Samurai didn't like talking about money. But they did like shopping. Mantis had money, and expectations for them were low. Hirame liked to exceed expectations... but he also liked shopping. Besides, plenty of honorable samurai shopped, didn't they?

Hirame wandered around, his long stride and rolling gait taking him fairly quickly around the area, as though trying to survey as much of it as possible as quickly as possible. He'd pause from time to time to examine some goods, or to take a deep breath, inhaling the scents of incense, or spice, or some delightful food. But then he'd move on, expression cheerful, towards the next stall.

When along came another Mantis, with a similar shipboard gait to her stride.

She spotted her clanmate and grinned, giving a wave.

"Oi! Hirame-san!"

Her player assuming the two had at least met at their clan lodgings the night before if not prior to arrival in Tsuma.

"How's th'day find ya?"

Smiling, Hirame raised a hand in greeting. "Ayyy, Kasumi-san." He returned her greeting, equally casual, his accent easily slipping from Rokugan standard to Gotei City.

He shrugged casually. "Eh. Can't complain. Just out, lookin' for a bit of action." He looked at her, eyebrows going up? "You in? Travel in pairs, just like a shoreleave, eh?"

"Can't be too careful in a foreign port, eh?"

She grinned and fell in step.

"'Sides, this way I can make all th' other gals jealous."

That made Hirame laugh. "Yeah? Is it me, or the jacket?" He struck a heroic pose, hands on his hips. The sharkskin jacket did, in fact, fit him well, and had quite a nice shine. If you didn't mind sharkskin, that is.

They matched each others' pace, Hirame striding casually down the market path between stalls. "Met a lot of gals? Or guys?" Hirame glanced at Kasumi as they walked. "First time I've met a lotta these clans. Sparrow. Cat. Few others." He shrugged casually.

"Oh, the jacket, definitely the jacket."

She grinned.

"An' s'far as meeting other folks goes? A couple'a Lion ladies- real nice, actually. Bit formal, which I kinda envy. A Crab gal I think might fancy me- an' not gonna work out how to let her down easy until I got more than a hunch there- an' another Crab gal who's a bit quieter. A couple'a Phoenix boys who're cute. A real nice ronin- she's got a family name, too! A Dragon gal who seems kinda... realistic about stuff? And there was a Scorpion..."

She shook her head.

"Folks from all over the Empire. You meet anybody, er... noteworthy from our hosts yet?"

"Hah." Grinning, Hirame bumped her shoulder casually with his fist as they walked, like he might have done if they'd passed each other on a ship. It was easy to fall into Mantis habits with a fellow Mantis.

Listening, Hirame whistled softly. "That's quite the list. I met a Lion lady too. Formal wasn't half of it. And I might have met your Phoenix boys this morning, and maybe the ronin last night. Kaeru? Yeah, she's alright." He flashed her a quick grin. "You got your eye on anything or just shopping around?" He gestured with one hand; he could have been talking about the marketplace, but the waggle of his eyebrows said otherwise.

Hirame cleared his throat. "As for our hosts... well, I'm actually engaged to one of the competitors. Kakita Ahiru." His tone was a little uncertain.

"Well, kinda hard t'go shopping with an empty purse, innit? But not gonna lie, it's kinda nice t'see people who ain't all sweaty and covered in sea spray for a change..."

Subtlety: Not a Mantis strong point.

"A Kakita, huh? Y'meet her yet?"

"Tch." Hirame snorted, amused. "But how many of them could handle the rough tumble of the sea, eh?" He gave her a wink. Indeed, subtlety was not a Mantis trait.

"Uh. Yeah..." Even as they walked, Hirame brushed a hand back through his hair. "She's pretty. And more interesting than I thought she'd be, too. You know, you hear that Crane are the sort who'll faint in a stiff breeze. But she was a bit daring, actually." He shrugged. "I dunno, I kinda liked it."

He gave a rakishly crooked smile. "On the other hand, she was wearing so many layers that if she fell in, she'd probably soak up half the ocean as she sank to the bottom."

"Well, yeah, that's how these mainlanders are. Reckon it's colder here than in our home ports, anywhere..."

She grinned.

"Sounds like she back-footed ya. You gonna take that lyin' down?"

Hirame made a face. "Hey, I said she was a bit daring, not that she was more daring than me. If you've got a challenge in mind, I'm up for that, no question." His grin turned fierce.

He cleared his throat. "Actually, though, who's joinin' which clan isn't settled yet. We made a wager on it, with whoever does better in the Topaz brining the loser over. So... wish me good fortune, eh?"

"Y'don't fancy wearing blue, then? A cushy life in some Crane port, listenin' to them bitch about Mantis pirates don't sound good?"

"Yeah, right." Hirame said. "At least she liked my sharkskin jacket." She didn't. But Hirame, lacking subtlety, hadn't noticed.

He shrugged. "I want to be a captain someday. My own ship! Of course, pretty much every Mantis wants that. Am I right?" He looked at her, eyebrows going up.

"Yeah, but, if you should lose..."

She gave an eminently punchable grin.

"... might be the Crane give you one'a theirs! But don't worry, if I run across ya on a Crane ship, I'll be gentle."

"Hah." Hirame scowled at her, but it was a good-natured scowl. "No need to go fitting me for a blue kimono just yet. Not unless every test is kicking a ball through a hole." He just needed one that was climbing some ropes, or keeping balance on a rocking ship...

He shook his head... in fact, there were some blue kimonos up ahead. Firmly, he turned down another path, where jewelry of various sorts was found. "What sort of ship is the Yukikaze, anyway? Is it..." Hirame frowned. What was the best way to ask... "... a pirate?" Well, direct was certainly a way...

"When those're the orders. Cap'n Kaito, though, he tries to play a fairer hand, and most of the time, that's how he gets t'go about it. But we find our share of trouble, an' then some. Still'n all, we earn a bit of goodwill where we can. Helped out a dismasted Phoenix ship after a bad blow once, an' we also run down some... call 'em less-scrupulous pirates, if it sounds right."

A pause. And then she started needling him again.

"Y'know, light blue really would bring out yer eyes, an' bein' a Crane you'd probably get a pillowbook all about you inside of a week..."

Hirame gave an approving nod. "Sounds like a good sort, your captain. Mine's the same way." He made a face. "It seems to me that's no worse than what the landlocked clans do to each other, it just gets a special word when it's on the water. But I don't think that makes them better."

"Oof..." Hirame groaned, his stride briefly slowing. "I can almost imagine it. Kakita Hirame, the dashing hero with eyes the color of a stormy sea, and a heart to match." He groaned again, shaking his head, then flashed her a grin. "Carry on like that, and I'll make sure to get you included as a character. The spunky young Mantis maiden, all rough and tumble on the outside, heart of gold and mochi on the inside. How'd you like that, eh?"

"Pfft, anyone in a pillowbook'd be so little like me I'd have t'be told I was the inspiration. So."

She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Think I'm safer'n you are!"

"Ugh, you!" Hirame laughed, waving an arm at her in mock-dismissal. "Well, if they do make a book about me, I'll send you a copy. And if there's a character based on you, I'll make sure to circle her name."

They turned again, walking into an area with more food. The smells of spice grew stronger. "You ever thought about what'd be like to not be a Mantis? End up with a cute Phoenix boy, and there's even odds of wearing orange. A Mantis ship could use you as a signal." He glanced at her. "And you helped out a Phoenix ship, you said?"

"Yep. We did. Got Asako Akari-sama's tea set as thank-you for a bit of a swim with a line. And there are a couple'a handsome charmers here. But I dunno, the Phoenix have a coast, but not sure if they've got much of a navy, an' I'm more sailor than anything else... so endin' up in some temple halfway up a mountain ain't exactly... sane."

She sighed, and shrugged.

"Not that I think it matters s'much. Far as I know, my parents haven't even given it a thought."