The New Winds

The Crab spirit walker entered the temple and approached the monks much later that day. He sought out the same purification ritual as previous days but this time he did so with the passing of Amaterasu from the sky. He was leaving soon and wished to see her off as well. After the ritual is complete he assists the monks with the lighting of lanters, torches and candles around the temple before offering his prayers.

Eventually he finds a spot to meditate on everything that had happened in Tuma thus far. It was an eventful experience for sure. But now it was time to return to his clan as a full Samurai.

After the rather eventful (and still not entirely concluded) day, the Battle Maiden finds her way to the temple seeking purification. Her wounds have been healed and she's taken time to wash away the blood, change clothing, set the rest aside for the hinin to burn, and otherwise removed the physical stains of battle. The spiritual mess is not so easy to rinse away. Thus she too finds the monks, requesting the sort of purification habitually needed by warriors, but also confesses to the deeper stain of striking down one who was given the gifts of conversing with the kami during the course of battle. Maybe that requires something more.

She remains afterward to leave a not-insignificant offering and standard significance prayers to the departed Lady Sun, trying not to disturb the Kuni's meditation in the process.

Noticing the Utaku, he nods to the warrior that joined him in the temple. "Lady Sun will shin upon you again soon. She always returns to grant her blessing each day," he says with an air of calm.

“Does she hear the prayers left at night?” Nesrin wonders aloud as she turns to greet the young Crab with a deep bow. “Kuni-san. Good to see you again*.”

(*because I think we had a bit of thread in game 1. Now off to work)

"I think she hears prayers no matter when they are offer, Utaku-san. We don't need to be in the midst of battle for Bishamon to hear us, or engaging in trade for Daikoku to listen to our prayers. Or even for them to bestow their blessings. She likely hears and blesses us during the night as well, but it is only during the day that we have the chance to receive her light and warmth. But her blessings are many and varied, not limited to just those two gifts that she grants all under her gaze."

"As mother of the Kami, it makes sense that her reach would be greater than the day. But it's something I never much thought about till I found myself with a need for prayers at night, and this the main temple." Her smile is somewhat weary after the long day, but sincere. "It's been a stranger tournament than I expected. Maybe they are all so...active...but the rumors never reach the rest of the Empire."

"They all likely have their own occurrences that make them... interesting. Large gatherings of many clans seem like draws for the attention of ancestors, fortunes and powerful samurai. And when you involve such beings in any event they will have some sort of influence," the Kuni responds with a nod. "Whether it is for good or ill depends on how they feel about the gathering and what specifically drew their interest."

That prompts a long intake of breath. "Like a certain ancestor showing up to exhort many of us to aid a participant who turned out to have a stunning array of forces arranged against him?" And that's just the supernatural event she actually saw instead of heard vague rumors about.

"I hadn't considered it in that light, however. I will definitely keep that closer to heart when gathered with others in the future." Her lips quirk in a wry grin. "Forewarned, as it were."

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(ooc to note that I rather love this IC explanation for why games are inevitably full of 'interesting times')

"Indeed. Though, while the things that have happened here at this gathering have been quite incredible in their own way, they still don't compare to the madness of being part of a gathering in Sakkaku. That is just madness given life. It's near impossible to keep track of all the pranks and games they play, which take up more time than any official business they have for gathering. So even here in the midst of these events, it's relatively easy to keep my center."

For a moment almost long enough to be rude, Nesrin just blinks as she processes that she actually heard what he said correctly.

"Sakkaku? You've actually gone there? Like, through a portal?" She reigns in her response a bit, no need to be rude, even if the Crab were usually a lot more pragmatic about such things. "But, yes, I imagine this isn't nearly as chaotic as that must get."

A calm, visibly tired Prashant walks into the Temple to Amaterasu, bowing and whispering some prayers as he steps inside. His clothes are not so different from the usual, but those who saw him before may notice the robe he's wearing is new.

Seeing Nesrin and Yotsu talking at some distance from him, he bows and waves to them, warmly but respectfully. But he does not go towards them or disturb them for now, instead walking slowly to one side, kneeling down and chanting another set of prayers in a low, monotonic voice. Between one prayer and the next, he looks around for a monk or priest tending the temple.