right, though. If you're out in the wilds, you don't always want to be seen. Lots of wildlife out there bigger than you."

[Jiyo Sora]

"Bring Salt or citrus. Problem solved. Your old man knows how to eat properly on the trail so nobody sees." She snickered at their reactions. Mayumi didn't make a face, but she had the look of someone who'd had their share of salt-cured fish in her life. "He's right, though. If you're out in the wilds, you don't always want to be seen. Lots of wildlife out there bigger than you."

"Most of it, given that not one of the three of you is much bigger than a fox..."

"Are so!"

"Shirayuki, don't encourage him..."

[Nozomi]

"Most of it, given that not one of the three of you is much bigger than a fox..."

"Are so!"

"Shirayuki, don't encourage him..."

"Give it a few years, kids. You'll pick up the height and dwarf him and me." She couldn't help but just find the whole conversation amusing. Stories and gabbing with kids. It was a good night for her. "But there's always something bigger. Trust me. That's one of those rules they don't teach you in monk school."

[Jiyo Sora]

"Give it a few years, kids. You'll pick up the height and dwarf him and me." She couldn't help but just find the whole conversation amusing. Stories and gabbing with kids. It was a good night for her. "But there's always something bigger. Trust me. That's one of those rules they don't teach you in monk school."

"You mean like when Dad talks about Hida-sama?"

"Or when Uncle Koyama turns into a dragon?"

[Nozomi]

"You mean like when Dad talks about Hida-sama?"

"Or when Uncle Koyama turns into a dragon?"

She chuckled. "He only does that on special occasions." Like when he felt like flying. "And Hida-no-kami is huge. I've never met him personally. Only from a great distance. But he's a mountain of a man. Have you kids actually met him?" She'd met quite a few of the kami, but the truth was they were all very busy gods among men and she? She was just a monk, as it should be.

[Makime Ayano]

Misaki looked at Ayano with a curious glance as the Makime woman spoke; She definitely seemed a bit flustered about something, but the Crane woman certainly was not sure what. She had decided that, whatever it was, it made the young woman look impossibly cute though. Like a small, frail, bird almost, in the colorful attire.

"I would be willing to do that; I certainly think it would be safe enough if they're a guest here, and it might be an opportunity neither of us might have in the near future. And I do so prefer experiencing things first hand rather than just sitting back or reading out them."

"Should we send the nezumi a missive then?" Ayano asks, "And ask them to tea or a similar activity?"

The Lioness had calmed a little, helped greatly by Misaki's agreement. "If the nezumi even drink tea...tea and whatever they might drink in its place?"

[Jiyo Sora]

She chuckled. "He only does that on special occasions." Like when he felt like flying. "And Hida-no-kami is huge. I've never met him personally. Only from a great distance. But he's a mountain of a man. Have you kids actually met him?" She'd met quite a few of the kami, but the truth was they were all very busy gods among men and she? She was just a monk, as it should be.

"No, I think he and Dad have this agreement where they try not to bother each other..."

"Phi!"

"Look Dad, you don't need to be terribly clever to pick up on who you do and don't get along with... I've been to the Scorpion lands. 'Yuki's been to the Spider lands. We've both been to see the Dragon twice. You even took us to the Nezumi Empire when we were three. But we've never been to see the Crab..."

"Aw, Phi, I haven't ever been out of the Imperial lands, and we all KNOW Daddy likes people you haven't visited..."

"Nevertheless."

[Nozomi]

"No, I think he and Dad have this agreement where they try not to bother each other..."

"Phi!"

"Look Dad, you don't need to be terribly clever to pick up on who you do and don't get along with... I've been to the Scorpion lands. 'Yuki's been to the Spider lands. We've both been to see the Dragon twice. You even took us to the Nezumi Empire when we were three. But we've never been to see the Crab..."

"Aw, Phi, I haven't ever been out of the Imperial lands, and we all KNOW Daddy likes people you haven't visited..."

"Nevertheless."

"Mom says we'll go to the mountains the Crab guard when I'm old enough for the mountain pass." She glanced over at her mother and nodded as she said it. "It's really really way up there I hear."

"Not as great as some parts of the Spine, but you don't cross those parts. You go around for a reason. their lands are actually quite peaceful," Nozomi admitted, not saying anything even remotely judgmental. It was a known fact that she hadn't even been to Beiden, and a friend had founded that city. The Scorpion lands to date were completely blocked off for her, though her distaste was ... well... complicated, and Mayumi knew better than to talk about it openly. "They take their defenses very seriously though, despite the remoteness."

[Jiyo Sora]

"Mom says we'll go to the mountains the Crab guard when I'm old enough for the mountain pass." She glanced over at her mother and nodded as she said it. "It's really really way up there I hear."

"Not as great as some parts of the Spine, but you don't cross those parts. You go around for a reason. their lands are actually quite peaceful," Nozomi admitted, not saying anything even remotely judgmental. It was a known fact that she hadn't even been to Beiden, and a friend had founded that city. The Scorpion lands to date were completely blocked off for her, though her distaste was ... well... complicated, and Mayumi knew better than to talk about it openly. "They take their defenses very seriously though, despite the remoteness."

Sora sighed.

He still felt kind of bad for the Crab, but attacking the Nezumi? There was no way that was going to fly.

"I just hope Hida learns that there's more to life than constantly fortifying against harm..."

[Doji Misaki]

"Should we send the nezumi a missive then?" Ayano asks, "And ask them to tea or a similar activity?"

The Lioness had calmed a little, helped greatly by Misaki's agreement. "If the nezumi even drink tea...tea and whatever they might drink in its place?"

Misaki had not thought about the possibility of Nezumi drinking tea, and it was all she could do to hold back a smile, "That does seem like a plan indeed. Write a letter invite them for tea and snacks. If they're anything like the rats that people say they're related to, then it should not be hard to find things that would make appropriate snacks and such."

[Nozomi]

Sora sighed.

He still felt kind of bad for the Crab, but attacking the Nezumi? There was no way that was going to fly.

"I just hope Hida learns that there's more to life than constantly fortifying against harm..."

If only they'd all known how poisoned some were to their neighbors, but old wounds festered long. "He has time. And if any of them is patient, by reputation, it is him. I think he will learn in time something from his sojourn. I believe all of his will." Nozomi was a bit more hopeful there, though she hadn't had any high opinions of the war when she'd learned of it after the fact.

[Jiyo Sora]

If only they'd all known how poisoned some were to their neighbors, but old wounds festered long. "He has time. And if any of them is patient, by reputation, it is him. I think he will learn in time something from his sojourn. I believe all of his will." Nozomi was a bit more hopeful there, though she hadn't had any high opinions of the war when she'd learned of it after the fact.

"Dad says Hida reminded him of Chosaku, the Hikaru Chief Uncle Koyama killed to take leadership of the tribe..."

"And he does. Chosaku wasn't all bad, Phi, he just wasn't the right leader for me."

[Nozomi]

"Dad says Hida reminded him of Chosaku, the Hikaru Chief Uncle Koyama killed to take leadership of the tribe..."

"And he does. Chosaku wasn't all bad, Phi, he just wasn't the right leader for me."

She sighed wistfully, closing her eyes. "Chosaku wasn't a bad man," she said after a moment. "I remember when that big oaf first met a young girl, long long ago. He was powerful. Skilled. Dangerous. But he was set in the old ways. It was hard for him to adapt, and as the world changed around him, your old uncle Koyama saw something he was not ready to admit. I hope he found peace in the fields of Meido."

[Jiyo Sora]

She sighed wistfully, closing her eyes. "Chosaku wasn't a bad man," she said after a moment. "I remember when that big oaf first met a young girl, long long ago. He was powerful. Skilled. Dangerous. But he was set in the old ways. It was hard for him to adapt, and as the world changed around him, your old uncle Koyama saw something he was not ready to admit. I hope he found peace in the fields of Meido."

"Reminds me of something I heard Dad say once... 'That which submits rules.'" Phi wasn't looking, so she might have missed the brief look of shock on her father's face.

He made eye contact with Nozomi, shrugged.

They grow up so fast.