[Day 5, Late Morning] Writing Home (Expecting)

[Jiyo Sora]

"Oh, these are for Shiba. I'm trying to keep him posted with our progress- again, that way if anything goes wrong, he knows what led up to it."

He appeared to think nothing of it.

[Anjing Xia]

"Oh, these are for Shiba. I'm trying to keep him posted with our progress- again, that way if anything goes wrong, he knows what led up to it."

He appeared to think nothing of it.

Faintly
"Oh, Shiba...the god? Emperor Shiba? Supremely wise in all things Shiba?"

[Jiyo Sora]

Faintly
"Oh, Shiba...the god? Emperor Shiba? Supremely wise in all things Shiba?"

"My friend and boss Shiba, yes."

He quirked an eyebrow.

"How many people named Shiba are you aware of?"

[Anjing Xia]

"My friend and boss Shiba, yes."

He quirked an eyebrow.

"How many people named Shiba are you aware of?"

"Oh...you know...there might have been another. I've never written to the emperor."
Still a little shocked
"Can you stay right here? I mean, move if you want Sora-sama....but please don't and stay right there. I'll go get the first chapters I've written."
She turns and sprints into the camp, dodging around anyone who didn't get out of her way in time
"Move please, please move. Urgent imperial business people, move OUT OF THE WAY."
And in a few moments she's gone.

[Jiyo Sora]

"Oh...you know...there might have been another. I've never written to the emperor."
Still a little shocked
"Can you stay right here? I mean, move if you want Sora-sama....but please don't and stay right there. I'll go get the first chapters I've written."
She turns and sprints into the camp, dodging around anyone who didn't get out of her way in time
"Move please, please move. Urgent imperial business people, move OUT OF THE WAY."
And in a few moments she's gone.

He chuckled and shook his head, and went back to writing his triplicate copies, now with a postscript.

He'd have to help her with matters of record, it seemed pretty clear, but that was all right.

[Anjing Xia]

He chuckled and shook his head, and went back to writing his triplicate copies, now with a postscript.

He'd have to help her with matters of record, it seemed pretty clear, but that was all right.

Not that much later

"Sora-sama! Sora-sama!" Xia zooms back towards his tent, a large leather bag clutched to her chest "I have them here! I can even do some nice illustrations if you think his hi-" And the sprinting Anjing catches a foot on a tent line and goes flying into the mud, which is considerate enough to slide her most the rest of the way.

[Jiyo Sora]

Not that much later

"Sora-sama! Sora-sama!" Xia zooms back towards his tent, a large leather bag clutched to her chest "I have them here! I can even do some nice illustrations if you think his hi-" And the sprinting Anjing catches a foot on a tent line and goes flying into the mud, which is considerate enough to slide her most the rest of the way.

Sora sighed, got to his feet and held out a hand to help her up.

"One thing at a time, Xia. Are you all right?"

[Anjing Xia]

Sora sighed, got to his feet and held out a hand to help her up.

"One thing at a time, Xia. Are you all right?"

There's a sucking sound as Sora helps remove her from the mud
"I'm fine! I landed on my body which broke most of the fall."
She's already checking over the bag to make sure its contents are safe, ignoring what looks like a swelling black eye
"I just got so worried that maybe you'd change your mind or it was all a joke or something......um, you didn't change your mind and this wasn't all a joke, right?"

[Jiyo Sora]

There's a sucking sound as Sora helps remove her from the mud
"I'm fine! I landed on my body which broke most of the fall."
She's already checking over the bag to make sure its contents are safe, ignoring what looks like a swelling black eye
"I just got so worried that maybe you'd change your mind or it was all a joke or something......um, you didn't change your mind and this wasn't all a joke, right?"

His tone was perhaps the only dry thing in the immediate area.

"I don't generally joke about Shiba, and I have no reason to change my mind."

He pointedly ignored her apparent black eye, since he wasn't about to distract her from her purpose at this juncture.

"Do you have time to make multiple copies? I'm sending three copies of my letter, to make sure they get through. I can probably scrounge up some more vellum if you need it, but you should keep a copy for yourself as well- you can refer back to it for things you might have missed, and keep it all together. Or would you rather write an abridged version for this purpose?"

[Anjing Xia]

His tone was perhaps the only dry thing in the immediate area.

"I don't generally joke about Shiba, and I have no reason to change my mind."

He pointedly ignored her apparent black eye, since he wasn't about to distract her from her purpose at this juncture.

"Do you have time to make multiple copies? I'm sending three copies of my letter, to make sure they get through. I can probably scrounge up some more vellum if you need it, but you should keep a copy for yourself as well- you can refer back to it for things you might have missed, and keep it all together. Or would you rather write an abridged version for this purpose?"

"I'll have to work fast, but I'm not letting this opportunity get away."
She rolls and stretches her wrist dramatically
"It won't be the first time I've copied the same document multiple times in the hopes it would be read, and it won't be the last."
in a slightly lower voice "But if you could scrounge up that vellum that would help immensely Sora-sama."

[Jiyo Sora]

"I'll have to work fast, but I'm not letting this opportunity get away."
She rolls and stretches her wrist dramatically
"It won't be the first time I've copied the same document multiple times in the hopes it would be read, and it won't be the last."
in a slightly lower voice "But if you could scrounge up that vellum that would help immensely Sora-sama."

"By all means."

He ducked into the tent and rooted around in his personal effects, emerging with a rather mixed handful.

"Pace yourself, Xia. It's not a race."

[Anjing Xia]

"By all means."

He ducked into the tent and rooted around in his personal effects, emerging with a rather mixed handful.

"Pace yourself, Xia. It's not a race."

"Of course not Sora-sama, the work just has to be absolutely perfect, it's going to the emperor afterall."
Producing some ink and a brush the young Anjing starts slowly copying her writing with the most ornate style she can imagine, her face a furious squint of concentration as she chews on her tongue.

[Jiyo Sora]

"Of course not Sora-sama, the work just has to be absolutely perfect, it's going to the emperor afterall."
Producing some ink and a brush the young Anjing starts slowly copying her writing with the most ornate style she can imagine, her face a furious squint of concentration as she chews on her tongue.

"If he can put up with my scrawls, I would say that perfection is not required. But that's my opinion, and you shouldn't let it dissuade you."

[Anjing Xia]

"If he can put up with my scrawls, I would say that perfection is not required. But that's my opinion, and you shouldn't let it dissuade you."

"I'm sure you work is wonderful Sora-sama." sloooowly tracing the character, then again, then a third time
"Besides, you have more important duties likes....um, Sora-sama, what are you official duties?"

[Jiyo Sora]

"I'm sure you work is wonderful Sora-sama." sloooowly tracing the character, then again, then a third time
"Besides, you have more important duties likes....um, Sora-sama, what are you official duties?"

"I look after the children of the Imperial Household."

A thin smile.

"So yes, handwriting isn't quite the priority it could be."

[Anjing Xia]

"I look after the children of the Imperial Household."

A thin smile.

"So yes, handwriting isn't quite the priority it could be."

"Oh that must be difficult! Have they developed their inhuman strength and durability yet? The twins are driving Anjing up the wall back home."

[Jiyo Sora]

"Oh that must be difficult! Have they developed their inhuman strength and durability yet? The twins are driving Anjing up the wall back home."

"If they have, they know to play nicely with one another. It helps that the kids are a mixed lot- some are partially divine, some are not. So they're learning... synthesis."

He smiled.

"And of course, Shiba is known more for his thoughtfulness than for his ability to crush stones in his bare hands, so..."

[Anjing Xia]

"If they have, they know to play nicely with one another. It helps that the kids are a mixed lot- some are partially divine, some are not. So they're learning... synthesis."

He smiled.

"And of course, Shiba is known more for his thoughtfulness than for his ability to crush stones in his bare hands, so..."

"Oh the divine emperor is ever so wise and all knowing." guiltily "Not that being able to crush stones with your bare hands is a bad thing. I wish I could."

[Jiyo Sora]

"Oh the divine emperor is ever so wise and all knowing." guiltily "Not that being able to crush stones with your bare hands is a bad thing. I wish I could."

"I wouldn't say all-knowing, although I imagine he'd like to be."

A chuckle.

"He's got a lot of the same curiosity Bayushi sometimes has, he just expresses it differently. You're not curious if you think you know everything."

[Anjing Xia]

"I wouldn't say all-knowing, although I imagine he'd like to be."

A chuckle.

"He's got a lot of the same curiosity Bayushi sometimes has, he just expresses it differently. You're not curious if you think you know everything."

"What's he interested in? If you're allowed to tell me. I thought the gods knew everything already?"