(D8, LM) Walking a sand road in the rain

[Horiuchi Sriyani]

One might think the Horiuchi, with her obvious ties to the people of the Burning Sands would look like she belonged here on the sand. But a carefully raked garden is nothing like long hills of sand under a blazing sun...and frankly, she hasn't seen those since she was old enough to remember such things. Also, the overcast, chill, and rain were about as far as one could get from your average day in the desert.

Sriyani's donned a straw hat and cloak to keep the rain off a bit, but has resigned herself to soaked socks and damp hems as she walks among the dry-stone rivers slowly turning into actual rivulets, the sand ripples disintegrating under the relentless raindrops. A working example of the impermanence of all they create.

[Busubi]

At least she had the straw hat, not to mention hair beneath the hat. There was a monk, notable for the bald hair also was watching the patterns being wiped away by the rain. He was also very soaked, apparently having been out there for the whole morning.

[Horiuchi Sriyani]

She offers a bow of greeting as her path brings her near. "Good morning, monk-san." After a small pause, she adds, "It seems...a bit like closing the stable doors after the mares have all run out, but...if you'd like a hat against the rain, you're welcome to mine."

[Busubi]

She offers a bow of greeting as her path brings her near. "Good morning, monk-san." After a small pause, she adds, "It seems...a bit like closing the stable doors after the mares have all run out, but...if you'd like a hat against the rain, you're welcome to mine."

The monk bowed in return.

"Perhaps so, Horiuchi-san, but your compassionate nature leads you to offer, just as my nature inclines me to refuse." he remarked.

"This one is Busubi." he introduced himself.

He looked back at the flooding garden.

"It seems the Heavens wish to also comment upon the competition. Hours of effort washed away returning us to a blank slate from which to create once more." he mused.

[Horiuchi Sriyani]

"Honored to meet you Busubi-san. As you've noted, I'm Horiuchi, specifically Sriyani of Small Creek Village." She considers a moment. "Perhaps I ought to offer the cloak instead, if I'm hoping to give something that might keep you warm enough to ward off a cold. Am I breaking the forms too much to insist you ought to take something? Do I need to offer an extra time to add the cloak? This was not covered in my etiquette classes."

She smiles to see the erosion in action. "Just so. We need emptiness at some point to allow room for inspiration. Also, the reminder that nature easily overtakes all our art."

[Busubi]

"Honored to meet you Busubi-san. As you've noted, I'm Horiuchi, specifically Sriyani of Small Creek Village." She considers a moment. "Perhaps I ought to offer the cloak instead, if I'm hoping to give something that might keep you warm enough to ward off a cold. Am I breaking the forms too much to insist you ought to take something? Do I need to offer an extra time to add the cloak? This was not covered in my etiquette classes."

She smiles to see the erosion in action. "Just so. We need emptiness at some point to allow room for inspiration. Also, the reminder that nature easily overtakes all our art."

Busubi laughs a bit.

"Ah no, no, Horiuichi-san. There is no-one here to prove your sincerity to, and I am no courtier. Consider your generosity the water and my objections the sand, though I do not feel the cold as keenly as I used to. I will accept your generousity in the spirit it is given." he demured.
to
He nodded back at the garden.

"So it is in all things, just as the heroes of old must make way for the heroes of now and they for those yet to come. Over and over again, as the wheel turns." he muses.

He looked back to the Unicorn.

"All is not lost though. The light of those past does not extinguish like a candle in the wind. Rather they provide the spark for the flames to yet be ignited. Life is more than water and sand, after all."

[Horiuchi Sriyani]

She chuckles taking the sturdy hat off to pass over. "Suppose this _is_ a timely example of sincerity." The rustling cloak is next. "But not art, all on its own." She tips her face up to the rain with a small jingle amid the patter of drops. "Also a reminder that I kept meaning to get a proper coat in case the spring didn't warm all that quickly here."

"But I also don't mind the rain much, it's the mud that gets in the way." She smiles, scraping a sandal along the walking path. "Not so much of that here. And the wind as it's picking up. I've still a ways to go understanding the air kami's joy in making life troublesome sometimes. But I sense that'll pick up later, judging by the further clouds. Hope you'll find more than a candle to warm at before then?" She supposes she's seen him here and there over the course of the event, but isn't sure where he calls home.

"I hope we've brought some tinder here. It's art that keeps those past lights alive, even history is basically storytelling. Would be good to see this competition grow through the years, blow on those sparks. Seems like we could use that at least as much as the Topaz competitions."

[Busubi]

She chuckles taking the sturdy hat off to pass over. "Suppose this _is_ a timely example of sincerity." The rustling cloak is next. "But not art, all on its own." She tips her face up to the rain with a small jingle amid the patter of drops. "Also a reminder that I kept meaning to get a proper coat in case the spring didn't warm all that quickly here."

"But I also don't mind the rain much, it's the mud that gets in the way." She smiles, scraping a sandal along the walking path. "Not so much of that here. And the wind as it's picking up. I've still a ways to go understanding the air kami's joy in making life troublesome sometimes. But I sense that'll pick up later, judging by the further clouds. Hope you'll find more than a candle to warm at before then?" She supposes she's seen him here and there over the course of the event, but isn't sure where he calls home.

"I hope we've brought some tinder here. It's art that keeps those past lights alive, even history is basically storytelling. Would be good to see this competition grow through the years, blow on those sparks. Seems like we could use that at least as much as the Topaz competitions."

He accepted the cloak and the hat with a bow.

"You need not worry about the Horiuchi-san. I am provided for with all that I need, though your concern is touching."

He listened to the Unicorn for awhile, though he did give a small shake of the head.

"Ah, but you mustn't despise they mud, Horiuchi-san. So much grows from it, like sunflowers."

He looked back out on the flooded garden.

"this is the story of the sunflower, so far.

once, she was a seed.

and against all odds, she sprouted and grew. she climbed out of the ground and reached up at the sky and smiled at the sun.

and then the guru picked her.

he admired her beauty.

and he cast her aside.

she died of thirst on the bank of the lake.

but that was not the end of the sunflower. because she had 99 seeds, and each of those seeds grew into a new sunflower. and the sunflowers grew everywhere.

one grew on a mountain, one grew in a valley, one grew on a hill, one grew on a plain, one grew by a river, one grew by a lake

they talked between each other. they argued with the guru. they endured storms. they stared up at the sun.

and they smiled."

[Horiuchi Sriyani]

snip

Head tilted with a bemused smile, Sriyani drops her gaze from the clouds, blinking drops from her eyes. "Ah, it's not that I despise the mud. Just walking in it. Makes a mess of my socks and it's a bit of a slog. My home's too involved in growing things to hate the mud...or even the, hmm...fertilizer added to it."

"Pretty sure though, that you're talking about more than an actual sunflower there, since they don't tend to argue much." There are memories of others' stories in her eyes as she adds, "I'm sure there's some vindication to having her seeds thrive and all, but...maybe she'd rather have had them thrive without having her own stalk cut, and cast aside to perish slowly. Some mud's needed...or at least both fertile ground and water.

"This competition seems to have been fertile ground and I guess that makes the themes water for the art that's grown here. Despite some controversial choices, it sparked a lot of thought and conversation that seems valuable. I was glad to hear Shiba-sama mention that they thought that basing themes around the Fortunes would serve well for next year, if they have their choice."

*********************
getting the roll in for the day
D8, late lobbying: Sincerity (in honor of the day)/Awareness, VP TN 20 (dice may only explode once) -for Shiba Aibou | 6k5 ⇒ 30 (TN: 20)

+1 point to Shiba-san

[Busubi]

snip

Head tilted with a bemused smile, Sriyani drops her gaze from the clouds, blinking drops from her eyes. "Ah, it's not that I despise the mud. Just walking in it. Makes a mess of my socks and it's a bit of a slog. My home's too involved in growing things to hate the mud...or even the, hmm...fertilizer added to it."

"Pretty sure though, that you're talking about more than an actual sunflower there, since they don't tend to argue much." There are memories of others' stories in her eyes as she adds, "I'm sure there's some vindication to having her seeds thrive and all, but...maybe she'd rather have had them thrive without having her own stalk cut, and cast aside to perish slowly. Some mud's needed...or at least both fertile ground and water.

"This competition seems to have been fertile ground and I guess that makes the themes water for the art that's grown here. Despite some controversial choices, it sparked a lot of thought and conversation that seems valuable. I was glad to hear Shiba-sama mention that they thought that basing themes around the Fortunes would serve well for next year, if they have their choice."

*********************
getting the roll in for the day
D8, late lobbying: Sincerity (in honor of the day)/Awareness, VP TN 20 (dice may only explode once) -for Shiba Aibou | 6k5 ⇒ 30 (TN: 20)

+1 point to Shiba-san

This earned her a small soggy shrug from the monk.

"All things are connected, Horiuchi-san. When I speak of one thing, I must by extension, speak of another as well. If there is a tortoise, there is a lettuce, and if there is a lettuce, there is a farmer. And so on and so on, until the world itself is discussed, however slightly." he mused.

"But they all have their own nature. The sunflower would have been content to forever smile at the sun. But such a fate was not possible from the nature of the sage. The sunflower's fate was sad, but inevitable. Such is the way of flowers and those who would harvest them for their own purposes." he said, most definitely talking about something else.

He did listen to the Phoenix pitch intently.

"It would be an interesting addition to the tradition. However, I think it will be with a heavy heart that lord Utemaro announces that it will not be held by the Phoenix next year. Sad, but inevitable due to nature."

[Horiuchi Sriyani]

Hair slowly plastering to her skull, she sighs. "I half expect they hold something over him, or someone able to pressure him." The gentler sorts of political pressure are only a bit different than blackmail, honestly.

"I suppose I'm more used to using other arts to talk about more than the obvious subject at hand. Though I guess I need to get better at this conversation al version if I'm going to see the inside of more courts." She shakes her head slightly, small drops scattering from the charms braided through and around her hair. "Some flowers though, cut them off and let them touch a bit of water, settle their stem into earth...they'll root again instead of dying. Roses are good at it, and thorny besides to guard a bit."

"So I admire the sunflowers their devotion and beauty. But mere humans go blind spending all their time staring into Lady Sun's glory, so I think I might prefer to take the rose as my own example." She grins back up into the rain. "Fewer seeds to carry on, but amazing hips."

[Busubi]

Busubi also looked up at the rain, an amused look on his face.

"A sunflower that dreams of being a rose? " he ponders.

"Or perhaps that is simply another turn upon the wheel. A sunflower reborn as or perhaps from a rose. At least it's not a water lily. No worry for water, but only ever admired from afar, forever separate from all except frog and fish." he suggested.

[Horiuchi Sriyani]

“Hmmm, yes, those water lilies, distant perfection.” She grins, “hard to relate.”

“If we’re getting to turns on the wheel though… well, might be talking about a whole other set of things. Flowers can be symbols, but symbols are kind of imperfect if you try running them too deep, neh?”

Wiggling soaked toes, she thinks a moment, then asks, “What is your role here, Busubi-San? Paused here for the contest, or is this home?”

[Busubi]

“Hmmm, yes, those water lilies, distant perfection.” She grins, “hard to relate.”

“If we’re getting to turns on the wheel though… well, might be talking about a whole other set of things. Flowers can be symbols, but symbols are kind of imperfect if you try running them too deep, neh?”

Wiggling soaked toes, she thinks a moment, then asks, “What is your role here, Busubi-San? Paused here for the contest, or is this home?”

"Ah, this town is my home, Horiuchi-san," he said with a small nod. "I am a groundskeeper. I tend to the roots underfoot. So much attention is paid to the blossoms, but without the roots they wither and die. So I hear their complaints and advise them."

[Horiuchi Sriyani]

snip

"Somehow, I think you mean more than actual roots again," she says with a smile. "But if you are interested in actually hearing from the earth underfoot anyplace in particular," she spreads her hands out held low, long sleeves shedding rain as they follow the motion, "I'd be pleased to assist. I know you've priests about already, but the Asahina are often less attuned to things below the surface." Though they do get all the best gossip on the wind

[Busubi]

snip

"Somehow, I think you mean more than actual roots again," she says with a smile. "But if you are interested in actually hearing from the earth underfoot anyplace in particular," she spreads her hands out held low, long sleeves shedding rain as they follow the motion, "I'd be pleased to assist. I know you've priests about already, but the Asahina are often less attuned to things below the surface." Though they do get all the best gossip on the wind

The monk looked thoughtful at that, rain dripping down his face.

"You know, Horiuchi-san, in all my years of talking to people about what things might say, were they to speak, no one has ever offered me a chance to speak and be understood by the elements themselves."

He shook his head, the straw hat shaking a bit.

"I know you're not in town for much longer, Horiuchi-san, but I would like to take a little time to think about how to approach this once in a lifetime gift. Besides, today seems to be the water kami's day, and we should probably head in at some point." he offered practically.

[Horiuchi Sriyani]

snip

"Hmm? No one?" She looks a bit surprised. "I'll warn you that they don't exactly think or speak as people do, though they are better at stretching to be understood than we are, at least the ones in places that are spiritually cared for. Out in the wild places, there are some that are much harder to understand."

She shakes her head a bit, water spattering from her braid. "But you're right that this is a day for water. As long as I'm already soaked, I'll see if there's a nearby pond to commune with while they're enjoying the rain."

"Fortunes favor you," she says with a parting bow.

[Busubi]

Busubi bowed in return.

"Enjoy the water, sunflower-san, you will see your beloved Sun again soon." he said, his words a bit lost in the rain as he made his way to wherever monks went.