We Need a Hiro [Day 5, EE]

[Yoko]

With the evening hours just starting to set in the first stop that seemed likely was the inn. If he was present as a ronin the woman here was likely to be giving him lodging and meals, so it seemed a natural next step as many would settle in for meals or last bits of work for the day. As they walked here Yoko had pulled out her pipe, weathered from the years but even more worn from the constant fiddling she did with it as she did now. Turning the pipe over, and over, and over, in her hand absently as she thought on the events some time prior.

[Ikeda Ishi]

Ikeda Ishi followed looking for the man, and in short order she found him in the back with a wide brim hat cleaning his blade.

[Dapper Dog]

Seeing them approach he said warmly not looking up, "Good evening samurai-sama."

[Yoko]

Finding him she chuckled a little, looked to Ishi then back. "Evening," she said, stopping where she was to hook her thumb of her free hand into her obi. Regarding the man for a moment as she slipped away the pipe. "I'm hoping you remember we met before, but.." she let that thought hang, waited to see the answer.

[Dapper Dog]

"If we have, then it is a pleasure to meet you again," he said warmly.

[Yoko]

"Pleasure's honestly mine," she said with her cocky smirk. Looking to Ishi for a moment, her smile going a little softer. With a little shrug she looked back to the man, "I'm hoping at least that means you know what we're trapped in. Not going to be surprised by the fact I know who you actually are.. or were? We didn't actually get a good chance to talk long enough for me to figure out exactly what brought you to being well.." she gestured vaguely at him, herself a little too. Shaking her head and dismissing that thought a moment though, "But more importantly that you know the dangers we all face, but most specifically the ones Sutorenja faces?"

[Dapper Dog]

“You mean the ronin, is she in trouble?” he said calmly.

“Not good for a ronin to cause trouble, not good at all. And I wasn’t aware we were trapped here. I know the border has been closed for Crab reasons but trapped? It’s a nice fishing village, if you like fishing.”

“But can’t say I am too familiar with whatever you think I should be familiar with,” he responded.

[Ikeda Ishi]

Ishi said, “Ikeda-sensei, I know it is impolite to speak of such things but you were given a task to protect the divine daughter at all costs, the threat is real and still out there.”

[Yoko]

She hoped, she was wrong, but that's why Ishi was here. With what she took over Yoko put her hands up and on the back of her head and let that bit play out as it would.

[Dapper Dog]

"I see," he said grimly.

"And you are?" he said to Yoko.

[Yoko]

"Just a ronin who took the wrong corner at the right time," she laid her arms down, "with a desire to help," she offered with a shrug. Straightening a bit she tapped her chest with one hand, and put her thumb in her obi with the other, "Yoko."

"For what it's worth, Sutorenja and Ikeda-sama here both have given me enough reasons to want to help."

[Dapper Dog]

"Well I have trust in Ikeda-sama, to do the right thing," he said confidently.

[Yoko]

"Right- and for what it's worth I do too," she glanced momentarily toward Ishi, soft smile and a shrug. "However, due to her.." she shook her head, "this whole situation we find ourselves in. The ones who want Sutorenja dead also want Ikeda-sama gone because of what she knows," she looked to Ishi again before continuing. Ready to so so if she wished, but she wanted to make sure it was alright with Ishi for her to continue if so, if she even needed to.

"So.. we need someone who is in a better position to protect Sutorenja. We need you, eh?"

[Dapper Dog]

"It is my duty to protect the House of Oturi and my charge in the specific," he said confidently.

"Though she may not know that I am here to do that."

[Yoko]

"Well-" she chuckles, glancing awkwardly away a moment. "She does." she held her hands up in something of a mock surrender. "Been repeating to her what's happened the last couple of days each time I get the chance. Your appearance in the inn that first night is one I don't forget to mention. So, she knows.. even if she doesn't remember it as I do, as Ikeda-sama does. Strange that she'd be so close and yet you don't run into each other more often, honestly," she shrugged, shoving her thumb back in her obi.

"Question.. consider it an odd one from a ronin. How does that link with.. protecting your charge from a member of House Oturi. Just.. curiosity from a ronin and all," she quirked her brow with the question.

[Dapper Dog]

"Once I knew she was here I made sure to... be as a shadow, within proper decorum," he said a bit sheepishly.

"Wait what do you mean by the first night?"

[Yoko]

"Far be it from me to judge, on that first bit," she said, raising her hands up a little in mock surrender. Though when he asked her brow quirked, folding her arms back down over her chest. "Ah- right, you wouldn't remember. You were here protecting Sutorenja from a possible threat but the threat was taken off the table before it became a problem," she paused, a moment, kept looking to Hiro. "Afterwards we all drank in one of the rooms and that's when I learned about everything.." she smiled a little, chuckled. "Kinda weird to tell you all this, considering I'm the one who stumbled in and we all sorta.. chatted about it for a bit."

"Days been repeating since then. Went to bed that night worrying people were going to start winding up dead and there'd be nothing I could do about it," she paused, holding up one of her hands just off the arm fold a moment, "I- really want to be able to do something about it," she said, looking to Hiro, then to Ishi, waved the thought off when it started bringing her to unhelpful thoughts.

"Want it more than I've wanted things in a long while. Anyway.. woke up the next morning and most people seemed to have forgotten we even lived that day. I know, crazy, you probably didn't even hear half of what I said cause you think I'm crazy," she said pointing at her chest, "Been living different variations the past day for a few days in fact, if you want to believe that but.." she gestured to Ishi, "don't just take my word, eh?"

[Dapper Dog]

He just nodded trying to process all this impossible information. Ikeda Ishi nodded in agreement with her statement.

He then said, "Well... that is truly an unexpected thing to hear. How can I help?"

[Yoko]

"Hey- unexpected thing to wake up to. Some of us with harsher realities than others," she said, let the thought sit and then pass. "Anyway," she said, bringing her hand up and laying it out as she started constructing her little plan. "So- now some of what else I said will start making sense, eh?" she said with a slightly cocky smirk.

"Days have been repeating, and people who have died have come back to life as a result as well," she pauses, indicates Ishi as a source to prove she hasn't said anything too crazy, and continues. "Curse has others to worry about it. Right now what's most important is getting you to the Mantis Kobune. Tsuruchi Shouji asked for me to bring you, and Sutorenja, back with us so we can talk about steps forward. He stuck his neck out for Ikeda-sama here on my request so- I owe him, but we owe him," she said with a half shrug.

"Sutorenja is bound to be here, eh? So, we go and find her, go back to the Kobune, and talk to prepare for what comes next. Otomo Yuusuke isn't going to wait around too long when the curse finally does lift."

"And- if today repeats again I'll, or.. well, we'll come tell you all this tomorrow, eh?"

[Dapper Dog]

"That sounds like a solid if insane plan," he said in reply.

[Yoko]

Yoko chuckled, shaking her head a little as she hooked her thumb in her obi, "Hey- ask me I like those kinds of plans. Make everyone nervous going in, but they usually work, eh?" she laughed a little, shook her head.

"All's left is to move forward," she said, giving a little nod and looking between the two.