Weather: Day 8

[Cearnach]

The temperature today has a high of 55 (13 C) and a low of 48 (9 C). The sky is overcast with 3 mph (5 kph) winds. The moon is waning gibbous.

Events Today
EA: Court: Keihime's Flex Galleries, The Floor
EA: To Fetch a Pail of Water
EA: Gallery Scene: Chou-sin Approaches the Crane Delegation
MA: A Helping Hand, Part 1
LA: Down by the River
ME: PC Art Event
-Art!
-Comments!

[Fukurokujin]

Rumors

"All of those Champions and Daimyo getting together, and then they just...stormed out."
"But what was that noise?"
"I don't know, but they were saying something similar had happened around that one Crane, the one with the funny hand."
"I hadn't known that!"

I do not envy the Phoenix. Their Lady looks...unhappy.

"And he even got in the way of the Scorpion Champion."
"That old grandpa has his faults, but cowardice isn't one of them."
"Makes sense that he's still on duty, even with all the goings-on."

Speaking of the Scorpion, I saw her talking with that Tortoise lady. Heard something like ku-i bo no. You have any idea about that?

"With nobody on the Throne, this kind of thing will happen, and more frequently."

"I think the Badger and the Boar are the same person. It's just some magic that makes you see them both in one room. I mean, there's no way the Badger can really be that big, right?"

Bayushi Kaguya is super cute. Kawaiiiiiiiiiii. (TN25)

"Some nutter with a scar was traipsing all about the place, I tell you!"
"I miss the days when they just sat on roofs."

"It was great to see the naval clans expressing cooperation in court in the first days of court, was't it? Recent history shows how important that can be."
"Some 'tort-uous' relations still need some smoothing out though, ne?"
"Well, sometimes it's hard to get out of one's shell..."
"Well.. yeah. And we'll see how well that keeps up after today. Seems easier and easier to be in hot water." (TN40)

"Kitsu Sayomi and Matsu Masami's positions in court at the first days of court sure show how the Lion can understand the value of true strength, ne?"
"Kitsu-san could have been more convincing today... but yeah, her right is in the right place."
"There was even some cooperation with the Crane!"
"Now if only the clan's daimyo would follow suit things might be easier, ne?..."(TN40)

An Ill Wind: There's still a lot of angry and unsettled spirits around. How can any of the court's business be settled without addressing them? (TN30)

It will be a happy spring with all these marriages being announced. Such blessings offer a counter to the imbalances that have led up to these uncertain and unsettled times. Glad they got all that nonsense barring one clan's weddings out of the way early, the Empire needs all the blessings it can get right now, and Musubi's knots are blessed indeed. (TN35)

[Fukurokujin]

Letters

A poem is written in a clear hand, upon golden hued paper. It is deliver to Kuni-ke no kashin Kuroyama Shiori, though any examine it as it travels to her

Rivers cut through snow,
Cold depths calling warm strong heart,
Mustache set bristling.

(GoL: 18. Intent: Kuni-san is beautiful and has my interest.)

A poem in firm but flawless yellow script on black paper and adorned with a serviceable line-drawing of a cactus is shown about the court before being delivered to the apartment of Otomo Tooru.

Winter doldrums kill
The fires of summer's passion.
Miles of barren plains.

Fortune's vision warms my heart;
Two firm hills, a deep valley.
(GoL: 25)

A poem neatly scrawled on a light yellow parchment burned at the edges and tied with a white ribbon is dropped off at the Scorpion House before making its way to others.

The principal maid
A true actress she is
Convincing enough

Her confident portrayal
Hides her own true self

GoL Roll 41

Intent: Honoka's performance is lovely; unlike her fiery temper on display earlier this day. Sh may have the makings of a true actress.

Game of Letters:

You are super pretty
Really I mean it, you are
Don't doubt it ever
Turning heads when you pass by
I always notice your walk


The intent is to flatter a certain Scorpion. It should be sent around the way to the Scorpion house. (GoL 15)

A rather large scroll for a standard letter offering is delivered to the Phoenix delegation, though many look at it on its way. The paper once as pure as now, has now been walked upon by an ink brush....though much of the snow remains untouched.

This is a story written by many hands and seen by many more eyes. Multiple paths join together to form this road, to a destination yet invisible to our eyes, but set upon by our hearts.

And so we begin, fittingly enough, with a man named Jo, walking down a path. Jo, like many men, had his good points, and he had his bad points. Among his good points was his extreme loyalty to his friends. His back bore many scars, each it's own story of an arrow or a spear taken for another. For Jo was a yojimbo of no small talent, though of small means. And thus, when he received a letter from his dear friend Pei, asking for Jo to make the long journey to visit him, Jo naturally set off before even Lady Sun has shown even a glimmer of her gaze.

The next section of ink marches across the page, the characters flowing with the movement of the road, the margins artfully wider then narrower as the tale dips into the constraints of the forest.

Jo had a choice of paths. The fine clear road that wound around the forest and along the river to the wide mountain pass would take many weeks of travel. But in all his years, Jo had become a skilled traveller and had little fear of forests and tricky passes. So he took the more dangerous, but faster road.

He reached the forest just as Lady Sun peeked over the horizon to light his path, but she was quickly hidden by the dense leaves overhead, and he traveled once more in darkness through a forest rumored to be haunted and strange. So Jo was not surprised to see strange lights in the trees...that he did not follow, and hear the sounds of unusual instruments and enchanting voices making merry...that he did not pause to peek in on. But the piteous crying of an infant pulled him up short and troubled his mind greatly. Surely it was a trick of the forest spirits to lure the unwary into mischief at best. But it it wasn't? Could he bear the possibility to haunt his dreams?

From one of the scroll rods dangles a thin silk cord with a simple origami crane made of paper entirely stained with black ink. The other has a similar crane of white, with writing on it. Unwrapped, one side reads:

To achieve balance
Sometimes the flower must bend
Ikebana, and

Interpretation: When creating an Ikebana display, sometimes elements must be bent to display their true potential. All art is thus.

The other side concludes:

There is room for a story
Of many brushes attached

Intention: The letter itself is poetry...traditional. But certainly bends the rules to attach something that seems to ask for...more.

(GoL 24. The round robin story continues.)

[Cearnach]

It is now Day 8. Please enjoy.

[Fukurokujin]

Dayflip approaches; get your rumors and letters in!