The New Winds

He had not found a proper shrine for a quite long time, going from village to village instead of samurai city to samurai city. The sight of not only one, but dozens, and also a temple, made him break his on for a soft smile. Recovering his face before going in, he enters and prays in the shrines of Megumi — mandatorily — and Bishamon — as common in the Crab. Giving a zeni to each.

After a day with much of the calm that preceded a storm, Prashant, still exploring Tsuma and looking for a proper way for some prayers and mediation on the Tao, happens upon the Temple to the Fortunes. While not exactly the sort of place he was hoping for - he was looking for a more open place, maybe a Zen garden - it was quiet and pleasant in its on way, so he walks around, quietly, as if already meditating as he walked... Then sees the Kaiu praying in the Temple to Bishamon and smiles happily.

He had exchanged letters with all of those he talked to in Hirosaka, some a bit longer, some shorter, but the chance to see them in person was still something he was looking forward to.

He chuckled a bit when thinking about how similar the situation was to when he first got really got to know the Kaiu better, as he said a quick prayer in the back of the shrine and, once again, waited for him outside, quietly looking at a passage of the Tao.

He finishes his prayer and leaves the shrine, planning to go to sleep — night already fell, and with his traveling sleep schedule he found himself already somewhat tired, although not sleepy per se.
Then he jumps back like a scared cat upon turning outside and almost colliding with the Unicorn. He sees who it was and shudders his head back a little, before stepping back to a respectful distance and bowing properly.
"Parashianto-san, I did not expect to see you today, much less here. Pardon me for the little spectacle that just happened."

While the two of them were speaking there, just at the edge of the temple, another face had emerged. Saburo stepped up towards the shrine and caught sight of the two of them, bowing politely to them both. Unlike some of their fellow students who would remain nameless, and were as bad as ever, he hadn't thought poorly of either of these two. They were both rather well mannered young men after all. "Ah, good evening. It is good to see familiar faces," he rumbled out. His voice still had that gravelly quality that it had had when they first met, but he'd picked up several inches in the interim, more than a little tan and almost looked like he wouldn't fall over in a stiff breeze.

"Kaiu-san, Iuchi-san. I trust the journey saw the two of you here without incident?" The days of the empire had been more or less quiet after all, other than the whole unfortunate famines of Dragon lands. The empire's roads had been safe of late, so hopefully that would continue a little bit longer. "One last prayer before tomorrow's festivities, I take it?"

Kaiu Aiichiro wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 03, 2020 8:43 am

He finishes his prayer and leaves the shrine, planning to go to sleep — night already fell, and with his traveling sleep schedule he found himself already somewhat tired, although not sleepy per se.
Then he jumps back like a scared cat upon turning outside and almost colliding with the Unicorn. He sees who it was and shudders his head back a little, before stepping back to a respectful distance and bowing properly.
"Parashianto-san, I did not expect to see you today, much less here. Pardon me for the little spectacle that just happened."

The Unicorn takes a step back as well, bowing with a slight grin, then apologising himself. "Kaiu-san! It's nothing, really. I should have been more careful here. But... I'm happy to see you again, my friend. Have you been in Tsuma long?", he asks, a gentle, genuinely happy smile on his face.

Asako Saburo wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 03, 2020 9:59 am

While the two of them were speaking there, just at the edge of the temple, another face had emerged. Saburo stepped up towards the shrine and caught sight of the two of them, bowing politely to them both. Unlike some of their fellow students who would remain nameless, and were as bad as ever, he hadn't thought poorly of either of these two. They were both rather well mannered young men after all. "Ah, good evening. It is good to see familiar faces," he rumbled out. His voice still had that gravelly quality that it had had when they first met, but he'd picked up several inches in the interim, more than a little tan and almost looked like he wouldn't fall over in a stiff breeze.

"Kaiu-san, Iuchi-san. I trust the journey saw the two of you here without incident?" The days of the empire had been more or less quiet after all, other than the whole unfortunate famines of Dragon lands. The empire's roads had been safe of late, so hopefully that would continue a little bit longer. "One last prayer before tomorrow's festivities, I take it?"

When he sees the Asako close by, he bows to him as well, then speaks in a friendly tone again.

"Oh, Asako-san! It is an honour to see you here too. And... A prayer of thanks and a moment for reflection are never too much, ne?" he says with a gentle smile. "It was a safe journey from the Unicorn lands indeed. I hope the same is true for Asako-san and Kaiu-san?"

"Oh no, I just arrived today. What about you, Saburo-san? My journey was safe and I must confess I pray daily. It's not solely for the championship."
He looks the ishiken up and down. "I noticed that you disappeared last day at the dojo. I thought you died, to be honest, you looked as weak as a kitten. You look much better now, of course."

He chuckled dryly. "I have shown my gratitude to Koshin a week hence now. I stayed in a neighboring, smaller village while the arrangements were made. It seemed best not to test my constitution. The gifts of the void are taxing in their own way at times." That wasn't really why his health was poor, but it was also not untrue. He nodded to them both. "I have been well since our last time together. The growth I've felt has been improving my body as well as my mind, though I always must see it as a work in progress. I am certainly better than I was."

A nod to the Iuchi. "I agree. There never really is a bad day to offer the fortunes thanks for their blessings and tests."

The Iuchi smiles at Saburo's comment, then asks "I suppose it must have been quite the challenge learning to harness your newfound gift, ne, Asako-san? If the rumours are true, it is as hard to master as it is rare. But knowing Asako-san, not harder than your resolve", he says, smiling slightly. "If this one may ask, did you find your training to change greatly after your gift has been discovered?"

He united one point with the other, suddenly his eyes getting a bit wider and lips parting. "So you are an ishiken? Like Asako-sensei? And like, an ishiken all along or only became an ishiken after the dojo?" He asks directly. "In any event, I find myself contempt the company you found in the dojo helped you."

"It is said that an Ishiken is always an Ishiken. It is a matter of unlocking that part of themselves, that understanding," he said, nodding as he tried to answer the Kaiu's question. "But that awareness only came last year in training. Asako Himeya-sama, my sensei, was the one who saw the potential in me. As for my resolve... to be honest? My resolve was as much a bane as it was a blessing. The Void... does not like to be forced, I have found. Just as it does not want too soft a touch. It is ... hard to truly master, because you must put most understanding you have to the side."

And he could be really stubborn.

Prash seems to pobder on Saburo's answer for a while. "I think I understand what you mean... Well, somewhat, at least. I have undertaken some training with the brotherhood after Hirosaka, and the monks' words on the nature of the Void and how to harness it were similar."

"Of course channeling the Void as an Ishiken must be much harder still..."

"Took me a long while to learn how to meditate, but I can do it with some ease now." He nods slightly. "What about you, Parashianto-san? What happened between those six months for you? I completed my gempukku and got ranked as a nikutai on my side." He points proudly with his finger to his personal Mon.

"Well, my training on ritual aspects of being a shugenja, and on how to create appropriate homes for the spirits and invite their help is now practically done. But... as I said, I've spent time training with the brotherhood too, and since my lessons with Kitsuki-sensei at Hirosaka, I've been dedicated to keeping my body and mind well trained and in balance", he says, smiling. "It is... a bit more of a monkish outlook on religious matters and life, I suppose. But I feel it keeps me centred."

His smile brightens a bit as he continues. "The gempukku at Unicorn lands has been celebrated already... and surprisingly, I did quite well at the Naa...I mean, at our local annual gempukku celebration, too. Not as well as Moto Ichiro-san, but still quite well!"

He then looks at his friends' personal Mon. "But... that is really something, Kaiu-san! So you shall be commanding troops not long after leaving Tsuma, then?" He seems really happy for Aiichiro for a moment, but then his expression changes a bit, as if covered by a shadow. "It is... an honourable position, certainly. I hope the Fortunes will keep you strong and safe for many years, Kaiu-san."