Surprised this wasn't spoiled already.

Spoilers : Highlight to view.

Starts focusing on Seppun Ishikawa meeting Kaede in a tea shop in Lion lands. They reminisce a bit, Kaede expresses worries about her marriage to Toturi, about how she can't understand him, Ishikawa delivers Kaede a letter from her brother and a message from her father. We learn some about the problems facing Rokugan; it seems the water kami aren't responding, and the tsunami that affected the Crane may be a part of it. Kaede also notes the Lion lands are facing droughts. Ishikawa wants to deliver the news to the Emperor, but Kaede persuades him to hold off for a while.

Switch to Kaede's POV back at home, she goes looking for paper to respond to her brother in Toturi's study, snoops around, and finds what she thinks is his journal. She (predictably) starts reading it and (predictably) gets found by Toturi. Turns out okay, though, and they share a moment. He even brings her tea from her homeland. Toturi continues to be a pretty cool guy.

Many of us prefer to read the story before discussing it.

Krosis. I suppose I got caught up in the excitement.

1 hour ago, Swordbreaker said:

Surprised this wasn't spoiled already.

That explains why the poor shugenjas can't stop the rain from falling on the precious imperial prince...

Is there a pdf for this story somewhere?

Has someone uploaded a scan of the insert yet?

Interesting. Mantis Shugenja don't seem to be having this problem.

One might almost think it wasn't just the Emperor who's lost the Blessings of Heaven.

Perhaps the thieving Mantis stole the favour of heaven. Just like they stole Jade.

30 minutes ago, Radix2309 said:

Perhaps the thieving Mantis stole the favour of heaven. Just like they stole Jade.

Naw the kami know better. If they don't answer the prayers of the Mantis the Mantis will just hire goons to break their legs.

Never knew Toturi was such a playa!

any link to the story? The pack is not here yet

I came here to read the new story. Unfortunately, it seems it's being too ephemeral to show up.

7 hours ago, Mandalore525 said:

I came here to read the new story. Unfortunately, it seems it's being too ephemeral to show up.

Meditate harder

Just scrolled down all the topic to avoid spoilers.

So, any chance somebody has a link for the scanned story?

Such a cute story. Nice to be reminded that at the end of the day, Toturi and Kaede are simply a young man and a young woman, in love but shy and clumsy.

love is in the air

What are the two sexiest farm animals?

Brownchicken, Browncow...........

2 hours ago, Ishi Tonu said:

What are the two sexiest farm animals?

Brownchicken, Browncow...........

Damnit Tucker!

I really liked the more intimate side of Toturi and Kaede, as shown in the story.
The events that transpire at the moment are much bigger than them but they display understanding and acceptance for each other up to a sensible degree.

I love the fact that some stories would show our heroes' feelings and thoughts, just behind the Rokugani facade.

Spooky gives us another Phoenix-centered fic... and as usual, it's a good 'un.

Particularly like how even the info-dump portion about the kami being out of whack was still couched in a very human interaction.

If anyone is still looking for the fiction, ElSuave posted a link in the library thread: https://imgur.com/a/6ZdLi

Which is now updated, thanks to ElSuave.

Such a lovely tale.

Ishikawa is wrong about Toturi.

Just now, Manchu said:

Ishikawa is wrong about Toturi.

Well... he's got an axe to grind, after all. Or a torch to carry, if you prefer.

Mad props for the underpinnings of the Phoenix's secrecy getting spelled out a bit... "If the Lion realize we can't just nuke invading armies... we might have to deal with invading armies without our nukes."

Makes her marriage to Toturi that much more significant- although he doesn't strike me as the problem- and not necessarily as the solution. I mean... the only Lion we know of who's actually interested in the Tao of Shinsei, despite knowing the Lion account of that whole deal, despite having been raised in the same family as Arasou?

Toturi represents the Lion at their best, but he doesn't really seem to reflect the traits that are ascendant in the Lion at present.

Tragedy, heartache, all of these are coming...

So I'm taking a somewhat maudlin joy in these two characters getting a moment of happiness and understanding before it all goes to ****.

Toturi seems to be the best man in the Empire. So of course I am waiting for him to be betrayed, dishonored, and driven to the brink of seppuku (or even past it and not allowed to do it).

And wait till Kaede finds him with the Shosuro geisha...