D10 MM - A lot going on (Open to Crab)

[Kaiu Masahiko]

"My knees haven't acted up, either," Masahiko replies. "But if they do, we do have some tools that can help. But what do you think it is, Lady Seppun?"

[Yasuki Masaki]

Sadako nods.

"Very good, Hiruma-san," she says, somewhat absently, as he reports. She follows with "I remember something from my earlier readings that may bear in on this. I think I have the notes on site, though not on my person. But if I remember correctly, at least large portions of what has been going on are interconnected."

She looks at Masahiko. "I do not think it is the One Enemy," she says. "At least not if it is what I think it is. I do not believe there have been reports of the usual signs of such, nobody reacting adversely to jade. The wards have not reacted in such a way, at least, although the wards are not omnipresent."

The One Enemy

The epithets were many, but, even for an Yasuki who spent long studying with the Asahina, they all had a way of producing an immediate reaction. Masaki's eyes widened a bit more, one looking closely at the few parts of her skin exposed (inappropriate as that would be!) would see her hairs on end.

She blinked twice, slowly.

"Seppun-dono believes there is an important spiritual element to this threat, then? Even if not the... usual threat?"

[Seppun Sadako]

"I hope to be wrong," Sadako says. "Truly. But if I am not, then we may be looking at a return of something from the reign of the third Emperor."

[Yasuki Masaki]

"I hope to be wrong," Sadako says. "Truly. But if I am not, then we may be looking at a return of something from the reign of the third Emperor."

(OOC: I'd guess not, but any chance Masaki would have a clue what she's talking about here? XD)

[Yasuki Masaki]

"I hope to be wrong," Sadako says. "Truly. But if I am not, then we may be looking at a return of something from the reign of the third Emperor."

She seemed to make an effort to pull something from memory.

The file seemed to just not exist. Or maybe it was blank. At any rate, it wasn't much help.

"Un." The answer was affirmative - it was not clear to her of what, but it was. But she did manage to access a different file, easier to access, if not so directly relevant.

"From... Hantei... Ningi Tenno Heika's time?", she asked tentatively.

[Seppun Sadako]

"Yes."

Sadako's response is terse and flat, uncommonly for her.

[Yasuki Masaki]

"Yes."

Sadako's response is terse and flat, uncommonly for her.

The answer somehow made Masaki's hairs stand on end even more - although, mercifully, that isn't evident.

"Is... this also possibly connected to the spiritual disturbance Seppun-dono said was already being investigated further? And..." she looks at Masahiko, maybe a bit uncertain. "... would you like us to do something about it at the moment?"

[Seppun Sadako]

"Possibly," Sadako says, "and, actually, yes.

"Quietly, because loud will not help, see if the usual problem you face is actually not at work. Something like 'tsuta,' I believe the usual phrasing is for you?"

[Yasuki Masaki]

"Possibly," Sadako says, "and, actually, yes.

"Quietly, because loud will not help, see if the usual problem you face is actually not at work. Something like 'tsuta,' I believe the usual phrasing is for you?"

She Yasuki nods again - her hairs even more on end now, her eyes narrowing a bit. "'Tsuta'.... that is worrying." Her eyes inadvertently ran to the door. They had been careful - the south taught them to be careful since very early, even for one with Asahina schooling such as her. She looked at the Kaiu and the Hiruma, nodding very slightly, as if somehow asking for their support, or confirmation. "If this one may ask - Seppun-dono's worry... are there specific sources of 'tsuta' it stems from?"

[Seppun Sadako]

"For that," Sadako says, "the Seppun have ever trusted the Crab. But, again, a quiet query, a light touch are needed. There are many here who, if examined more openly, would find reasons to be offended, and we do not need that kind of instability now.

"That said, were it an issue of the One Enemy, addressing the concern would do much to unify people."

She shakes her head.

"I do not know if it is so, just as I do not know if my suspicions about the historical parallels are correct. If it is not, then other things must be done; acting prematurely will worsen things more likely than aiding them."

[Kaiu Masahiko]

Kaiu Masahiko nodded slowly, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of jade shaped into a perfectly round, flat coin and slapped it onto the table.

"Let's all give that a touch, huh? Just to get that bit out of the way." He looked between each of them. "And Hida's heir was?"

[Yasuki Masaki]

Kaiu Masahiko nodded slowly, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of jade shaped into a perfectly round, flat coin and slapped it onto the table.

"Let's all give that a touch, huh? Just to get that bit out of the way." He looked between each of them. "And Hida's heir was?"

At Masahiko's request, Masaki promptly touches the jade with her left hand, the right one raised with two fingers held up.

"For that," Sadako says, "the Seppun have ever trusted the Crab. But, again, a quiet query, a light touch are needed. There are many here who, if examined more openly, would find reasons to be offended, and we do not need that kind of instability now.

"That said, were it an issue of the One Enemy, addressing the concern would do much to unify people."

She shakes her head.

"I do not know if it is so, just as I do not know if my suspicions about the historical parallels are correct. If it is not, then other things must be done; acting prematurely will worsen things more likely than aiding them."

Turning then to Sadako again, she answers with an earnest nod. "Of course, Seppun-sama. We do not need matters to worsen." The last words are said with a faint, but warm smile. Sadako may recognise they are the exact same words she had said to the Yasuki a couple days back - she had apparently taken them to heart.

"Unifying people is often good and powerful, but in this case I hope suspicions of involvement of the Deviant One do not prove true. One way or another, we shall do our duty, ne?" She nods, then turns to Masahiko and the Hiruma again - how those duties would be done would be Masahiko's decision, after all.

[Hiruma Daichi]

Daichi pulled up his sleeve to reveal the jade and copper bracelet he always wore on his right arm, raising it at the same time to hold up two fingers.

That done he also reached forward to touch the piece of jade on the table.

"A jade test might not be the wisest way to avoid ruffling feathers. Unless we could find a way to disguise what we are doing. I know at least one here outside the Crab that knows the importance of Jade and I would trust she isn't alone."

[Yasuki Masaki]

Masaki nods at Daichi, and seems pensive for a while.

"Hm. It's not my specialty, not at all, but... an interactive artwork with Jade within it, maybe?"

Leave it to the Asahina-trained Crab to suggest something like that, of course.

"It would take some effort, and a good reason for people to want to touch it, of course..."

[Seppun Sadako]

As the others talk, Sadako takes the jade in hand, following the gestures of the Crabs.

"If that were the way to do it," she says. "But, again, quietly and cautiously."

[Kaiu Masahiko]

It occurs to Masahiko that this would all play out much differently at Kyuden Hida. He chooses not to mention it.

"Perhaps one of these impromptu festivals could provide an opportunity. Some good-luck ritual or the like. People line up for those."

[Seppun Sadako]

Sadako smiles.

"That might well work!"

[Hiruma Daichi]

"Is there something upcoming we could repurpose? Or would we need to make our own?" He asked those gathered, glancing between the others. As he tried to recall other ways to detect tainted creatures, as well as which of them didn't react to jade.

Day 10 Lore Shadowlands/int with void one raise for extra info tn??? | 4k3 ⇒ 26

"We also likely want to plan for contingencies on what to do if this test comes up negative, or if we run across something we aren't actually looking for."

[Yasuki Masaki]

Masaki seems pensive for a moment. "There is one event currently scheduled for tomorrow, if I remember correctly. A 'garden of earthly delights' - apparently included in the original schedule for the Winter. I'm not sure if we could prepare something in time for it, though."

She looks at the table where her work tools are. "Perhaps there may be other plans proposed in court today. Otherwise... we could think of something and propose it tomorrow. A bit late in court for that, but should be possible."

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OOC: I've no idea what the Garden of Earthly Delights is, but we could rush to create something on D11. Alternatively, on D10 (in court, so after this thread) Yuna proposed a festival to Musubi-no-kami for D13 so that's another possibility.

[Cearnach]

"Is there something upcoming we could repurpose? Or would we need to make our own?" He asked those gathered, glancing between the others. As he tried to recall other ways to detect tainted creatures, as well as which of them didn't react to jade.

Day 10 Lore Shadowlands/int with void one raise for extra info tn??? | 4k3 ⇒ 26

"We also likely want to plan for contingencies on what to do if this test comes up negative, or if we run across something we aren't actually looking for."

Kitsu can sometimes have a sense for it. Otherwise, you'd need a witch-hunter, and they aren't traditionally included on Winter Court delegations (for obvious reasons).