[D3, EM] Starting off right (expecting)

[Kakita Masao]

Masao rises early, as a good soldier does. Early enough, even, that the servant who rises to stoke the morning fire finds him already in the sitting room of the house. He is not meditating, exactly, but deep in thought. "Don't mind me," he says, rather dismissively.

Masao waits patiently for tea and breakfast food to be prepared. He nods at the servants as they bring it out from the kitchen, and proceeds to pick at the food and sip at the tea as he contemplates this day.

[Daidoji Kio]

Kio entered playing with a wooden figurine and said, "Good morning Masao-san!"

[Kakita Masao]

"Good morning Daidoji Kio-san," the bushi says formally. Then he smiles. "What sort of figure do you have there?"

[Daidoji Kio]

"Good morning Daidoji Kio-san," the bushi says formally. Then he smiles. "What sort of figure do you have there?"

“It’s a soldier, I named her Hitomi after my new friend. Doji Hitomi master swordswoman,” she said to the older samurai.

“She’s pretty, strong and invincible like the real Doji Hitomi.”

[Kakita Masao]

"Doji Hitomi is indeed great, Kio-san. A most honorable figure," he smiles at the small pun, guessing Kio won't appreciate it. "But you met a new friend named Hitomi? Where did you meet her?"

[Daidoji Kio]

She shrugged and said, “She comes to talk to me before bed, she is very lonely. I think she lost her parents. She asked me to help her find them but I don’t know how. She said her dad was a Crab samurai, or that is what her mother told her.”

“Funny huh? Auntie is marrying a Crab, maybe he might know.”

[Kakita Masao]

There's a small twitch in Masao's eye, but he doesn't react noticeably with the child. "It's nice that you want to help her. You know, soldiers like me don't always know how to help, but I bet I know who can. Do you know the shugenja, Doji Yuma? Or the magistrate, Kakita Konohamaru? Shugenja and magistrates can be very good at helping people." He gives the girl a moment to process his words. "Can we ask one of them about helping your friend?"

[Daidoji Kio]

"Sure," she said not really paying attention to him as she played.

[Kakita Masao]

"So what kind of adventures is your Doji Hitomi going to have? I've been in a few battles, but I'm always curious what else is happening in the empire," he says, trying to talk about something more interesting to the youngster.

[Daidoji Kio]

"Oh we are going to go on a journey and fight sea serpents and then save the Empress from barbarians and she is so proud of us we get named the Shogun!" she announced.