"Ah, no, I actually wouldn't." Sora admitted, somehow managed to take pride in not knowing something. "I'm not from here, Daigotsu-sama." he added, explaining just why he wouldn't know. "I am sure it is still good, though. This seems like a nice place for a world like this. Bit primitive, but... also exciting in it's own way."

"As for my offer, I think I'll let Doji-san to make the call?" The young priest replied, smiling as he turned to Ichika.

"Primitive but exciting," she intoned, something to remember for later. Standing up straighter as all eyes seemed to go to her, she fiddled with her index finger as she spoke. Another thing now more revealed without the cover of the sleeves of her kimono.

Looking between the two she focused then on Sora, "I do not wish to ask you to go, Isawa-san. If you feel it is right I can assure you I will not be offended by it. Since you were having such a.." she glanced at the table, listened to the murmur of the club in the background. Pleasant, she decided. "Such a pleasant night before I arrived and now it is all very quite exciting," she said with a laugh, bringing her right hand up to cover it, knuckles to bottom lip.

"Though, if you'd like to.. perhaps if we might share the space for now, I am certain we can all have a pleasant conversation, yea?" she said, smiling as she looked to each for a few seconds a piece.

Landing to Shokomaru, "Another palate to taste the drink, yea?" she smiled.

"Alas, I think I should leave the field to my betters." Sora bobbed his head to the Crane, picking up his glass as he turned to the Spider, offering him a wry smile. "The lady hath spoken, neh. I wish you both a good evening." He raised his drink into a makeshift toast at the Spider. "I shall occupy myself with something else. Carry the Fortunes, both of you."

With that, Sora would make his

/exit

Well, he beat me to it.

"I like making decisons myself, but I'll bid you farewell, Isawa-san", he said. He didn't think it was fair to put Ichika in that situation no matter what she said in the end. He bowed as he left, then turned to the Crane.

He bowed to her as well.

"My apologies. It seems I've been rude even beyond my station." He thought of how he could make it up to her, but it was between her and the Phoenix. Shokomaru getting further involved would just be tacky.

"O-oh," she said quickly when Sora prepared to make his exit. When he bobbed his head she was still a little.. lost in thought. By the time she returned to it, bringing her head up, she only saw Sora walking away when Shokomaru spoke. Even then, it only caught in her ear for a moment as the softer words spilled out, "Sorry," she spoke softly, to herself in a manner that was clearly with no thought that anyone would hear.

When she more properly adjusted to Shokomaru she brought up her shoulders, "You meant no harm, Daigotsu-sama," she said, dipping her head.

"It is, now it was", he shrugged. "Let's focus on the present. Are you going to try the drink or do I have to brave it first?"

He drew a small plastic tube, like a miniature scroll case and flicked the top open with his thumb, which he then disposed of his cigarette in.

Reclaiming the seat she once had, she slipped into it with a little slump but corrected that likely before anyone saw. Sitting up, ready, she smiled and nodded, "Of course, Daigotsu-sama. You went through all the trouble to acquire it for me, after all," she said with a soft smile.

Taking the drink into her hand she brought the edge of the glass up to her lips and sipped at it, with a little brightness returned she nodded her head, "That is very good, Daigotsu-sama," she smiled.

"Yeah? You're not just a good actress hoping I'll take a drink and find out it's terrible too late?" he sipped the Yoake Sunrise. A long enough moment for a few blinks, but he was careful not to let her attention wander.

"No, yeah. That's not bad. Good enough to finish anyway." he held his drink up. "Kampai."

After a clink and another sip he smiled, appreciating the glass.

"I'm glad it turned out, but I have to say I miss having pranks played on me also."

"Kampai," she clinked the glass, a quick nod. Taking another sip while Shokomaru continued. Laying it back down on the table she shifted where her purse was laying, only slightly.

"Seems a.. strange thing to miss, Daigotsu-sama," she said, a glance the way the Phoenix went but she tried to push the thought out of mind. Back to the drink before her she picked up up again. Then.. a passing thought to the one he mentioned prior, Tsugiharu. "Did you.. typically get picked on when you were younger, Daigotsu-sama?" she asked, a raised brow.

"i wouldn't say picked on, no", he said a little thoughtfully. "More like I have a younger sister who might be some kind of demon and terrorizes me whenever she gets the chance."

He sipped.

"It's been...well, two years now", he sighed. "You know I've always been Daigotsu-sama is the issue. People don't want to stick a tack in your shoe or write embarrassing things about you on the chalkboard if you're that person. There was a little bit of it in the army officer corps, but my class had the least of it, I think. And it wasn't quite creative anyway. I used to wake up with frogs perched on my head back home."

"Two years now, Daigotsu-sama?" she asked, raising a brow with the question as she took a sip of her drink. Using it to bridge the gap as she focused in on that question.

"She's been away at the dojo, I've been on duty. She was the only one brave enough to cause me trouble without remorse", he chuckled. "Do you have family you're close to?"

"I have friends I left behind on my home-world. We all went off to different lives now, I think, but.." she smiled, "well, I think, or," she giggled into her first wrapped around the inside of an invisible sleeve. "Or, I would like to think that someday we might meet again in the course of our duties."

"Your sister, Daigotsu-sama, what is she training to become?" she looked to him with a brow raised, a slight tilt of her head as she looked to him.

"She'll be military, likely in signals. If she's good enough, she'll transfer to analytics. She's smart, but there are other things to consider", he offered. "Hanako-chan has a lot to learn, but so do I. Even though I've been serving for two years now, there's a lot left to learn."

He sipped his drink.

"Are you looking forward to getting married, Doji-san?" he asked, seeming to change the subject.

"Always more to learn," she tacked on, as if a pin in that portion of the conversation. Ichika went to take another sip but as the glass touched her lips the question was asked and she paused, for a moment at least. Then, with a smile, she set the glass down once more.

"I.. am, I think, Daigotsu-sama. I've, in one way or another, prepared for it my whole life." she said, cupping her hand around the glass once more. "I came here with low hopes.. really, but.. well, I've come to see that maybe I have a chance. A chance that I might just find someone here worthy of the effort my parents and Clan afforded me."

"It's good to have that sort of pride", he nodded. "What is it that you do, though? If you have an expectation, what do you bring to the picture?"

he sippled.

"And drink your drink." he winked.

"From pretty early on my mother instructed me on how to be a proper wife. Beyond that.. I am a Doji trained Doji," she said with a little inward smile. "I have the heart and desire to be a good wife. While my training could help many different Samurai, in different sections of Duty, find more success," she said, bringing her drink up and taking a sip.

"What about you, Daigotsu-sama? Are you looking forward to marriage?" she asked, looking to him as she set down the glass for the moment.

"Well that's tricky", he said without holding the mix of emotions about it back. He smiled to himself and sighed. "I guess I am, though it's a worry also. I'll be leaving a lot to someone I only met here. There's a village to manage and I'm on deployment for months or even years. Thinking about dumping that all on someone, especially the people here who for the most part look like they want to pursue their careers for years to come...it's not something that excites me, but i have to do it."

"Mmm," she said, thinking to tap her chin but just seeing to her glass again. Savoring the taste a bit, before looking back to Shokomaru. "Certainly a large task, one that would interrupt any career. Still.. maybe there is someone here that will match well with you yet, Daigotsu-sama?" she said with a smile.

"Likely, there might even yet be options hidden among the many!" she added with a small chuckle.

Shokomaru of course, will also politely ignore that Ichika gave the perfect resume for the job the chuui had just posted.

"Yeah, who knows?" he raised his glass. "Let's finish this, i don't think it'll be drinkable when it's warm."