[D0 LA] A weird bit of home

[Kaeru Kaori]

Kaori walked around the storefronts, taking a deep breath. The smell of spices in the air, alongside the leather...it was weird. Rich Frog was known for many things for outsiders and visitors, but few would think of the Unicorn presence in the city. Kaori, who patrolled all over the city, found the experiences and inputs here homey. Just like walking through the Waterfront.

She smiled, idly wondering, her eyes hovering near hour coinpouch.

[Kitsuki Jun]

A.. boy? man? someone in-between? happens to be standing directly in the way of Kaori's 'patrol' route. His tallish frame is a bit stooped at the moment, as he leans in to look more closely at some colorful foreign fabrics. His own clothing is of rather nice patterned silk, though practical in cut.

"How do they get that shade of red?" he mutters to himself, evidently intrigued.

[Kaeru Kaori]

A.. boy? man? someone in-between? happens to be standing directly in the way of Kaori's 'patrol' route. His tallish frame is a bit stooped at the moment, as he leans in to look more closely at some colorful foreign fabrics. His own clothing is of rather nice patterned silk, though practical in cut.

"How do they get that shade of red?" he mutters to himself, evidently intrigued.

Kaori eyed the manboy, taking in his patterned silk, tall stature...and totally zoned out look.

Must be a Dragon.

"Gomenasai..erm...Kitsuki-sama?" She asked uncertainly. She glanced at the fabrics he was looking at.

"There is some kind of rare dye, I believe acquired from the Sands. Or at least that is what I have been told."

[Kitsuki Jun]

"From the Burning Sands?" the young man echoes, looking up and flicking his attention from the fabric to Kaori. "Does it come from a plant, do you think? Or a mineral? It's the most remarkable..."

It's at this moment that his eyes light on Kaori's hair, and his brows arc up. "... red."

He straightens up properly, brushing the drape of his sleeves into the correct alignment, and makes a formal bow. "Er, Kitsuki Jun at your service... Kaeru-sama." I've only seen that family crest in books before!

[Kaeru Kaori]

"From the Burning Sands?" the young man echoes, looking up and flicking his attention from the fabric to Kaori. "Does it come from a plant, do you think? Or a mineral? It's the most remarkable..."

It's at this moment that his eyes light on Kaori's hair, and his brows arc up. "... red."

He straightens up properly, brushing the drape of his sleeves into the correct alignment, and makes a formal bow. "Er, Kitsuki Jun at your service... Kaeru-sama." I've only seen that family crest in books before!

"I...do not know for sure. I didn't catch most of those details." She shrugged. What is he looking at?

"Ah, Kaeru Kaori." She cringed at the name. Father! "Representative of Miya Tetsu-sama, governor of the City of Rich Frog. Well met Kitsuki-sama." she was uncertain whether to meet his eyes or look away so...she split the difference and looked at his shoulder.

[Kitsuki Jun]

What is she looking at? Jun is unaware that his thoughts at this moment are an echo of Kaori's a moment before. He glances at his own shoulder for a moment, in case a large mosquito has alighted there or a bird has left him a present without his noticing... as unlikely as that seems. Finding nothing of the kind, he rather belatedly diagnoses meeting-a-stranger awkwardness.

"Kaoru Kaori-sama." Jun nods, with the confidence of a person who only needs to hear a name once to remember it indefinitely. "Thank you anyway. You've given me a thread to pull on. I can find out more about it later." He realizes he's inadvertently made a fabric-based pun and can't help but smile slightly, shaking his head at himself.

[Kaeru Kaori]

What is she looking at? Jun is unaware that his thoughts at this moment are an echo of Kaori's a moment before. He glances at his own shoulder for a moment, in case a large mosquito has alighted there or a bird has left him a present without his noticing... as unlikely as that seems. Finding nothing of the kind, he rather belatedly diagnoses meeting-a-stranger awkwardness.

"Kaoru Kaori-sama." Jun nods, with the confidence of a person who only needs to hear a name once to remember it indefinitely. "Thank you anyway. You've given me a thread to pull on. I can find out more about it later." He realizes he's inadvertently made a fabric-based pun and can't help but smile slightly, shaking his head at himself.

Seeing as he was glancing at his own shoulder, Kaori tried looking away not to be too obvious.

Wait, should I be looking at his face? What's the etiquette here?

Finally, she decided to settle on his...lips?

"Ah, I'm no seamstress by any stretch, but hopefully you can find this needle in a heystack." Hey, that almost counted as punning, right?

"Here for the Tournament?"

[Kitsuki Jun]

Seeing as he was glancing at his own shoulder, Kaori tried looking away not to be too obvious.

Wait, should I be looking at his face? What's the etiquette here?

Finally, she decided to settle on his...lips?

"Ah, I'm no seamstress by any stretch, but hopefully you can find this needle in a heystack." Hey, that almost counted as punning, right?

"Here for the Tournament?"

"What tipped you off?" Jun's slightly self-conscious grin suggests that he knows exactly how obvious this guess is. A traveler from far outside Crane territory, clearly brand new in town, aged somewhere between sixteen and twenty, of samurai status and without any weapons? Elementary.

"You too, I assume. Who's your sponsor?"

On second thought-- "Er, your pardon... is it all right to ask that? I haven't met many ronin before."

The ronin in his great-uncle's casebook were mostly either hardened killers or highly honorable heroes fallen into difficulties, and both of those kinds tended to be touchy sorts, as far as Jun could tell at second hand. Kaori, though, resembles neither an exiled duelist nor a grizzled serial murderer, so perhaps it's possible there is a third category of ronin...

[Kaeru Kaori]

"What tipped you off?" Jun's slightly self-conscious grin suggests that he knows exactly how obvious this guess is. A traveler from far outside Crane territory, clearly brand new in town, aged somewhere between sixteen and twenty, of samurai status and without any weapons? Elementary.

"You too, I assume. Who's your sponsor?"

On second thought-- "Er, your pardon... is it all right to ask that? I haven't met many ronin before."

The ronin in his great-uncle's casebook were mostly either hardened killers or highly honorable heroes fallen into difficulties, and both of those kinds tended to be touchy sorts, as far as Jun could tell at second hand. Kaori, though, resembles neither an exiled duelist nor a grizzled serial murderer, so perhaps it's possible there is a third category of ronin...

She took note of the man (boy?) in front of her. "Well, it is a wild guess really." She smiled, trying to indicate that this was a joke.

"Ah, no worries Kitsuki-san for your question." She shrugged. "Miya Tetsu-sama, Governor of the City of Rich Frog has sponsored me to enter the tournament. My family...otokodate, really.. the Kaeru serve the Imperial Governor as peacekeepers of the city, and I have been fortunate enough to catch his august attention with my meager skills."

"This is your first time in a Unicorn market, I take it?"

[Kitsuki Jun]

"It is." Jun nods. "It's very different from the city marketplace in Great Falls. A different atmosphere, not just different goods. But you look quite at home here, Kaeru-san. Is there a market like this in Kaeru Toshi?"

He's now fully transferred his curious attention from the goods to Kaori. "Your family must have earned great respect from the governor, then."