[D3, MM, expecting] Just one game

[Hitoko]

She'd taken breakfast at the temple as she always did, but today called for some variations from her usual habits - the quiet morning hours at the arcade being one of them. She was happy for the quiet - she tried to avoid really busy hours anyway - but this was almost too quiet.

Still, Hitoko wasn't planning a long stay anyway. She was twitchy with anticipation and needed something to keep her distracted for at least a while, and so she let herself be drawn in a while by video games. She set her backpack down right beside the machine attached to a dance pad. Rolling through combinations of moves on the pad, she started to feel like she was really getting the hang of this...

[Ide Yamako]

Yamako wandered the arcade, having fond memories of similar places after her first date with Noburu on New Kalani.

As she passed the dance machine similar to the one that had baffled her then, she saw someone who clearly had no such difficulty.

She watched with respect, impressed.

[Hitoko]

As she finally reaches a level of difficulty she can't manage, Hitoko steps from the pad a little a short on breath - and comes perilously close to bumping into the pretty samurai who she hadn't noticed was watching.

"Oop!" she squeals, dancing awkwardly around the Unicorn but keeping both of them on their feet. "Ahem, um. Apologies, uh... Unicorn-sama?" Hitoko questions and then hurriedly bows her head. Did not anticipate this happening, she thinks to herself as she catches a breath.

[Ide Yamako]

She is nearly knocked over, but thankfully not. That would be too much dignity loss for one day. "No harm done. I was merely watching." She gives a slight nod of the head, acknowledging this individual but not seeing any mon. "I am Ide Yamako. And you are?"

[Hitoko]

"This one is simply Hitoko, Ide-sama," the ronin says humbly. She's unhappy at being surprised but doesn't dare show that to a clan samurai.

"Ide Yamako-sama..." Hitoko's face scrunches as she tries to place the name. "Ide-sama is... a famous... singer?" She wracks her usually clear recollection of information trying to place someone she was certain to never meet in person.

[Ide Yamako]

She shakes her head quickly. "No no, that is Susumu Yakumo-san. We have very similar names but are very different people."

Taking a deep internal breath, she pauses. "It seems there are many ronin in the World of Dreams. Are you a local or a visitor?"

[Hitoko]

The ronin scrunches her face again, this time clearly in frustration, before quickly bowing her head to hide the reaction.

"My apologies, Ide-sama. This one is... Apparently distracted today. I'm sorry. And, um, I'm local, Ide-sama. There are typically enough of us - and travel opportunities so limited - we don't see a lot of ronin visitors."

When she straightens she looks more typical of Hitoko: seemingly at ease, almost smiling but seeming more to be permanently smirking in amusement.

"Oh, uh, by all means have the next game, Ide-sama," Hitoko says, gesturing toward the dance pad. "It's rather, um... Energizing."

[Ide Yamako]

She waves a hand, declining. "I fear that my skills do not extend to this game sadly. I tried a comparable one in New Kalani and was disappointed in my abilities. It is part of why I was watching you. Clearly you have mastered the needed technique."

[Hitoko]

"Mastered? Me? I... Ide-sama is too generous in her praise. I'm sure my skill here is not comparable to yours." She bows her head again, covering the look of befuddlement on her face. What is... The ronin tries to figure out what's happening and why it's so disconcerting to her. She... She's... What in all the realms is happening here?

[Ide Yamako]

Ahh, is this what I looked like when others complimented me? I can see now why they continued. It is almost...humorous.

"Trust that my sincerity is real, Hitoko-san. It is all a samurai has some days. I may be able to dance through political maneuvers on occasion, but this...machine has defeated me time and time again. I suspect I am just too short." She says with a tiny crinkle of the eyes to show her humor.

[Hitoko]

"Ah-ha ha, Ide-sama," the ronin chuckles, unable to resist making a joke to take some focus off her. "'Trust my sincerity' is a likely thing to hear on the Scorpion's World of Dreams..." She looks thoughtfully at the Unicorn before clarifying, "But I am sure that Ide-sama possesses all the honorable virtues of a samurai and would never lead someone astray."

[Ide Yamako]

She raised an eyebrow at Hitoko and one could also see the power of her developing auntie ways. "I am sure that one such as you would not imply a deficit of honor in the case of myself. Or that one who is as committed to honesty as myself would lie. I am sure I have misheard."