D4 MM - Does it still hurt?

[Kakita Konohamaru]

"If you'd like, but company is welcome."

He had an idea - a mad one, perhaps, but one nonetheless.

"If the late afternoon suits you, I should be easy enough to find within the village."

He'd need to get permission for it first, but if it worked, it would make co-ordination much easier.

[Doji Yuma]

To the magistrate:

"I confess I find all of this... strangely familiar. Like, it's not at all a situation I've lived or heard about before. But it shares some similarity with other curses I've studied and met.

For example, someone's existence being erased from most but not all people memories, that's actually something I've already encountered.

Sadly, that one was also a case I proved unable to crack. Hoping this time will be different."

To the Torikata:

"Whatever you feel is best. As for myself I will stay here and wait."

A pause.

"Did I present myself actually? I might have forgotten in the flood of revelations and new questions. Doji Yuma, priest of the Crane. Nice to meet you."

[Kakita Konohamaru]

"I confess I find all of this... strangely familiar. Like, it's not at all a situation I've lived or heard about before. But it shares some similarity with other curses I've studied and met.

For example, someone's existence being erased from most but not all people memories, that's actually something I've already encountered.

Sadly, that one was also a case I proved unable to crack. Hoping this time will be different."

Seems he was right.

"Any knowledge you can provide will be deeply appreciated. I fear I can do nothing but maybe scare the ghost, if that."

He thought for a moment. If only a select few understood, then it'd be hard to explain it to the others. If only there was something most people knew to explain it...

"There doesn't happen to be a ... play or pillowbook like this, is there? To explain it."

[Doji Yuma]

"There are plays and pillowbooks about everything... But few trustfully retell things that actually happened.

And even then, each curse tends to have its own logic, and what worked for one might be absolutely useless against another.

However, reading about these things might give us ideas. Dunno if there is a library in this village though. We're not in Phoenix lands when they have them about everywhere."

[Aji]

Aji returned with a bundle of scrolls and texts and said, “These are not exactly organized, I never intended them to be seen by anyone but me. So… that is all I can say about them. This is everything I have found in my studies, but I didn’t have access to any records in the castle.”

[Kakita Konohamaru]

"There are plays and pillowbooks about everything... But few trustfully retell things that actually happened.

And even then, each curse tends to have its own logic, and what worked for one might be absolutely useless against another.

However, reading about these things might give us ideas. Dunno if there is a library in this village though. We're not in Phoenix lands when they have them about everywhere."

"The Castle may, for guests like us. Maybe."

Konohamaru nodded at Yuma's talk on curses, being none the wiser.

Aji returned with a bundle of scrolls and texts and said, “These are not exactly organised, I never intended them to be seen by anyone but me. So… that is all I can say about them. This is everything I have found in my studies, but I didn’t have access to any records in the castle.”

At Aji's return, he bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Aji. If we make it out alive, I'll see to making sure your patience and hard work is rewarded."

(OOC: Is there a roll to sort and digest this information?)

[Dapper Dog]

OOC: Having her notes will give you a Free Raise on future Lore checks or related checks to investigate the Loop or the ghosts of Bujiehime or Gusari.

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

To the Torikata:

"Whatever you feel is best. As for myself I will stay here and wait."

A pause.

"Did I present myself actually? I might have forgotten in the flood of revelations and new questions. Doji Yuma, priest of the Crane. Nice to meet you."

The Toritaka bowed. "An honor to meet you Doji sama." Kuma bowed.
Stay and help them out Aji told that her records were in disorder so 6 eyes are better than 4.

The girl nodded. Then whispered to the falcon. "This is not my place right now." She looked at the dog. "Let's go Sari, Kuma."

/exit before Aji arrived

[Kakita Konohamaru]

To the Torikata:

"Whatever you feel is best. As for myself I will stay here and wait."

A pause.

"Did I present myself actually? I might have forgotten in the flood of revelations and new questions. Doji Yuma, priest of the Crane. Nice to meet you."

The Toritaka bowed. "An honor to meet you Doji sama." Kuma bowed.
Stay and help them out Aji told that her records were in disorder so 6 eyes are better than 4.

The girl nodded. Then whispered to the falcon. "This is not my place right now." She looked at the dog. "Let's go Sari, Kuma."

/exit before Aji arrived

Konohamaru bowed as she left.

After looking over the papers, he offered around half the stack to Yuma.

"Shall we sort these?"

[Doji Yuma]

After looking over the papers, he offered around half the stack to Yuma.

"Shall we sort these?"

"Definitely."

He brought draft paper and a charcoal pen out of his sleeve and started foraging his pile of data, taking notes alongside a few early sketches of new tattoo designs.

[Aji]

Aji added, “Oh, as I was gathering my notes I found something I had forgotten. It was years ago but a traveling Sparrow gave me a different version of the tale of Gusari and Bujeihime. It had all the same elements but there was an implied romantic or at the minimum friendly entanglement between the two and they each kept a figurine on their person crafted by a Crab artisan. Little soldiers. One for each.”

“In the story Gusari had a Crane soldier and Bujeihime had a Crab soldier, it isn’t mentioned in the other stories so I just forgot but I saw it when I was gathering my things.”

[Kakita Konohamaru]

"Figurines, you say?"

Konohamaru comments as he continues to look through Aji's notes.

"Any idea where they are?"

[Aji]

"I do not, but thought it might be useful to know," she responded.

[Doji Yuma]

To the magistrate:

"Before you ask: No, even assuming both figurines ever existed and still exist after one century, I cannot request of the spirits that they find an object I've never seen before, especially with so little information about it. And this even if they have awakened into nemuranai by now. You would need to be an exceptional seer like the legendary Asahina Hira to connect the dots from so little.

If we had a precise description of these items, or, even better, a sketch, then maybe. But as is the spirits would just report about every toy soldier in the city, including each and every which fell in the ocean through the last century.

No cheating there. Research will have to be done the old fashioned way."

[Kakita Konohamaru]

"Before you ask: No, even assuming both figurines ever existed and still exist after one century, I cannot request of the spirits that they find an object I've never seen before, especially with so little information about it. And this even if they have awakened into nemuranai by now. You would need to be an exceptional seer like the legendary Asahina Hira to connect the dots from so little.

If we had a precise description of these items, or, even better, a sketch, then maybe. But as is the spirits would just report about every toy soldier in the city, including each and every which fell in the ocean through the last century.

No cheating there. Research will have to be done the old fashioned way."

Wait, you could do that?

Apparently no, you couldn't.

While he speech is its usual stern unwavering self, his posture makes it obvious the shugenja caught him completely off guard.

"Never should try and cheat a spirit."

Although...

"...If we can write down the information fast enough, why not list every toy soldier in the city?"

[Doji Yuma]

"Trust me on that one: Never, ever, asks an imprecise question to a spirit. You'll just end up with a headache.

I'm almost tempted to try just to find out how they will drive us crazy this time... But I would rather save the good will of the elements for tonight. If people try to throw themselves into the sea again, we will need all the help we can muster to avoid a disaster."

[Kakita Konohamaru]

"I'll trust you on that - old fashioned way it is. Could be good experience if the Yoriki lifestyle ever appeals to you."

[Doji Yuma]

Yuma answered noncommittally, focused on organizing his share of the nun's papers:

"Appeal or not, a samurai's life is about doing what must be done."

[Kakita Konohamaru]

Konohamaru paused in his work, taken aback at Yuma's conviction of duty. Perhaps his sense of the Crane's adherence of the tenets had been coloured by his work, and with it his assumption of the basic Crane's adherence resembled something he wouldn't repeat. But the general acceptance of duty as, well, duty had somehow got to the point where it felt beyond Crane for him, may Lady Doji forgive him.

Nevertheless, he returned back to his work.

"...If only more people thought like you."