Choosing the Rescue Team [LM, D15]

[Reiko]

Reiko shook her head.

"Then you've made your choice, and I will make mine."

She rose, carefully, and without another word turned and left the hut.

/exit

[Kyosei of the Isawa]

"Youre not as smart or as wise as you think you are Reiko." Hantei says nodding to Saruko for her support "I am going and there is nothing on this earth that can stop me. Shinsei may say whatever words he likes."

He took some time and a few deep breaths he carefully reassembled his mask though imperfect it was acceptable "What is this Kyosei-san?" He asked with restraint evident in his voice.

Kyosei watched the Spider bride to be leave, with some sadness in his eyes, then turned his attention back to Hantei. "It is the largest piece of jade I found; originally buried at the base of the hill of the Seppun. And the shape wishing to come out is that of a gauntlet, or a glove. Or maybe a hand. Something like that. I have carried it, carved it, worked with it, communed with it, for nearly five years now. I am sending it, that it may be given to Fu Leng, as extra protection from Jigoku. And, now I think of it - his last sight was of you cutting the hand holding him, a dark one, if the stories are correct. So, extend a jade one of purity to bring him forth."

[Shinjo]

Shijo rubbed both hands down her face, strain showing in her expression. "If she strays from the ritual over this, it really will be the end."

[Wu]

Wu restrained a sigh

''Lord Hantei...none of us doubt that you wish to make things right. Your sister and yourself must be greatly pained to know what your brother is going through. However we must act with humility. I humbly ask you to submit to the judgement of Shinsei like all of those who offered to make the descent.''

[Shinjo]

Shinjo looked to him. "Please... for the sake of minimizing disharmony and getting this done. The most important part is rescuing him."

[Reo]

Reo sees Reiko leave and limps after her, the care about who gets to go quashed.

[Hantei Kinsen]

"That is enough!" Hantei says, his eyes flare with uncharacteristic anger, his frayed nerves, his guilt, these past 2 weeks finally breaking his mask of politeness. His hand slams on the makeshift table with plans on it the wood splintering beneath the force.

The force of the slam takes Kinsen unaware. Unable to intervene, to her surprise, she blushes.

This raw emotion would be shocking to anyone who even barely knew Hantei who even in the most violent situations kept his cool "I am going into that pit and I am prying my brother from the grasp of that cursed realm."

Being at his side during the statement, Kinsen feels her husband's energy flowing deep into her. The warm cozy feeling he often bestowed rages up in ways she had only seen on certain occasions. Her legs get a bit weaker. Yet, with remarkable restraint, Kinsen breathes in to keep a proud stance in support of Hantei's words –– even if selfishly, she would have preferred him not to go.

Kyosei, standing so near the pair, is almost blasted back by the raw emotions given forth. But, he is also sustained and strengthened by the Earth itself. "Then, perhaps you should be the one to carry this to him?"

With that, he stretches forth his hand, and the Jade Gauntlet is extended into the potential keeping of another for the first time since he found it.

As if the power display was not enough emotion for the previous Noriaki to strangely delight upon, Kinsen's eyes sparkle a bit more as she sees the item Kyosei had been working finalized. It might be nothing, but she could even feel the item's presence on her own sparkling fingernails.

Kyosei watched the Spider bride to be leave, with some sadness in his eyes, then turned his attention back to Hantei. "It is the largest piece of jade I found; originally buried at the base of the hill of the Seppun. And the shape wishing to come out is that of a gauntlet, or a glove. Or maybe a hand. Something like that. I have carried it, carved it, worked with it, communed with it, for nearly five years now. I am sending it, that it may be given to Fu Leng, as extra protection from Jigoku. And, now I think of it - his last sight was of you cutting the hand holding him, a dark one, if the stories are correct. So, extend a jade one of purity to bring him forth."

Having her own reasons, the Lady of the Stag does not take Reiko's exit with prejudice. Her eyes remain fixed on Kyosei's suggestion, as he proposes taking the item to Fu Leng. She says, with a warm tone of voice, "Indeed. A fine gift to offer the Ninth Brother. I would be honored to do so. Specially in his wedding."

She looks to Hantei. "What you think, dear husband?"

[Nozomi]

Well, that was something. Phi watched all of that happen and not for the first time in the last few days she felt a small pang of regret at having gotten rid of the mask because she could have used that to conceal the warring emotions and the mounting terror at the sight of an argument like this, at this moment of all times. 'Couldn't we have settled this at the Nezumi Capitol?' She swallowed and she did not move a single inch from where she stood next to Matsu, her fingers tight on the girl's shoulder to give support and secretly to draw support from being physically near another human being, even if that human being was five years or more her junior. Secretly she really hoped she wasn't gripping Matsu's shoulder too hard right then.

Her eyes closed and she spoke very thinly. "There is nothing I can do to stop you, nor would I feel right to stand in your way, Hantei-sama..." The honorific felt hollow and unfamiliar coming from her lips, but she added it right then regardless. "But I know only one thing. I do not know you, but I have come to know Shinsei, and I trust him with my life and my very soul in this moment. If he says you're going, then you're going, and I have faith it is the right thing to do, no matter how afraid I am of some of the possibilities just said. And make no mistake. I am afraid... but I have to have faith right now, and so I choose to."

"The only thing that can defeat fear is hope, and so I will cling to that in this moment."

[Inga]

"There might be a way for us to know if Elder Hantei should go or not." Inga took out her divination kit. "Ask the fortunes... can tell whether or not it is a good idea." Inga sighed. "Perhaps this would help Elder Hantei sama understand what I was trying to tell him a few days ago." She was calm and collected.

[Seppun Dawei]

For his part, Dawei holds his peace, turning over what he has heard and seen in his mind.

[Jin]

Jin's opinion of Hantei had never been high... this had certainly not improved it.

Of all the arrogant....

But he had said his piece already... to no effect... but no point in wasting breath on it again. If Hantei was willing to alienate a key piece of their mission nothing he said would make a dent.

[Ko]

"There are times when a man knows his own fate. Or a woman knows hers." Ko, lacking the social sense to stay out of this after being turned down, crossed her arms again and continued to stand proudly tall(-ish). "Even more a Kami. Hantei the Bright has spoken and I believe him."

[Taochusu]

Taochusu watches all the arguing and shakes his head. "Can't even keep his calm here. We're screwed. Guess I'll go guard the camp until someone screws this up cause they're angry and we're overrun by monsters."

/exit

[Shinsei]

"Interesting. Judge me as you will." Ninube felt disappointed. She doubted she would be judge worthy.

Shinsei said nothing during the argument between Hantei and practically everyone but Hantei. He gave Phi a grateful expression for adding her piece, knowing it must have been difficult for her. "If Hantei-kami wishes to submit to my judgment, I would see that as only fair to the others already going."

Then he turned to Ninube, and gazed into her eyes.

Theft. Possessions. Things needed and things not needed piled together. Caught and conscripted, things gathered now in someone else's name. Treasures...countless treasures...

Shinsei shook his head. "Jigoku will offer many things to try and turn your eye. I fear you are not yet tempered enough."

[Shinsei]

Miuna stepped up. She was no real fighter, of course. But she would take advantage of the chance to see the man Phi loved, up close, and to know what he saw within her soul.

Love. Determination. Fear. Uncertainty. Confusion. Understanding. A maelstrom of emotions not solely the purview of the youth possessing them.

"You are a brave young soul, but you are not used to the sudden changes of emotions and dangers of this realm. I fear it would overwhelm you."

[Shinsei]

"Are all of the shugenja needed for the ceremony and warding, or should some go down as well?"

With this Kyosei steps forward.

A vision of Kyosei, holding out a hand of jade to Shinsei. Shinsei declines, then turns away, only to face another Kyosei with another hand.

Shinsei blinked, then refocused and tried again.

Jaaaaaaaaaaaade-

He sighed. "I fear you may have issues focusing on the duty necessary for this trip."

[Shinsei]

Koyama looked at Shinjo. Whatever was in the gaze, it was brief and marriage-coded. He stepped forward.

Stone. Tons of rock and implacable earth, shifting, rolling, lifting...a loud, almost ursine roar...

Shinsei stepped back, a touch of surprise on his features.

"You... are strong Koyama, this is true. I sense you will be needed above the pit, rather than within it."

[Shinsei]

Kanna stepped forward. "I'll go, if I'm seen as worthy enough."

Beneath a full moon, a howling obsession for protecting another. A virtuous ideal, twisted into an unpleasant extreme...

"I believe you are best served attending to the defense of Reiko, as you have done so admirably up to this point already."

[Kanna]

Kanna stepped forward. "I'll go, if I'm seen as worthy enough."

Beneath a full moon, a howling obsession for protecting another. A virtuous ideal, twisted into an unpleasant extreme...

"I believe you are best served attending to the defense of Reiko, as you have done so admirably up to this point already."

"As ya say." She salutes. "Speaking of which." Off she dashed to go find her charge.

/exit

[Hanzou]

As people debated and moved about, Hanzou had stepped to one spot, then to another. He tried to stay near Miuna and Aono. In doing so, he found himself in the line to be judged by Shinsei.