Standing at a particular corner of the marketplace, Ichika waited and peered down one way and occassionally checked the other, as she'd arrived earlier than specified. Still in her kimono from the morning she held her purse in one hand and communicator in the other. With the communicator raised she re-read the messages again, just to be sure she was in the right spot but then focused on the first again.



Reading it again, Ichika couldn't help but chuckle to herself. A little like everything was making a little more sense the more she thought on it. After the first she'd sent her reply, and then the chain commenced which got her here to this place.

Now she waited, patiently, taking in the interesting sight that was the lower city.

Mumei drifted into the marketplace dressed in....her sparkly leotard and blue leggings. The worn synth-leather coat is tossed on over the top to hide _some_ of the sparkle, despite the obvious claw marks in back. At least cleaning it had gotten the worst of the bloodstains out. It kind of matches the 2 broad, laddered snags on the leggings.

She waves as she approaches. "Hey, Doji-sama! Thanks for meeting me. I'd asked around a bit, and there's supposed to be a good resale place next to the straw hat shop. How'd your shopping go the other day?"

"Hey!" Ichika returns the wave happily, smiling as Mumei finished her approach. "Of course, Nakauchi-san," she dipped her head toward the woman. "Things went well, I think. Moshi Atena-san seems a sweet girl and Daidoji Kamui-san seemed to enjoy himself as well," she said with a happy nod.

"Hopefully that is the case for today too, yea? Though your circumstances are.." she chuckled, half-awkward, "different than theirs for certain," she finished with a happy sounding giggle hidden into her sleeve.

Craning to look over her shoulder at the torn jacket, she says, "Yeaah, a bit different. Though I guess Moshi-sama was on the boat that got attacked yesterday night, so she might be looking for some replacement clothes too" her tone is sympathetic, though she won't shame the Moshi with pity, even in absentia. "I kind of hope they do hit it off so she's got something good to come out of this place with."

"I mean, I was warned about being out in the dark, but this was broad daylight." She keeps talking while meandering in the shop's direction.

"I hope so as well," she commented on the first. Stepping up to walk with Mumei, as she continues Ichika finds the ground and looks toward it for a moment. Lucky as she was they were largely empty streets at this hour.

Looking up again, she nodded, "Shinjo Yul-san told me about it, somewhat. It's an awful thought to think about when I realize how I was out there earlier in the Miai, by the lake," she clarified, "and well.." she opened her arms a little as to show herself off. "I would not have been prepared for such a thing."

She sobers and nods. "He was this far from dead," she holds her thumb and index finger a centimeter apart. "You and me? We're little twigs to that thing. And poor Kuni-sama" One is allowed to pity the dead. "But...I mean, I wasn't prepared. Very not prepared. And...you just kind of do what you have to, what you can. And...that worked, somehow."

Many of the shops are closed at this hour, preferring the nightlife that filters through. But there were still carts for people filtering over on lunch breaks, and other shops here and there, maybe catering to all the offworld guests drifting around between events?

Certainly the ones that largely served the throngs of the working class were closed, but those few that could rely on the business of samurai should certainly be open. Quiet streets made for easier movement and thought while they traveled.

"I-" she shook her head, "I wish you didn't have that experience at all, Nakauchi-san, but.. I am glad you were there in a way," she said, glancing away a moment. With a soft, quiet voice, "Shinjo Yul-san is a good person, so I'm glad he's okay." Looking forward again she continued, "Maybe it's a little childish but.. I was starting to forget the world is a harsh place sometimes, and then Kuny Koryn-sama's bed was empty this morning and.." she shook her head, stopping herself there again.

"Believe me, I wish none of us had those kinds of experiences. Just see the interesting bugs and mushrooms and not the giant lizards with huge teeth." She shakes her head, "but, you know? I'm glad I was there or Yul might not be, and you're right, he's a good person." There was an odd hint of a smile at that and a moment of faraway distraction to her gaze. She shakes her head, returning to here and now. "I'm sorry Kuni-sama wasn't so lucky, and sorry you had to lose someone you knew, Doji-sama. That's not the kind of thing that should mar an event like this."

There's the straw hats, strung in profusion from bamboo poles. Easy to miss behind them is a nondescript doorway with a mannequin out front dressed in an outfit a few years old in style. 'Treasures Returned" is painted across the top of the door. Mumei nods toward it.

"It isn't," she agreed sheepishly. When Mumei found the location she looked up to her with a short smile, one that barely lasted a moment. "We're looking for a new jacket, yea? What else might we be looking for today Nakauchi-san?" she asked, getting a slightly quicker step but slowing to keep pace if Mumei doesn't as well.

"I don't know...I kind of thought I might keep the jacket, it's such an old friend." She's only half joking. "At least till stipend comes through. Maybe I can tuck something to the back of a shelf and come back then to see if it's still here?"

"But," flashing open the edge of the coat to let the iridescent leotard flash, "I really need something besides this. Just some kind of decent shirt that'll last a bit."

Ichika caught a giggle in her sleeve, "Mhmm," she nodded twice. "No, I definitely think that needs some replacing Nakauchi-san," she chuckled again. "Coming here I wasn't sure I was going to help, really but.. yea, I don't think I could do much worse than what you already have," she faltered on restraining a few more chuckles.

"I mean, I have no fashion sense anyway, other than comfortable and wears well. But I guess I could just grab the first thing on the rack and be in better shape...Probably." She pushes the door open, hearing an electronic chime somewhere toward the back of the store. The slightly musty smell of slowly rotated clothing stock, faint incense, old linotiles, and someone's lunch meet them within.

Tightly packed rows of hung clothing line both sides of the deep, but narrow shop. A lower rail and a higher one on both sides pack in maximum stock, with what looks like accessory selections back near the small counter. Signs designate sections from shirts to kimono, jackets to jinbei, and a clatter of shoes are lined up on the floor beneath them. "hoo...that's a lot to pick through. But ok...shirts?"

"Shirts!" she said with a small pump of her arm into the air. A small chuckle, she moved into the shop. "Alright," she looked around, observing the atmosphere of this place as she inhaled the scent to cement that understanding of it causing her nose to wrinkle a little. With a small chuckle she nodded, "I've never stepped into a place quite like this before, Nakauchi-san.. has a certain charm, yea?" she said, glancing to Mumei with a smile.

"Yeah, they're good for stuff on a budget if you're not set on new fashions, and I guess the heimin probably get to wear some higher quality stuff than they'd otherwise this way." She hold her jacket closed (the zipper hasn't worked in years) to avoid sparkling too much "I mean, what's even fashionable right now?" Because of course a Doji would know something like that.

Flipping through the first set, she pauses here and there at ones that aren't too worn, or bear some semblance of her clan colors. Lots of band shirts that she ignores. And it looks like Kisada's temple sold commemorative shirts for a number of festivals.

"I like the way it smells, it's like it's own little story," she said, laughing a little as she waved her hand. Hiding from that thought she started following along through one of the other sets of clothing. "Depends on what you're doing, where you're going, and who you are," she said, half-distracted by the pursuit of something fitting.

"Though," she glanced over a shoulder and looked at Mumei. Furrowing her brows a little as she looked her up and down a little. "Hmmm," she turned around again, shifting through some things before she found two she seemed to be looking at. Pulling them free she held each of them up, raising one and then the other as she looked at them. What they looked like didn't matter much, however, as Ichika shook her head and neatly placed them back into the mix.

Turning around she got a position on herself in the store, "Oh!" she said, a half-chuckle. "Also matters who you're going with," she said, smiling. Shaking her head she looked over to Mumei, "So, let's just find something that looks good on you, yea?"

"Though," she glanced over a shoulder and looked at Mumei. Furrowing her brows a little as she looked her up and The Osprey nods. "And it's kind of a welcome respite from the air outside, honestly. The smell, I mean." She watches the Crane's process with some bemusement. "Well, I have formal robes for the fancy bits, but day to day running around here? I guess I'll be with...everyone I'm supposed to be getting to know."

Curious, she asks, "so neither of those two, eh? How about this?" She plucks out a sturdy looking button-down thing with pandas printed around the lower half and tiny ones on the collar. It's almost certainly too small.

"Oh!" she said, stepping closer and grabbing the bottom of the shirt to look at the design a little closer. Then looking up to Mumei, a soft smile and shake of her head. "It's really cute, I think! Not sure it'll fit you quite right though and.. hmm," she chuckled lightly.

Brushing her thumb over the bottom of the shirt she let it fall again. "I do like the buttons though," she glanced from it to Mumei. "I think the collar type suits you. With a jacket over it.." she nods twice smiling bright.

She fiddles with the collar a bit. "hm you think so? The buttons are nice, though they tend to get lost way before the fabric wears out." Her fingers are searching as much for fabric types as anything else as they flip through the wares. "I shouldn't be surprised that there's so much orange here."

"No, I suppose you shouldn't hmm?" she giggled a little into her sleeve. "No buttons.." she thought. Glancing around she found something quick, a nice snug t-shirt. Nothing too exciting about it just grey and comfortable to the touch. Perhaps a little worn in, some of that comfort coming from loving use from whoever once owned it. Going to grab it she quickly turned back to Mumei, "Maybe something a little like this, Nakauchi-san?" she asked, tilting her head. "At least the style, yea?"

The Osprey runs a hand along the fabric. "Really comfortable," she nods. "Worth picking through all the band shirts to find something a little more work appropriate like this."

"Though this is kind of tempting," she holds out a similar style in olive green with the logo of the xenobotanic garden plastered over a selection of flowers and fungi, tinted to hint at the view under the garden's UV visors. She pauses, head tilted a bit. "So...this is going to be an odd question. Is it considered weird among the great clans to run around with really only one set of regular clothes?"