Breeze blowing out smoke through a Sakura Grove, the taste of Rain
blowing out smoke through a Sakura Grove, Breeze , the taste of Rain
One of the Bureau of Secret's enforcers of Secrecy.
When a splash will not do, when furor or tumult is simply not acceptable, but the message must be sent that some knowledge is dangerous, or even more rarely, when knowledge is so damaging or fraught, that some action must be taken, but would take Jupiter away from her duties at a critical juncture, or take her away from the games of divinity, a special call is sent out to an isolated dojo in Yu-Shan, to join. It advertises in no particular way, only has one Sifu, and no students (currently).
Those with timeless perspective would remember the last time it advertised for students was when the prior sifu, a Sidereal Elder who had seen the First Age, fell ill with the Great Contagion, and through mighty magics, was enchanted to transfer his knowledge before he passed. His successor, young then, was allowed to choose some of his equipment, which differed from his predecessor. Also learning from his predecessor, he trains a singular student, although, he has outlasted five, four of which were his lovers, and truly, that is the part that is heartbreaking for this Sidereal.
How does one sidereal outlive one another, you ask? Well, one part of the equipment one is not allowed to refuse is a Gem of Immortality, the legendary hearthstone of the ochre fountain. "Only when Jupiter accepts that you may rest, may you rest, silencer." It is the only such gem known to function reliably on a Sidereal, so far.
Wearing the Black Serene Misfortune Sash (woven of cloth-of-night, and pinned with the Steel-sheened Pearl) and Tulat's Thread, none ever see the Jupiter's Chosen of Silence before it's too late. However, he's not merely an assassin (he'd be of too much interest to Saturn then), he's also sent out to protect those who would keep a secret, even with their lives.
Breeze is not altogether Sane nor well-adjusted anymore, staying in his Dojo, away from other people for extended periods, only interacting with limited numbers of people. When he does get called out to a certain tea-shop in the back-alleys behind the Forbidden Manse of Ivy, he always does so with trepidation, feeling that while he may be the best at what he does, it's not a very nice thing. Not that anyone can hear him say such, for an accident with a warstrider, before his training, made him mute. He can sign, especially with close associates. Few know that he is also blind, unable to see the visible spectrum of light in the mortal realm. In Yu-Shan, of course, such a thing doesn't matter.
One such associate, and one not really to the liking of the Bureau of Secrets, should it ever be discovered, is that Breeze's predecessor had performed a favour for Ohanlei, the goddess of tea, close to his life's end, rather early in that being's accumulations of secrets. The mysterious, always in control demeanour displayed by his successor, the current breeze, and his state of mutism, which he never explained to her, is rather alluring to her, and sometimes the goddess tries to join the sidereal for a chat, after he's received his mission, in the nondescript tea-shop where assignments occur.
She could never interrupt Jupiter's agent doing so, however, as such assignments happen outside of time, outside of fate, and in a non-space not really in Yu-Shan, not really in Creation, either. Breeze's predecessor thought it occurred in the space between a book's page as it turned. Breeze thinks it's hiding in one of three different places, alternating for each visit:the sky above Malfeas, as seen from someone whose had Orabilis lay his hand against them
the interior of a soap bubble in a spa in the cerulean lute
a magical bubble behind the mirror of Ma-Ha Suchi, in his lair near the Chante-Sa tribes
Neither can anyone see him coming and going, the only reason Ohanlei can even see him, is because he usually stops to enjoy a cup of tea before leaving, using Passage-Erasing Step. Ohanlei knows he never speaks, but he's never said that he couldn't, rather intentionally.
Should a mission be considered especially challenging, The Forgotten Blade will be brought forth from its secret hiding place and presented to Breeze, for use in the mission. A mission against a particularly dangerous plot of the Neverborn or the Raksha would be an example of such. The blade is not presented for every mission because its tendency to induce forgetfulness of the secrets might hamper the mission, or make the secrets known to other people(i.e. Nara-O, Gatekeeper of the Forbidding Manse, Lord of Secrets Untold, who is however cleared for such, as the head of the bureau of secrets.) However, while Nara-O is the only one known to have such powers, there could be others, so precautions are still taken.
'So you knew?' Nara-O signed to Breeze, the signs coming with the ease of long practice.
'I knew, I know many things, Lord-Director.'
'And you told him?'
'I knew It wasn't official business, she's not one of us.'
'You are impertinent, and insubordinate.'
'There's only one of me, and you putting me into stasis for so long, there's nothing heaven can do that would faze me.'
'And if we gave you to hell?'
'I'd be reunited with some folks.'
'You are impertinent, insubordinate and over-confident.'
'I am who I am, I was that before you chose me. I thought you had a mission?'
"No, just making sure things are as they should."
'I thought you had to come as the other person, to do that.'
"I appear as The concierge to anyone watching us now, my little secret." He tittered.
'Even though I know you as The maitre'd , I guess that's some protection. Listen, we both know I'm not the one you send for this mission when it's desperate, I'm the one you send to minimize collateral damage, why bother, this time?'
The god of secrets known by only one person made the sign for a secret, singular, and said nothing.
Breeze knew that either meant it came from on high, or he was expected to think it did. He, and the rest of the convention, if he was being honest, was getting better at telling these shades of half thruths, but it was hard to get much, just from a sign, even with body language. And his superior was deliberately being terse, ever since they'd started finding out more through such clues, which was no accident.
'With a writing brush is working?'
"No, he's resting. His illness resurfaced."
'My wishes to him and his family.' The signs came like a flurry now, Breeze hadn't signed this much in a while, and by engaging in longer conversations, he was discovering he wanted to have longer, meaningful ones, not short 'how's the weather' ones. Sadly, this wordless language he used hadn't been used commonly for a long time, and his visitor was likely the only signer of it for a direction.
"I am visiting him next."
'I cannot be of greater concern, truly?'
"Equal concern, your scars are both internal and external, just like his."
'Surely, your spy makes sure I am healthy?'
"Equilibrium of a Soap Bubble is not my spy, and her care for you is genuine, if her way of showing it is misguided."
When a splash will not do, when furor or tumult is simply not acceptable, but the message must be sent that some knowledge is dangerous, or even more rarely, when knowledge is so damaging or fraught, that some action must be taken, but would take Jupiter away from her duties at a critical juncture, or take her away from the games of divinity, a special call is sent out to an isolated dojo in Yu-Shan, to join. It advertises in no particular way, only has one Sifu, and no students (currently).
Those with timeless perspective would remember the last time it advertised for students was when the prior sifu, a Sidereal Elder who had seen the First Age, fell ill with the Great Contagion, and through mighty magics, was enchanted to transfer his knowledge before he passed. His successor, young then, was allowed to choose some of his equipment, which differed from his predecessor. Also learning from his predecessor, he trains a singular student, although, he has outlasted five, four of which were his lovers, and truly, that is the part that is heartbreaking for this Sidereal.
How does one sidereal outlive one another, you ask? Well, one part of the equipment one is not allowed to refuse is a Gem of Immortality, the legendary hearthstone of the ochre fountain. "Only when Jupiter accepts that you may rest, may you rest, silencer." It is the only such gem known to function reliably on a Sidereal, so far.
Wearing the Black Serene Misfortune Sash (woven of cloth-of-night, and pinned with the Steel-sheened Pearl) and Tulat's Thread, none ever see the Jupiter's Chosen of Silence before it's too late. However, he's not merely an assassin (he'd be of too much interest to Saturn then), he's also sent out to protect those who would keep a secret, even with their lives.
Breeze is not altogether Sane nor well-adjusted anymore, staying in his Dojo, away from other people for extended periods, only interacting with limited numbers of people. When he does get called out to a certain tea-shop in the back-alleys behind the Forbidden Manse of Ivy, he always does so with trepidation, feeling that while he may be the best at what he does, it's not a very nice thing. Not that anyone can hear him say such, for an accident with a warstrider, before his training, made him mute. He can sign, especially with close associates. Few know that he is also blind, unable to see the visible spectrum of light in the mortal realm. In Yu-Shan, of course, such a thing doesn't matter.
One such associate, and one not really to the liking of the Bureau of Secrets, should it ever be discovered, is that Breeze's predecessor had performed a favour for Ohanlei, the goddess of tea, close to his life's end, rather early in that being's accumulations of secrets. The mysterious, always in control demeanour displayed by his successor, the current breeze, and his state of mutism, which he never explained to her, is rather alluring to her, and sometimes the goddess tries to join the sidereal for a chat, after he's received his mission, in the nondescript tea-shop where assignments occur.
She could never interrupt Jupiter's agent doing so, however, as such assignments happen outside of time, outside of fate, and in a non-space not really in Yu-Shan, not really in Creation, either. Breeze's predecessor thought it occurred in the space between a book's page as it turned. Breeze thinks it's hiding in one of three different places, alternating for each visit:
Neither can anyone see him coming and going, the only reason Ohanlei can even see him, is because he usually stops to enjoy a cup of tea before leaving, using Passage-Erasing Step. Ohanlei knows he never speaks, but he's never said that he couldn't, rather intentionally.
Should a mission be considered especially challenging, The Forgotten Blade will be brought forth from its secret hiding place and presented to Breeze, for use in the mission. A mission against a particularly dangerous plot of the Neverborn or the Raksha would be an example of such. The blade is not presented for every mission because its tendency to induce forgetfulness of the secrets might hamper the mission, or make the secrets known to other people(i.e. Nara-O, Gatekeeper of the Forbidding Manse, Lord of Secrets Untold, who is however cleared for such, as the head of the bureau of secrets.) However, while Nara-O is the only one known to have such powers, there could be others, so precautions are still taken.
'So you knew?' Nara-O signed to Breeze, the signs coming with the ease of long practice.
'I knew, I know many things, Lord-Director.'
'And you told him?'
'I knew It wasn't official business, she's not one of us.'
'You are impertinent, and insubordinate.'
'There's only one of me, and you putting me into stasis for so long, there's nothing heaven can do that would faze me.'
'And if we gave you to hell?'
'I'd be reunited with some folks.'
'You are impertinent, insubordinate and over-confident.'
'I am who I am, I was that before you chose me. I thought you had a mission?'
"No, just making sure things are as they should."
'I thought you had to come as the other person, to do that.'
"I appear as The concierge to anyone watching us now, my little secret." He tittered.
'Even though I know you as The maitre'd , I guess that's some protection. Listen, we both know I'm not the one you send for this mission when it's desperate, I'm the one you send to minimize collateral damage, why bother, this time?'
The god of secrets known by only one person made the sign for a secret, singular, and said nothing.
Breeze knew that either meant it came from on high, or he was expected to think it did. He, and the rest of the convention, if he was being honest, was getting better at telling these shades of half thruths, but it was hard to get much, just from a sign, even with body language. And his superior was deliberately being terse, ever since they'd started finding out more through such clues, which was no accident.
'With a writing brush is working?'
"No, he's resting. His illness resurfaced."
'My wishes to him and his family.' The signs came like a flurry now, Breeze hadn't signed this much in a while, and by engaging in longer conversations, he was discovering he wanted to have longer, meaningful ones, not short 'how's the weather' ones. Sadly, this wordless language he used hadn't been used commonly for a long time, and his visitor was likely the only signer of it for a direction.
"I am visiting him next."
'I cannot be of greater concern, truly?'
"Equal concern, your scars are both internal and external, just like his."
'Surely, your spy makes sure I am healthy?'
"Equilibrium of a Soap Bubble is not my spy, and her care for you is genuine, if her way of showing it is misguided."
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