Shokomaru had things to take care of that morning. He picked up his uniform from the cleaner, and had made a stop in the silver star for some..ahem..beauty products..but one thing that was bothering him as he walked through the mall like a scowling young man was that he hadn't ever picked a proper gift for his intended.

Well, not one that didn't come from a need to apologize.

Come to think of it, his walking slowed as it dawned on him, all his gifts given were in their way an apology. That wouldn't do. This girl needed something proper.

He turned back around suddenly to march into the department store.

Walking about the mall in the early morning Ichika found it easiest to deal with the apprehension among people, she always had. Today she needed that more than ever. Watching the people in this mall as she walked through it in the same kimono she came to this planet in. Each of their lives held a different story, so wildly different from her own. So unbothered by the truths and things that she was privy to, the realities of her life and others close to her. Yet... some of them knew, and a few even had a vague idea, and she wondered just on that topic a while. How far did the effects of her stay here really go? Just by knowing some vague sense of her story maybe spoken casually about over tea in the coming days, even if it was a small moment, how might that change a person's viewpoint on life in one key thought?

Shaking her head, she came away from such thinking and found a different source for her attention. Shokomaru absconding away into a department store for one thing, or perhaps another. Slipping out of the stream of people as it crossed by she stopped at the entrance and looked about for where he'd gone.

He was moving more energetically than she'd ever seen him, frantic perhaps? Asking an employee a question, then quickly telling them to forget it, and then closely inspecting every detail of various items from clothes, jewelry and even home decor. He seemed more like Izumi than himself, really.

Watching him for a moment with her head tilted just a bit to the right in quiet contemplation Ichika took in this unexpected sight as if she had to commit it to memory forever.

After a few moments, however, she found herself walking up to him while he looked at one thing or another. Standing but a few feet away she leaned forward at the waist a bit and asked, "Is everything okay, Daigotsu-sama?"

He was fumbling through dresses when he heard a clear and pretty voice. Not the one that would make leap out of his skin, and so he turned around and mostly composed himself.

"Ah, Doji-san, yes. Great, it's a fine grimey day on Asakaze...again. How are you?" He offered a slight bow.

"I'm good," she replied, regarding him for a moment with a raised brow. With a slight smile she returned his bow. Bringing up the back of her hand to her lip she almost laughed but only smiled a little. "A- Is everything alright Daigotsu-sama?" she chuckled a little.

"I'm looking for a gift... one that doesn't suggest I've done something wrong, like that... I'm not trying to smooth something over." He looked sideways. "How about a little help."

"Oh! Easy!" she said cheerily, stepping up beside Shokomaru as she starts looking through some of the dresses he was looking at. Furrowing her brow and twisting her bottom lip a little, "So, first, what does she like?"

"Uh...honor, plushies...", he almost goes on, but just shakes his head. "it's for Daidoji-san. Ano...Daidoji Ishiyo-san."

"Oooo," she said, a little rise onto the front pads of her feet. Settling down she laughed a little. "Alright, we have our mission!" she said, raising her hand and playing at it like she was in some kind of serial drama.

"Honestly.." she said, letting her shoulder rest a little. "I'm not certain what Daidoji-sama would like, but I can come up with some good guesses, yea? What do you want to give her?" she asked, with a little smile.

"I want to give her something special, right? To show uh... that is....matters will be complicated soon, one way or the other, Doji-san. So it has to be a sweet gift, something to make her smile, whether a happy one or a sad one."

"She likes...blue? Honor? Flying...um...child propaganda shows?" He stopped, looking like he was concentrating very hard. "Plushies."

Ichika looked to Shokomaru for a moment, maybe two, before crossing her hands in front of herself and nodding. "Alright," she said glancing around and finding a small stool to sit one, "Come with me, yea?"

Leading him over toward the small little private spot, she glanced around. "Okay, Daigotsu-sama, I- I don't think what you need is a gift, yea? It might help but.. what you need is to just work with her, yea? Talk, and... Well, talk, yea? Though if you still want to give her something.." she glanced to the side, there was a random assortment of cheap accessories. Ichika reached in and pulled out one with a little dog on it. "Give her that, yea?" she chuckled.

He frowned slightly, following her. When she fished out something random it deepened a little.

"Doji-san...look, this is will sound odd to you, but I know, alright?" he still seemed a little flustered but he took a breath and did his best. "Talking is going to happen, if things go right there will be a lifetime of it, you get me?" He looked at the little dog trinket. "I know that if it's from the person you care about it, it's not the gift but the thought, but do you understand why I'm looking for something, in that case?"

"Yes," she said, looking to him with a nod. Smiling a little as she tilted her head and raised a brow, "But do you understand why I'm still suggesting that maybe you're putting too much thought into all this? Trying to find something perfect like a gift will soothe your worries?" she paused, smiled again. Had she a seat she would have patted it but she didn't so she just smiled.

"Maybe I'm wrong but.." she shrugged, looking at the little dog on the accessory. "Well, I think you're trying to put more meaning into the gift than there can, or should, be," she looked up to him, "if that makes sense?"

He seemed a bit confused, honestly. Still holding his pressed uniform in the dust cover from the cleaners, he folded his arms and seemed to concentrate for a bit.

"Doji-san, this might not be a matter of...",he winced slightly. No, don't be obtuse, but try to make her understand what you're feeling. "You have to understand, no one is going to congratulate her. Everyone will pity her, feel sorry for her. She's done nothing wrong, after all. I'll be the villain, but she's a better woman than they know, and she just wants to do well. She won't blame me I don't think...but I want to give her a token of appreciation." He clenched his teeth. "Listening to people congratulate her all day on what they'll make sound like a punishment would hurt anyone, no matter how tough they are."

And it's possible he was talking about himself, as well, but he didn't want to be selfish. Even if he was a little.

"I want to choose her, and by my duty I can't avoid it if it's possible, I just want to do something that will help her see things that are positive, there is already enough to worry about."

"Buying something might just be the worst thing to do them, yea?" she half chuckled, but cut it short as to not make too light of it.

"I don't think I can help you decide what to do, Daigotsu-sama, because what you should do is what you feel right. Buying her something to make her feel-" she shook her head. "I think buying her something to try and solve this would only make it seem like you think it can all be solved with a gift," she said, giving a little soft smile. "Which it can't, yea? Just.. work on showing her that you can both make it work, yea?"

"I'm with you on everything you said, but gifts are part of tradition. I especially for Crane... aren't they?"

He could recall Doji being givers of gifts...or something. Not like he ever got one, aside some time, and some drinks poured, which was wonderful.