Whiskey and Fireflies [IO]

“Are Tengu the ones with the nose or the ones with the mane and tentacles?” Yasahiro shrugged, folklore was not really his forte. “I can never remember.”

Now was the time to attack the second quadrant. Without skipping a beat between his cousin's turn and his own, the exile placed what he believed would be the decisive piece down. It cut off Asahi from cordoning off a good portion of the board in his favor and, in the same move, provided Yasahiro with a good portion of the board to himself. Oh, and then there was the matter of it being the last piece to be played; the game was over, but it was not immediately clear who had won. The older of the cousins, much to his eternal chagrin, had been behind much of the game and this final gambit was needed to bring him back into something nearing contention—it was a close game any way you sliced it.

"Well, I'm beat," he said, taking one final sip of whiskey he stood up shakily from the board. "Let's count them in the morning, I don't have to be at work until later in the day."

Without another word, he set about winding down for the day. The lanterns were snuffed out, what remained of the whiskey went back under the floorboards, and Yasahiro soon found himself back in his hammock. Frankly, the whole set up was not the most comfortable thing in the world, but it was better than sleeping on the ground and subjecting oneself to snakes, bugs, and who knew what. Yes, not having to deal with the potential of encountering something less-than-savory on the ground was well worth the small bit of discomfort he had to endure while sleeping in the hammock.

"Night."

Sleep soon overtook the samurai, and the last conscious thought in his mind rested on the fireflies that continued to blink in and out of existence all around the cousins as they slept—how pretty and precious they were, so unaware of the world around them.

[Exit]
---
TWC: 2503
+25 speed
2500/2500 for A-rank of Sacred Spear
3/1000 for Hidden Arms

Flapping his arms Asahi would smile, “they are the ones that look like birds”. He’d smile and watch his cousins next move.  A frown moved over his rosy cheeks.  A quick mental math did not come up on the side he’d been hoping for, but thanks to the whiskey the lines where a bit fuzzy.  So he thought, perhaps in the light of day it would look better.  Letting out a heavy sigh he’d drop his chin to his chest.  “Yea, yea, sounds good.”  

He hated to loose, but in the games of strategy such as Go and Shogi he rarely was able to seal the victory against Yasahiro.  They were always close, but it could not be argued that Yasahiro had the edge in taking the kill.  

“Good night!”  Asahi would say in return to his cousins dismissal.  He’d watch the man snuff the lanterns, and finally crawl into his shoddily made hammock.  Walking near his mat, he took up a specific place.  The small tin of coins in front of him, he’d clap his hands twice and bow.  The kami could be found in all sorts of places, not just the temple.  A lesson from grandma Yagami.  He wasn’t sure what kami would hear his prayer through the darkness of the swamp, but he was certain it would hear it nonetheless.  

Despite the alcohol he managed the prayer with steady hands and legs.  A final clap and bow, then a flop onto his mat.  Rubbing his elbow he pulled up some covers, the floor being harder than was floppable.  He trusted his safety in his prayers, and thus slept calmly on the ground.  Trusting what happened would not harm him.  Looking at the sleeping shadow he watched, but as he watched no spirits seemed to rise.  Just a gentle flotilla of fireflies around his cousin.  As his eyes grew heavy a thought in beckoned crossed his mind, as the realm of dreams overtook the real one......there cannot be darkness, without the light.  His eyes grew heavier, a calmness because of the light, but as the final strands of the real world fell away, and the light of the fireflies danced, a pair or yellow eyes peaked into the cabin, a familier sensation.  Still, he was calm, for there wouldn’t be the darkness, without the light.


/exit/
—————

TWC - 3755

+30 chakra
+3 speed
+3 strength
+1 vigor

Minds Eye 2500
Mark Seal 250
Mark Tracking 1000

For a total of 3750

Approved