You have a message to deliver

[kingandy]

Maelstrom was good. Yes, the Anaguma delegation was wiped out, but after two attacks by the massed Malathian hordes (last event and this) they'd still only taken down about half of the not particularly enormous group. In the end the Kamakurans had to take matters into their own hands and mount a suicidal death charge or we never would have got anywhere.

Lord Fizwarren said, "We are win."
Bahadhu replied, "What is win?"


The whole affair was quite moving; Wandering Blossom was in floods of tears as his gardeners spoke calmly of reclaiming their honour, of once again educating the Malathians in how war is properly conducted. I'd like to say that it was purely roleplaying, because he is an uncomplicated person who will tell you when he feels strongly about something, but it was a culmination of things that had genuinely moved me, starting with the dryads banding around to rescue Blossom from the attack, which was very touching. (Due to my general mindset, my basic assumption is that people have neither noticed nor remembered me. Thus, the little shocked whispers that I heard rippling through the crowd as I was carried out really got to me.) I think there were three things that really set me off though, and still make my eyes wet whan I think of them:

1. The Kamakurans in hiding expressing, clearly and simply, that they did not want Blossom to join them. (Or maybe they just didn't want him to feel compelled to join them. But the way in which it was said made it clear to Blossom, at least. I had totally decided to go with them until then, honest.)
2. Daimyo Ishikuro handing Blossom her fans. Because he wouldn't be able to give them back to her. (I suppose, in retrospect, it could be interpreted to be declaring Blossom her successor, but that would be very hard to enforce and anyway he wouldn't/didn't think of it.)
3. Six words, innocuous by themselves, steeped in meaning and context for a certain Tritoni gentlecat of my acquaintance. It's something I've wanted to do for a while, and also very Kamakuran. The right words in the right place; no more than are needed. You have a message to deliver. Heartbreaking.

I spent a good while dithering over whether to continue to play Blossom or not, trying to ignore my OOC concerns (the makeup is damned annoying, but O! the time and money invested so far) and concentrate on whether (a) the character would be fun without the Anaguma to hang around with and (b) what Blossom himself would do. There could be a case made for him to wash his hands of mortal affairs and vanish into the woods, but conversely he had been commanded to set an example to the other dryads. Eventually I decided to give it a go for the last day of the event, and I'm glad I did, what with one thing and another. I think I will keep on with him for the time being.

Finally, the first of the event pictures is in, and it's a good one.

WB: Reckonings A lovely photo of Wandering Blossom (blossoming) courtesy of Mr kneeshooter. It's just a shame about the frizzy hair and the slightly rubbed-off makeup... I don't mind being stalked if I get such good photography out of it.

Comments

[invisible-al.livejournal.com]

You were great, that tense bit in the back of the tent was damm fine :).

[wulfboy.livejournal.com]

Lord Fizwarren said, "We are win."
Bahadhu replied, "What is win?"

That is a very good epitaph. Very good indeed. Hmmmm. I hope I still remember it next event.

I don't really have the right I know but I got a bit teary - I was in the empty Kamakuran encampment with stuff here and there. It was ... touching.

[kingandy]

It's an homage to one of the few scrolls of Bahadhu that I remember, the one where he picks apart all of Lord Mountain's decrees in a similar vein.

The other one I remember is the one about carrying a woman across a stream, for no particular reason.