[Day 2 - Late Afternoon] The Off Hours (Open)

[Kuni Shiori]

After spending most of the day in the kyuden, Shiori decided to be a little adventurous with her surroundings and venture out to see what else the region had to offer. The town was naturally something that caught her curiosity. While she was sure that their honoured host was sure to give proper accommodations and hospitality to ensure all of their court guests would feel home away from home, she wanted to know the Lion. The real Lion and their domain, outside of the niceties of court and their rigid regiment, the Lion in the off hours.

She caught sight of the local bar just opening up. It was hard to miss the number of people who stumbled and staggered from the main doors as they were ushered out from their slumber, forced to deal with the hardships of a lingering hangover and what other regretful decisions from the night before. The Kuni would poke her head in at first before stepping in. Yes, this will do.

[Daidoji Ryu]

Already inside was one Daidoji Ryu. He sat at a table by himself, off to the side, with cup and papers in front of him. Careful eyes would notice that while the papers were ruffled, his hand resting gently on them, the cup seemed largely untouched, still full of liquid.

And speaking of careful eyes... when the Kuni walked in, Ryu looked up, his grey eyes focusing on her, then narrowing thoughtfully. After a few moments, he gave her a slow nod, not quite welcoming, but at least not repelling.

Another few moments, and he gestured with open palm to the seat across from him. It was at least a little welcoming.

[Kuni Shiori]

Considering the locals and the regular clientele here, it was far too easy for the Crane to stick out to even someone uninitiated to the establishment. If he was a regular here, he was easily the most handsome of the bunch. She did notice him just when he noticed her and she nodded back, aware that there might have been some internal dialogue she missed before he would extend the invitation to join his table. She wasn't the brooding sort, so she was more than happy to accept the offer.

Shiori made her way over and presented a bow before sitting down across from him. "Good afternoon, Daidoji-san. Thank you for the kind offer. I'm Kuni Shiori of House Kuroyama."

[Daidoji Ryu]

Considering the locals and the regular clientele here, it was far too easy for the Crane to stick out to even someone uninitiated to the establishment. If he was a regular here, he was easily the most handsome of the bunch. She did notice him just when he noticed her and she nodded back, aware that there might have been some internal dialogue she missed before he would extend the invitation to join his table. She wasn't the brooding sort, so she was more than happy to accept the offer.

Shiori made her way over and presented a bow before sitting down across from him. "Good afternoon, Daidoji-san. Thank you for the kind offer. I'm Kuni Shiori of House Kuroyama."

While she was making observations about him, he was making much the same about her; she definitely stood out from the rest of the people here.

Ryu rose when Shiori drew close, the better to return her bow with one of his own. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kuni-sama." He spoke slowly and carefully, as though measuring each word. "I am Daidoji Ryu. Thank you for joining me."

He sat back down, grey eyes narrowing just a little as he studied her with polite curiousity. "I hope you don't mind my asking, what brings you here today? Oh... would you care for something?" He raised a hand to flag down a servant if she agreed.

[Kuni Shiori]

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Daidoji-san," she said with a small smirk on her lips. "Without your invitation, I suspect that I would have lingered around the bar if you hadn't otherwise. Now that I've had a better look at the place, it doesn't seem like quite the venue that many guests would stumble into accidentally. My reasoning for being here is a bit of curiosity and adventure, maybe up for a conservative day."

"Yes, I'll have..." she said before she took a curious momentary pause to see what the locals were drinking. It's not like she should have expected otherwise. "Sake, warm, please. Whatever is in abundance."

Her gaze curiously went to the papers he had on the table before quickly looking upwards, not wanting to stare at them too much. "...And what brings you here today, Daidoji-san?"

[Daidoji Ryu]

"Hmmm." Ryu's lips compressed slightly; by the look in his grey eyes, that was closer to a smile than a frown. "I expected curiosity. I didn't expect adventure. You've surprised me, Kuni-sama." He slowly inclined his head to her, the corners of his lips just turning upwards.

Her order seemed to remind Ryu that he'd ordered the same; with a blink, he looked down at his own cup.

At a glance, the papers seemed to be some sort of reports, based on the presence of rows and columns. Ryu carefully folded them, then tucked them away. "Mmm... somewhat the same as you. Curiosity. I'd thought to get some work done..." he patted the folds of his kimono where he'd just tucked the papers. "I suppose I could have found some quiet corner of the library. But this seemed more interesting. And informative."

The server brought Shiori her own cup, setting it down with a grunt, and then shuffling off again. Ryu's grey eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "We both have a drink now. Perhaps we should toast." He studied Shiori, almost-smiling again.

[Kuni Shiori]

"We are in the wrong season for adventuring," she said ruefully on that note as she turned to offer the windows a glance, they were likely shuttered in the winter months. "However, to call stepping into an establishment with little research would be considered the tamest of adventures by any metric. All for the best, when in Winter Court. With all good intentions, we're here to do work and not become rumours."

"My apologies if I had interrupted your concentration," she said on the matter as Ryu began putting his papers away. "I suspect the libraries might have been the right place but all that depends on the surrounds you might consider peaceful or relaxing. I've gathered the bar here could be...entertaining. Yes, informative. I was hoping for the same, to get an idea of our hosts and their protectorate in a more casual environment."

"Yes," she said simply in agreement before reaching for the cup. "To adventure, perhaps? In whatever interesting or less interesting ways it might be found?"

[Daidoji Ryu]

"Hmph." A quiet chuckle. "Perhaps little adventure is enough. Last night, my cousin and I had a local dish. The spicy noodles, extra spicy. That was almost too much adventure for me."

He gently shook his head. "Not at all. If I'd wanted to be undisturbed, I'd have gone to the library. Instead..." He gestured around. "I chose this. Fortunately."

Okay, that got an actual smile out of Ryu, if only for a moment. "To adventure. Yes." He raised his cup, then drank from it, his eyes staying on her as he did.

"Well." Ryu lowered his cup. "Have you made any observations yet? I'll share if you will."

[Kuni Shiori]

Shiori would take a small gulp from her cup. She wouldn't quite look back at him at first but her gaze did curiously flicker before before she would be done with her drink.

"Extra spicy noodles? In the Lion lands? I was under the impression that spicy was too exotic for the Lion palette but I've never sought to ask or find out for myself, as you did," she bobbed her head downwards slightly, perhaps as a small sign of sympathy for their particular plight. "Sounded like something that would make for a good story than a painful lesson at the very least."

"Observations? None yet, I'm afraid," she said softly on the matter with a rueful shake of her head before taking a small sip from her cup. "My only exposure so far to the Lion has been in the courts and in events, with something of a polite distance in our interaction, much like how one would have a relationship with their superior or commanding officer. It's not quite enough to make a fair impression. Of course, the impression I left with them hasn't been stellar either. My gift was received with a lukewarm reception but it is hardly their fault in the slightest, I had just failed to sway them with my sincerity."

[Daidoji Ryu]

"Perhaps it's a local thing. Or..." Ryu's lips twisted. "Perhaps it was a trick being played on a pair of Crane. Hmph. I should ask around, make sure it really is the local dish..." He shook his head. "But no. We weren't the only ones eating it."

As Shiori spoke, Ryu listened, sipping slowly from his own cup. "I haven't had much more than you, not at court. I was in the campaign against them two years ago. Hmmm." His grey eyes narrowed further. "My impression then was that they're fierce, but also surprisingly canny and careful. That bears out here, at least so far."

"Mmm." Ryu gave a little sympathetic nod. "I remember, now, when I think on it. Well... I don't think you're stuck with that impression. Perhaps you'll wow them next time." The corners of his lips curled up. "Now that you've had a chance to observe?"

[Kuni Shiori]

"As far as tricks go, I think this one might be the most harmless. I don't consider myself an authority but I am familiar. The worst tricks tend to be the ones that you're least likely to share with others or have you still suffering because of it to this day. Now that you mentioned it, that sounds like a point of interest I should consider investigating at another time. Spicy food is not something I come across often, outside of the Mantis island traders and whatever makes its way up the River of Gold," she nodded, making herself a note.

"In a sense, you might know them better than any courtier, if they adopt the same tactics in the courts," she said before lifting up a hand and seeming to do a mental count in her head. It didn't seem to add up to what she was looking for when she shook her head and reached for her cup again. "There are a good number of days in court but I've gotten the impression of the depth here very quickly. I'm not saying it's not impossible but there are rather deep waters here, so to speak. Because of that, I find myself less wanting to wow them but more content supporting my Clan here and keeping afloat any proposal that they may have. Thankfully, I am in the company of some very eager and capable Yasuki."

[Daidoji Ryu]

"That sounds like a story." Ryu's brow was gently furrowed; he wasn't sure if he ought to offer condolences for... whatever it was that happened. But he didn't push any further than that. "Well. I might recommend not getting the extra spicy. But if you're already familiar from dealing with Mantis, perhaps you have an edge that I lack." He looked at her, eyebrows going up just a little; what was her connection with Mantis? This Kuni was proving very interesting. And pretty.

Ryu waited, tilting his head curiously as Shiori did her mental count, but then nodded as she reached her conclusion. "Yes. Depth. And a very strong current beneath the surface, to catch the unwary. Caution is probably a good idea."

Then he picked up his own cup, but didn't drink, looking across the table at her curiously. "Hmph. Perhaps they should meet my cousin, the Emerald Magistrate. Eager isn't quite the right word, but it's close." He fiddled with his cup. "Are you supporting them, then? Or are you seeing to other things?"

[Kuni Shiori]

Shiori remained oddly casually cool regarding the topic, nonchalant in many aspects. "Perhaps, but not something I'd wish to bore you with the details about over just some conversational sake. Let's just say that I feel I might know a thing or two regarding the difference between some peculiar hospitality and that of an actual trick," she said before showing a faint smile.

She gave a small shake of her head. "I suspect my tolerance for spicy food would be the same as yours. Spices are an occasional treat, they can be at least, when you're not unexpectedly shocked by them. They certainly make things interesting, sometimes adding some needed flavour and other times making you question your own personal decisions. Perhaps, the same sort of introspection that is found in meditation. Spice things up, if you will."

"They likely have already," she nodded after a small sip of sake, nursing it slowly. She supposed she could go for another cup without issue. "I believe they spoke of some discussion with someone of your delegation but I can't pin a name to it. It does seem like he might be just as eager. At the moment, I am hoping to support them in their efforts. My house is a small one, while there are some benefits in speaking to the iron producers at the source, I'm sure there is a larger importance in keeping the Clan fed."

[Daidoji Ryu]

"I see." Ryu smiled back, just a little, as he let the matter drop. And made mental note of it, of course.

The line about personal decisions won a short, quick, laugh from the placid Crane, an actual smile flashing across his face. In a moment, it returned to his more usual barely-there smile. "Yes, I was certainly questioning a few of my decisions last night. Like, how did I let my cousin convince me that I really needed to try the extra spicy?" He shook his head, smiling for real again for a moment. "Still...you're also right that they make things interesting. I'd try a similar dish again, albeit a bit more cautiously next time."

Ryu, likewise, was nursing his sake slowly, drinking at roughly the same rate as Shiori. "Your house produces iron?" He nodded. "My cousin is handling as much business as she can. My duty is to support and advise her in any way I can. That's recently included arranging to have a shrine to Benten created in Crane House. It should be completed tomorrow."

[Kuni Shiori]

"That bad, hm?" She let out a small titter on that note. "Now that you've talked about the dish so much at length, I am curious about where you've had this dish. You've already given it a talked reputation."

"House Kuroyama does manage iron mines for the Crab Clan and typically most of our raw goods go to the Clan internally where it is made into arms for the Clan. I am told that we have some surplus this season, from our mines and a few others." She brought up, although was sure that the Yasuki might have worked it in their negotiations somewhere already.

She gave a few impressed nods on the matter of the shrine. "That sounds like quick work on part of your delegation. Will this shrine also be open to the public as well? I can't imagine your Clan not wanting to share the fruits of their art."

[Daidoji Ryu]

"It brought tears to my eyes." Ryu said, smiling again. "Which I then wiped, which was an even worse mistake." His grey eyes narrowed, and he tapped his lips. "It was a little place... hmmm. Perhaps you'd allow me to show you sometime? We could share spicy noodles and observations both? I think I would enjoy that." He took a sip of his sake, a slightly longer one this time.

Then he set it down again, almost empty. "I can pass that along to my cousin, and help her review our documents." Ryu said, giving Shiori a business-like nod.

The next nod was slower, more like a tiny bow. "It is. Or, it will be, after it's completed tomorrow morning. The monk, Jihen, is completing some last details. My cousin is engaged to be married this spring, and I expect she's not the only one. And then those who hope to be..." He made a vague gesture with his hand.

[Kuni Shiori]

Shoiri couldn't help but give a small tilt of her head at the mention that the food was spicy enough to bring a grown man to tears. Maybe it was just colourful language. She had some inkling of doubt that it could humble a Daidoji, even if he was a Crane. "...I think I'm starting to see what you mean by your suspicious. You hadn't mentioned the tears at all. My apologies, I was under the impression it wasn't that serious. This almost sounds like a trick from a spirit. We could consider a tanuki or a mujina potentially."

She took the initiative to wave over the previous server who served them to get a refill on sake. They could likely afford to have another cup without seeming like they were drinking to excess. It's not like they were ordering a few bottles. This was likely better than nursing a single cup. "...So, yes, I'd be willing to visit this establishment."

"This spring?" She brought up curiously. "Has she been engaged for a while? It does seem a bit peculiar to be holding a wedding here away from home, unless the marriage partner is of the Lion Clan?"

[Daidoji Ryu]

Ryu waved a hand. "No, no. It wasn't so serious as all that. Although I did touch my eyes, which I don't recommend."

He paused a moment as the servant came over, waiting until both cups were refilled. "Still. I hope you're willing to go, even without the possibility of a tanuki or a mujina?" He asked.

At that question, Ryu pursed his lips. "Yes and no. Negotiations took some time, as befits someone of her station. But we intend to have the wedding not long after we return home. Preparations had begun before I left." He smiled one of his tiny smiles. "Which means that she hasn't seen any of it. I'm looking forward to that. I think she'll be pleased."

[Kuni Shiori]

Shiori smiled faintly and inclined her head once at the question. "I am. I'm hardly going for the possibility of tanuki or mujina. my apologies, it was merely a suspicion. I don't think it would make for an entertaining occasion, no matter how interesting it might become. I'm sure the locals would rather not deal with the complications either could bring."

Her expression turned serious for a moment. "Also, there's no telling what sort of things they could do if they had access to spicy ingredients...."

"I had misunderstood for a moment...but yes, the shrine should serve as a good place to start praying for good fortunes in her future life in marriage. There's little reason to put those on pause just because you're abroad. I do hope her affairs are in order and her marriage goes well," she inclined her head once at that formal statement. "May I ask who is the marriage partner?"

[Daidoji Ryu]

"It would be an adventure, though." Ryu said, dryly. He inclined his head in return. "But I'm glad that spicy noodles and some company is adventure enough."

That thought made him wince. "That would be awful. But tanuki and mujina, thankfully, are not something I've ever had to deal with." He gave Shiori a curious look. Perhaps she had?

He raised his new cup of sake, then sipped from it before setting it down. "I've set things in motion, and I trust the rest of the family to handle things until we get back. Doubtless there will be more to do then. So long as it can be sorted in time." Ryu sighed, just a little, then smiled, also just a little. "She will be marrying Asahina Nahomi of House Yamada. I think it will be a good match, for both of them. Think and hope, both. Asahina-sama certainly seems excited."