[D5 LM] - Creepy Places Deserve Haunting Music (Open)

[Nozomi]

Music floated on the air beside the wagons. It wasn't necessarily going to win the person playing the flute any accolades, but it was competent enough. Curled up against the wagon, Phi played a slow, sonorous tune on a small clay flute that she carried with her often enough. She wasn't really looking at anyone right then. She was pretty focused on the task, the whole thing almost having a meditative quality.

There were no troublemakers around. She could be permitted some sound. The camp was large enough that there was no point in pretending to complete stealth right now. One day soon, yes, but not for the moment.

[Bayushi Umeno]

Having finished her breakfast a bit ago, and not wishing to wander too far from the wagons, Umeno made it a habit to act like she was guarding them. What that actually entailed was wandering around with her dai tsuchi on her back, trying to look somewhat attentive.

Still, no one had technically asked her to do so, so that meant she was more than willing to take a break without worrying about the consequences. Hearing the flute music, and recognizing the familiar face (as it were), Umeno moved to sit next to Phi without any ceremony, grunting as she sat. The tribal woman was playing, she saw no reason to interrupt.

[Nozomi]

She caught sight of the woman with her colossal hammer strapped to her back while on one of her 'patrols.' Perhaps they weren't quite as aggressively needed as they would be in due course, but there was something to her actually doing it. They were all on more or less self-appointed duties.

Phi... was starting to think a duty roster for guard rotations might be wise, however.

She played along, an eye opening in the midst of her song to catch sight of the woman. She didn't nod. That would have ruined the tune, but she regarded her long enough so that she'd know she was aware that Umeno was there. Only when the song ended did she put the flute down and nod in acknowledgment. "Still in one piece, I see. Good. I was hoping to see you intact. Did you help with the bandits the other day? I was on another shift at the time."

[Bayushi Umeno]

Umeno gave a grunt, her legs crossing as she leaned forward with her elbows on each knee. "Nah. From what I heard, it was only a handful of them to be honest, not much of a fight. I sort of regret missing it, but it would have been only a small thing to relieve the boredom."

The Scorpion looked over with a small smirk. "I'm more surprised that you're still alive than I am. You ask a lot of questions, and playing music around here's sure as anything to attract attention. Maybe you're looking for more of a fight than even I am."

[Nozomi]

She snorted and laughed. "This camp trundles along like an enraged bull. If we haven't warned the whole marsh we're here by now, I'll eat my veil. Miracle we're catching any game." She slipped her flute down to her belt where it usually rested, secured. "But in a few days time, I'll kill the fool myself who makes noise. Once the stone around my neck starts mattering, we'll need to take this real seriously. You shouldn't be bored soon enough..."

Admittedly, she didn't yet realize just how close they were. By tomorrow morning, she'd be a lot more rigid and serious about all of this.

"Been getting answers too. Mostly. Mostly, most people don't have a clue how to answer my questions."

[Bayushi Umeno]

"Well, this is mostly a train of warriors and farmers with delusions of herohood. They're not exactly a scholarly bunch." Umeno frowned a bit. "Well, there ARE a few Isawa and priests around. Still, I'll never understand asking too much, least that doesn't involve my living."

She gave a sigh and stretched her shoulder, rolling her neck. "At least we know more about what we're getting into than we did back in Crab lands. I'm almost regretting not putting up more of a fuss with Bayushi when he sent me south. Fighting plain old bandits sounds nice compared to spooky ghosts and spirits."

[Nozomi]

"Lived a little too long among the rocks away from people. Got a lot I don't know," she joked, snorting and chuckling to herself. "But I'll admit there's probably only three people with a clue about what I want." A second look at Umeno, and she amended that. "Four." Though Umeno seemed to be the sort to stick to her job. Phi... was in transition.

The second statement made her frown behind the mask. "I don't think most of us really had a clue coming here. I only knew a tiny bit. Did you know to bring Jade?" Too few in this place even knew the potential power of that stuff.

[Bayushi Umeno]

Umeno shook her head a bit. "Nah, didn't know a thing about it. Still don't know a lot, other than the basic speech we all got. Had a talk with a guy back in Anjing lands about just that. Anything that can capture a Kami isn't something I'd normally like to tussle with. The fact that I still don't think I know nearly enough makes me itchy."

[Nozomi]

"It might make you feel worse, but even the one they call Shinsei only knows so much," she admitted. "And he's supposed to be the scholar's scholar around here, so I think we're kind of walking on untouched ground for this little trip. Lovely thought, isn't it? Keep your ears peeled, though, if when we find the rats there's any talk of jade. If they know of any, we should get our hands on whatever we can. Reiko was pretty clear on that."

And she was equally clear with her own mind that the one finger she had probably wasn't enough.

[Bayushi Umeno]

Umeno's face scrunched up at that. "Well, someone can talk to them, but I won't. Really, if we wanted to go into this knowing more, we should have bided our time and done some scouting, had people that can stand it talk to the rat men, talk to the spirits, I dunno. If the Kami and the sage guy are supposed to be so smart, they should have thought of that before they grabbed us all and rushed us off into the unknown."

She paused. "...Unless this Fu Leng is under some sort of immediate danger. It's still dumb running off to save one man risking the lives of an army, but at least then I can just blame sentimentality."

[Nozomi]

"I... think time is running out. That's the impression I get from Reiko and Shinsei anyway. If we had hindsight, someone should have approached those rats a long time ago. They claim to know about this crap than we do, and they're not exactly the easiest to talk to." Had she tried even saying one of their names in their language? It was agony. "They should have had someone down here a year ago. Two years ago. Figuring out what we're learning now. I don't know what the hold-up was."

Probably the other kami. But who knew? People and their priorities. "I get the feeling there's a definite rush, but we got dragged down here a little too fast. They might have realized the danger too late. And that is concerning."

[Bayushi Umeno]

Umeno gave a soft grunt again in agreement. "I think in part that's why Bayushi stayed back. Like I said over alcohol, he's a cautious man. I'm not surprised I'm the only Scorpion that was sent even. I know he wants his brother back and safe no less than the others, but the ones that planned this whole thing left out a lot of planning."

"...Not that I could say that to their faces." She sighed, clenching and unclenching a fist. "Maybe I should try though. The worst that can happen is they kill me before the unknown enemy does, eh?"

[Nozomi]

"I think... you're safe to talk to Shinsei," she murmured a little, glancing back towards the tents. She shrugged as she said it. "He's... uh... kind of always understanding about things in a weird way. Like talking to a grandpa you never knew you had. But I also don't really think he's in charge. They just defer to him when shows up because he seems to know what's going on. Anyway, he doesn't get in your face like others might."

Her gaze went back to Umeno. "I won't say the same of the other two. I haven't talked with them, and I don't want to talk to Hantei. Maybe your right about Bayushi, though. You've worked with him at least."

[Bayushi Umeno]

"I'm not exactly an expert on reading people, so a little doubt is understandable," Umeno said with a low chuckle.

"That said, I've no firm plans to try to talk to Hantei or Shinjo. From what I understand, the former is too duty bound to it all to give it much thought, and the later is too sentimental about it all. Maybe I could stand talking to the Shinsei guy, but like you said, I feel like he's just along for the ride rather than being it's driving force."

"...Besides, know it all's kind of bug me. Never liked either of my grandfather's much though, so maybe that colors it."

[Nozomi]

"They usually do me too." It was hard to describe with that man. But she didn't feel like sharing too much. "But not really going to change much either way, is it? We're still stuck in a freaking bog. Already left one of these behind. Wasn't really planning on coming back down to the middle of another one this fast. The sooner we're out of this mess, the better."

She spat to the side, lifting the veil to do so.

[Bayushi Umeno]

"From what I gather, it's not going to get any better from this. Maybe before too long, we'll be reminiscing fondly about our time here." She doubted it, but the idea made her smirk darkly all the same.

[Nozomi]

'"Oh, it might be worse in a lot of ways, but you won't hear me wish fondly for a swamp. Maybe the mountains. Those hills weren't too bad. But seriously sick of squashing around in a mire to get food." She snickered herself. "Have you ever actually been in those bogs to the north of your lands? Smell, wretched place. Nothing but poisonous frogs and snakes most of the time. I don't mind hard living, but coming back to one I definitely can admit I'm way past done with this sort of place."

[Bayushi Umeno]

"I've been, sure. Not often, not a lot of reasons to visit, but bandits sure seem to like 'em just fine."

"Still," she said, taking out a waterskin and taking a full, signing if satisfaction, "who knows what's on ahead? Volcanoes, acid lakes, deserts, could be anything. If it's just pleasant fields, I'll eat my own sandal."

[Nozomi]

"I'll take volcanos and deserts. Might pass on the acid lakes." Snort. But she felt the urge to look over at her. "The bandits don't ever linger long in those marshes. Between the snakes and us, they end up finding better places to be. Hikaru are smart enough to know better than to raid the Scorpion. Not pissing you off's part of why we're not overwhelmed. We wedged ourselves up in the mountains, along the foothills, out of the way, but best forage's down in the marshes." That didn't mean that they weren't bandits in a bad year towards people who weren't under the Scorpion's care, but potatoe potato.

"Those marshes are a good place to go to die and be forgotten."

[Bayushi Umeno]

Leaving Ok the politics aside, Umeno wrinkled her nose. "Never seen a real desert, but I can't imagine liking one more than this. There's food here, and shelter if you're smart, even with the smell. Snakes aren't usually that bad if you keep an eye out, and I've heard bandits eat them too."