Kyuden Shika

As usual, Raizo ordered the Akina, and then looked about for any friendly faces.

Always a good spot to relax, and...

Oh fuck me.

Of all the tea houses in all the towns in Deer territory, she had to walk into this one.

The rain and the humidity was definitely taking its toll on Shizuka's choice of clothing. She dressed down most of the time now, which meant to say she wore a more conventional number of layers of kimono rather than that heavyweight regalia she dolled up in as a priestess of the sun.

But it never was the clothes that made Shizuka who she was. Setting her umbrella aside, Shizuka looked about the room and noticed a familiar victim- er, face.

"Shiba-san! What good fortune to come upon you again on this day, neh?"

Whichever one of you fucking Fortunes I pissed off enough to do this to me, I'm not sorry at all and I hope whatever offense I caused was deeply painful to you.

"Hello again, Moshi-san. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

I'd thought maybe your manifest lunacy had gotten you sequestered under the castle somewhere.

"How are finding the miai?"

"Very...moist." Shizuka gave a rather straightforward response as she tried to stare the dampness out from the sleeve of her kimono. Alas, to no great success. It would seem the rain has tamped down even Shizuka's spirits - and her eccentricities.

"How about yourself, Shiba-san? Still feel like you don't fit in with what's going on here? Or have you found a reason to burn forth!"

And yet, there it was. It may have dimmed somewhat, but it was still there - still strong.

May whatever Fortune did this to me have to deal with the heavenly version of a fundoshi full of biting ants.

"I think, Moshi-san, between our hosts asking me to recite poetry, play a game with rocks, kick a little ball around, and tell them about my family history, that I am definitely ill-suited to this event, whatever my feelings may or may not be."

Hell, my only fucking romantic success came from conversation outside of the Deer's absurd events and then a bit of sparring.

"It has been.... nerve-wracking, to say the least."

Much like our last conversation.

"Ah, but you're still hanging in there, Shiba-san, and that's what matters. Lady Sun's children - us - we shine through in moments of adversity, just as She would have us do."

Settling herself down at a table near Raizo, though not at where he was seated - Shizuka had a rather fluid interpretation of proper social and personal space (and voice volume modulation) but she seemed to know enough not to be patently rude to that degree.

"Do you think you did well? Maybe impressed the matchmakers...or a potential match?"

"I seriously doubt my performance in any of those... escapades impressed anyone. Did I not have so much trouble relating to the plays, I would call the Deer's requests for demonstrations of skills I don't possess the absolute low point of my day. As matters stand, they have some competition here and there, but not much."

"Competition?" Shizuka inched a bit closer to Raizo. Ostensibly this is so she wouldn't have to raise her voice that bit more to speak to him since she was at another table technically, but well who knows with the sun-tipede?

"Are there others who might be making lower points in your day, Shiba-san?"

Do NOT point at her and start screaming.

"Oh, some of the plays are completely incomprehensible, and a couple of them have actually aggravated me. So sometimes there's a worse part than standing in front of literally everyone here demonstrating what I don't know."

Shizuka looks at Raizo a long time. An uncomfortably long time. Could she suspect he spoke less-than-truthfully? Did she know?! Did her devotion give her some kind of crazy mind reading powers as a blessing from her sun goddess!?!!?!

She inched over closer, her husky voice lowering conspiratorially.

"You know, Shiba-san...To be quite honest? I'm not very fond of plays myself." Her eyes darted about theatrically as she continued to stage-whisper. "Too dramatic for my tastes."