Tales To Pass The Time Away (D11, LA. Open)

[Seppun Dawei]

Dawei, whose player will take Saruko's offer of being "here to hear the whole thing," nods at the story--and attends on the signed comments.

He does not respond in kind, though, because his hands are again busy with his woodcarving. He puts finishing touches on the Nezumi figure on which he has been working so far (Woodcarving 31), producing a detailed little sculpture that seems, save for being in wood, ready to leap up and scramble about.

I wonder who should get this, he thinks.

(For reference, the other work on the figurine in question:
viewtopic.php?f=39&t=308&start=25
viewtopic.php?f=47&t=505&start=3
viewtopic.php?f=136&t=604&start=1)

[Miyako]

"A very lovely tale! Eriko endured much to save her brothers from that curse, brave all the way until the end as hard as it was for her to do so." She looked over to Saruko and then to Ayumu.

"Some of my village elders have similar stories about people turning into animals of the forest: the mighty bear, the valiant stag, the speedy hare, and others. I think what is interesting is how in some it is an unwilling curse, but in some others it is a gift, born or given." As she pondered over whether she could recall one off-hand, she signed to Ayumu: Who say Chieftain would have known what she said with her hands? Same ones she hid from him so he did not know how hard she work and suffer with them to save brothers? Some not believe words when spoken - maybe he not believe in same way if spoken with hand even if he could understand.

[Nanzi]

"What are you doing with the hands? Are you well?" Nanzi asked after a moment.

[Miyako]

Miyako looked over to Nanzi when he asked the questions. She smiled and nodded her head. "Signing. And yes, very well! I hope you are well too," she said, still smiling, thinking it the polite thing to say.

[Nanzi]

Miyako looked over to Nanzi when he asked the questions. She smiled and nodded her head. "Signing. And yes, very well! I hope you are well too," she said, still smiling, thinking it the polite thing to say.

“It looks lovely, Nanzi has seen battle sign but this seems much more involved. It seems a shame that not all of us know to speak with our hands. Nanzi would think to do so would be excluding others from the conversation or keep secrets,” he said warmly.

“Of course he would not think that of Miyako-san, or the family of Jiyo; but others could deem it so and take offense. Nanzi would not wish such to happen to such heroes.”

[Togashi Saruko]

"I still haven't gotten the hang of these signs myself. But I do think they're fun... I wonder if I can incorporate them into dance or something. Like hidden meanings for those watching." Saruko seemed to think the signs were entertaining.

[Seppun Dawei]

Dawei looks up from contemplating his carving in time to hear Saruko.

He gives a short puff of laughter. "Sounds like some of the jokes I've seen put into some of the other carvings. Small accessories on a person's belt, like, that have meaning for a few and are simply 'nice flourishes' for others."

He smiles slightly.

"But any people who associate long will have their own ways of communicating, words or no."

[Miyako]

"Like battle signs, or signs I might use during the hunt with a hunting party so as not to scare off the prey, only far more complex, whole sentence and meaning, made and learned and used by those to say words when they have no voice to do so with. Not meant to exclude, but to include: a Voice of the Voiceless, to put it another way, and Ayumu has been an excellent practice partner," she explained, still smiling as she gave a nod to Ayumu.

"What he said with hand, if I read it right, was that Eriko might use her hands in similar matter to tell the Chieftain all she wished about her plight that she could not say with her voice lest her brothers be killed. What I 'said' back to him was that there is the possibility that the Chieftain might have no idea what her hands would be saying either. Additionally, she hid her hands from him in the story to hide the fact that she worked so hard with them to sew the robes that would make her brothers whole, and to show off bruised, burned, calloused hands would give the wicked priest all the more reason to think her a witch or, if not that, otherwise undignified in beauty to be the Chieftain's bride," Miyako explained aloud the translation of their signs.

"A storyteller using signs in a variant telling could adjust to ensure the message does not get across, I believe. Maybe Eriko might wear gloves at all times when not working on her brothers' clothes to hide the work she does with her hands, and be described as refined gloves matching always with her outfit of the day - yet, perhaps this might make the wicked priest suspicious, that for all her beauty she hides dirty hands, or perhaps that she wears gloves because her fingers curse whatever she touches, and though very clearly false it further justifies his own belief that she might be a witch. Writing, signing, dancing... no matter how she might try and explain her plight, the storyteller would find new and different ways to ensure the original intent: her plight is not seen, heard, or understood."

[Nanzi]

"Is there someone here that cannot hear?" he asked honestly.

"Otherwise it does seem to exclude in this case instead of include."

[Togashi Saruko]

"Shinjo Miuna, one of Jin's students, is deaf. She's been teaching many of us her silent language by the campfires." She nodded proudly of one who was so young to have figured out a way to speak.

[Nanzi]

"Clever girl, speaks well of the family of Jin. Nanzi says all this to say that there is a proper way of doing things and it is customary if one is to engage in communication in a way that not all can speak it is good to make it known. It is polite and transparent. It would be rude of Nanzi to simply speak in the tongue of divine and you did not understand in the same way it is rude to do as you have. Jiyo-san as a member of the Imperial families should set the standard of proper discourse," he said politely.

[Seppun Dawei]

Dawei looks for another suitable piece of wood to start carving. A jungle should provide no shortage of such things--and, behold, t is abundant, even within easy reach (Hunting 33)

He collects it quickly, turns it over in his hands as he considers what image lies within it.

What he thinks, he keeps to himself.

[Seppun Chisei]

Chisei watched the hand motions curiously.

"Are these signs based on our language? I must imagine they would be."

He looked to Nanzi. "What about the divine language? Does it have different thoughts, do you find." He inclined his head. "If you'll permit my asking."

[Nanzi]

He looked to Nanzi. "What about the divine language? Does it have different thoughts, do you find." He inclined his head. "If you'll permit my asking."

"Nanzi finds that the divine tongue tends to reflect the perfection of Tengoku, it aligns my thoughts with the will of Heaven," he said after a moment of thought.

[Seppun Chisei]

"Does that mean you know what the will of Heaven is?" Chisei asked, his eyebrows going up curiously.

[Nanzi]

"Yes to build a more orderly society here on Ningen-do, by following the will of Emperor Shiba," he said with a nod.

"This language expresses that divinity into this world."

[Miyako]

Miyako sensed some sort of argument seemed to be afoot, but her mind was still on something from earlier. The tribeswoman shook her head before holding up her hand, a quiet interruption.

"Forgiveness, sirs, but the fault is mine to bear. I have spent many moons in practice to attend these lessons of sign, and some of whose faces at these lessons I remember, and some I do not, and it is now clear that some were not among them. As one might so translate the 'tongue of divine' to all around who would not understand it if it was spoken, I too should have done the same with those that know not the Sign of the Hand. The audience as a whole will be taken into consideration for next time rather than just the parts so that all might receive the message, especially since it had started a nice discussion on what was a wonderful story and all might want to participate in it," she offered in trying to smooth things over, a soft smile and a light nod of the head to try and show she meant no genuine harm.

[Nanzi]

"Nanzi is assured of your Sincerity, it is as if it never happened," he said warmly.

[Togashi Saruko]

"Perhaps there are more stories to share? Or poems perhaps?" Saruko inquired, now that it seemed right for a new topic.

[Nanzi]

Nanzi thought shortly and said:

"Dark rose, hot, thirsty,
Nourishing rain, sweet succor,
Remember your lips."

OOC: Poetry: 4d10o10k3 22