North Sea Dungeon

Yehla nodded as she listened, pulling some dry, pale mint colored leaves from another pouch and pressing them in the mouth of the pipe, before rummaging for a match, that she scratched in a practiced motion on the table top, her hand tracing an arc in the air from the rugged wood to her pipe, lighting the leaves and inhaling deeply before releasing smoke from around the neck of the pipe, shaking the match to extinguish the flame.

"Nothing shameful about strength," she noted, looking back to her companion. "It's a valuable skill down there, you'll be fine." She smiles. "I'm curious about that weapon tho, I'll be happy to check it out on my way out." She inhales more smoke and tilts her head back to blow it out toward the ceiling, seemingly thinking about something. "To be honest, I was here to scout people to form a new party, I already signed up for a random sorting for the next Dungeon Dive to get back into things, but I like to be a couple steps ahead of my planning, what do you think we meet in the near future to spare? Could be fun, and I'd like to assess your fighting skill myself."

Teaming up with the Ogre could be beneficial, but she needed to have a better understanding of the Dungeon first, hence the choice to participate in a random sorting even by the Overseer. She just needed to go down there at least once, it could define what kind of party she would fit in best. Strong fighters like Rokuro, if he wasn't underselling his skills, could be either incredibly helpful or on the contrary a burden, depending on the dangers lurking under their feet.

His eyes follow her movements. The way she carried herself screamed of a mage, but then again, he'd been wrong before. Instinctively holding his breath a bit as she prepares to exhale, Rokuro is further impressed when she helps the smoke along its way, blowing it towards the ceiling. Yehla was a well put together woman, kind and respectful, and the exact type of person that Rokuro had hoped to meet when he stepped foot on the island.

"That sorting might be the one I signed onto before I even boarded my ship over here. I think they were doing the same for other adventurers, there were quite a few other than me." He mutters in thought, before considering her request. Sparring. That's what he always watched his brothers do, and sometimes they could get intense. Was that simply a quirk of their particular bouts? On one hand, he was fairly sure by her demeanor that she was a competent fighter, but a matchup between them felt wrong to him. Then again, he wouldn't say such a thing out loud, especially if she was considering gathering recruits for a more solid party after she got more experience. Tapping his fingers on the tabletop, he hums in thought.

"... How about this. I'm alright with sparring, but... Only if you're okay with doing it after looking at my weapon." Rokuro said gently, the best way he could show concern for her request without talking down her abilities.

Yehla smirked at him, eyes narrowed on his gentle face.
"That's fair!" she laughs, plummets of smoke curling around her jaw as she does. She takes another drag, this time exhaling through her nose. She tapped twice the bottom of the pipe on the table to give a shake to the herbs so they wouldn't clump together as they disintegrated into ashes. "Anyway, signed up as well, heh? Maybe we turned up in the same team, who knows! When are you going to the Plaza? I'm scheduled for tomorrow morning."

"Hah, as early as my preparations will allow me to. Getting there early should stand as a good way to show I'm serious about things... Even if I'm only really proving it to myself." Rokuro says, a sheepish look coming over him. Though he was here on the island and already set to go in, he still harbored a healthy amount of anxiety. As any new adventurer would.

"I'll admit, I do hope we end up in the same team. It'd be good to have an acquaintance. But if not, I... Wouldn't be opposed to coming back here and trading stories about things." He says, once again leaving things up to Yehla, a kindness in his eyes.

She chewed on the mouth of her pipe, eyes trained on him, studying him in silence for a handful of seconds before switching the pipe from one corner of her mouth to the other. He seems soft. He's going to have a hard time down there, she thinks, a little sadly. Most adventurer who star bright eyed and bushy tailed finish raw and closed off. Such is the dungeon spelunking life.
Nevertheless, she smiled, small and gentle as the corners. "That'd be nice, yeah. But if we don't end up in the same team, I'll take you up on that invitation to drink again!" Saying this, she grabs her steins and draining it in one go, before rummaging in her pockets once more to find the money.
"All right, what do you say we get out of there? It's getting late and I have to prepare some more before diving tomorrow. Also I wanna see that weapon, see if it lives to expectation" She grins teasingly, shooting him a glance before finally dropping the coins on the table.

Rokuro wasn't analytical enough to see anything in her gaze but contemplation for his request. Watching her tip back her cup, he smiles in amusement, already knowing her plans to begin heading out. It really was about that time, wasn't it? "I've also got some things I need to get in order before tomorrow." He muses. "But, I'd be more than happy to show you my weapon."

Having been quietly nursing his drink throughout their conversation, Rokuro needed not finish so quickly. After a final drink, he set down the glass and carefully got up from his seat, having already paid. Too long had he accidentally gotten up and then smacked his head into the ceiling... But thankfully, this establishment didn't have that issue. He leads the way at first, holding the door open for her.

The Cat in the Bag wasn't rough or uptight enough to try and ban people from having weapons at all in its establishment. But the weapon Yehla sees laying in the dirt out of the way of the entrance made it understandable why they made an exception. It's a mix of crude yet elegant, metal formed into a gigantic spiked bat that was probably longer than an average half-foot was tall. Its handle was wrapped in a rough white cloth for a better grip, long enough that Rokuro could properly use both hands to swing it. On the end of its handle, a loop with what looked to be a small variety of Eastern charms, in blues and white.

The ogre passes by her, dispelling any remaining doubt that it might not be his when he kneels down, grabbing its handle and lifting it with nary a strain. Who knew how much it weighed, but the fact he hadn't decided to lean it on the side of the building, the indent in the dirt it left, and his comment on not being worried about anyone stealing it spoke volumes. Using it to help him stand, he straightens up before carefully presenting it to her in the way a sacred sword might be given to a knight.

"It's an old family heirloom, but... This is my weapon." Rokuro says, looking down at it with a warm fondness. "I feel bad, but I'll likely have to keep leaving it outside..."

Yehla whistled low in her throat at the sight of the massive weapon, taking her pipe out of her mouth letting some smoke escape at the same time as the sound.
"Beautiful beast. The eastern merchant I bought my Apothecary box from had one of those, too, though it was in much less good condition. I can understand why you weren't worried about thieves." She crouched in front of the bat, examining the charms tied to the ring at the end of the handle. "Though, if it's precious to you..."
She seemed to think carefully about her next words, before tilting up her head. "... I could make a charm for you next time to repel any sticky fingers? You never know what kind of strength spell can turn around these parts, after all."
She stood up again, dusting off non existent dirt from her knees, just out of habit. "It might take a while, so it'd mean it would have to be next time we meet, but I can at least put the offer on the table!" She grinned. "I make really good protective charms, you know."

Rokuro considers her question, lifting it up and studying it thoughtfully. How long had this weapon been in his family? When the time eventually came for it to change hands from his father to his sons, nobody would have ever expected it to end up with Rokuro. Then again, his father never got the choice. He needn't disrespect his family any more than he already had by adding something so foreign to this relic.

Raising his eyes to Yehla again, he shakes his head. "No. I don't believe anything will happen to it, but if something does... Well, then perhaps that's fate. I like this weapon, but there's nothing saying I need to use this one in particular. If it's a kanabo, then I don't need to be picky."

Yehla nodded respectfully. "I understand. It's a good way to look at it. Well, if anything, if you change your mind, you can always find me." She tapped the remaining ashes out of her pipe on the cobblestone floor, sighing and looking up at the darkening sky.
"I guess this is where we part. Fingers crossed we are paired together tomorrow!" She added with a laugh, putting her pipe away. "It was really nice meeting, you, Rokuro." She extended her hand toward him, smile warm. "To our next encounter."

Rokuro was glad she didn't push. He got the impression that Yehla was the kind of woman to not look too deeply into people's business, if only because others tended to pry with her. The typical soft smile he usually wore reappeared as Yehla spoke, emptying her pipe. "Likewise, Yehla. I can only hope you haven't spoiled me for this island's hospitality." Rokuro jokes, leaning down a bit to better take her hand. "I'll see you then." He says, gently shaking it.

And thus would the snowy ogre depart, relic with its strange charms at his hip.