[Day 3 - LE] Notice me, Senpai (Event)

[Yoko]

"Worlds a bit more complicated than they tell you," she did what she could to sound reassuring. Holding her hand out a little more she offered the bottle over again. "Drink?"

"Maybe our new friends might have an idea?" she asked glancing over her shoulder. "Far as I've know he seems a good man. Drank with him on the boat trip over here and he's even the one who bought me this sake so.. well, it was more than I ever expected to come from someone of his standing, eh?" she finished, looking back to Ishi.

[Ikeda Ishi]

She finally accepted and took a drink making a bitter face and handing it back, "My ancestors... ugh, maybe I should confront him."

[Yoko]

Yoko smiles when she took it, and gave a little nod when she gave it back. "Maybe not do something so rash, or-" she shook her head, "-at least not alone, eh? Worst case, I'd still prefer you didn't do anything that'd risk your life more than you need to, hmm? Pretty sure that's a sentiment the rest of the room shares too," she says in such a manner as to invite just that additional support, she hoped.

[Kakita Konohamaru]

"Status wise no one here outranks him here, as far as I know - even if he was staying as a guest at the castle, we'd be of equal status. But for us to proceed legally anywhere, we'd need to prove that Otomo-sama and Ikeda-sama are who they are."

[Ikeda Ishi]

Ikeda Ishi responded, "I am Ikeda Ishi, there is no doubt."

[Kakita Konohamaru]

Ikeda Ishi responded, "I am Ikeda Ishi, there is no doubt."

And who are you to assume you are my -sama?

To be fair she was an Imperial, but she was also directly under his skin at this point. However, he refused to let it show.

"More importantly, First Sword-sama and Otomo-sama have been seen as ronin for some time now. With the borders currently closed, unless another Imperial currently in the city can personally vouch for them, we only have him on forgery, and even that would come down to a duel."

[Sutorenja]

"Agreed, I carry nothing that could prove I am Oturi Yuahime," she responded calmly.

"We must tread carefully. This plot is foiled so they will get more desperate."

[Kakita Konohamaru]

"Nothing I cou-"

An idea came.

He looked over the writ once more, looking for how it was worded. Did it specify the ronin sutorenja or something else?

[Dapper Dog]

The writ specifies Oturi Yuahime masquerading as a ronin and a criminal to the Empire.

[Kakita Konohamaru]

"Stop me if I'm wrong, but I think he's proven it for us. The writ specifies that Oturi Yurahime is masquerading as a ronin, which thereby means Otomo Yusuke must have known who you really are when he gave Ikeda-san this note, in order to help her identify which ronin she was masquerading as. All we need to do is prove Ikeda Hiro is who he is and we'll have Yusuke dead to rights. I have been given authority as a magistrate temporarily in this domain, so I should be able to make the arrest."

[Yoko]

"I'm.." Yoko looked to Ishi a moment, shook her head and brought herself back over toward the others. Taking a deep drink of her own and offering the drink off to the next.

Looking to the Magistrate, "Kakita-sama, I'm not sure that's going to be much use as evidence of anything, eh? Wouldn't he just turn around and say he knew nothing about it? Back to a Crane Magistrate, an Imperial, and a handful of ronin's words against his. Far as anyone's concerned, eh? Well.. I know how that plays out," she shrugged, walking over toward a nearby wall she put her back up against it.

[Kakita Konohamaru]

Looking to the Magistrate, "Kakita-sama, I'm not sure that's going to be much use as evidence of anything, eh? Wouldn't he just turn around and say he knew nothing about it? Back to a Crane Magistrate, an Imperial, and a handful of ronin's words against his. Far as anyone's concerned, eh? Well.. I know how that plays out," she shrugged, walking over toward a nearby wall she put her back up against it.

"It would depend on how we approach it. Even unknowingly handing out and acting upon false writs can be a crime of negligence, albeit one with a lesser punishment, but it would force him to give up his forge artist or whoever gave him the forgery. When he does, they could tell us who commissioned forgery, which could complete the lock."

"You are right in that ignorance is a defence, but it's one that snags him on incompetence. When you involve the Empress herself in any capacity, the stakes are infinitely raised. If only Hiro-sama had proof of Identity; If he did, we could get her under temporary protection in the palace as an honoured guest for a time being."

"Of course, this assumes one of us doesn't simply speak to him in person and try to come to an understanding."

[Ikeda Ishi]

“Otomo-sama can easily say he did not know what was in the letter, and as you have proven it a forgery it is useless and would be dishonorable to claim it is true,” she replied.

[Yoko]

"That's more what I was thinking, yea? It's just a piece of paper now.. but.. Oturi-sama?" Yoko looked to the woman, thought in her plan for another moment. "If we were able to find a way to get you back closer to home, do you think you would be able to make it somewhere safely? To someone who would be able to identify or help you?"

[Kakita Konohamaru]

“Otomo-sama can easily say he did not know what was in the letter, and as you have proven it a forgery it is useless and would be dishonorable to claim it is true,” she replied.

"I never said to claim the letter was true. What I'm saying is we use the contents plus Ikeda Hiro-sama and however you identified, as the letter describes, Otomo Yuahime, with the fact it's a forgery to show that there is a plot against her. Whether we use knowledge of this plot to give her protection or get her out of the village or whatever doesn't rely on it being true or false."

He reflected on what she said.

"Did he tell you what was in the letter or simply hand it to you? How did either you or he identify the target?"

"That's more what I was thinking, yea? It's just a piece of paper now.. but.. Oturi-sama?" Yoko looked to the woman, thought in her plan for another moment. "If we were able to find a way to get you back closer to home, do you think you would be able to make it somewhere safely? To someone who would be able to identify or help you?"

"We'd be better to go by land - there's something causing trouble in the waters. If we can clear it, perhaps the Mantis can escort her back in a Kobune."

[Yoko]

"Land sounds like a lot of way where you can run into accidents to me. Plenty of those happen on the roads," she offered, shrugged.

[Kakita Konohamaru]

A nod.

"Neither option is without risk, I fear."

[Ikeda Ishi]

“Otomo-sama was brought his daily letters and correspondence by Bayushi Ijihime, when he saw one addressed to me he handed it to me and continued his work. I opened it and saw the writ and knew what I needed to do even if I wished not to do it,” she said calmly.

“Maybe he didn’t know. I wish it to be true.”

[Yoko]

"Makes it a while lot more simple if he doesn't," she offers, a sigh and a smirk.

"I don't know," she admitted. "Pretty sure my mom wanted to save me from just this kind of mess but, I'm here and more than willing to lend whatever hand I can, if anyone can figure out how I can help. Far as I see it seems there can't be much use of a ronin, eh?" she chuckled to herself, shook her head and leaned it back against the wall.

[Sutorenja]

"My mother was a wave woman," she said honestly.

[Kakita Konohamaru]

"So Bayushi Ijihime hands to Otomo Yusuke hands to Ikeda Ishi... The question, I suppose, becomes where did Bayushi Ijihime get the forgery from, assuming Otomo-sama is telling the truth."

"Far as I see it seems there can't be much use of a ronin, eh?" she chuckled to herself, shook her head and leaned it back against the wall.

"There's always use for a sharp eye and swift blade. As long as you keep an eye out for Oturi-sama, that is all that could be asked of you."

"My mother was a wave woman," she said honestly.

"...That might explain the motivation behind it all, down the line."

Konohamaru feels like this case just got immensely more complicated.

[Yoko]

Yoko looked up, leaned forward a little but stayed against the wall. Laughing a bit as she shook her head, but then settled as she looked to her. Leaving Konohamaru the chance to speak his peace first.

"I-" she hesitated a moment. Leaned off the wall and let her hand rest on her hip, absently. "Ronin mothers are good mother's, from my experience. From chatting with you yesterday.. I'd say yours did pretty good. If-" she glanced around the room, "-if I can ask. Right now isn't the time but, do you think you'd be able to talk again with me? Tomorrow maybe? About mother's?"

[Sutorenja]

"I suppose, if you wish," she said with a nod.

[Yoko]

"Thank you," she says, the touch of a smile and dipped her head. Stopping, seeming to pause to consider and then went so far as to bow. Which was probably more expected of her anyway. Finished she leaned back onto the wall she let herself some time to think and consider.

[Kakita Konohamaru]

For a while Konohamaru said nothing, simply letting people talk.

It was a rarity in his presence, and nice to see.