Remove ads

Onmyodo Monogatari (Japanese Heian-era fantasy)

Reader mode
[x]: I just give her a little bit more attention than before; I don't want things to get too wierd between me, tomiko, and the others.
[X]: Yes; I go to the temple and light incense and say a prayer of thanks.
[X]: I ask my father to tell me when it's been found, so i can light incense in front of it as a small offering.
 
Nevill said:
Not too rare, it seems, as this passage repeats the one from the last week almost word for word. :whistle:
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Man are there eggs on my face. I only thought i'd had Jun give you the proud of you speech on your parents behalf.
Adhoc vote count started by Magnusth on Apr 2, 2019 at 9:43 AM, finished with 9 posts and 8 votes.
Click to expand...
 
[x]: I just give her a little bit more attention than before; I don't want things to get too wierd between me, tomiko, and the others.
[X]: Yes! I go to the temple and make the best offering i can.
[X]: I ask my father to let me help in finding it.
 
[X] Ask father if attacks like that happen often.
[x]: I just give her a little bit more attention than before; I don't want things to get too wierd between me, tomiko, and the others.
[X]: Yes! I go to the temple and make the best offering i can.
[X]: I ask my father to let me help in finding it.
 
[x]: I just give her a little bit more attention than before; I don't want things to get too wierd between me, tomiko, and the others.
[X]: Yes! I go to the temple and make the best offering i can.
[X]: I ask my father to let me help in finding it.
 
[X]: Write some more poetry, but not spend all my time with her - that might well be seen as rude or inappropriate.
[X]: Yes! I go to the temple and make the best offering i can.
[X]: I ask my father to tell me when it's been found, so I can light incense in front of it as a small offering.
[X]: I ask my father to let me help in finding it.
 
[X]: Write some more poetry, but not spend all my time with her - that might well be seen as rude or inappropriate.
[X]: Yes; I go to the temple and light incense and say a prayer of thanks.
[X]: I ask my father to tell me when it's been found, so I can light incense in front of it as a small offering.
 
[x]: I just give her a little bit more attention than before; I don't want things to get too weird between me, Tomiko, and the others.

[X]: Yes; I go to the temple and light incense and say a prayer of thanks.

[X]: I ask my father to let me help in finding it.
 
[X]: Write some more poetry, but not spend all my time with her - that might well be seen as rude or inappropriate.

Was tempted to spend more time with Tomiko but was concerned it might not be appropriate due to their surroundings. They're children of status in the imperial court.

[X]: Yes! I go to the temple and make the best offering i can.

Damn right we're gonna show our gratitude to Fudo Myo-o for saving our bacon.

[X]: I ask my father to let me help in finding it.

Definitely want to follow up on the carriage. Torn between this and the option to make an offering.
 
Last edited:
Wizard_Marshall said:
Was tempted to spend more time with Tomiko but was concerned it might not be appropriate due to their surroundings. They're children of status in the imperial court.

Definitely want to follow up on the carriage. Torn between this and the option to make an offering.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
As a reminder, you can, in fact, just vote for multiple things for each question!
Adhoc vote count started by Magnusth on Apr 4, 2019 at 6:43 PM, finished with 13 posts and 11 votes.
Click to expand...
 
For the record, i am updating, but it's taking a while because i have papers due soon and other writing projects that i've been paid for.
 
veekie said:
[X] Ask father if attacks like that happen often.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Nearly missed this! Please don't ask questions as votes, just bold them so I notice. Also, I am working on the update! just did a good stretch on the exam paper I'm working on, so I should be able to update soonish.

"Not often," your father replies. "But it varies. In times of great distress, or when people grow corrupt, or when careless onmyoji summon demons and then let them loose, it happens more frequently. When people are pious, when there is order and peace in the country, and when we act with care and consideration, it happens less. Fortunately, such attacks have been rare as of late in the capital, at least so close to the palace."
 
Remove ads
The Sixteenth
  • Threadmarks
    • "Father," you ask. "Can I help search for the carriage-creature? I would like to thank it for its aid."
    Your father considers this for a moment. "Not… yet, no. It would be unseemly for the bureau to be aided by a child. If you were a few years older, perhaps. I will, however, notify you when it is found so that you can give your respect."
    You nod, and that is that for the conversation; the rest of the day you spend lounging about, writing poetry, and eating plenty of sweets and pastries.

    You spend the next few days enjoying the time off. The day after your conversation with your father, you have your minder bring you to a Buddhist temple, where you light incense, kneel and pray. Nothing else happens, but the chants of the monks are soothing and calming, and the whole place has a… calm, a spiritual presence, and you enjoy the time you spend there.

    Once you return, you play in the gardens with the other kids again, and it's wonderful to see them again and just play in the gardens.
    They clearly know that something has happened, and you see Tomiko and Aiko exchange knowing smiles. You play with them all, and enjoy just being able to enjoy time with your friends. There is a bit of tension in the air, a bit of awkwardness between you and Tomiko, and the others sense it, but you make sure to give her a few smiles. Later on, towards the late afternoon, you sit with her for a little while to do poetry, though it doesn't last long. The next few days happen much the same, though the tension slowly dissipates. At several points, Aiko invites the others for three-person games, 'accidentally' leaving you a Tomiko to sit by yourself and to poetry, which means you end up spending more time than you'd planned with her.
    Hm.

    One of the days, you to visit Tsuzura at the lake, and she throws her arms around you in a tight embrace, stunning you for a moment - such things are… improper, faar too personal, but she doesn't seem to notice. She hugs you tight and lets you go.
    "I'm so happy you're okay!" she exclaims. "If only I'd…" she continues, but stops herself. "Nevermind. I'm so glad you're okay!"
    You smile and nod. "I'm glad I'm okay, too," you say, with a small laugh, still reeling from the hug.
    She laughs with you, and you spend the rest of the day with her by the pond, talking, playing, and telling stories.

    The day after that, you receive a letter from your father, that the carriage has been found, menacing some travelers on the road, and you go to the onmyodo bureau, where it is held in the courtyard. It seems to have… settled down? Or been put to rest, perhaps? In any case, the spirit is sleeping, dormant. Encouraged by your father's hand on your back, you go and kneel in front of it, and light incense to thank it.
    At that, the whole carriage moves, and turns, and the face appears on the outside wall. Around the courtyard, guards and officials jump in surprise.
    Your father comes over and touches it, however, and it nearly immediately falls dormant again.
    "Hm. It seems you have some rapport with this carriage. Interesting. However, I have work to do, now, so I shall see you tomorrow, son." That's… a bit more abrupt than usual, but you nod and head home.

    It's the day after that you start up your education again. You do Chinese and the reading of the sutras inside, and poetry for a while in the garden, sneaking a smile at Tomiko when you can, to Jun-dono's disapproval. Afterward, you go to your father's house as usual.

    When you arrive, however, instead of leading you into the reading room, the servant leads you around, to a small garden with a pond behind it; your father is sitting by the pond in his robes, and you join him.
    "I think the time has come for you to start learning new things," he says. "The skills and talent you showed in communicating with and controlling the carriage tells me that you are ready to learn about Shikigami."
    Shikigami. You know that word; servant spirits, helpers, and much more.
    "Shikigami is a broad term," your father continues. "Covering many ways of interacting with spirits, of bidding them to do your will. The simplest are the shikigami of things, whose spiritual energy is easy to raise and use." He picks up a blade of grass from the lawn. "Even the smallest things, however, can be deadly when misused." He makes a symbol with his hand over the blade of grass and tosses it; it zooms through the air with remarkable speed and crushes a frog on the bank of the pond. Not just lands on, but caves in its skull and body.
    "That," your father says with a small pause. "Could have been your hand. Or had it been anything but a blade of grass, your head. For this reason, you will only practice these skills I am about to teach you while directly supervised. When you have shown care and skill, you may be allowed to use small paper dolls on your own."

    With that, another subject is added to your already considerable education. In addition to mantras, paper talismans, divination, astrology, knowledge of strange omens and rituals of purification and banishment, you also begin studying the use of such simple shikigami with your father for about two hours a week, in the form of small, folded paper dolls. Otherwise, your life progresses much as it did before. You slowly progress, under the careful guidance of your father and Kamo no Hatsuo become better at mantras, at the sutras, divination, and ritual, and you slowly begin to understand how to draw energy out of objects to use them as shikigami.

    At other times, you play with your friends, though such time becomes more and more scarce as both you and they have educations they must fulfill. Oftentimes, you see Tomiko and Aiko exchange glances before Aiko distracts Junpei and Toichi and give you and Tomiko extra time together; often you write each other poems before you each go home by the evening, and then have replies ready in the morning.

    Soon, midsummer approaches, and with it, the midsummer Gion Festival. Along with it, several different events happen, and you help your father with several important rituals during the festival season. And besides that, there are also some friendly contests and games played of many different kinds. Among others, plenty of poetry contests.
    It's early in the day, and you are hanging out with your friends. Junpei wants to go watch the adults play Go, or perhaps go play some himself; Tomiko wants to go do some poetry in one of the poetry competitions, Aiko wants to play Kemari or write poetry.

    What do you go do?
    [ ]: I go to the Seimei shrine, where my father is, where there is really good tea, and I can also chat with the old priest there who helps me understand education. Perhaps Tomiko, Junpei or Aiko would also enjoy it there?
    [ ]: I go to the poetry competition at the imperial palace. There's also a smaller competition for children, too, where I hope to win!
    [ ]: I go to the poetry exhibition! I just want to exhibit my poetry, I don't want to win anything!
    [ ]: I ask my mother to take me to the poetry competition she'll be in, so I can watch the best poets of the age - including my mother! - do poetry!
    [ ]: I ask my mother to take me and Tomiko to the poetry competition she'll be in!
    [ ]: I go watch Go with Junpei, or watch him play if he decides to.
    [ ]: I go to the imperial palace's Kemari event and play Kemari with Aiko and whoever else joins.
    [ ]: I don't want any of this! I go find Tsuzura and have fun with her.
    [ ]: Something else! Write in!

    Questions with your parents, minders, and friends are open; also with Kamo no Hatsuo and the priest at the Seimei shrine who helps you now and then.
    Adhoc vote count started by Magnusth on Apr 12, 2019 at 8:42 PM, finished with 9 posts and 8 votes.
    • [X]: I ask my mother to take me and Tomiko to the poetry competition she'll be in!
      [X]: I don't want any of this! I go find Tsuzura and have fun with her.
      [x]: I go to the poetry competition at the imperial palace. There's also a smaller competition for children, too, where I hope to win!
      [X]: I go to the Seimei shrine, where my father is, where there is really good tea, and I can also chat with the old priest there who helps me understand education. Perhaps Tomiko, Junpei or Aiko would also enjoy it there?
      [x]: I go to the imperial palace's Kemari event and play Kemari with Aiko and whoever else joins
    Click to expand...

    Adhoc vote count started by Magnusth on Apr 13, 2019 at 6:47 PM, finished with 12 posts and 11 votes.
    • [X]: I ask my mother to take me and Tomiko to the poetry competition she'll be in!
      [X]: I go to the Seimei shrine, where my father is, where there is really good tea, and I can also chat with the old priest there who helps me understand education. Perhaps Tomiko, Junpei or Aiko would also enjoy it there?
      [x]: I go to the poetry competition at the imperial palace. There's also a smaller competition for children, too, where I hope to win!
      [X]: I don't want any of this! I go find Tsuzura and have fun with her.
      [x]: I go to the imperial palace's Kemari event and play Kemari with Aiko and whoever else joins
    Click to expand...
     
  • Threadmarks
    • [X]: I don't want any of this! I go find Tsuzura and have fun with her.
     
    [x]: I go to the poetry competition at the imperial palace. There's also a smaller competition for children, too, where I hope to win!
     
    Last edited:
    [X]: I don't want any of this! I go find Tsuzura and have fun with her.
    [X]: I ask my mother to take me and Tomiko to the poetry competition she'll be in!

    Well, the last time there was a festival her company would have ended up pretty useful. Joking about festival traumas aside, I'm up for some time with Tsuzura. Viiting the poetry competition with Tomiko also sounds nice, though Tomiko already does have a wingwoman freeing some extra time up for her. (Nice touch, by the way.)
     
    Last edited:
    [x]: I go to the poetry competition at the imperial palace. There's also a smaller competition for children, too, where I hope to win!
    [x]: I go to the imperial palace's Kemari event and play Kemari with Aiko and whoever else joins
     
    [X]: I go to the Seimei shrine, where my father is, where there is really good tea, and I can also chat with the old priest there who helps me understand education. Perhaps Tomiko, Junpei or Aiko would also enjoy it there?
     
    [X]: I go to the Seimei shrine, where my father is, where there is really good tea, and I can also chat with the old priest there who helps me understand education. Perhaps Tomiko, Junpei or Aiko would also enjoy it there?
     
    [X]: I go to the Seimei shrine, where my father is, where there is really good tea, and I can also chat with the old priest there who helps me understand education. Perhaps Tomiko, Junpei or Aiko would also enjoy it there?
     
    [X]: I go to the Seimei shrine, where my father is, where there is really good tea, and I can also chat with the old priest there who helps me understand education. Perhaps Tomiko, Junpei or Aiko would also enjoy it there?
     
    [X]: I ask my mother to take me and Tomiko to the poetry competition she'll be in!
    [X]: I go to the poetry competition at the imperial palace. There's also a smaller competition for children, too, where I hope to win!

    We had an adventure with the supernatural side of the setting, so let's balance that with some exploration of the cultural side of the setting. And passing up the opportunity to see some of the finest poets in Japanese history, including the protagonist's own mother, would be a bit of a shame.
     
    Reader mode
    You must login or register to reply here.
    Remove ads
    Back
    Top