D7 ME - A House on Fire (Open to Crab)

[Yasuki Masaki]

Yasuki had sent a note to the others that she'd be preparing some of the materials for their presentation at the Art Festival in the Crab House in the evening. She was sitting down in one of the desks, her working materials around, and seemed to be toiling away at what would apparently be one of the main characters in their story.

Some props and background for the "main stage" were already at one side, apparently ready to be put together with the others' work on the setting. On the corner of the desk, some notes describing the legends the work was based on, as well as the plans they had discussed so far.

[Kuni Shiori]

Shiori would return together with Masaki after their venture at the Lion sake house. It seemed that they each had a variety of success there but after some drinks, it was time to return to some duty. She was a bit apprehensive about contributing to another group effort but she wouldn't be a Crab if she was so willing to turn away from attempting something again just because she failed!

[Yasuki Masaki]

Shiori would return together with Masaki after their venture at the Lion sake house. It seemed that they each had a variety of success there but after some drinks, it was time to return to some duty. She was a bit apprehensive about contributing to another group effort but she wouldn't be a Crab if she was so willing to turn away from attempting something again just because she failed!

"What do you think of the plans so far, Kuni-san? Anything you'd want to change? You will be a big part of it tomorrow, so your opinion is definitely important, ne?", the Yasuki says with a warm smile, nodding along while keeping her hands busy with the work.

[Yasuki Masaki]

Before she gets to the hardest part of the work, actually trying to shape the figurine, give it proper colours and details, Masaki whispers a prayer. The air seems to move a bit around her, for a while... but only for a while. Soon her hands are back to her work, and the figurine of a Ki-rin slowly takes shape...


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ME - Casting ML 3 Air Spell for Artisty stuff | 7k4 ⇒ 21 (TN: 20)

ME - Creating Ki-rin straw figurine for the art festival. TN 20, 1 Raise, +4 bonus | 7k4+4 ⇒ 43 (TN: 25)

Ki-rin figurine done!
Posting this here to get it out of the way before dayflip!

[Kuni Shiori]

"What do you think of the plans so far, Kuni-san? Anything you'd want to change? You will be a big part of it tomorrow, so your opinion is definitely important, ne?", the Yasuki says with a warm smile, nodding along while keeping her hands busy with the work.

"I have gone over the plot a few times and I do think it does present a good message of hope, which is likely one that's much needed at the moment. Actually, it would almost seem to benefit to have the Lord Ikoma in the audience," she mused as an aside, recalling their conversation at the sake house. Of course, she didn't know how he was truly feeling by this hour and it didn't actually seem appropriate to wheel him out to this exhibition alone "I have confidence in the planning...but of course, I hope it will go well. Unlike you, it seems my part in it will be live. It's not like I can capture my voice and have it performed later. Of course, the same could be said about your part in it."

She turned pensive at the moment. "I don't know if I would change much in the plot. The message is a bit obvious and bold, perhaps lacking subtlety. That said, I feel any less then it might be entirely missed as a mere fable."

[Yasuki Masaki]

"I have gone over the plot a few times and I do think it does present a good message of hope, which is likely one that's much needed at the moment. Actually, it would almost seem to benefit to have the Lord Ikoma in the audience," she mused as an aside, recalling their conversation at the sake house. Of course, she didn't know how he was truly feeling by this hour and it didn't actually seem appropriate to wheel him out to this exhibition alone "I have confidence in the planning...but of course, I hope it will go well. Unlike you, it seems my part in it will be live. It's not like I can capture my voice and have it performed later. Of course, the same could be said about your part in it."

She turned pensive at the moment. "I don't know if I would change much in the plot. The message is a bit obvious and bold, perhaps lacking subtlety. That said, I feel any less then it might be entirely missed as a mere fable."

She raises her head to face Shiori with a smile, even as her hands continue to work. "Well, my live part will be guided by your storytelling, Shiori-san. So if you feel you'd be most comfortable changing something in the story or its presentation, you're the best to suggest that, ne?" A nod. "I'll do my best to follow you however you choose to do it." The nod then turns into a small grin. "We'd just do better to rehearse at least a couple times before the Festival!"

The other comments make her pensive for a moment. "Hm. You don't think he'll be well enough to be at the Festival tomorrow, then, Kuni-san?" A small sigh. "Well, I suppose with all that happened that is to be expected. Still... "

She shakes her head slightly, as if leaving the thought aside for the moment. "Hm. Subtlety is important, ne? Especially in a setting such as this" she gestures vaguely around. "If Kuni-san has changes to suggest that might make it subtler without the story losing its interest, the performance will be all the better for it!" A warm smile. "I must admit in terms of practice as a storyteller or writer I have next to none. That makes Kuni-san the more experienced of us, ne?"

[Hiruma Daichi]

Daichi arrived with his supplies in hand, ready to start work on the figure he had started to craft. A polite bow was given to the two women as he walked in and started to move towards an empty desk. "Good evening Kuni-san. Yasuki-san." He offered in way of greeting.

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tossing this up now.

Creating Hotei figure for the art festival. Void for 1k1 tn 20 with one raise | 6k4 ⇒ 41 (TN: 25)

[Yasuki Masaki]

"Good evening, Hiruma-sama", she answers brightly with a seated bow. "Oh, looking good! To think we all never had much chance to share our experience with artwork before, ne? We could try to do this again later!"

[Kuni Shiori]

She raises her head to face Shiori with a smile, even as her hands continue to work. "Well, my live part will be guided by your storytelling, Shiori-san. So if you feel you'd be most comfortable changing something in the story or its presentation, you're the best to suggest that, ne?" A nod. "I'll do my best to follow you however you choose to do it." The nod then turns into a small grin. "We'd just do better to rehearse at least a couple times before the Festival!"

The other comments make her pensive for a moment. "Hm. You don't think he'll be well enough to be at the Festival tomorrow, then, Kuni-san?" A small sigh. "Well, I suppose with all that happened that is to be expected. Still... "

She shakes her head slightly, as if leaving the thought aside for the moment. "Hm. Subtlety is important, ne? Especially in a setting such as this" she gestures vaguely around. "If Kuni-san has changes to suggest that might make it subtler without the story losing its interest, the performance will be all the better for it!" A warm smile. "I must admit in terms of practice as a storyteller or writer I have next to none. That makes Kuni-san the more experienced of us, ne?"

"The topic of Ikoma-dono, I'm sure a lot of factors depend on how people are still feeling regarding the loss of the Daughter of Heaven," she said pensively. "I know that people are likely to keep their feelings to themselves, outside of clothing but it does feel that the mourning clothes have begun to shed for some. It's not something that would make for a pleasant conversation. I always imagined that such a loss would have put the Empire on pause for a year but duty is indeed greater in some aspects."

It did make her wonder how many more out there were internally arrested in the same way as the Ikoma lord. It was perhaps thankful that he was someone of high profile and in Winter Court. It might have been much more tragic if this was someone who was less important and in a remote area.

Shiori bowed deeper when Daichi arrived. "Good evening, Hiruma-sama. Just to bring you into the conversation, Yasuki-san and I were just talking about the finishing touches of the drafted tale. Do you have any opinions?"

[Hiruma Daichi]

The words of the yasuki may have embarassed him a little, he did manage to avoid a blush though or at least he thought he did.

"I think the two of you have that well in hand." Daichi replied with a smile. "I have a bit of skill with my hands and a knife, but when it comes to storytelling, I'm more than a little off the mark."

[Yasuki Masaki]

The Yasuki nods to Shiori, more seriously, then to Daichi as well with a smile.

"It is strange how something so momentous seems so different when our minds rehearse it than it does when we live through it, isn't it?"

Her expression seems pensive as her hands focus on her work for a moment again. "Not the most appropriate comparison, perhaps, but in a way... it is not entirely unlike art, is it?"

Turning to the Hiruma then. "We'd still be happy for any suggestions you might have, Hiruma-sama! And of course, we count on your skill for our Hotei, ne?" A friendly, slightly more relaxed smile.

"Oh, while we work. Hiruma-sama had mentioned your talks to the Scorpion had progressed, hai? Soshi-san, was it?"

[Hiruma Daichi]

Hotei's gonna be able to Flotei.

He gave a small nod at Masaki's words. "True, and I'll try my best." He said simply before turning to the other topic.

"A little " Daichi replied with a shrug. "They seemed interested in trading us some supplies for a potential plague, but Kaiu-dono was uncertain of its nesscity. Though he did suggest further study into the matter."

"Other than that though, they have little we need in terms of trade, as they were not interested in parting with the Rice they had, and made no mention of any dyes. So I put my priorities into other deals."

[Kuni Shiori]

Shiori narrowed her eyes on the matter, ignorant of how grave the situation truly was. "This makes me wonder if this is potentially a Scorpion ploy. It's not the first time that someone has taken advantage of our Crab sentiments with fear-mongering. We often like to be better safe than sorry...but leave it to others outside of the Clan to earn a quick score from time to time. That said, Kaiu-dono is wise on the matter, we should look into it...but I don't know if this would warrant spending a trade over something more concrete or potentially spare us the ability to deal with a future and real threat."

[Hiruma Daichi]

"Those were precisely my thoughts." Daichi agreed with a nod. "Not to mention any potential political fallout if a plague hits and it's painted that you knew about it but did nothing to help the Empire as a whole." Yuna likely had the best thoughts on it when it was first brought up. Send it to the monks to help the whole.

"But on the other hand, if one is coming, we don't want to be caught with our quiver spilled."

[Kuni Shiori]

"You'd think that such an offer wouldn't be attached to a trade deal, that makes things rather feel disingenuous, whether or not they are. They should have an interest in combating this potential illness everywhere. A few loose unaccounted heimen is enough to exponentially infect others, borders will mean little in a shared land space. Of course, I don't expect them to donate this. I would have thought the idea of debt would be far more useful than a transaction, actually." She gave a shrug at that, not that she liked the idea of accumulating Scorpion debt.

[Hiruma Daichi]

"That would make sense from what I've heard of the Scorpion." The Gunso mused. "Perhaps the change of tactics is because Soshi Eiji-san is married into the clan? That's who I have mostly been speaking with as well." It was hard to say for certain or course.

"Either way, it's likely wise to look into, and prepare any sort of contingences we can." His gaze moved from Shiori to Masaki and back again. "Would either of you be able to help with that?"

[Kuni Shiori]

"I do have some medical knowledge and I would be interested in seeing what can be done. It would help get some idea of what this plague or illness is about, how it infects, where it travels, and what its symptoms are, even if possible. some potential cure. Do we have nothing else but an ominous warning?"

[Hiruma Daichi]

"They only shared with me an ominous warning." Daichi replied with a shrug. "So, nothing in the area of symptoms or the like. It's one of the reasons I've viewed it so dubiously. Apparently though their priests have identified the fact that it will happen though, but not a timeline on the when or what of it."

[Yasuki Masaki]

The Yasuki had been silent for most of the conversation, paying attention - her brow showing more and more signs of worry as time went.

"If we're still unsure, I suppose we could look into the matter ourselves. We may not get a clear answer, but maybe some spiritual inquiries might give us some information... hopefully the good kind."

[Hiruma Daichi]

"It wouldn't hurt." Daichi agreed with a nod. "If we can get any sort of clearer image of the things going on here it would be good."