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

[Jiyo Sora]

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

"If the Kami already knew everything, would Fu Leng's entrapment have been a mystery to them until Reiko told them about it? Would this swamp have been a surprise, since Hantei and Shinjo travel with us? The Kami are generally pretty smart, and they know a lot of things we don't, but... they have their blind spots, same as anyone. You should see Shiba's face when the kids surprise him."

He cocked his head to the side.

"As for Shiba... he's interested in a lot of things, but he seems most keenly interested in people, in history, and in magic- and it seems to me, the interest is broadly in that order."

[Anjing Xia]

"If the Kami already knew everything, would Fu Leng's entrapment have been a mystery to them until Reiko told them about it? Would this swamp have been a surprise, since Hantei and Shinjo travel with us? The Kami are generally pretty smart, and they know a lot of things we don't, but... they have their blind spots, same as anyone. You should see Shiba's face when the kids surprise him."

He cocked his head to the side.

"As for Shiba... he's interested in a lot of things, but he seems most keenly interested in people, in history, and in magic- and it seems to me, the interest is broadly in that order."

A brief look of concern before she redoubles her writing
"I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. The blindspots that is, being interested in people and history and magic is pretty sensible. I mean, that's what I'm interested in. Not that I'd compare myself to the Emperor."

[Jiyo Sora]

A brief look of concern before she redoubles her writing
"I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. The blindspots that is, being interested in people and history and magic is pretty sensible. I mean, that's what I'm interested in. Not that I'd compare myself to the Emperor."

"Oh, the blindspots are simply what they are. They're only bad if they don't admit they're there. Some are quite open about the gaps in their knowledge."

A pointed sidelong look.

"The others, well... their siblings can keep them honest."

[Anjing Xia]

"Oh, the blindspots are simply what they are. They're only bad if they don't admit they're there. Some are quite open about the gaps in their knowledge."

A pointed sidelong look.

"The others, well... their siblings can keep them honest."

She flushes
"Well I think Hida is a perfectly good god, he's wise in his own way and a very good leader."

[Jiyo Sora]

She flushes
"Well I think Hida is a perfectly good god, he's wise in his own way and a very good leader."

"He's too much like Chosaku for me to put much trust in him."

The tone was absolutely level.

[Anjing Xia]

"He's too much like Chosaku for me to put much trust in him."

The tone was absolutely level.

"Well Sora-sama I...I"
Drawing herself up and taking a deep breath
"I respectfully disagree!"

[Jiyo Sora]

"Well Sora-sama I...I"
Drawing herself up and taking a deep breath
"I respectfully disagree!"

"You wear his colors, of course you do. But did you ever meet Chosaku?"

[Anjing Xia]

"I respectfully disagree!"

"You wear his colors, of course you do. But did you ever meet Chosaku?"
[/quote]

"No, at least, I don't think so?"

[Jiyo Sora]

"No, at least, I don't think so?"

"Well, Choasku was the leader of the Hikaru when I left the tribe. He was strong. Self-assured. Led from the front, never asked us to do anything he wouldn't. He led, and the Hikaru followed."

[Anjing Xia]

"Well, Choasku was the leader of the Hikaru when I left the tribe. He was strong. Self-assured. Led from the front, never asked us to do anything he wouldn't. He led, and the Hikaru followed."

"I'm sensing a 'but' coming though."

[Jiyo Sora]

"I'm sensing a 'but' coming though."

"Well, naturally, Xia-san. You actually think."

A slight smile.

"He was so focused on being strong, leading from the front, he never really thought about where he was leading the Hikaru. Never questioned his own ways. He was self-assured, and knew he could manage. But he wouldn't- couldn't- grasp that his ways might need to change as the world he lived in changed. Which is why he's dead now, and the Hikaru are fading away as a tribe."

[Anjing Xia]

"Well, naturally, Xia-san. You actually think."

A slight smile.

"He was so focused on being strong, leading from the front, he never really thought about where he was leading the Hikaru. Never questioned his own ways. He was self-assured, and knew he could manage. But he wouldn't- couldn't- grasp that his ways might need to change as the world he lived in changed. Which is why he's dead now, and the Hikaru are fading away as a tribe."

Flush. He said I think! I'm objectively confirmed as a thinker!

"Maybe Sora-sama, that was true of Hida when you knew him. But this Chosaku, did he ever lose? Was he ever utterly defeated in front of all his peers? Because Hida-Kami was and....I think it was good for him. He thinks a bit more now, Anjing says so at least. We've got all these huge construction projects because he wants to build something, not just go raiding ogres."

A little surprised at her own fierceness
"I think he's a great leader, really."

[Jiyo Sora]

"Maybe Sora-sama, that was true of Hida when you knew him. But this Chosaku, did he ever lose? Was he ever utterly defeated in front of all his peers? Because Hida-Kami was and....I think it was good for him. He thinks a bit more now, Anjing says so at least. We've got all these huge construction projects because he wants to build something, not just go raiding ogres."

A little surprised at her own fierceness
"I think he's a great leader, really."

"Well, Chosaku's defeat killed him. So he lost everything."

A shrug.

"As for meaningful change from Hida... he's still piling walls everywhere he goes."

[Anjing Xia]

"Well, Chosaku's defeat killed him. So he lost everything."

A shrug.

"As for meaningful change from Hida... he's still piling walls everywhere he goes."

"Hey, walls are great. Walls keep things out that should be out and things in that should be in. You can't have a home without walls."

[Jiyo Sora]

"As I told your aunt, walls mean nothing. It is people who defend homes. After all, with no one defending it, I turned one of his walls in the Seppun lands into a urinal."

[Anjing Xia]

"As I told your aunt, walls mean nothing. It is people who defend homes. After all, with no one defending it, I turned one of his walls in the Seppun lands into a urinal."

"Well, I bet you could pee on someone too! Doesn't mean they have no value! And walls could make that more difficult!"
By now her face is very red and she hurriedly looks away.

[Jiyo Sora]

"Well, I bet you could pee on someone too! Doesn't mean they have no value! And walls could make that more difficult!"
By now her face is very red and she hurriedly looks away.

"I find that pissing ona human being is a fair bit trickier than an immobile wall. Besides."

A shrug.

"Walls keep people in as much as they keep people out."

[Anjing Xia]

"I find that pissing ona human being is a fair bit trickier than an immobile wall. Besides."

A shrug.

"Walls keep people in as much as they keep people out."

Mostly to herself"Oh gosh, I'm arguing about peeing on people with Sora-sama...it's like something out of a myth or a fairy tale!"

[Jiyo Sora]

Mostly to herself"Oh gosh, I'm arguing about peeing on people with Sora-sama...it's like something out of a myth or a fairy tale!"

His tone was dry again.

"Must be thrilling."

[Anjing Xia]

Mostly to herself"Oh gosh, I'm arguing about peeing on people with Sora-sama...it's like something out of a myth or a fairy tale!"

His tone was dry again.

"Must be thrilling."

"Oh, you know they say 'never meet your heroes'? Well they were wrong, this is truly amazing Sora-sama. Sparring with you over such lofty concepts as community, self-worth, the nature of intellect and even urination. Oh it's...it's remarkable."