[D11LM] First-hand testimony (Expecting)

[Moto Mitsuki]

Tea. Cake. A nonplussed Mitsuki after today's boring trial. A guest she was currently questioning.

"So...

Yesterday, I went for my usual ride through the woods. Upon my return, I found the inn in what looked to be the aftermath of a great battle. This morning, the town is busy with crazy rumors, half of which blaming the chaos on the Unicorn. Apparently, I summoned an evil spirit to express my displeasure at one of the events.

I'm certain I did not do that. So I'm curious about what actually happened. You were there apparently, maybe you can enlighten me."

[Suzume Senseki]

Tea. Cake. A nonplussed Mitsuki after today's boring trial. A guest she was currently questioning.

"So...

Yesterday, I went for my usual ride through the woods. Upon my return, I found the inn in what looked to be the aftermath of a great battle. This morning, the town is busy with crazy rumors, half of which blaming the chaos on the Unicorn. Apparently, I summoned an evil spirit to express my displeasure at one of the events.

I'm certain I did not do that. So I'm curious about what actually happened. You were there apparently, maybe you can enlighten me."

The guest in question listened to her with his usual serenity, some long blinks here and there the only indication that Mitsuki's words were troubling to him in any way.

"I actually arrived in the middle of... well, that. I'm not sure how it started, but apparently the cat we see at the Inn as if they were responsible for the Inn itself has a human namesake. A boy. Which... well, I suppose we should expect something like that, ne?", he says with a soft smile, perhaps trying to easen the situation somewhat. "When I arrived, the boy had just been..." he looks around, takes a glance at the tea in other tables, wonders if he should maybe order some - wonder if they would have a brand he wouldn't feel overindulging by asking for. All while he seemed to grasp the right words.

"Eh... they boy had been located?", he continues, tentatively. Apparently the cat was hiding him... or that's what I got from the ongoing conversation. It all sounded somewhat confusing... but then, let me get to the crux of it... evil spirits."

A long breath. "There were quite a few people there, and the conversation was rather confusing at times, but apparently Kitsu Murato-sama, Kitsu Moshumaru-sama, Kuni Yasu-sama, Kitsuki Hajime-sama, Shosuro Hikimasu-sama and Kaikoga Koi-sama were trying to identify the source of... an evil emanation of sorts. From what I could gather, a spirit had possessed your clansmate, Utaku-sama. Or... was trying to possess her? At any rate, they were very worried about her well-being... and it never actually sounded as something she had deliberately caused, or desired. Myself... I stayed behind with the boy - Renjiro-kun, that is - to keep him safe... and more confident. He was very shaken by the whole thing, understandably... so I did what we Sparrow know and tried to encourage him with a story"

"So... in the end, whatever the rumours are saying are likely the result of prejudice more than anything else. Even though the evil spirit was indeed real and there."

A smile and a tentative look at her, more or less gauging her understanding. It was a lot to take in, after all.

"Did anyone say any ill words or bear any ill intent directly towards Moto-sama...? I hope the prejudice in those rumours has not come to that?"

OOC:
D11 LM - Agenda vs Moto Mitsuki (Session 4). Earth/Performance TN 2 | TN: 2 | Success: 4 / Opportunity: 0 / Strife: 2

4/0/2 - 3 Agenda points, 2 taken!

[Moto Mitsuki]

"The advantage of being a desert barbarian is that people are generally too afraid to tell that kind of things to your face. The drawback is that they still say so behind your back. But I'm used to such rumors floating around me."

Used did not mean pleased, as the flame in Mitsuki's eyes vouched for.

"Kitsu Murato probably knows of the whole story, since his specialty is dealing with spirits. Likely the Kuni too.

I actually heard Kitsuki Hajime asking questions around about Ame-kun, that we're apparently not the only ones to have seen, and the rain. No idea how this factors in the current story. No idea either about the others.

Actually, Murato told me a story about a person being tricked by a yokai two days ago that strangely match with your own. That's it, if we assume Renjiro-neko was a spirit, or host to a spirit. One that would have tricked the boy into disappearing in exchange of its protection or something like that.

I could be pattern-matching of course. But the coincidence is troubling. Though it doesn't explain anything about how Kheree got mixed with the whole thing.

Anyway, what happened to the boy afterward? I suppose you didn't leave him like that."

---

Omen of Bad Luck (Water) -> +3 strife, +1 Void (could do a fluff roll, but my strife is already at mid-point, so strife gained from the roll won't matter anyway)

[Suzume Senseki]

"The advantage of being a desert barbarian is that people are generally too afraid to tell that kind of things to your face. The drawback is that they still say so behind your back. But I'm used to such rumors floating around me."

Used did not mean pleased, as the flame in Mitsuki's eyes vouched for.

"Kitsu Murato probably knows of the whole story, since his specialty is dealing with spirits. Likely the Kuni too.

I actually heard Kitsuki Hajime asking questions around about Ame-kun, that we're apparently not the only ones to have seen, and the rain. No idea how this factors in the current story. No idea either about the others.

Actually, Murato told me a story about a person being tricked by a yokai two days ago that strangely match with your own. That's it, if we assume Renjiro-neko was a spirit, or host to a spirit. One that would have tricked the boy into disappearing in exchange of its protection or something like that.

I could be pattern-matching of course. But the coincidence is troubling. Though it doesn't explain anything about how Kheree got mixed with the whole thing.

Anyway, what happened to the boy afterward? I suppose you didn't leave him like that."

He nodded as she said about what she had to put up with for being a 'barbarian'. He was used to being treated as a country bumpkin as well - which in a way, he was, of course. He... felt less troubled by that, he felt, and perhaps the sort of prejudice against the Sparrow were not as bad after all. Or perhaps he was just used to it...

One way or another...

"Hm... I made sure Renjiro-san kept safe, and apparently he wanted to keep in the Inn. I... get the feeling there's something important behind that story. But then, what I've heard aside from what we saw there are just rumours..."

He seems to think for a while as he looks at the cups of tea around again.

"I... I'm not sure about the cat. It... didn't seem evil, or anything like that - at least that's what Kitsu-sama said, or what I could gather from it. Ame-kun... from my conversations with Kaito Oubaihime-sama - I'm not sure you met her? - I believe... they are likely a spirit, but of a different sort. I wouldn't suppose the two stories are related... or at least I do not see how they would be, not yet."

He then looks at the Moto. "How Utaku-sama got into it, though... that might be related to that Youkai, perhaps? What have you heard of it? I must confess yesterday was the first I heard of all that..."

[Moto Mitsuki]

"The youkai story was something that happened to Murato some time ago already. I'm not sure it's truly relevant to the situation at hand honestly. It was about a youkai tricking an old man into doing terrible things against the promise of resurrecting his child. Promise that the youkai would always find a way to delay until after new atrocities.

I'm not sure I understand what happens really better, but I guess the Deer has been notified about the situation – no way they couldn't have heard about it – and they're dealing with it.

Actually might explain why Pei-Pei wasn't there this morning. Rumor has it she's a shugenja, so the kind of person that would be called for supernatural incidents."

[Suzume Senseki]

"The youkai story was something that happened to Murato some time ago already. I'm not sure it's truly relevant to the situation at hand honestly. It was about a youkai tricking an old man into doing terrible things against the promise of resurrecting his child. Promise that the youkai would always find a way to delay until after new atrocities.

I'm not sure I understand what happens really better, but I guess the Deer has been notified about the situation – no way they couldn't have heard about it – and they're dealing with it.

Actually might explain why Pei-Pei wasn't there this morning. Rumor has it she's a shugenja, so the kind of person that would be called for supernatural incidents."

The Sparrow listens to her with great attention... and also some confusion, or uncertainty. He nods at her last words, though.

"Un... I wouldn't have guessed that she is a shugenja, but it would make sense that she would be occupied by all that, then. It... is curious, though, isn't it? Seems like a number of spiritual things happened during the Miai. I wonder if it... means something?"

He keeps silent and thoughtful then, and at some point it looks as though he's about to say something else, but he holds himself back and gets back to thinking.

OOC:
Sorry for the horrible delay, I've been a bit of a mess and dropped the ball AGAIN the last few days.