[D3 LM, waiting] Expedition

[Kuni Iwane]

Iwane sat on a large rock, clad in a light blue haori and loose pants, waiting for his guest to arrive. He had taken a wide-brimmed straw hat with him, carrying his belongings in a bag that hung on his shoulder. Knowing that the trails crisscrossing the slopes of Mount Jinsei were occasionally rough, he had chosen sturdy hiking boots.

Large dragonflies darted among the rocks, their iridescent wings reflecting the sunlight. Clouds drifted gently on the blue sky, the weather hot and humid. It wasn't the best day for a hike. Iwane would have much preferred overcast, but the weather on Shiawase at this time of the year was rarely gentle.

[Tamori Kanna]

Punctual, thanks to Igoro, Kanna arrived on scene with her assistant and dog in tow. Kaida loved the outdoors, and Kanna had already said she'd bring Igoro.

Even if Igoro hated hiking. It was absolutely unfair how the short Dragon would always outpace him whenever she dragged him along on these trips.

"Good morning!" even the morning's weather hadn't dampened her spirit as she waved to Iwane. "Kuni-san, this is my assistant Igoro, and the adorable Kaida-kun." Igoro bowed deeply to the Crab samurai, and the little dog sniffed the air.

"What a good choice for this mountain! I went on a trip to mount Nakahama yesterday and saw the jimen tori. Does this mountain have exotic animals too?"

[Kuni Iwane]

"Good morning," Iwane greeted Kanna, pushing himself up, dusting his pants as he did so. "Well met." To his credit, he did glance at Kanna's servant before turning his attention to her pet. "Awh, isn't he adorable?" It seemed he had more compassion for Kanna's pet. "How old is he?"

"I have a cat at home. Alas, I don't think that Coal would have enjoyed the hike." He had left the dark grey monster sleeping on the windowsill. "There are some animals in the woods, but we shouldn't bump into any." Iwane hoped they wouldn't, at least. Kanna mentioning Jimen Tori made him a little nervous. "Usually, the wildlife avoids people. I take the bird only came to take a look at you?"

[Tamori Kanna]

"Kaida-kun is a year and a half!" she announced very happily and let the dog say hello to Iwane. As ever, Kaida was excited to meet people, his tail wagging enthusiastically. "Don't worry, he won't stray from us, and probably will just hang out in his carrier."

Said carrier would be carried by Igoro, who was more than fine with being mostly ignored as he double-checked they had what they'd need.

"It's a shame I can't meet Coal today, but I understand. Cats prefer the home usually. As for the birds, there were so many of them that flocked around us! I think they were expecting to be fed, except the Hiruma patrol we met told us not to feed them. But I spoke to the birds, through the kami, and they told us that women would come up and feed them, or chase them."

[Kuni Iwane]

"You always travel with him?" Iwane asked, meaning Kaida-kun. "He looks very brave." While Coal liked to stalk and hunt the occasional bug finding its way to Iwane's condo, he could not be called brave. Iwane had seen Coal hiding from the birds that sometimes perched on his balcony.

"He does." Iwane nodded. "I don't really let him out either. I did try to take him out when he was smaller, in a harness, but he was so skittish I thought it was better to just keep him indoors."

"Oh? I don't think I know that prayer. How is it to talk with beasts?" She could hear the curiosity in his voice. "Can they form complex sentences?"

[Tamori Kanna]

"Kaida-kun always comes with me," she confirmed with a big smile. And being able to hear his name, he knew he was being talked about, so Kaida was very happy judging by his tail wagging. "He is brave, most of the time, but I think he reached his limit with the jimen tori considering their size." That info was delivered with a snicker.

"As for talking with animals... it is not a complex prayer, though requires a lot of focus. Like if I were to use it now to talk to Kaida for example, I would have to keep my attention on him, unable to ask you for any questions myself, though I'd be able to hear what you say. As for what it's like, hmmm," Kanna petted Kaida's head as she considered this. "It's like talking with a person, but a person that has no understanding of how the world of humans work. Animals don't understand status or positions in the Celestial Order, and our actions are very strange to them. They can speak complex sentences, but their thoughts are often not that complex."

[Kuni Iwane]

"I could see that." Iwane nodded, musing on how the small dog likely looked like a tasty snack for the massive birds that lived in the vast jungles that covered the island. "Still, he looks rather brave."

"Impressive, nonetheless. I wonder if it would be possible to make that work underwater." She could see him thinking. "Ah, some of the medical compounds we have identified come from the corals and algae surrounding the island," Iwane explained. "Unfortunately, most of the useful species seem to be rare and hard to harvest. Being able to talk with the animals that feed on such things would undoubtedly help."

"I guess most animals are mostly concerned about food and shelter?" he asked her, tilting his head to the side. "I hope you packed something to drink? The day is not going to get any cooler."

[Tamori Kanna]

"He is very brave!" At least Kanna thought so. Kaida thought that he was obviously very brave, he would've showed that unregulated poultry who was the real boss if mommy hadn't interfered.

"Oooh, hmmm... I imagine if I entreat the water kami first to let me breathe and speak underwater, I could ask the air kami to speak with underwater creatures!" Her eyes glittered at the idea, thinking she could speak to colorful fish, or dolphins, or maybe an octopus! It didn't cross her mind that there were scary monsters in the sea.

The thoughts were temporarily put on hold. "Yes! We got plenty of water with us! But yeah, animals mainly think of food and safety. What other animals might we see on this trip?"

[Kuni Iwane]

"Not that many air kami underwater, though." Iwane had always been a spoilsport. "I suppose you could take some air with you." Shiawase had plenty of diving clubs. "I know the prayer that lets you breathe water like air," he admitted. "Very handy in my line of duty." He had originally been taught the spell to navigate the vast chemical processing tanks.

"I mostly expect us to see dragonflies." Iwane pointed at the shimmerwins darting among the foliage. A large lizard leaped from a tree, catching one of the insects mid-flight before disappearing into the undergrowth. "And lizards. Plenty of lizards around here." Weren't Dragon lizards too? "There are a few flowers I'd like to show you. Well, the flowers aren't always medicinal. It's usually the roots," he explained.

"Shall we?"

[Tamori Kanna]

Igoro, totally not listening to the conversation as he did all the carrying, thought about how there was, in a way, technically air in the water. He would prefer if Kanna didn't go diving though, as he had read the articles on more dangerous marine animals.

"Oh neat! Maybe we can go swimming next time and see if we can find any ocean animals to meet, or explore some coral reefs!" ADHD-brain was already running a mile a minute. "But yesyes, let's go!" Fist-pump!

"Do you go out hiking often here?"

[Kuni Iwane]

"Unfortunately, the interesting things are further away from the shore," Iwane explained as they began their hike, going easy at first, steep as the mountainside was. "Here, on the other hand, I expect us to see something interesting sooner rather than later."

The air was hot and humid, with large insects buzzing between the tall trees that grew on the mountain. The path Iwane chose was well marked. Someone had painted blue dots on the trees to make it easier to stay on the trail. "Here," he said, coming to a halt by a small shrubbery with blue flowers. "Aohana." Iwane ran his hand among the frail branches, turning to look at Kanna. "Its roots have a compound that can be used to treat chronic inflammation. We are still trying to figure out how to synthesize it."

[Tamori Kanna]

"Woah... it is very pretty," Kanna took a picture of the shrubbery and its flowers. "Is its compound more potent than other similar plants?"

Igoro took a look without commenting at first.

----

D3 LM. Igoro's vast knowledge put to use! Lore: Nature/Intelligence. Void spent because why not? Unknown TN | 6k3 ⇒ 20

[Kuni Iwane]

"Not much, no." Iwane shook his head. "But it targets different parts of the body. Which means it could potentially help some of the patients the current treatments don't suit." There was a short pause. "How much does Tamori-san know about such things? Applied physiology that is?"

Without access to a modern laboratory, verifying what Iwane was saying was impossible. However, what he told Kanna sounded plausible. Inflammation had several pathways in the human body, and not all compounds worked the same for everyone.

[Tamori Kanna]

Igoro took notes of the plant and its properties, and would take a sample with him later for further study.

"Ap-- ah right, yes, that is what I have mostly studied medicine for, in conjunction with our medical services at the spa. If the plants' properties are different enough from others, it could also be used in cases where a person is allergic to more common compounds." Which wasn't unusual, and it could make treatment difficult in some cases.

"Would this one be ingested, or as a topical treatment? Are there any side effects?"

[Kuni Iwane]

"That would be one such case, yes." He nodded, turning to Kanna. "Alternatively, the compound could be used to enhance the current anti-inflammatory drugs. On its own, its usefulness is dubious at best." Which was why he didn't feel particularly bad about telling a stranger about his research. Even if Kanna were to send a sample to a team of pharmacologists, it would take them years to get where GenYaky was. Besides, the compound seemed nigh impossible to synthesize in the lab.

"Ingested, though I could see it being used topically in a suitable emulsion. That's a thing we are looking into," Iwane explained, sounding excited. "Though unfortunately, the chemical is rather unstable. Not something you want from a topical cream."

[Tamori Kanna]

"I see... so like a guide-medicine," she mused, using the term for more old traditional remedies where an ingredient was present not because it alone did much good, but when used together with another ingredient it could boost its function.

"If Usagi no Yomogi gets the chance to expand into Crab space, it would be great if our clans could work closer together to study and work on medicinal plants like these. The nature on different worlds are such a great resource for wellness and healing!" She wasn't thinking about the profits, as Kanna was more concerned with how it could help others.

Profit was just a natural way of life for her, coming from a well-off family.

[Kuni Iwane]

"Something like that." Iwane ran his fingers through the branches. "It's near impossible to come up with something that would solve a problem on its own, as I am sure Tamori-san understands. Our bodies are very complex," he added, softly patting his chest.

"As much as this island has to offer, there are no shortcuts." Iwane sighed softly. "You don't see it as a daunting task? Potentially spending years to figure out things? I assume that the Dragon have laws and protocols that control what can be sold, traditional medicine or not," he asked Kanna.

"I've spent months on the paperwork and experiments to show that we comply with the laws." Iwane did not sound happy about the fact. "Now, chances are that your current products, unless there's something neo-traditional, comply with our laws." Neo-traditional cures referred to alien plants that various herbalists used as if they were traditional Rokugani ingredients.

"Does Usagi no Yomogi use alien fauna?"

[Tamori Kanna]

"Daunting? Maybe, but not impossible!" Kanna said with her usual upbeat enthusiasm in response. "Just because some things are difficult doesn't mean we shouldn't try, neh?"

As for the further questions, she gave a small shrug. "I don't know all the laws," who did anyway, "but anything alien has been carefully vetted and studied before being put to use or on the market. The Tamori study a great many different things from various worlds, to see what can be used and what can not. As for Usagi no Yomogi... we try more to stay with the traditional medicines used on old Rokugan, but some products use ingredients from alien flora. All tested vigorously! A customer must feel safe!"

Truth be told, as someone schooled with the Tonbo rather than the Tamori, she knew less about the true studies of her family than most Tamori.

[Kuni Iwane]

"Definitely," Iwane nodded in agreement. "I just wanted to make sure Tamori-san understands that it might take a while before her family business can fully tap into what the island has to offer." His voice was mellow, his expression soft.

"Customer safety is paramount." The Kuni biologists and pharmacologists, pragmatic as they were, were prone to disregarding small side effects as long as an effective treatment could be developed. "Would Tamori-san have any examples of alien life her company has managed to put to use?"

"If Tamori-san is fine with aromatics," Iwane murmured, turning to prod at a tall reed-like plant that grew by the path, its fragrant red flowers dangling just beyond Kanna's reach. "Shiawase has plenty to offer. I believe there are at least three Yasuki perfumeries on the isle. Red Tear here is apparently particularly fashionable."

[Tamori Kanna]

"None with me, I'm afraid, but I could look some up when we get back. I would have to access some company files to check," she explained simply. Her densai wasn't her work computer, after all, and didn't have all the important stuff! Well, it had lots of important stuff, just not that.

She watched Iwane prod the tree, making the flowers rain. Kneeling down, she picked up one of them to sniff. "New aromatics for aromatherapy could be interesting, once test groups check what they would be good for. Perfume isn't something we do much of." Perfume was often an irritant for skincare products, and the company tried to go for a more natural aesthetic. "I'm glad you're very interested in my family's business, Kuni-san. I admit I was worried your clan wouldn't be!"