[Day 0, Early Afternoon] What Fresh Hell is This? (Open)

[Moshi Shizuka]

"Very much so. Honestly not sure why I was invited. I kinda figured the Phoenix would just tell me who I was marrying."

He glanced about him.

"And I had no idea there even was a Deer Clan until I saw it on my travel papers."

"So, then..."

Shizuka paused fanning, resting the top curve of the fan against her chin.

"How do you know you're out of your depth?"

Her tone was genuine curiosity, not at all some smirking court dweller trying to be all 'Aha, gotcha!'.

[Shiba Tomoe]

“Inks, hmmm?” Daichi looked towards the display gestured to and picks up one blue and one black. “Depends on how you think the ink will be used. Black for someone who wishes to just write or simple ink paintings. Colored inks are good for poetry if you have pretty enough paper. But that’s a little out of my area of experience.”

"Poetry or pretty paper? Because you seem like you could string some words, Hida-san." The grin shifted to a smirk before Tomoe picks one of the black. "Simple black is simple enough. Colored ink would likely go to waste, or on the walls. My siblings make poor calligraphers."

[Shiba Raizo]

"So, then..."

Shizuka paused fanning, resting the top curve of the fan against her chin.

"How do you know you're out of your depth?"

"'Cause of of this?"

He gestured to their surroundings.

"All of that?"

He nodded at her recent purchase.

"This place seems to thrive on it, and as far as I can tell, it's all the same junk but in different colors. But I know that can't be right, because I'm hardly enough of an egotist to think everyone interested in it is my inferior in any way."

He sighed.

"And more... I have no idea what to do with my time here. You want me to walk over the next hill in full armor with a pack, I know what to do. You want someone to catch a chicken for a group of hungry ashigaru, I can maybe work something out. You want someone to belt out a ribald song to keep everybody on a march in step, I'll... at least do my best. But..."

He again gestured toward their surroundings.

"All of this is just... weird. Puts me off-balance. And that... means I am out of my depth."

[Moshi Shizuka]

"All of this is just... weird. Puts me off-balance. And that... means I am out of my depth."

Shizuka's brow furrows and her eyes close solemnly, a pensive expression on her face.

Fan. Fan. Fan. Tap of fan on chin. Fanfan.

A short, sharp inhalation.

"Nah." The Moshi concludes. "I don't agree with that at all, Shiba-san. You're here now, the Heavens wouldn't have had you here if you weren't supposed to be here, and Lady Amaterasu isn't the sort to make mistakes."

Clenching her free hand into a fist even as she continues fanning herself, it seemed as if a spark was fanning into righteous flame behind Shizuka's gaze as her eyes opened!

"When you go into battle, Shiba-san, you must trust your comrades beside you and the spirit of those you have left at home at your back. Do so again now! You there!" Shizuka gestured to Tomoe with her fan, "Other Phoenix-san! Come to the aid of your kinsman!"

[Shiba Raizo]

"When you go into battle, Shiba-san, you must trust your comrades beside you and the spirit of those you have left at home at your back. Do so again now! You there!" Shizuka gestured to Tomoe with her fan, "Other Phoenix-san! Come to the aid of your kinsman!"

Oh for fuck's sake.

Raizo kept his expression carefully neutral.

A lot of zeal out of fucking NOWHERE... and I thought the Isawa were a handful...

[Shiba Tomoe]

"When you go into battle, Shiba-san, you must trust your comrades beside you and the spirit of those you have left at home at your back. Do so again now! You there!" Shizuka gestured to Tomoe with her fan, "Other Phoenix-san! Come to the aid of your kinsman!"

"Oh, excuse me, Hida-san. It appears I'm being called."

Ensuring to put the ink back first, Tomoe moved across to the call of the Centipede. "Hello! How might I be of help? If it's shopping advice you're looking for, Moshi-san, I'm afraid I won't be much more assistance than my fellow Phoenix-san. But I shall aid my kinsman how I can!"

She grinned at Raizo, nowhere near as neutral as him.

[Moshi Shizuka]

"Come, come!" Shizuka says, gesturing Tomoe and - yes - even Daichi over with her fan. The extra inches afforded by her sandals coming in handy as well.

"So, Other Phoenix-san, hello. Good afternoon. I am Moshi Shizuka, priestess of our Lady Amaterasu, praise be the Sun! I was speaking to your kinsman and could you stand right there please and thank you."

Turning again to Raizo, Shizuka indicated the grinning Tomoe with almost theatric seriousness. "See, Shiba-san, you would carry a pack for her if your clan asked it of you, neh? You would chase a chicken for her if it was what was needed, neh?!"

[Shiba Raizo]

"Sure."

Actually, he'd probably do plenty of things a great deal worse, but there was no need to say that part out loud.

[Shiba Tomoe]

"Greetings, Moshi-san. I am Shiba Tomoe." She bowed, then stepped into the indicated place, still grinning at Raizo. "I don't know what I'd do with a chicken right now, but if there is a need to rummage in a coop, I'm certainly not one to stop that from happening."

[Hida Daichi]

Daichi blinked ever so slowly at the events that had unfolded so quickly. Apparently she was being ushered over as well for reasons unbeknownst to the Hida.

What a confusing turn of events.