(D5, ME, Open) Endless Wailing and Lamentations: The Funeral of Lady Beatorisu

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka too was hiding smiles with cups of Essence. It really was liberating to put down the mask that society demanded of them and replace it with a much more ornate and silly mask. The worst that would happen to someone for making an error here was hurt feeling and stomping off. It was a little odd to consider how people might construe this as the start of some byzantine secret society though.

"This suggestion pleases this one," Rapace piped up to support the Crane. "None had heard from Beatorisu for many moons before she demanded all heed her at once. Had we met at regular intervals, we could have better coordinated our actions this night."

And nicely enough, both the Suzume and Taraka (and the creeping Unicorn that Taraka briefly forgot) were locals, and the Kakita was planning on a very extended stay on Green Carp. Perhaps they could make this a regular thing, say every other week or so.

[Suzume Hitomi]

Hitomi/Atarya is nodding as she lowers the cup. "Coordination, reports from the districts, inducting new members...carefully. After all, infiltration can work both ways." Could they actually...grow? Being entirely new to this herself, Hitomi could have no idea at how Beatorisu/Sumie would have scoffed at the game gaining any taint of popularity.

"There's space in back of my shop...er, my Lair for initial meetings." Yes, that burning effigy is actually feeling pretty nice against the wind off the water now. Not every meeting needed to be at the mercy of the elements.

"Nobody would suspect a bit of work there after hours." Oh! she could use the antique lanterns and some of her collected candles. They'd add such atmosphere. After setting the cup down, she digs into a pocket for her communicator.

"We here shall swear a pact that will allow us to communicate with one another." Did leech wraiths use modern communicators? They probably did, and she was making this needlessly melodramatic--and that was great! "The seed of a new Rebellion." She shifted to be sure the 'invisible' member of the party was within range for sharing com-codes.

Needed to come up with a good plant symbol for their seed to challenge the Rose, didn't they?

[Utaku Itsuka]

One who happened to look at the unseen Green Mooner would see a small smile growing on her lips. None of the would, of course - no metagaming! But the fact that they didn't - they were all using 3rd edition rules, then, like proper rebels. Good!

Eventually a hand sign indicated she wasn't Creeping anymore, and Ojou Anna lurked out from the role-play shadows.

"To a new rebellion", she said in a hoarse, low voice, then raised the cup Rapace had poured earlier. Which nobody would have noticed flying around on its own, of course.

"We'll spread like nightshades", she added, unwittingly making a suggestion to their new leader's thoughts. "There'll be no shortage of gardens for growing our kin. And when our work bears fruit, shall it be the deadliest of all."

[Kakita Haruhi]

Queen of Blood and Snow offered a bow to the newcomer.

"Welcome to the rebellion. I am the Queen of Blood and Snow. I'll drink to that!"

She took another dramatically hungry swallow of the red liquid.

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka couldn't help but smile at the Kakita's commitment to the Shinjo having just appeared.

She looked as the fire was burning down and the storm was growing ever closer.

"We have an accord then. May this night mark the beginning of the end for those who oppose us. But for now, I must flee. There is much I must still attend to before the night is over." she said.

[Utaku Itsuka]

"May the nightshade meet again shortly, then?" Ojou Anna said after a somewhat theatrical nod-bow to Rapace and the Queen. Her eyes shift to the clouds for a moment, then to Hito... Lady Atarya, as if waiting for her agreement to their flower name - or a suggestion of a different one.

[Kakita Haruhi]

"Perhaps our day servants could meet and consider schedules? At the appropriate time?

What she wanted to say was: 'It would be fun and useful to chat out-of-character and introduce ourselves before we close out!'

But she did not want to break the immersion.

[Suzume Hitomi]

"Nightshade? Perfect!" Atarya nods to Ojou Anna, and looks past her to the clouds.

Yes, closing out and...cleaning up needed to happen. There was...something that hid the leech-wraiths from mortal knowledge.

"An accord, a name, and a future. Let us depart and cross the...the veils of night until we are called to meet again." That sounded fantastically pretentious! Setting the cup down, she turns to look out over the water so she can't see any of the others.

After a few moments to let the 'scene' fade, she draws back her hood, and in a rather different tone say. "We'll need to hurry to clear this away before the rain! Trade comcodes back at the parking lot? Have you all done this before?"

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka laughed.

"Founded a secret society of pretend immortals?" she asked. "Can't say that I have, but cleaned up before the rain sweeps in on the island? So many times, it's a lot easier to pick things up before they're soaked with water."

[Utaku Itsuka]

Taking off the makeup is considerably harder and would take so long, so it's still mostly Ojou Anna speaking, although with a flatter voice that doesn't have the same hoarse, deep tone from before.

"The Wherever is probably even closer than the parking lot, let's just grab things and run there? Then we can organise from there"

[Suzume Hitomi]

With a nod, Hitomi pulls the non-burnt end of a stick from the fire to knock down the remaining rope and effigy bits so it looks more like a normal beach fire happened there, then scoops up the fabric draped across the table and a grouping of empty bottles with a grin.

"Lead the way, then, Utaku-sama!"

[Utaku Itsuka]

She rushed to get some more of the items spread around and nodded. "Un! Follow me, Suzume-san, Kakita-san, Tacchan!"

And off she went, hurried steps in a beeline towards the western end of the beach.

[Kakita Haruhi]

Haruhi smiled at the scene faded.

"I'm Kakita Haruhi," she introduced herself. Her true self!

She followed the Unicorn towards the other section of the beach.

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka had her hands full, making sure all the beer and sake that the essence had transformed into now that the scene was over was not going to net them a visit from a magistrate Junpei and his ticket parade for littering.

Still moving swiftly to the Whatever...it had been too long, for both her and the Utaku.

"I'm really glad you all came out tonight. And I'm really looking forward to doing this again. If you hadn't heard, Kakita-san is actually going to be on Green Carp awhile due to her work, and I think spending more time with you three is going to be a lot of fun."

[Suzume Hitomi]

When inside, the Sparrow offers an introduction, "Suzume Hitomi of Feather Your Nest." She'd kept meaning to come down and do some sort of tour, but the shop kept her busy, and eventually that came to seem like a tourist thing to do and had fallen down the priority list.

She settles bottles in a tidy group wherever indicated, and starts to fold the cloth up. "I have space in the shop's storage-slash-studio we could meet in when the weather's, well...like this," she gestures toward a window as they hear the rain *spat, spat, spat* against the glass. "It could be fun to dig into the rules a bit more. I think some of the interpretations are a little wonky given century old books."

[Kakita Haruhi]

When inside, the Sparrow offers an introduction, "Suzume Hitomi of Feather Your Nest." She'd kept meaning to come down and do some sort of tour, but the shop kept her busy, and eventually that came to seem like a tourist thing to do and had fallen down the priority list.

She settles bottles in a tidy group wherever indicated, and starts to fold the cloth up. "I have space in the shop's storage-slash-studio we could meet in when the weather's, well...like this," she gestures toward a window as they hear the rain *spat, spat, spat* against the glass. "It could be fun to dig into the rules a bit more. I think some of the interpretations are a little wonky given century old books."

"That sounds like a great place to meet. And I have questions about the rules, for sure. I expect Queen of Blood and Snow could be more ... impactful with a bit of rules wizardry."

"Tell me more about Feather Your Nest? Are you an artisan? Is it a shop?"

[Suzume Hitomi]

"That sounds like a great place to meet. And I have questions about the rules, for sure. I expect Queen of Blood and Snow could be more ... impactful with a bit of rules wizardry."

"Tell me more about Feather Your Nest? Are you an artisan? Is it a shop?"

She laughs, "I bet several of us would have more solid character sheets after more than a day to review the system. I'm not sure how well maxing all those knowledge skills works once someone decides they want to fight. Kind of how the night had started.

"As to Feather...yes, and yes. The shop carries antiques and handicrafts from Rokugan. I am also trained in various arts of restoration, so kintsugi pottery and mended old clothing are part of the wares." She holds out a hand toward Taraka for one of the not-drained bottles of beer. "May I? Or are the rest destined to go home with you?"

[Yasuki Taraka]

She laughs, "I bet several of us would have more solid character sheets after more than a day to review the system. I'm not sure how well maxing all those knowledge skills works once someone decides they want to fight. Kind of how the night had started.

"As to Feather...yes, and yes. The shop carries antiques and handicrafts from Rokugan. I am also trained in various arts of restoration, so kintsugi pottery and mended old clothing are part of the wares." She holds out a hand toward Taraka for one of the not-drained bottles of beer. "May I? Or are the rest destined to go home with you?"

Taraka hands over the beer.

"Not a problem at all, Suzume-san. After all, if you're taking over hosting duties, the least I can do is give you one beer to get started and save myself the hassle of carrying it home." she says with a small smile.

[Kakita Haruhi]

"As to Feather...yes, and yes. The shop carries antiques and handicrafts from Rokugan. I am also trained in various arts of restoration, so kintsugi pottery and mended old clothing are part of the wares." She holds out a hand toward Taraka for one of the not-drained bottles of beer. "May I? Or are the rest destined to go home with you?"

"Oh how wonderful! Those are skills highly prized on Golden Mirror. I will definitely have to visit. My best kimono was hand-made there, in the traditional way. It should only be repaired using the same techniques. Happily, I haven't damaged it yet, but a shop like yours would be a life-saver if I did."

[Utaku Itsuka]

As soon as they got back to the Wherever, Itsuka got busy getting everything they'd dragged to the table at the side of the counter, cleaning what needed cleaning and organising it. Slowly, it looked like they could actually continue the part... the wake here, if they felt like it.

The two artisans talking eventually gets her attention, her eyes shifting to them while she was bringing a few sweets and a plate with some pasties from a room behind the counter.

"A pleasure to meet you, Kakita-san.. Suzume-san I remember from the shop, but... I really should stop by at the Feather for a proper visit, it's been too long! And not only for the rebellion either." A faint smile gives a little heart to her otherwise flat voice.

She nods indicating the pasties, as if offering them.

"Suzume-san, please tell if you need help organising. And... if you want some variety, we have options, ne", she adds, gesturing vaguely around, then to Taraka.