Wedding at Fire Shrimp Village an L5R PbP

Today was weird, really weird.

Waking up to roll over and find another bottle of sake was strange enough, not the most common of gifts for a ronin. Yet, it was already tied up with her string which was just a bit stranger. Others were acting a little weird too. Strange as things were the thought crossed her mind and she quickly made her way off the ship and out into the village. Taking her time to not look like a crazy person. Don't only crazy people have to think that? Yoko shook her head as she rounded the corner.

Walking toward the well she'd come upon yesterday, today?

She sees peasants there gathering water for the day chatting about the wonderful festival.

That was perhaps a relief, in a way. Shaking her head from the thought, it was better to be safe than sorry. "Excuse me," she said, after approaching and stepping up toward the peasants watching. "Fine day today, eh?"

"Hai, samurai-sama, very fine day. You were one of them carrying the offerings yesterday right?" a peasant asked.

Yoko paused, putting her hand on her hip as a manner of giving herself the moment to think. "O-of course, yea! So, you saw me, eh? Had to make a good showing for my employers, hmm. Hope I did?"

"You did quite well, samurai-sama, many of the folk were cheering for you, some louder than others," another added and they all laughed at the joke.

"Do you need to use the well?"

"Oh- oh no, just uh, looking around for something. Seeing if I could find someone, and something maybe while I'm at it but thought I'd share a little in the nice morning while I was here, eh?" she said, putting up a pleasant smile.

"Who are you looking for?" an older man asked.

"There was this woman.." she glanced to the pair, joking as they did. "She was striking, met her over by this well the other day, she," Yoko went on to describe the woman as best as she could from what she remembered before. Notably leaving out the unimportant details that nearly got her in trouble last time.

"I think she was a Crane, but I'm not sure. Very.. demanding, eh?" she said, smiling.

"Why would a Crane be over here, they stay the Blue Bird House, samurai-sama," they responded.

"I'm probably not the first woman who went out looking for someone last place she saw them, and I won't be the last, eh? Just saw her near here the other day, hoping I could find her. But, if you haven't seen anyone like her," she shrugged.

"Thanks for the words though, eh?"

"Of course," they say politely to the samurai.

Yoko walked from the well, off into the village again. While she didn't find the Crane woman there was time yet to get to where she needed to be, she figured. No sense barging into the inn while they were preparing, a call she hoped she wouldn't regret.

So, she walked through the village a little while. Keeping her eye out for the Crane woman, or the red flag that got her into this mess. Maybe it wasn't fair to blame the flag.

OOC: Investigation + Perception at TN 13.

MM 4 | Investigation [Perc] vs TN 13: 4d10o10k3 16

She finds the red flag flying over a squat home with two young children out front playing a game with sticks that seems to just be who can hit the other harder.

"Hey, runts," she says, walking over to them. When she stopped she put her hand on her hip and looked down to the kids, a smirk. "Know anything about this house?"

"Huh... who's asking?" one said trying to look tough.

"I am," she said, laying her hand down a little to shake her sword as if it gave the only answer the kids needed. "Ronin with questions, eh?" she said, turning a little so her lack of mon was notable.

The door opened and the old woman from the inn stated, "Well samurai-sama, you looking for work?"

Yoko looked up and whatever smile she might have had was gone. Instead she just looked to the woman with a dead-pan expression. For a moment, that was all she did. Standing there with her hand on her hip and looking at the woman, "Seriously?"

"Seriously, come in, I am just doing my laundry," she offered.

Yoko chuckled, shaking her head and followed the woman in. Glancing back to the kids, "Don't break anything, eh?" she said. Getting closer she looked the woman again, "Let's not keep you from the laundry then, eh?" she smirks, shaking her head.

She started hanging her clothes on a line out back and said, "So you want work... you willing to do mortality or just want to keep your hands clean?"

"Willing to kill? Yea- just.. depends on who I'm killing. Not a big fan of harming those who don't have it coming to them, if I'm honest," she says, focusing on the woman to get a good read on her reaction.