[D1 LA] Early supper (open)

[Nanzi]

"Friends quarrel and then they are friends again," Nanzi responded waving off the words.

[Yogo]

"The thing to remember about the Emperor, Yogo-san, is that... in all ways, at all times, he's trying to help other people. It's simply who he is. In fact, the reason I am here and he is not, is that his consort and I both had to inform him that given the risks we foresaw, he best served his followers- all of them- by leaving the risks to someone else."

Sora pointed his thumb at his chest.

"Thus, my presence. Most of the time, I guard and tend his children, a duty which... he did not order upon me, so much as offer to me. Do you see? Nanzi-sama and I... did not get along terribly well five years ago, because we differed- we probably still differ- on what we see as best for humanity. But we both grasp what is on offer- it's not simply material riches. Five years ago, I was just another tribesman among the Hikaru. A good arrangement for some, but by no means all. I was offered a choice, and the one I made has made me not simply safer and better-fed- I don't really vcare that much about either of those things- it has made me a better person."

"That does not sound bad at all." The young man nodded, his mangy hair sliding to cover his eyes for a moment before he brushed the tangy curls out of the way. "Would the Emperor have preferred to be here himself then? Surely he is might enough to join an endeavor like this?" Yogo wondered if the Celestial Being was merely busy, possible with his consort. Then again, who was he to judge the Heavenly Figures. "So... you forced yourself to be the guardian of his children?" the young man asked, sounding a little puzzled. "Yes, I am sure you two disagree on things, we are all just men. But what does the Heavenly One plan? Or does he not share your plans with him?"

"Friends quarrel and then they are friends again," Nanzi responded waving off the words.

"That's a good attitude, I think." Yogo nodded. "Wise words."

[Jiyo Sora]

"That does not sound bad at all." The young man nodded, his mangy hair sliding to cover his eyes for a moment before he brushed the tangy curls out of the way. "Would the Emperor have preferred to be here himself then? Surely he is might enough to join an endeavor like this?" Yogo wondered if the Celestial Being was merely busy, possible with his consort. Then again, who was he to judge the Heavenly Figures. "So... you forced yourself to be the guardian of his children?" the young man asked, sounding a little puzzled. "Yes, I am sure you two disagree on things, we are all just men. But what does the Heavenly One plan? Or does he not share your plans with him?"

"Fu Leng is his brother. The Emperor would give much to be here, but he also understands to by assuming rule, he assumed responsibility to more than just his siblings. And as both Yuzuru-sama and I possess some oracular insight.... let us just say that when both of the seers closest to him advised that he not run the risks involved in person, he allowed himself to be persuaded- for the good of everyone not going on this mission."

He gestured toward the north.

"If you're of the Isawa, you've seen the lands between here and the northern mountains. The Emperor would rule them all- but fairly, and without coercing anyone to join against their will. He offers both order, and a degree of freedom many in the tribes do not have- I did not force myself to guard his children, I was given the choice to, and took it. Nanzi-sama might recall that of all the people I had killed prior to the rise of the Emperor, there was only one I did not regret killing on some level. The Emperor might have either heard the tale, or simply have assessed me. Does it really matter which? Either way, the Emperor has not yet spoken of regretting the choice he offered me, and I have embraced it. Do you see what I am getting at? His plan, put simply, is to serve by ruling. A far cry from most of the chiefs I have encountered."

[Yogo]

"That rings true." Yogo nodded, frowning as he though he understood the situation. "Yet it must pain him greatly. It is his brother after all. Do we know why his brother is trapped at the pit? What was it called again?" Everyone talked about the expedition and how they were meant to save Fu Leng, a little had been said how that was going to happen. He they were going to head south and little more.

"Ah no, I am not of the Isawa. I am of the Shoji." Yogo corrected the Imperial, before letting him speak his mind, the young man nodding attentively, the strange bird-skull necklace bobbing up and down. "Ha. I think I see what you are saying. He is offering to lead us with the Heavens providence?"

[Nanzi]

“He is Nanzi’s Brother as well, and it pains him that Fu Leng is in peril,” Nanzi added.

“We will succeed and make our family whole.”

[Jiyo Sora]

Sora simply nodded- whether at Yogo's words or Nanzi's it was hard to say. Possibly both.

[Nanzi]

"That rings true." Yogo nodded, frowning as he though he understood the situation. "Yet it must pain him greatly. It is his brother after all. Do we know why his brother is trapped at the pit? What was it called again?" Everyone talked about the expedition and how they were meant to save Fu Leng, a little had been said how that was going to happen. He they were going to head south and little more.

“I have heard it considered a hellscape, and as to the why it is unclear but the Heavens are high indeed and when the Gods fell, perhaps they fell for centuries maybe a thousand years, time is… not so same as time is here and he fell through this realm into that of the hells, so great was the impact,” Nanzi described.

“Nanzi knows the story, if Yogo-san wishes to hear it.”


Jongwun looked at Sora then Nanzi and back to Sora and said, “What did you both disagree about, Jiyo-sama?”

[Jiyo Sora]

Jongwun looked at Sora then Nanzi and back to Sora and said, “What did you both disagree about, Jiyo-sama?”

"The future, Jongwun-san. And please, call me Sora. If we're all to march into the ruins of the Nezumi empire together, I think you've earned the right."

[Yogo]

“I have heard it considered a hellscape, and as to the why it is unclear but the Heavens are high indeed and when the Gods fell, perhaps they fell for centuries maybe a thousand years, time is… not so same as time is here and he fell through this realm into that of the hells, so great was the impact,” Nanzi described.

“Nanzi knows the story, if Yogo-san wishes to hear it.”


Jongwun looked at Sora then Nanzi and back to Sora and said, “What did you both disagree about, Jiyo-sama?”

"Huh." What else there was to say. "That sounds highly unfortunate." He add, rubbing his chin. "And now we are following this Reiko so that we can free him?" That particular name had popped up few times during the past few days. "She sounds pretty important."

"Yes, I would love to hear it." he had heard some versions of how the Heavenly Beings had arrived and how they had competed to chose the leader among themselves, but it all sounded pretty vague and the little he knew he had had to parse together from various accounts.

[Nanzi]

Jongwun looked to Nanzi and then back to Sora and said, “Thank you for the honor, Sora-sama.”

Nanzi smirked and said, “Nanzi will attempt to be brief, but be warned his tongue speaks big like the name he possesses. In the time before man was he is now, the Gods lived in Tengoku, Lady Sun and Lord Moon; they were bound but often parted as you can see when you look to the Heavens but when they were together they begat children; Ryoshun, Hida, Shiba, Bayushi, Akodo, Shinjo, Doji, Togashi, Fu Leng, and Hantei; the children grew and in time were mighty indeed that their father grew jealous of them and the affection that Lady Sun gave them. He grew mad and consumed the children all but Hantei. Lady Sun enchanted a stone and fed it to her husband in his stead and the young God was sent away to train with the Dragons who made him strong indeed.”

He continued, “When properly prepared Hantei faced his father in a cataclysmic battle, ultimately cutting his father’s stomach open spilling out all of the children but Ryoshun for he had been inside for too long and had perished alone. Fu Leng was the to fall and his father grabbed him… Hantei severed the limb but in doing so he fell too into the mortal world. By now man had arrived in the world, and the spot where they landed was named a holy place by the Seppun.”

“But something went awry with Fu Leng’s descent and he fell away from his siblings and deep into hell itself. It is unclear why this came to be, but his siblings thought he died like Ryoshun but Reiko sensed his presence and brought his plight to the siblings… she would be his savior and bride. We go now to save our Brother and make our family whole.”

[Jiyo Sora]

"It's really not a matter we have much choice in."

Sora chuckled.

"I didn't really even try to consider alternatives. Reiko is my friend. Shiba is my friend. Shinjo is my friend. If someone dear to all of them is in trouble, it isn't really much of a decision. I have to lend whatever aid I can, or I have to stop pretending I'm much of a human being."

[Yogo]

"Hmm. Hmm." Yogo nodded as he listened, trying to make sense of what Nanzi was saying. "Dragons, eh." Frowning, the young man reached for his cup and took sip. "Lord Moon didn't have good eyes then. Eating a stone like that." Then again, no-one saw much when the moon as up, so that made some sense. With sun up, you could see pretty well, so maybe Lady Sun had use for her eyes. "Ha, unlucky for Fu Leng Kami, then. I mean, unlucky for all of them. Being eaten out sounds nasty." Wrinkling his nose, Yogo shook his head, perking up when Nanzi finished his story. "So, what's this hell thing?"

[Nanzi]

“A dark place of horrors and misery that seeks to corrupt all things, but specifically Nanzi does not know, we shall see soon enough,” he admitted.


“This one hopes it is a place where our blades will have use or this will not be much of a trip,” Jongwun quipped grimly.

[Jiyo Sora]

"We can always just stand in front of the priests as they work their spells, whatever our blades can or cannot cut."

Sora's expression darkened.

"I met a Nezumi warrior this morning. Big fellow. Big axe. Seems to have done him some good, but he says however many they kill, more enemies emerge. I think we will find our blades of some use, but not a solution in themselves."

[Nanzi]

“Our goal is a rescue once complete we should retreat; this is already a bad situation made worse by the unknowns that face us. Rescuing Fu Leng will be an endeavor in and of itself, Nanzi does not wish a full-scale war with whatever evil spews forth such endless horrors,” he responded.

[Yogo]

“A dark place of horrors and misery that seeks to corrupt all things, but specifically Nanzi does not know, we shall see soon enough,” he admitted.


“This one hopes it is a place where our blades will have use or this will not be much of a trip,” Jongwun quipped grimly.

"Ha. That does sound nasty. Still, with the Kami on our side, surely we'll manage." Somehow he managed to sound convinced, glancing at Jongwun as she proudly proclaimed her eagerness to cut down things.

"We can always just stand in front of the priests as they work their spells, whatever our blades can or cannot cut."

Sora's expression darkened.

"I met a Nezumi warrior this morning. Big fellow. Big axe. Seems to have done him some good, but he says however many they kill, more enemies emerge. I think we will find our blades of some use, but not a solution in themselves."

"Nezumi, what's that?" Yogo found himself distracted by this new term. "A tribe?" he suggested, not knowing any better.

[Nanzi]

Nanzi replied, "The rat-people."

[Yogo]

"Rat-people?" It was evident that the explanation has only raised further questions.

[Nanzi]

"Rat-people?" It was evident that the explanation has only raised further questions.

“Nanzi is new to such things as well, but they live in the South near or perhaps even in and around where Fu Leng has fallen,” he responded.


Jongwun frowned and said, “I say we use caution with such things.”

[Jiyo Sora]

"Apparently his fall triggered a collapse of their own empire. I can't speak for anything else, but their armor and weapons technology seems to be in advance of ours, and the one I met was certainly larger than any human I've ever seen. So. Brute force will almost assuredly not be how we succeed."

A frown.

"I wish I could understand their language, they seem to have some difficulty expressing themselves in ours."