((I am in a Combat Thread LA, Just starting this to get it going.))

It was later then Hayato expected to be out, especially given the events of the day, but it seemed for the most part Doji Ichika and he had just been missing each other. He'd sent her directions to the out of the way bar, that were hopefully easy enough to follow and waited by the door.

Hayato had taken the time to dress up a little, choosing the pale green shity the Doji had picked up and a pait of slacks to go with it, the top two shirts were open revealing a slight bit of his chest, and a plain brown banded wrist watch told him the time as he glanced at it. Maybe he should't have arrived so early.

"Tsuruchi-san!' Ichika shouted from some distance away. Leaning up onto her toes she waved from down the block. Careful not to run into anyone, she finished the last jaunt a bit more quickly than how she'd walked her. Wearing the white top with blue skirt ensemble she picked out for herself that day.

"How've you been?" she asked, hitting the last two steps as she came to a stop beside him. Holding her purse in front of herself with both hands, small as it was.

"About as fair as is to be expected." He offered with an easy smile as he looked the Crane girl over for a moment.

"You're quite the looker tonight, Doji-san." Hayato said as he looked her in the eye. "Been well since karaoke the other night?"

"Thanks!" she said with a happy chuckle. Giving a step onto either foot to give a little swish to her skirt. Looking back she smiled, "I have! I hope you have as well, Tsuruchi-san?" she asked with a slight tilt of her head to the right.

"Well, I only have the scars that I had already." Hayato replied teasingly, as he walked towards the door to open it for the Crane girl. "So it seems I'm well enough."

The seedy looking interior was revealed as the door opened and he smirked. "You've never been to a place like this before if i recall?"

"I haven't, no," she shook her head, peering inside. With a glance back she looked around the outside too. "Not a lot of-" she shook her head, "Well, if there are any places like this back home I definitely didn't stumble into any.." she paused, thinking for a moment. Shaking her head she looked to Hayato with a smile, "Anyway, new experiences, yea?" she said with a little laugh.

"New experiences." He agreed with a chuckle as he stepped inside with Ichika. "Though I admit that I've been in places like here before."

Making his way to an empty table he offered the Crane maiden a warm smkle. "So what are you thinking first? Sake or beer?"

"Hmm.." she furrowed her brow. As she took the seat she looked up, with a smile, "Sake, I think.. a sweeter one if it's available maybe?" she said, her tone uncertain.

"I'll see what they have." Hayato replied with a touch of amusement to his smile as he left the Doji for a few moments to head towards the bar.

He would return a few moments later carrying a shochu on the rocks on one hand and a glass of nigorizake in the other. "Handing her the glass of cloudy liquid he smiled. "This is all they had but it should do.

Watching as he walked off she slid the purse onto the table. Tapping away at the top of it with the pads of her fingers. Glancing around the room in the meantime. Taking in the sight, the smell of the place. How it all came together and created the atmosphere.

"I'll trust your judgement, Tsuruchi-san," she said with a slight smile. Accepting the drink and settling it in front of her. Nodding, "Do you come to places like this often?"

"Never had nigorizake before?" He asked, as he took the seat across from the Crane woman a pleasant smile on his lips. "As for me, sometimes? Depends on what the night feels like."

Hayato brought his glass up to his lips and took a sip. "Usually places like these are a bit more relaxed, and not really the type of place to go if you want to party."

"Hmmm, mhm, I can see that," she said with a soft smile, glancing around. Taking up her glass she took a sip, a small sip, and tasted at it for the flavor. Closing her eyes a little to capture every little note, as if she was trying to familiarize herself with it.

With a small self-contained nod she opened her eyes and looked back. "Thank you for bringing me out here, and for," she lifted the glass a little to reference it.

"My pleasure Doji-san." Hayato replied watching as Ichika took the tiniest sip of her sake. "I admit I was a bit surprised this was where you wanted to go though."

"You don't really seem the type to drink that much." Though she likely did at least a little.

"No, but," she glanced around with a subtle smile. "I didn't really want to come here for the drinking really. Just the.. well, the atmosphere, yea? It's.. different here than in other places. Not the kinda place you find someone like me, hmm?" she vocalized the last bit with a little smile.

"It's rather like someone brought a snowflake into a desert." He mused, a bit of amusement touching his eyes as he smiled. "Must of been some sort of unsavory character."

He smirked and placed his golass back on the table turning it slightly. "Still I guess I won't have to worry about excorting a drunken Crane back to the hotel while she sings at the top of her lungs."

"Oh-" she giggled "-no no," she laughed a bit more, waving her hand a little as she just barely set the glass down without spilling any. "You won't have to be doing anything like that," she laughed a little more, a earnest laugh that was hard to control even if it was as soft as how she spoke. Bringing her hand up to cover it she looked down as well, concealing the expression as her face lit up a bit.

He smirked as she laughed chuckling a bit himself. "Disappointing but understandable." He sighed a bit dramatically. "I guess I'll have to sing for the both of us then." Not that he really planned to get all that drunk.

"I will hope for a good performance, Tsuruchi-san!" she said, coming back from her little bit of laughing. With a happy sigh she took a hold of the glass again, but let it lay there.

"Not even an offer to join i?." He sighed softly. '"You're truly a wily one Doji-san." Bringing his glass up to his lips he took a sip. "I mean it's traditional to sing on your way back from a sake house." Was he lying? Yeah he was probably lying.

"Still I suppose I should ask what you think of the place... Would you come again?" He paused. "Though it may be a bit early to ask."

"I don't know!" she said, with a gusto that only the truth could muster. "I might, maybe, someday! On my own though," she smiled awkwardly, raising the glass a bit as she barely sipped at what was inside. Shaking her head a little, "No, I don't really think I will," she chuckled a little.

"Still.. it's nice, yea? Even if you didn't warn me about the traditions of sake houses," she said with a half-laugh, uncertain a little.