[Day 1, Early Afternoon] Some Who Wander ARE Lost (Expecting)

[Bayushi Choudai]

Following an extremely, intensely weird conversation with a monk he was fairly sure wasn't fully human, Choudai had gone walkabout.

In Scorpion lands, he might have known who to go to, who to bring this information to.

But now? Now he was in a Crane town, and the only person he fully trusted was someone he wanted as far from any danger as possible.

So he wandered the streets, trying to figure out what to do.

[Asahina Asano]

The town itself seemed plain enough... well, for a Crane town, immaculately kept to the highest Crane standards, and carefully... okay, so maybe it wasn't so plain. But Asano didn't know that. Sure, it was much fancier than the small towns in Asahina lands, but weren't most places?

So her interest wasn't so much in all that work as the innards of the town: Its shops, its offerings, its people... Frankly, she was more forward than most, so peasants had the most unusual surprise of a tall Crane girl asking them all sorts of questions.

This was how Chodai first saw her, standing in front of an surprised but also slightly annoyed looking man. The middle aged, slightly unkempt man seemed to be fielding a barrage of questions about local drinks, standing outside the Fallen Blossom Sake Bar.

[Bayushi Choudai]

Hm, quite the interrogation.

Choudai drifted closer, trying to see if this was another example of the simmering madness the place seemed to engender.

Ah, the sake house. Curious, curious...

Not a place he should visit just yet, but...

Wait, she's asking WHAT?!

[Asahina Asano]

"Oh. So you don't really drink the more expensive offerings much... um, I don't suppose you know of any local samurai who frequent the establishment, do you?"

The young woman's bright clear voice carried well enough. The man's grumbled, but polite, answer did not. The Crane looked surprised at it though.

"Nono, of course not! I would never... O-Oh... right... Right... okay. Thank you very much."

She turned away from the man and walked off with a half dejected, half thoughtful look, shoulders a little slumped as she walked vaguely in Chodai's direction. She seemed to not pay attention to the people around her, half looking at the ground, the crowd of peasantry parting for the tall, blue and white woman in their midst.

[Bayushi Choudai]

Curious.

Choudai approached, rather casually.

"Good afternoon, Asahina-san. Pardon one who is a stranger here, but you seem out of sorts. This one is Bayushi Choudai. Is there some help you require?"

[Asahina Asano]

"Hm?"

Asano looked up from her reverie and bowed, snapping out of it, "Oh, do not worry; I am as much a stranger here as you are, Bayushi-sama. My name is Asahina Asano, and it's my first time here. Which is why I was trying to find out about the local culture and specialties and such. You... saw that?"

[Bayushi Choudai]

"It was rather difficult to miss, Asahina-san. And, well, if I could be of some service and failed to do so... the mind reels!"

[Asahina Asano]

"It was rather difficult to miss, Asahina-san. And, well, if I could be of some service and failed to do so... the mind reels!"

Asano tilted her head a little to the side, "Service? Does that mean you know some about the local culture, Bayushi-san?"

[Bayushi Choudai]

Asano tilted her head a little to the side, "Service? Does that mean you know some about the local culture, Bayushi-san?"

"Only a very little, but I know what I like... what aspects of local culture was Asahina-san interested in?"

[Asahina Asano]

"Well... so far I looked at what crops they sell here, the famous people around town, the local festivities, the history of the place from some of the older residents... You caught me sobering up a local drunkard by the name of Chinjuin to ask about the local drinks. Though he didn't seem happy to suddenly be sober, for some reason..."

She frowns a little.

[Bayushi Choudai]

He chuckled.

"No one likes having their escape from reality delayed by questions about it, Asahina-san. A man who seeks drunkenness usually does so for a reason."

And some of us fake it to find some people we can kill with a clear conscience.

[Asahina Asano]

"I... I suppose so. They don't drink because they like the taste?"

She put a finger to her chin thoughtfully.

"I've always thought sake tastes dreadful myself. But then, I always thought it was more for other people, not so much a priestess like me."

[Bayushi Choudai]

"Much depends on the blend, the year, the brewery..."

He chuckled.

"How desperate you are to get drunk. Among bushi, it's a socially acceptable way to pretend we're all right, even when we're not."

[Asahina Asano]

"Hai. Especially amongst certain Clans. Drinking isn't very big in Asahina lands, amongst my Family. Apart from ceremonial purposes. Maybe why I don't like it? Maybe ceremonial wine is the issue?"

She looked at Chodai, expecting an answer.

[Bayushi Choudai]

He shrugged.

"It's possible. Or it may be that you simply don't like it. Not all flavors please equally. My brother Ozaki has far more of a sweet tooth than I do, for example. Still, if Asahina-san ever wishes to try out the local sake house, I know of a blend I can recommend..."

[Asahina Asano]

"You are knowledgeable about such things? I'm always up for recommendations, trying new things. I like learning about the world, Bayushi-sama. But if there's anything more interesting to me, it's learning about myself at the same time. So any assistance in that regard... Well..."

She bowed her head.

"If you ever had time, let's just say it would be appreciated."

[Bayushi Choudai]

"Well, I'm better with food than sake, but I am willing to lend what expertise I have, at Asahina-san's convenience."

[Asahina Asano]

"Well, I'm better with food than sake, but I am willing to lend what expertise I have, at Asahina-san's convenience."

"You would help me? Any help is more than appreciated, no matter how small or large."

A soft smile crossed the tall woman's lips.

[Bayushi Choudai]

"You would help me? Any help is more than appreciated, no matter how small or large."

A soft smile crossed the tall woman's lips.

"Then I will endeavor to do all I can."