Wedding at Fire Shrimp Village an L5R PbP

Coming to the entrance of the Castle, he announced his name and asked if his cousin, the lady of the castle was available.

Taiki had been thinking about paying his dear cousin a visit since when he came back to the Red Sands Coast. He had hoped it would be an easy, relaxed talk... maybe going into some thornier things here and there.

But he had not expect to go to her to ask this sort of thing.

Still, that odd feeling had been with him the whole day. He felt some other people might had noticed the weirdness as well... but it seemed many had not? That luncheon with the bride and Hida Fuboshi-sama was still planned, so either Fuboshi had something in mind... or she had not noticed the oddness at all.

He wondered if Kitusuchi had. He wondered what she thought of it, if she had.

And he wondered if there was something he could say to her that might make her realise it if she had not.

Kitusuchi was on her balcony having a drink of warm sake. She smiled and said, "Cousin, greetings."

"Sake?"

"Juushi-sama", the Badger said as he bowed, a smile growing into his face despite all that's going on on seeing his cousin again.

"Ye ken A wouldnae pass on a sip. Thanks, cousin.", he says as he walks to get closer to her. Then, with a warm smile of his own:

"Sae... 's been a while, A'm happy tae see ye! How has this busy week found ye sae far?"

“Busy, there is always something needing my attention. Then we have the odd stuff; sea monsters, potential witchcraft, and I guess ghosts? Yes it all keeps me busy on top of keeping my mother happy,” she replied.

“I am sorry I have not been more available to you.”

He shakes his head with the warm smile still on his face as he takes a first sip of the sake.

"'S nae worry a' aw, Juushi-sama. A had expected ye'd be awful busy wi' aw goin' on. Bu'... ye see, A wanted tae see ye at least fer a bit. Been great tae see ye aw 'appy en' i great spirits a' the festival two days ago, eh?"

He emphasised the two in 'two days ago' a bit, and stopped for some time before continuing.

"Anyway'... ye ken ye can rely on me if ye need 'nother hand fer something, yeah?"

"You are here as a guest, you should ne be conscripted to work for," she said warmly.

"Was it two days ago, pretty sure that was last night but I did drink a lot at the shrine."

He smiled at her words and nodded respectfully.

"Doumo arigatou, Juushi-sama. Bu' still, ye ken ye can count on me if ye need."

After another sip, he speaks again.

" 'Twas a fine celebration indeed! Bu' yeah... twae days ago, A'm sure o' tha'. Yesterday.... i' was an eventful day. Party a' the beach, then fowk seemin' tae go t'wards the beach as if in a trance..."

"If ye'll allow me askin', Juushi-sama. Wha' do ye recall o' yesterday? That Mantis party, 've been tae it?"

Kitusuchi laughed and said, "You're telling me a funny joke right? Not sure if this is funny or just weird."

If it was a joke he was telling, he was dead serious about it.

"Sae... ye dornt remember anythin' abit it, 'en?"

His smiled faded - he seemed quite worried in fact. Seemed to be thinking hard about something, with no success.

"This... 's nae joke, Juushi-sama. Ye ken me. A wouldnae be serious if A wasnae worried... Ye see..."

He falls silent for a moment more. He had an idea... but it would take too late. Wouldn't happen before the day was almost gone. Maybe...

"Ye... mention'd ghosts, Juushi-sama?"

"Lots of ghost stories tied to the beaches, always has been," she responded.

"Bu'... 'as something more... specific 'appened?"

He struggles with whether or not to say something. He keeps going back to the memory of waking up, feeling the call of the sea... then waking up again in the street.

"Ye ken... 'ave these stories hae somethin' tae do wi' someone.... calin' folks tae the sea? Leik... a ghost o' the sea, ur 'en maiden, 'ur the leik?"

"Peasants prattle on about sea maidens dragging them down to the depths, I don't sail so never considered it much," she offered.

"You okay? What is bothering you?"

He nods. Seems like the peasants are on to something...

"A.... A'm sorry, Juushi-sama. A... A'm jus' pretty sure A remember the whole o' one day ye don't. Frae the time A woke up, tae the party i the beach - which A decided tae skip. Tae bein' called by strange voices tae th' sea. May've been... ghosts, as ye said."

His face cringed a bit.

"Tae... 'en attack. A' the docks. 'En unnatural critter. 'ad struck down 'en fisherman. We held it doon, me, a Kitsuki 'en a masked Crab. Hiruma Roger-sama... th' one had carried th' shrine wi' me a' the festival th' day afair yesterday. It awmost had me killed. A 'mind the pain, yeah? The rendin'. Then Hiruma-sama sent i' tae th' depths wi' a flamin' whip, 'en... healed me back, A 'hink."

He looked at his cousin's eyes. He was dead serious, of course. He hoped she would be taking him serious too... even if he half expected she wouldn't be taking his seriously again.

"Then... A woke up i bed. Again. 'Mindin' everythin', but 's as if it didnae 'appen. Bu' 'en many thin's been 'appenin' as they did yesterday. 'S as if A were stuck i 'en Oni's curse ur somethin'."

He seems seriously worried.

"A... hoped tae talk abit it wi' ye, Juushi-sama. A 'ben worried 'en thinkin' abit it th' whole day."

OOC
Do I roll sincerity or something?

OOC: Sure Sincerity vs. Kitusuchi Investigation: 7d10o10k3 25

OOC:
LOL can't pass that, especially with 0 Void for the day

D4 EE - Familiar feelings? - Sincerity/ Awa vs Kitusuchi, TN 25. Unskilled so impossible to succeed: 2d10k2 7

"I'll listen if it makes you feel better," she offered in a supporting manner.

So. She didn't believe him one bit.

He thought about it. If she had been affected by something, like others seemed to be... well, he wouldn't believe himself one bit either if he heard himself and didn't remember things as he did.

"A... doumo arigatou, Juushi-sama. A'm... a'm sorry tae take yer time wi' this. Jus'... be careful the-day, will ye? Please dae. 'En...

He puts the sake cup down. Looked at her face again, then looked down again.

"Especially if ye feel th' waves callin' tae ye later i the-day... be cannie, 'en please 'mind wha' A've said?"

"You have my word, I will do so," she said.

"Thanks, cousin. Fer real... thanks" he says, this time with a gentle smile.

"Sae... speakin' o' other thin's, then.", he says, shaking his head slightly. "Cousin Hida Fuboshi-sama - she seems fierce as e'er, eh?", he says, smiling. "A hope thin's 've been be'er wi' ye 'en 'er?"

"They are as well as they could be with mother. She asks much of us and never let's us be less than we are," she said thoughtfully.

"She's a pain in my ass, but she means well."

He laughs a bit, silently. "Yeah... tha' sounds leik her awrite."

Then, smiling at her again. "A' ken she does. A really wan' tae see thin's well, 'en youse aw 'appy. Sae... s'posin' there's plans fer a hunt durin' the festivities? A'll be glad tae join ye twee if A can!"

"She will be happy to go hunting, not sure if I will join we shall see," she said honestly.

"Oh! Will be a pity if ye can't come along... but I understand things are awful busy, of course."

He smiles gently at her again, taking a last sip at his cup of sake. He seems ready to thank her and stop taking her time, then pauses.

"Och. Afair Ah forgit. A've spoken tae yancho-sama three days back" He doesn't mention where, although a crease appears at the corner of his mouth. "'S he said anythin' tae ye abit... anythin'"

"What do you mean?" she said with a raised brow.

"He mentioned... A shoods be makin' plans fer marriage myself. But dornt ye worry yerse abit 'at noo, Juushi-sama", he said with a smile and a shrug. "Will be plenty ay time tae gab abit sic' things when aw is calmer, yeah?"

He puts the cup down, bowing to her again, smile still on his face. Even in a weird time such as this, he was truly happy to have some time to talk to her.

"Sae... thanks again fer yer time and this braw chat, Juushi-sama. 'En as A said... Please be extra watchful the-day, 'en 'mind wha' A've said if ye feel the waves call. Jus' tae be sure, yeah?"