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Hanabira Kaze - A Story of a Flower in Bloom - Printable Version

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+--- Thread: Hanabira Kaze - A Story of a Flower in Bloom (/showthread.php?tid=129459)

Hanabira Kaze - A Story of a Flower in Bloom - Hana Ken - 05-16-2015

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The screen flickers to life showing a dimly lit, small room. In focus are a small table, a cushion on the floor, a bottle of sake and two cups. A woman walks into view and sits down facing the camera; a stern and melancholy expression on her face. She looks middle aged, around 40-something, and bares the newfound wrinkles of her years. The sleeves of her flight suit are rolled up, revealing a brand of a flower on her left wrist. Her hair is tied back into a neat ponytail, revealing scars on her neck and cheeks. Pouring sake into the two cups, she pushes one towards the camera.

“Konbanwa. I am of the Sisterhood of Dreams, you may call me Hana Ken. It is preferable.” Pausing to take a sip of Sake, a look of pain and regret plays across her face. “I am sharing this so that others may follow in my footsteps, and join with me in the light of the Matriarch.” A gentle smile crosses her face, as she briefly touches her temples with her hands in a posture reminiscent of old Kusarian meditation rituals.

“You will find the other parts of this recording hidden in the flight-recordings of your vessel… to find them, ponder upon this prose given to us by Matsuda herself.
In the Shibazakura field, there was a single Ajisai. Cherish it, the gardener said. It makes the field worthwhile to see.”

Bowing briefly, the video cuts to black.


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RE: Hanabira Kaze - A Story of Flowers in Bloom - Hana Ken - 05-16-2015

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“I’m pleased you have found this recording. There is yet hope that the corruption may be purged...” A gentle yet sinister smile creeps onto her face for a brief moment. “It is time to tell you the origins of the Sisterhood of Dreams…” She takes a gulp of Sake before continuing.


“I had flown to Tau-37 to meet with the Kaigun Daii of the 343 – Aramaki Hideo. It had come to the Sisterhood’s attention that one of our operatives had ceased communications with us, and it was suspected she was seeking refuge with those Exiled from the war with Gallia. It had been extremely difficult getting hold of Aramaki, yet he was honourable enough to accept a non-hostile meeting on neutral ground. The details I shall not share, they do not concern you… yet they set the scene.”

“To one’s pleasant surprise the |+|-Alacrita arrives to the scene demanding to know of the purpose of our presence.” A wide smile plays across her face, lingering for longer than a moment. “The honourable Teniente of the Crimson Cross, Tomasu-san, engaged in conversation with us despite our allegiances; keen to learn the diplomatic stances of the Exiles.” Hana reaches down below the table, producing a Cardamine breather and places it on the table. Her eyes dilate and an excited tone creeps into her voice.

“He told us of the Orange Dream… The philosophy and tenants of his Order. The nature and purpose of Cardamine. How it was created by the Daam K’vosh and left on Malta for humanity to find. How those of his order could communicate with…them… It was common knowledge within the Sisterhood of its genetic altering effects, but the idea that it was bringing us closer to an Alien race was…new and fascinating.” The woman pauses for a moment, looking thoughtfully past the camera.

“It struck me in that moment. I had been taking Cardamine as much as an Outcast of my age. I have withered, suffered and been enhanced through the substances effects. I had spent time on Malta, and become accustomed to life with it. Enquiring Tomasu-san about further lines of inquiry, and whether my Cardamine usage would he directed me to Skorba Vale on Malta. At the conclusion of our meeting, I headed straight to Malta to find out what I could.” Hana closes her eyes, pausing for more than a few minutes. A strained and tired expression exaggerates the scars on her skin. Taking a deep breath, she looks back to the Camera.

“It was in Malta’s orbit that I met Inquisitor Erikasaria Espinosa. After a pleasant conversation, and recalling to her the events with Tomasu-san, Erika-san honoured me with access to Skorba Vale as well as the potential to encounter one of the ‘Great Spirits’. My… curiosity… drove me to accept. I docked at Malta, and proceeded to Skorba Vale to find out more…”

The woman picks up a book, the cover titled ‘Golden Chrysanthemum in Bloom’. She opens to a particular page, and with an exaggerated flourish reads from its pages. “Walking a path, through snow and sun. Where questions rule and answers lie asundered, there is a bridge yet crossed. A bridge to enlightenment.” She places the book down, and stares towards the camera. “Until next time.”

She bows to the camera as the feed fades to black.

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Event Logs:
[+]Spoiler


RE: Hanabira Kaze - A Story of Flowers in Bloom - Hana Ken - 05-16-2015

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The camera refocuses onto the sitting form of Hana. She stares through the camera, her face full of thought and concentration. A strand of hair was blowing across her face. Five minutes pass, then she bolts upright with a look as if she had just woken up from a dream. She quickly breaks into a gentle smile. “Ii desu. I’m sure you’d wish to know more.” She straightens herself to face you, pouring another cup of Sake before speaking.

“On Malta, in the Skorba Vale, I learnt much about the teachings of the Crimson Cross. They showed me texts, rituals, even detailed analyses of the Orange grass. They taught me of the Orange Dream, where Sirius transcend there current state of being into something more. Closer to the Precursors, closer to… the Nomads. It was whilst discussing this theory that I had an epiphany.” She sips some Sake, looking deep into the cup in thought as she prepared her words.

“Perhaps what Matsuda meant by Matriarchy was not literal, where an Empress would rule over Kusari. Matsuda speaks of an Empress, yet throughout the text she may be seen as representing a new way of thinking – a change in paradigm. Characters change around her, and as they do, so Yomi grows around them. Matsuda’s writing, perhaps the whole of Golden Chrysanthemum in Bloom, is a metaphor. A metaphor for a transcendence beyond what we currently are. Beyond our corrupted minds and beyond our corrupted bodies, into a state of harmony with each other."

"The Matriarchy is not a person. Yes, an empress would be necessary to begin the cascade of transcendence throughout Kusari, but ultimately she would be but a physical manifestation of a new epoch for humanity… where collective thought between people; a considerate, mutual, protecting Matriarch resides in us all. Thus is the core tenet, the foundation, of the Sisterhood of Dreams!" The woman, a face full of excitement and wonder with eyes burning with passion, takes a few deep breathes and calms herself before continuing.

"I spent a long time meditating on that thought. A time spent among Crimson Scholars, and ancient texts. There is a link between Nomads. Those of the Cross know it as ‘the mind-share’. It is strikingly similar to Matsuda’s teachings… as I've come to understand them. I must seek out a way to experience this mind-share… it may lead to the understanding or transcendence of the Matriarchy I seek."

Hana gently smiles towards the Camera, before taking a deep breathe and closing her eyes. “Young Blossoms lean towards the sun, as do paths wind towards ones destiny.”

The video fades to black.

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RE: Hanabira Kaze - A Story of a Flower in Bloom - Hana Ken - 05-17-2015

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The screen of the comms panel lights up; revealing a new scene. The room has stone-chiselled walls, as if it were hewn from the inside of a cave, and is lit by candles spread around the figure sitting in the middle of the camera’s view. Her hands tremble as she attempts to pour sake into a cup, and presents it to you. Her own cup lays on its side, contents running across the rough floor. As she begins speaking, there is hesitation and fear in her tone.

“I…I’ve spoken to them. The…aliens.” Her head slowly turns to the camera, a forced smile on her face. “I was returning to Malta after an operation in Kusari space, and it was there. I told Enma; my aide, no - my friend, to return to Malta to avoid harm coming to her. I…prepared myself for the worst, and transmitted communications.”

“The experience of communicating with this being is… indescribable. Words escape me, for the dialogue was not in words. We became… one. One with each other’s minds, one with each other’s light…” Hana visible shivers, pausing to ponder on how to continue. “The experience has reinforced my belief that Matsuda’s teaching were in fact referring to a shared consciousness, and not of a physical empress. Harmony, peace, love… it is achievable once the soul is purged and the mind is shared…”

The woman stretches her arm out to pour some sake for herself, yet her shaking makes the task impossible, spilling more onto the floor until it forms a river pooling at her feet. Frowning, and with confusion in her eyes, she continues. “They believe humanity is unredeemable. They believe that the only solution is to extinguish human life itself… I…How can I…bring myself to believe that? We must be redeemable, I have seen hope and love and understanding in humanity… We can change. We must change. The corruption must not continue, harmony must be found.” A tone of conviction and determination slips into her words, and the shaking calms.

“I must speak to the scholars of the Crimson Cross once more. How can their teachings coincide with such genocidal goals? Perhaps… I must speak with more of the alien. I do not fully understand the experience… I yearn to feel more of this ‘mind-share’ state if I am to seek a parallel within humanity.”

“An Ajisai falters in winter, cold and fragile. Petals fall and roots shrivel. Yet next summer, the Ajisai shall grow anew…”

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Event Logs:
[+]Spoiler


RE: Hanabira Kaze - A Story of a Flower in Bloom - Hana Ken - 05-19-2015

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Hana sits in a meditative position in the middle of a room, eyes closed and hands clasped in her lap. Two cups of sake have already been poured and presented, on a table commonly found in Kusarian Military Quarters. The room is lit by candlelight, their flame reflected by metallic walls. She speaks in a clear, confident voice.

“Matsuda’s word have never been clearer. To unite ourselves in body, in spirit AND in mind. The harmony of which she speaks, the unity of action and the oneness with the universe… she preaches of a shared consciousness! The Matriarchy, a state of being where our oneness brings an end to our parasitic destruction.”

She opens her eyes, looking directly to the camera with a piercing, passionate stare. She reached down for the cup of sake and bring it close to her. “The Alien visits once more to converse. They are a role model for what humanity must become! The harmony of their thought, the unity of their being. It is… admirable. They share their insight and it is enlightening. There must be a way we as a species can change, it shall and must be found; ‘For both kin’”… Others exist who have trodden the path towards Oneness. They shall be sought out, for the paths they took may hold a key to opening a link of consciousness with others.”

Finally taking a sip from the cup, she pauses for a moment or two, seemingly lost in thought. “I must be careful. There are those who would seek to stop our enlightenment for their own individualist gains… or out of fear of becoming part of the Matriarchy. I shall tread lightly.”

The Chrysanthemum bud seeks out the light, so that it may bloom in the warmth of serenity.

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[+]Spoiler


RE: Hanabira Kaze - A Story of a Flower in Bloom - Hana Ken - 05-21-2015

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Hana looks towards the camera with a tired face. Her face is illuminated through the cockpit by the unmistakable gas clouds of Sigma 19. Her skin is pale, turning a cyan shade from the hues of the Hiryu cloud. Removing the breather from her face, scars on her left jawline catch the light. She talks in a calm, melodic fashion.

“Omicron Alpha. Usually peaceful, calm… the scene of which quite the eventful encounter. Upon entering the system and approaching Malta, there were many vessels on scope. It was with trepidation that I approached.” She looks out thoughtfully into her environment, and adjusts settings on her flight controls. The camera shakes momentarily, before refocusing.

“Violet Stryker, a self proclaimed musician and ‘hero’, a freelancer with a lust for credits. Despite this, she inquired into the Sisterhood of Dreams and the harmony we bring. We suspect a strong curiosity, despite her disregarding demeanor… She was left a copy of Matsuda’s teachings… We wonder if we shall encounter Stryker-san again and if any change in her mind will be found."

Hana’s face suddenly erupts with an expression of anger, her tone becoming venomous yet slowly deescalating as she speaks. “Our conversations were cut off by a Core incursion into Omicron Alpha. The callousness and maliciousness of their attacks on Maltan captains acts as a highlight of the destructive capabilities of our species… The force they bring, and their insistence on using force, it bears a question that needs to be answered. Can humanity achieve its transcendence to a collective consciousness without the use of force to purge elements that would destroy it? I fear the answer leads to rather ironic conclusions… it remains to be seen.”

“Throughout these events, we were being observed by one of the alien. It communicated to me…and somehow… I could sense it. Interact with it. Attempt to reciprocate communication by manipulating my emotion.” The woman look deep in thought, pausing for a minute or two. “Is this the beginning of it all? The stepping stone into a collective consciousness? The first clues into achieving the Matriarchy? As I traverse the path set before me, each answer leads to new questions.... where does this road end?"

"There was another who shared in the visions with me, Enfield-san... 'Meta-Stability'. A tragic story lies behind him, yet his fury of righteous vengeance spurs him on to work alongside those he calls the Oracles. Is it the fate of all who suffer the folly of our species?! Knowing his pain, and the cause of it drives my passion. An end must be brought to such foolish cycles, the sooner the better. He spoke of an organisation... the Order. I have met one of their pilots before, yet there is more to them it seems... wherever I look corruption has followed them."

“We have begun, the Sisterhood, to start attempts to communicate with each other via our minds. It has been of no consequence so far yet we shall keep trying.” Hana shifts in her seat uncomfortably, and despite her looks around, as if checking if anyone was listening. “Those who would destroy us, those who would preserve the disharmony… they are watching. We must be ready… Until next time.”

The Blossom grows thorns; wisdom brings with it the caterpillar that bites.

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Event logs:
[+]Spoiler


RE: Hanabira Kaze - A Story of a Flower in Bloom - Hana Ken - 05-22-2015

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::Opening text-protocol Epsilon-31::
::Transmitter ID – HanaKen::
::Location – [Redacted]::

The usual vid-stream cannot be shared this time, for security. I suspect eyes and ears are numerous in this place. I do not wish those who wish me harm to find out.

I found them… or they found me… Thomas of the Oracles was in Malta’s orbit as I approached it. He taught us of a 'root Chakra' and referred us to the Matron of the Oracle’s temple. I proceeded there with anticipation. They’ve taught us so much that day; explaining what they call the ‘Root Charkra’, how to foster bonds between yourself and others. Weaker than that shared with the alien but… perhaps ways can be found to strengthen this link. Needless to say, the Sisterhood of Dreams has imminent plans to put these lessons into practice. Harmony shall be brought to the Sisterhood, and from there to those who would accept it…

On leaving Malta, we found quite the gathering the individuals in orbit. Oracle Thomas, Enfield of “The Zealous”, the infamous Lady Red and One of the Light. Listening to their conversations was insightful. Perhaps one can foster relations to learn more about them. With business in Kusari proper on [Redacted], I made haste.

It was with pleasant surprise that I had found Lady Red had got to my destination before me. She introduced herself fully... and I am most intrigued by her. I had yet to meet anyone from the Sisterhood of Light, and I hope to converse more with the Lady. One can hope that she is… accepting… of our Sisterhood… of the path we tread.

Until next time.
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Event Logs:
[+]Spoiler
[+]Spoiler


RE: Hanabira Kaze - A Story of a Flower in Bloom - Hana Ken - 06-12-2015

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Kneeling on the padded floor of the Sisterhood’s hall, Hana had her eyes closed in concentration. The hall was empty, save a vial of purple liquid lying in front of her. The same vial given to her by Corino-san only a few days ago. Her expression was one of nervousness, which she cursed herself for. Of all things, why be nervous about just another form of cardamine? Of all the trials that had been lain down before her, this seemed the simplest. Then why did it bother her so much? Shaking her head she reaches out to pick up the vial, unscrews the lid and injects the contents through her arm.

For a few moments, she just sat looking at the floor. She didn’t feel anything, nothing was happening. All of a sudden, the floor gave way into darkness, the hall being swallowed up by an abyss below. Screaming, and flailing for an edge to hold on to in vain, Hana began to fall. Surrounded by darkness the wind rushed past almost abrasively, deafening her. For what felt like hours, she just fell into the bottomless black until three ethereal figures formed around her somehow standing on an invisible surface… suddenly Hana was standing there to though the wind still rushed past.

Between them they fought with katanas; a young lady, a middle aged man in imperial garb and a prince. They fought viciously around her, shouting at each other. Hana dodged around the figures as best she could, out of breath and unable to pick out the words. Despite the length of the battle, none gained an advantage over the other. A thick mist enveloped the combatants, and from it emerged a fourth individual. An elegant, slender woman in imperial guard with her hands clasped together in front of her. The former three turned on her, slashing at the newcomer but to no avail. It was as if she was incorporeal; their weapons passing through her leaving her unharmed.

The woman smiled gently as she opened her eyes. Hana was filled with horror as blue light shown through, conjuring dread and terror. Blue light was also coming through from above, and as she looked up, the form of the Harbinger floated above her. Falling to her knees tears fell down Hana’s face. The four continued fighting, strings attached to their limbs and extending upwards. The aliens light became brighter, until all was consumed in blinding light.

Hana opened her eyes to find herself lying on the floor of the hall, blood pouring from her nose. Pulling herself up her entire body felt numb, her hands shaking beneath her. Two Sisters had entered the hall holding firearms, looking at her in shock. Waving them away, she brought herself up to her feet. Pale as a sheet, she held her head and she stems the flow of blood with her sleeve.

In a field tended by gardeners, the Ajisai reaches for the Light.

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