Taking Refuge (D13, LA, Open)

[Ko]

Jins furrow grows deeper though more of curiosity than deepening concern, "So you have... always... had these? Since birth? Or is it some spirit-touch that came later in life?" First the bat-boy, then the ogress, and now this. It seems the touch of other races in our realm has been long and deep indeed.

"Since I was grown, anyway." Ko shrugged, relaxing somewhat now that it didn't seem Jin was going to set her on fire or try to stitch her up. "It's only daughters in our Pearl roundhouse who have the gift, and not everyone gets it. Always at least one person, though, they say." She glanced up at the crack through which she'd wriggled in. It sounded like the horrible rain had no plans to abate just yet. She drifted a bit further into the tomb (and thus closer toward Jin as well) and propped herself against a short stretch of wall between burial alcoves.

"That's why we're Pearl roundhouse. Our past-grandmother who came from the sea brought pearls for her bridegroom gift, and our daughters are the best pearl divers on the whole coastline." There was obvious pride lying behind this explanation.

If you didn't look closely you might not even notice the gill slits once they'd fully appeared, though their slight independent movement was probably still disconcerting when you did focus on them.

[Jin]

"She was a water spirit of some sort then?"

Meanwhile Jigutsuji approached those at the entrance and said, “Greetings Jin-ue and tribesmen, is there anything amiss? My lord, Nanzi-sama is deeper within as we came for refuge and to study this place but he was concerned there was someone injured?”

Jin dropped the topic and offered a smile and touch to jade in greeting as Jigutsuji made themselves know, "Just a minor issue, already dealt with. Nanzi-san is always most courteous." Not that Jin could really stand the courtesy but it still made the statement a truth.

[Canary]

Nanzi questioned, What are your earliest memories? Do you know how you came to be like this? a Nameless spirit?

It's hard to say. I may have always existed this way, or maybe it was taken from me at some point. Things eventually fade, even for a spirit. Maybe especially for one without an identity to incorporate experiences into.

[Nanzi]

"The Crane are always Courteous, Jin-ue," he responded warmly. He had listened to the pearl diving story thought he did not have anything to add on that matter. He touched his own Jade and looked at Ko, "I too am curious if she was a spirit or some other being from the sea, your ancestor."

He added, "A curious anomaly to only affect the women."

[Nanzi]

It's hard to say. I may have always existed this way, or maybe it was taken from me at some point. Things eventually fade, even for a spirit. Maybe especially for one without an identity to incorporate experiences into.

Nanzi questioned, Will you stay here when our journey has ended or travel back to the Empire with me? If you have no ties here, then Nanzi would welcome the company.

[Canary]

Nanzi questioned, Will you stay here when our journey has ended or travel back to the Empire with me? If you have no ties here, then Nanzi would welcome the company.

He gets a warm sense, like the spirit must be pleased with what he's saying. I'm not sure yet... I appreciate the welcome, Nanzi. I may well take you up on it. It has been a long time since I've had such good company.

[Nanzi]

He gets a warm sense, like the spirit must be pleased with what he's saying. I'm not sure yet... I appreciate the welcome, Nanzi. I may well take you up on it. It has been a long time since I've had such good company.

Not all were meant to live in solitude, he continued.

[Ko]

"Our ancestress from the sea people was a woman." Ko shrugged as if nothing could be more natural. "And diving is a craft for women. Everyone knows that."

She frowned slightly. "The sea people aren't spirits, they're--" a sound that might be a word in some very strange language "--um, that is, Ningyo."

She gave the newcomer a sharper look. "Are you sure you want to leave your master alone in there? This place is creepy."

[Nanzi]

"Our ancestress from the sea people was a woman." Ko shrugged as if nothing could be more natural. "And diving is a craft for women. Everyone knows that."

She frowned slightly. "The sea people aren't spirits, they're--" a sound that might be a word in some very strange language "--um, that is, Ningyo."

She gave the newcomer a sharper look. "Are you sure you want to leave your master alone in there? This place is creepy."

“Nanzi-ue is not my master, he is a Lord within the Crane and I respect him greatly. He is a skilled warrior and is quite capable, I assure you.” He added, “So your tribe divides labor by if one is a man or woman? What if a man chooses to seek pearls, he is just denied?”

“What started this tradition?”

[Canary]

Not all were meant to live in solitude, he continued.

No... That is true. It paused. Your words remind me of something, but... Let me think on it. I will speak on it soon.

Thank you again for taking me with you.

[Ko]

"No, they can do it if they want to, but they're usually not as good at it. They can't float as well, and most of them get cold too fast." Ko shrugged, feeling rather more like a specimen on a tray now than she had when Jin was trying to inspect her neck earlier.

She glanced at the one-eyed man. "Do you... know a lot of people with spirits in their family? We know about all sorts of spirits, but only a Ningyo ever came and bore children with us. And they're not spirits, just other people."

"She was a water spirit of some sort then?"

[Jin]

Jin shakes his head, "Not many, no but it seems more common than I once believed as well as intermingling with other races. Ogres, Ningyo... I never would have imagined such things were possible honestly had I not see the results myself. You hear the tales and legends, of course, but I honestly thought most were apocryphal. 'He's mischievous and clever he must descend from a monkey spirit', 'she's sneaky and smug surely some ancestor must be a bakeneko' - that sort of thing. But clearly it is very real indeed."

[Ko]

Jin shakes his head, "Not many, no but it seems more common than I once believed as well as intermingling with other races. Ogres, Ningyo... I never would have imagined such things were possible honestly had I not see the results myself. You hear the tales and legends, of course, but I honestly thought most were apocryphal. 'He's mischievous and clever he must descend from a monkey spirit', 'she's sneaky and smug surely some ancestor must be a bakeneko' - that sort of thing. But clearly it is very real indeed."

"It's not like we're all doing it all the time." Ko didn't realize she was blushing. "It's only one ancestor in one roundhouse, but the people have a long memory. Maybe because not much happens on the shore."

This was a new realization. The past few weeks of Ko's life had nearly been more eventful than the full count of years preceding them, and that didn't just mean the short time since departing the Crab town--just crossing the Protected Lands had brought something new every day.

[Jin]

"True. It's just such a strange and interesting experience to suddenly encounter so many legends made true and in the flesh."

[Ko]

"You travel around with a goddess who can change her shape," Ko pointed out, grinning.

[Nanzi]

"The mystical can become mundane through proximity," Jigutsuji responded. "My people have tales of such things, the little gods that come and go, some give us children or spouses... or take them. it is true, and sometimes less than true."

"You say Ningyo, what is such a thing?" he asked of the woman.

[Ko]

"Like I said, they're the sea people." Ko ran her fingers through her damp, freshly tangled hair to push it out of the way... then winced slightly as the acid stung the travel-roughened skin around her fingernails. "They look... like people who live in the sea."

"Hm. Here." She reached for a leather belt sheath and flipped it open, extracting her knife--with a careful hold on the knapped stone blade rather than the ivory handle, so that the imperious young man (and also Jin) could see the decoration carved on the hilt.

The knife handle was decorated with scrimshaw designs of fish and people, or maybe half-fish half-people--the images were elongated and very stylized--and the scratches had been rubbed with some kind of dye that turned the incised lines a dark reddish color so they stood out better against the smooth yellow-white surface. The carving probably made the knife easier to grip securely as well. The blade--almost like an oversized arrowhead in shape--was fixed in a slot at the end using a lashing of thin sinew.

[Nanzi]

"That is peculiar, and amazing, what are these ningyo like?" he asked.

[Ko]

"What do you mean, what are they like?" Ko busied herself putting her knife away again, making sure not to get any of the foul acid water on the handle or lashings. "They're people who live in the sea. I mean... they're people. It's hard to say in a few words what a whole people are like. And I only visited with them a few times. They don't come often to talk with humans."

She scratched her cheek--she was starting to itch as the acid rain dried on her skin. "Is there something you want to know about them?"

[Nanzi]

"Well even that, why do they come to the shore? You go into the sea for pearls what do they come out of the sea for?" he asked.