Ryokan [Bounty]

[Shinomori Katsumi]

A lone figure slid open the door of a countryside inn and moved to a table in the corner, kneeling down at the low table. The inn was at a crossroads, so many people came and went, and there was a good sized crowd, Katsumi being a newcomer among them. She had been traveling the roads on her own for weeks now, finding small jobs here and there, but nothing substantial. The mercenary was weary and desired a night or two of rest, and so here she was.

When a few eyes glanced over in her direction, the woman instinctively tugged at her black kimono, as though they would be able to tell she had breasts, even though they were wrapped and she was donned in traditional men's clothing. Katsumi had to keep telling herself no one would be able to tell and remained impassive, folding her hands before her and closing her eyes after setting aside her bow and arrows.

She listened in on the various conversations, all of them blending together. The mercenary picked them apart, curiosity piquing at the various topics. Eventually a young woman who had to be the innkeeper's daughter came by and inquired as to what Katsumi desired to drink. Brown hues fluttered open and slid over to the girl. She couldn't have been older than Katsumi herself. Blinking once, the mercenary spoke with a tenor tone, in a masculine voice, "Sake, please."

The teenager bowed and hurried away, and Katsumi closed her eyes once more, fingers combing through her brown locks which were pulled back in a high ponytail and waved down her front. Soon enough, the innkeeper's daughter returned with Kat's sake and the woman opened her eyes, nodding her head.

"Thank you," she said softly before slowly sipping at her drink in silence, sitting with a trained rigid back and feet neatly tucked beneath her rump.

[Amakusa Takehiro]

After the incident at the Tokugawa-Takeda village, Takehiro had decide to stray as far from those territories as possible, causing him to journey westward. Naturally, given the distance, the journey had taken a few days as the mercenary made his way through the entirety of Oda territory. He made stops every now and again, but, without a horse, traveling was difficult.

A long period of travel and inevitable fatigue led Takehiro to Ryokan, where he opted to stay a moment and recuperate. An inn at a crossroads was heavily convenient, though such a location was bound to be crowded. This was unfortunate, because the last thing a tired man wanted to deal with was a bunch of rowdy people. But, the information he could learn would indeed be nice.

Making his way inside, Takehiro went over to the bar. He pulled out several gold coins and slid them across the counter. "Sake, please. And a room for the night." The woman at the counter simply nodded, taking the coins and handing Takehiro his drink. "Thanks, Miss." He bowed his head, then made his way to a table to sit down and rest. He set his spear at his side, and observed his surroundings.

[Shinomori Katsumi]

Katsumi had managed to find a table with nobody else accompanying it and was on her lonesome, silently sipping at her sake, but that didn't last for long. It wasn't surprising considering the crowded setting. Soon enough, a man with a spear went over to Katsumi's table and the woman glanced up at him as he sat down and set aside his weapon. He appeared a bit worn, and she concluded he had been roughing it like she had for some time.

Not exactly a social butterfly, the woman masquerading as a man glanced back down at her cup, avoiding eye contact, and silently (if not a little awkwardly) drank her sake. Maybe if she didn't look at him, conversation wouldn't start. That's how it worked, right? She wasn't really sure, never having much of an opportunity to talk to others throughout her life, and so her lips pursed before pressing into a tight line, head ducked down, as though that would make her invisible to him and everyone else, except the inkeeper's daughter bringing the drinks around. She was always welcome.

[[OoC: I'm sorry she's so awkward and didn't do anything. She doesn't really know how to strike up conversations very well. xD]]

[Amakusa Takehiro]

Tiredly, the mercenary downed his cup of Sake in a single gulp. He grunted a little, putting his cup back onto the table and sliding it toward the center of the table. He took a moment to collect himself, looking around the inn, and realizing there was only one other (wo)man at the table. He seemed pre-occupied with whatever he was doing, and also seemed scared of conversation. Horribly reserved... in this day and age? And he had a bow with him, meaning he was... either he was with a faction, or he was a merc.

"Hard to find good work these days, don't you think?"

Takehiro offered a kind smile to the man, trying to make him feel a little more comfortable. That, and he didn't feel entirely checked out yet, so he might as well make conversation, right?

"At least, work that doesn't involve horrid shit."

[Shinomori Katsumi]

Clearly her assumption had been wrong, and the other wanderer began to talk to her. Shit. What was she supposed to do? Say? She couldn't just ignore him. Even the socially awkward Katsumi knew better than that. The mercenary bit down on her lip and her gaze peaked up through her side-swept bangs, through the locks right at the man. He was considerably larger than her, and had pleasant features, was handsome even, although that wasn't really on the woman's mind. She was far more concerned about how to respond, because, honestly, the only times she really ever talked to people was when getting assigned a job.

She directed her attention to the man, listening to his words, and it took her several moments longer than most to come up with a reply. Her eyes searched the table before going back up, and, coughing a little, she softly spoke in the false tenor voice, giving a tiny nod, "Er... yes. It is."

That was good, right? Passable, at the very least. She didn't give any commentary on the moral aspect of the conversation because what the hell was she supposed to say? Daddy "dearest" had been killing in front of her for so long and had been training her to do as he did for so long that... well, she didn't really have much of an opinion about it. Katsumi didn't really enjoy killing people, but she also didn't see anything wrong with it, because no one told her otherwise. Men, women, children, unsavory characters, innocents... if there was a mark on their head, it was fair game.

Katsumi's gaze only lingered on his for a short time before ducking back down. The eye contact felt uncomfortable for her and she wasn't all that used to it, and there was always that slight sense of paranoia that someone might be able to figure out she was a woman. Not that they could just by looking at her eyes (as though they had telepathy, or something just as silly), but the way she had been raised made her extra precautious and wary of others.

There was a silence afterwards and Katsumi shifted. Was she supposed to say something else? Was that not how conversation worked? Fuck, she sucked at this. Racking her brain to come up with something, the slender woman swallowed and, eyes resting on her cup of sake, she spoke up again, words struggled and voice tensed, sounding as though it was not used often because, well, it wasn't, "The sake's... good."

Her statement sounded more like a question, and Katsumi internally winced at that. Great start. She was quite the articulate and impressionable one, for sure.

[Amakusa Takehiro]

The mercenary eyed the man for a moment, cocking a brow. It seemed he lacked the capability to respond, or make small talk. That, or he was just exceedingly nervous, and couldn't handle communication with another being. But, by the look of him, he was a mercenary. How could you be successful in a field where you have to murder people, but you can't make small talk?

A small chuckle escaped Takehiro's lips at the very simple response the man gave, and his hand reached for the empty cup of Sake. This was more due to the awkward nature of the conversation, and giving him something to do rather than just sit there. The empty cup made its way to his lips, and a few drops of the liquid - whatever was left - fell to his tongue, though there wasn't enough to swallow.

"Yes, indeed, the sake is quite delicious."

He continued to observe the quite, reserved man, interested, though not entirely sure why.

"You take any good jobs here, recently?"

More small talk.

[Shinomori Katsumi]

The man chuckled. Was she supposed to laugh too? Katsumi had no clue, and she couldn't recall ever laughing in her lifetime. There had been no time or room for it. A giggle would have resulted in a beating from her father, she was sure. The mercenary didn't really know how to laugh, and so she stayed quiet, hands nervously twiddling.

Her eyes avoided his, but she saw from the corners the man lifting up his glass to take the remaining drops. She followed his motion, mimicking him to at least pretend she could normally socialize, and finished her drink. That seemed to catch the innkeeper's daughter's attention, and she swiftly went over and refilled the cups. Katsumi nodded, muttering a thank you, and then shifted her attention back to the man, who spoke again.

He asked her a question, and the inquiry in and of itself surprised the woman. She never really spoke to people, and the ones she had... well, those conversations were brief and all about business. But he kept talking to her, asking questions. Not in an intimidating way. But as though he were curious, and that, as a result, intrigued her.

Did he really care about what she was doing? This genuinely confused her, and it showed on her features, brows furrowing a little, brown hues searching his face. Father never asked about Katsumi, only ordered, and when he asked questions, it was an interrogation. And in the past year that she has been on her own as a mercenary... well, she just did her jobs and was on her way. People tended to pay her after she did the job correctly with no questions asked. They certainly didn't give a damn about Katsumi. Her fingers gripped at the cup of sake, and her gaze fell, staring at the liquid.

"Uh... n... no. I... I've been wandering around, trying to find something. Been hard. Money's running low," she started slowly, gaining more confidence as she went on. As time went on, it was getting a little easier to talk. Albeit a tiny amount, but that was a huge improvement for this particular person. She peered back up at the man and, still a smidgen of uncertainty, inquired, "... You?"

[Amakusa Takehiro]

Upon the filling of his cup, Takehiro immediately shot the drink down his throat in a singe gulp once more, audibly grunting a second time. It was good, it was convenient, and he needed something to lubricate his throat. The cup once again fell against the table, and this time, the mercenary would let it sit there. His attention was still drawn to the man before him.

"That so? Heh, I hear ya."

The mercenary pulled out a small bag of coins and slid it across the table, to the other man. "For the road, then, if times are tough." He may have expected Takehiro to ask for something in return, but he didn't. It was a friendly gesture, to which he paid no second thought. He'd had his fair share of good takes in the past month, and, had he wanted, he could build a good home and not have to work for the next two months. But, that wasn't his life.

"I just got out of three good jobs, pretty good haul. Currently looking at options for my next take, but I haven't run into much lately."

[Shinomori Katsumi]

Unlike Takehiro, Katsumi slowly sipped at her sake. She was short and had a small frame, and wasn't much of a drinker. She didn't have a high tolerance and, considering her history with her father, the merc had no interest in developing one. But the occasional drink was certainly welcome. One, two... maybe even three. She was far too controlled to go beyond that.

When he spoke, the merc nodded, giving a shrug. What was she to do about it? Some times were really good while others... not so much. But since she was on her own and father wasn't taking all of the income to spend on his own supplies and booze, money lasted far longer with her frugal ways. Soon enough she would be able to get a good job. Katsumi wasn't too worried about it. Worse come to worse, the woman could make it out in the wilderness for a while until she made a decent enough income to afford lodging.

The man before her pulled out a bag and slid it over to her. The jingle indicated coins, and she blinked, staring at the offer before glancing up at the other mercenary again. Her dark eyes were widened. Was he being serious? Giving her money? Katsumi couldn't accept that! She had never been given anything in her life, besides training and a harsh raising. The mercenary had no idea what to do, and her cheeks flushed a bit.

Hands rose up and the woman leaned back, shaking her head as she stammered, nervous all over again, "I... I can't. We just met. I don't... even know your name. It... It isn't right."

Her gaze fell from his face and she muttered, "That's not the way the world works..."

Certainly her world. There was no generosity. No kindness. Then a thought came to mind. Did he want something for it? Like a deal of sorts? She would be in debt to him? Wasn't that how it worked? She recalled her father owing people stuff a few times. She wasn't necessarily fond of the idea, but her curiosity made her at least want to know the options if this were the case. Her thumbs ran around the ring of the cup and she slowly asked, peering up at him through her hair, "Do... I need to do something for it?"

Her eyes were searching, brain obviously working, the wheels turning. The hues dropped to the sake. She didn't want to be in debt, but she also needed money and, well... she had no idea when she would get more. Perhaps there could be an alternative. He was obviously a mercenary like her, talking about jobs.

She racked her brain thinking of something, and then a potential lightbulb turned on. As much as she preferred to work along, her work often required her to "work with" others. Generally she did large groups, where she just did the job and didn't really get to know anybody, but maybe a duo thing could work. At least for a single job, one that was bigger. Yes, that sounded right. That's what her dad had her do with him, and this man seemed to want to make a lot of money from a single job. Or at least that's what the young woman suspected, theorized.

"Like... finding a job? Do a bigger one with you? For a..." What was it he said? She paused, brows furrowing before raising, and she looked back up at him, "good haul?"

[Amakusa Takehiro]

The way the man reacted was humorous, certainly. It was as if he'd never experienced a kind gesture in his life. That was amusing to consider, as well, the plethora of reactions the man could have had aside from that. Takehiro could have messed with him because of it, but he decided to leave it alone. Maybe the man wouldn't have understood the humor.

"Don't even worry about it." Takehiro shook his head, smiling. "If I wanted something, I would've made you an offer before I gave you the money." He nodded, taking the cup and flipping it in his hand, and setting it on the table again.

"Amakusa Takehiro."

Now the name thing couldn't have been an issue. And if the man wanted to do some work with Takehiro, that would be up to him.

[Shinomori Katsumi]

How could she not worry about it? She had been worrying about things her whole life. It was all she ever really knew. There was so little relief in her life. This... well, it seemed like too much.

Her eyes continued to search ahead of her, at the table, as she expressed her appreciation, "Thank... you. At least... let me repay you. It's... It's the least I can do, to... to show my appreciation," she ended, glancing up at the other mercenary.

Sure, she wasn't a social butterfly, was a loner and not great at working with others (not because she couldn't get along, but simply due to her lack of experience with conversation and interaction), but Katsumi would make exceptions. It was uncomfortable, but this man helped her. Gave her money. It was the least she could do, like she said. Katsumi could manage. Right?

"I usually work alone, but... the offer still stands. About signing up for a big job together. If you like, that is" she ended, peering up at him before once again evading permanent eye contact.

He gave his name--Amakusa Takehiro--and Katsumi ingrained it in her mind. The mercenary paused before introducing herself, giving her alias. She was willing to work with him to repay the man, but she would not toss aside her disguise, one she had committed to entirely since she had to kill her father and be on her own.

A hand rested on her flattened chest and Katsumi responded with a single nod, "Saito. Saito Hiroshi."

[Amakusa Takehiro]

So, the man seemed very intent on returning the favor, despite Takehiro saying it was no big deal. He couldn't decline help, especially in return for something else, but he didn't feel like it was necessary, as he was only doing what he did because he could, not because he required anything. While it would be nice to have someone on the road with him for a good job, he didn't know if he could trust the man on the battlefield, and he didn't know if he knew how to truly handle his bow.

"If you insist, here's how it'll work: we both look for a big job, and whoever finds it, we let the other man know. Do the job well, no screw-ups, split the take 50/50. Then your "debt" - and it's really not a debt - is settled. If that's how you wanna do it."

He felt like that was reasonable. Two-man job, even split on the take. Chances were the guy might need the money more than himself, too, so he might even do a 70/30 split, himself being on the poorer end of the deal. Not that he'd mind.

"What do you say?"

[Shinomori Katsumi]

Katsumi listened to Takehiro's words carefully in silence, slowly sipping at her sake. His offer really wasn't too bad. In fact, she liked the sound of it, and slowly nodded as he spoke. She didn't know of his capabilities, but if he had truly earned all of this money then this other merc had to be pretty skilled. That would be a relief, considering so many seemed to have no idea what the hell they were doing, just pretending they had a big set on. Bark far bigger than their bite, and when it really counted that meant shit.

Since he kept insisting, the female supposed it really wasn't repaying a debt. But, considering her personality, it just felt like she had to do it. And who knew? Maybe this would work out well, taking on a job with another person.

Takehiro made an inquiry and Kat nodded, proceeding to bow her head, responding, "Sounds good, Amakusa-san. Agreed."

She looked back over at the innkeeper's daughter who was busying herself with the various customers and at the woman running the place, before her dark hues moved back to the merc and Kat raised her brows.

"I'm sure they have heard of some jobs. If they have nothing good, certainly someone has here, with this being crossroads and all. Lots of word spreading around. Good breeding ground for news," she said. It was much easier to talk like this, purely business, and Kat actually didn't struggle with her words. The woman downed the rest of her drink and sat up even more rigidly than before, shifting in place, ready to get up and go.

"I can start now. If I get nothing within a couple of hours, there's always time in the morning," remarked the woman. Brows raising, eyes filled with curiosity, Katsumi asked softly, "Do you plan on staying the night here, or moving on, Amakusa-san? I... well, I can do what's most convenient for you."

[Amakusa Takehiro]

Takehiro nodded. Hiroshi would begin the search now, and Takehiro figured he would, himself, as well. So, he stood to his feet, pushing the chair against the table as he did. Stretching and yawning, the man would respond.

"First, call me Takehiro. If we're to work together, we're equals. None of the honorifics." Sure, it might seem a little disrespectful in some occasions, but Takehiro didn't want to do any of the "Saito-san" stuff. It wasn't like either of the mercenaries were mentors or daimyos, so keep it to being equals.

"And if you're going to look around, I will too. Should have a jobs posting thing around here somewhere. Most inns do, anyway. And I'll be staying the night here. If you'd like, I could buy you your room."

He would leave it at that, taking off and looking around the room for a jobs posting. He'd leave it to Mr. Social to do some of the business talking.

[Shinomori Katsumi]

Katsumi blinked. Not sure an honorific? But... that's just what people in their culture did. To not use any honorific at all... why, it was simply rude and showed the utmost disrespect, but Katsumi didn't say a word. If Takehiro didn't like her using a simple honorific and would prefer her to use his first name, she would, as much as it chagrined her to do so.

"Al...right."

As much as Katsumi would have preferred to check out the board, she would go along with what Takehiro said. Plus, she was the one who mentioned the talking part. He offered to pay for her room and she shook her head, replying, "You have already done too much, Takehiro. But... I really do appreciate the offer."

Katsumi would have given a small smile to show her appreciation, but she didn't know how, and so her expression remained impassive. There was no way she would let him not only give her money but also pay for a room for her to stay in. At the very least, she could cover herself for the night.

The merc stood up and bowed her head, bending down to pick up her weapon and slung it over her back. Brows hues searched the room and rested on the innkeeper. With a sigh, Katsumi headed her way towards the woman, hoping she could find a job and the two could head out in the morning.

--

After talking with the innkeeper, Katsumi found what seemed like a promising job. Apparently there was a bounty out for some guy by the name of Shimazu Ujiyasu. Katsumi had no idea what he did, but she didn't particularly care. If they got him, they would make a damn good sum of money. And if they brought him back alive, all the better.

After getting the news, Katsumi made her way to Takehiro and would inform him of the job offer. I'm sorry. I'm being lazy. >.>;

[Amakusa Takehiro]

Takehiro would have had no luck at the board. Any jobs that were already up were claimed, so there wasn't much to look at there. It disappointed the man, but he figured the possibility was there. And it wasn't really as though he needed the job right now. He was actually really damn tired, so he was also admittedly relieved.

Then it turned out Hiroshi found a job! A bounty.

Oooh. Those were always fun.

"Shimazu Ujiyasu? I've never heard of the guy... but a job's a job. Whataya say we rest up tonight, and set out in the morning? Searching now would be ineffective, considering I'm tired, and a little tipsy."

He would walk past his companion, stretching and yawning. He didn't really wait for an answer, he just assumed it was going to be fine. The mercenary waltzed on to his room and, if there were no objections, he would fall onto his bed and fall fast asleep.

[Oda Nobunaga]

[OoC: After this post, Shingen will be handling the GMing for the bounty.]

Amidst the current chaos of the cavern, a Samurai made his entrance. He was tall and fit, though his body was hidden under several layers of cloth and armor, and a hood covered his head. Two spears rested on his back, strapped around his torso. Two swords were sheathed, tied two his waist. He looked like a warrior, but then, so did many of the other people here.

He walked up to the bar, making a very quiet exchange with the innkeeper. A large sack of coins was slid across the counter, and the man made his way to a room.

[Shinomori Katsumi]

[[OoC: Sounds fantastic. Thank you! :3]]

Fortunately, Takehiro liked the sound of the job and accepted. While she agreed with what he had to say, the man spoke and immediately began to leave. Katsumi blinked and, mouth opening a little, she stepped forward. The woman stared to raise her hand in protest, wanting to discuss a more detailed plan, but she stopped herself.

What was the point? They were both tired and he didn't seem to plan things out like she did. Maybe that was what helped hold her back? He went ahead and did everything, while she stayed back and thought things through, carefully making each decision. They were two very different people, and tomorrow would prove to be an interesting day, it seemed. Katsumi wondered how they would work together.

With a sigh, she lowered her arm and closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead. Someone else entered the inn and Katsumi caught sight of him upon revealing her hues. There was something that seemed... off about him, but Katsumi was often the paranoid type. There was no reason for her to think that. There were lots of people with weapons around here.

But as she began to head towards the innkeeper as well to pay for a room, she noticed him quietly exchanging with the woman, sliding over what seemed to be quite a large sum of money. Katsumi halted and narrowed her eyes, glancing over at the exchange suspiciously. That was far more gold than what a room cost for a night, even a couple of nights. What the hell was going on?

She waited until he left before moving forward, wanting to give him a wide berth, and giving the innkeeper the money to pay for a room. Her lips were set in a straight, firm line, and Katsumi was pondering over whether she was just being paranoid. Was any of that really any of her business? None of it really settled right with her, stomach twisting and turning, and, with a deep breath, Katsumi began to inquire about the man.

Sleep could wait. Katsumi would rather it be confirmed that what she saw was nothing and be able to go to bed peacefully than leave it alone. It wasn't in the teen's nature to just ignore and not try to investigate.

"Hey, I know it's not any of my business, Sagara-san, but... can you please tell me who that guy was?" asked the woman masquerading as a man, leaning in and speaking in a soft voice. Brows lifted. "Mysterious macho type, huh?"

Whether the woman answered or not, Katsumi would probably go to bed afterwards, keeping whatever information, or lack thereof, to herself.

[Amakusa Takehiro]

Takehiro himself would not have noticed the man, having already retreated to his room. He would set his spear down on the floor, next to his bed, and would begin removing his apparel. Tired as he was, he felt comfortable sleeping mostly in the nude, so he was taking just about everything off. Wasting no time, he'd lay on his bed, using his kimono as a blanket, and into snooze-ville he would fall.

Several hours later, the mercenary awoke, completely rejuvenated. Quickly, he would suit back up and head on out to the main hall, spear in hand. There he would wait for his partner to discuss tactics, unless he'd already wanted to head out when he awoke. If he was already awake, Takehiro would greet him! If not, he would ask around, seeing if anyone had any information on this Ujiyasu character. He was looking for any sort of descriptors: height, build, facial features, beard or no beard, last known location, et cetera.

[Shinomori Katsumi]

Regardless of what the woman told Katsumi, she eventually went up to her room, setting aside her bow and bag on the floor close to the bed. She kept on her clothing and wrap, in case anyone barged in her room. It wouldn't do if that happened and they realized she was a woman, and so Katsumi always tried to be prepared. Placing her dagger beneath her pillow, clasped in her hand, the woman slept lightly, waking up whenever someone headed up or down the stairs.

When it was morning, the woman didn't immediately go down, instead going through her morning routine. Upon first waking up, the merc worked out, doing crunches and performing tai chi. She practiced her relaxes, and spent some time trying to build up her strength, which for a girl of her tiny stature was important. After finishing up, Katsumi freshened up, grabbed her things, and headed down the stairs.

Takehiro was already down there, and the mercenary made her way towards him, but not before checking out the scene. Was that mysterious man there with them? Regardless, Kat reached the man, and inquired, "Morning, Takehiro. Did you find any information about Shimazu?"

[Takeda Shingen]

(OOC: Good afternoon lady and gentleman, I am Lloyd, and I will be your GM for today. The only rules I have, wait until I've posted before you post, and expect a bit of control when it comes to certain situations, such as confrontations. Aside from that, let's get started!)

After taking the large bag of coins from the man and slipping it beneath the counter, the innkeeper's daughter, Sagara Izumi, would jump a little in fright as one of the guests came up to the counter to pay for a room. Taking the money handed to her, her heart racing, her eyes would rove back and forth, as if checking to see the coast was clear, before leaning in towards Katsumi, speaking in hushed tones.

"I'm not too sure who he is, but my father told me about him, and said if he ever came to the inn, to give him a room, no questions asked. My father usually handled the front, so he might know more. I think his name was Shimizu, or something like that. I'm sorry I don't know any more."

After Katsumi departed, Izumi would make her way to her own room, right beside the counter, and many hours later, morning would come. A little while after Katsumi emerged from her room and went downstairs, meeting up with Takehiro, the mysterious samurai she had seen last night would emerge from his own room, heading down the stairs, and without a single glance to anyone, would head out of the inn, the shoji door closing shut behind him.

Immediately after, a loud clanging noise would catch the attention of both mercenaries, as over to the side, they would see a fellow mercenary, who had been sitting at a table by himself and drinking tea, had dropped his cup on the table, spilling his tea. A look of utter shock and fear visible on his face, he would pay no heed to the liquid spreading out along the table, too stunned to notice it.

"I-I thought was still half asleep a-and seeing things! That... that was him! That was Shimazu Ujiyasu!"

[Amakusa Takehiro]

Takehiro would have nodded off, attention turning to Hiroshi as he made his way over. The mercenary shrugged, disappointedly, and shook his head. It made sense, though, if no one really knew much. People who had a price on their head weren't often easily found. There was a reason they were wanted, and their skills were most often that reason.

"Nothin' useful. Guy must be a ghost."

He initially paid no attention to the guy who left, seeing as many people were coming and going. Though, with the loud clang, Takehiro whirled around to look, instinctively. As the man spoke, even in his disbelief, a grin grew across the mercenary's lips. Hastily taking his spear in hand, he would motion for his partner to follow, and dash out of the building, seeing if he could catch up with the man. Him being in the area made things immediately easy. He didn't want to put any unnecessary distance between them.

[OoC: Stats for the bounty:
Str: 17(19+2)

Dex: 13(14)

Con: 13(23)

Wis: 13

Spr: 12]

[Shinomori Katsumi]

The name the inkeeper's daughter gave was the same as the man with the bounty, and there was fear within her eyes. Kat's narrowed and her brow furrowed. Could it be the same man? She didn't have any proof, but could it really be a coincidence? It just seemed so unlikely, and Katsumi quietly thanked Izumi before heading off to bed.

Now she was talking to Takehiro and her lips pursed. Should she share the information she gained last night? It may, in fact, have been nothing, but her gut churned. Katsumi had to tell him.

"It... It may just be a coincidence, but..." Kat paused. It had just been a feeling, so how could she justify that? She decided to word it differently and to keep going, "a strange man came in last night and when I inquired about him with Sagara-san, she said his name was Shima-"

There was an exclamation and Kat's eyes widened. So her feeling had been correct. It was him! Damn, how could she have not notice their bounty come down?! Removing her bow and an arrow, she bolted out of the inn with Takehiro. She was hoping they could bring this man back alive, if only for the money, and hoped Takehiro had listened to her that morning about it. She wanted them to be on same page, but either way she would follow him, feeling as though she had a debt to pay.

[[Stats for bounty: Strength- 16 | Dexterity- 22 | Constitution- 23 | Wisdom- 12 | Spirit- 5]]

[Takeda Shingen]

The moment Takehiro and Katsumi ran out of the inn, weapons in hand, they would find neither hide nor hair of Shimazu, almost like the man had disappeared into thin air. The trail had not gone completely cold however. If they picked their way through the crowd, they would pass by a samurai who was sitting on a square wooden stool at a wooden table located in front of a ramen stand, drinking tea and talking in hushed tones to his fellow samurai.

"That was Shimazu Ujiyasu, wasn't it? I wasn't expecting to see him walk around so boldly, and in broad daylight no less. Then again, considering the bounty on his head, and rumors of his skills, it's not all that surprising..."

[Amakusa Takehiro]

Takehiro would have pushed his way through the crowd, intent on finding his target, even if he had someone disappeared. No one could leave without a trace. So the mercenary would search for one of these traces, spear in hand, ready to strike at a moment's notice. He would have heard the samurai as they gossiped, and he would stop to speak with them before continuing.

"Shimazu, which way was he heading?"

It should have been clear this man was seeking the bounty.