There was a new scent around Tojo, one Fuji couldn’t quite place. Clearly it belonged, otherwise Usagi would have gotten rid of it by now, so Fuji kept her brows drawn down, hiding her confusion behind a squinty glare, unknowing that if she just went and rolled in the mud, she might be a smaller spitting image of her grandmother.

She had left her bamboo practice sword with that strange statue, and now, she was itching for a replacement. The new stick she carried didn’t have the familiarity of weight and the length was ever so slightly off. It was very much time she went and found herself a trader that might have a proper sword for her to buy (but really, who was going to have one in her size?) Still, it was worth a shot, right?

Her dexterous paws sorted through her personal stash of herbs, a little of this and a little of that that she could spare, the weather would soon grow warmer this far south and they always had plenty of options to restock if needed. Her ear turned as Kenta chirruped to warn her of someone approaching. He didn’t usually bother with the Tojo wolves, they were all family after all. So maybe this was the new one?

“Speech”

Just move those left feet, go ahead, get crazy

He was lost. Again. At least there were just enough lanterns that he wasn't stumbling around in the dark, but he had definitely gotten turned around or taken the wrong left turn when he should have gone right. Hattori had told him he could call for help and someone would come rescue him, but his stubbornness was getting the better of him, plus he didn't think he could afford the hit to his pride so soon after joining the pack. Looking dumb was not the image he wanted to portray, even though it was perfectly reasonable that as a newcomer he'd get lost multiple times. He grumbled softly to himself under his breath, picking a new direction upon coming across a three-way passageway in the bamboo. His paws took him forward, and at the sound of a bird chirping his golden ears perked up. There weren't many animals on their own in here, so perhaps there was another wolf nearby. He cleared his throat without breaking his stride, eyes squinting to see further ahead where there was some light. "Is someone there?"

While the voice wasn’t familiar, at least he spoke their tongue, and she had no fear of anyone wandering amongst the bamboo, least of all with her golden cat by her side. Perched somewhere overhead, her ibis rawked in response to Kenta’s chirrup, and Fuji measured her movements with just a little more care, placing her paws decisively on her herbs before beginning to pack those she was keeping away.

She took care to breath deeply through her nose before answering, committing the scent to memory before the face. “Over here.” Her golden eyes settled in the direction the voice had come from, her face carefully schooled into what she hoped was impassive (but maybe there was a tiny hint of a grin at the edge of one side of her face). “Even those of us born here still get turned about on occasion. It will come to you with time.” She felt an itching between her shoulder blades from behaving so proper, but first impressions were important after all.

“Speech”

Just move those left feet, go ahead, get crazy

Hage gratefully followed the voice, though outwardly he didn't show it. At most there was a flash of something in his silvery grey gaze, which swiftly focused on something the other koi was fiddling with. He could smell a sharp tang in the air, and briefly his nose wrinkled, reminded of when he was younger and scraped himself while playing. An adult always put something sticky on his wounds, and it had that same almost bitter scent he was smelling now. But he eventually smoothed his features out to something more polite. First impressions mattered, after all. Had he been looking at her face he might have noticed the almost grin, but for a good few moments he was, to put it aptly, overwhelmed at the fact that she was smaller than him. He wasn't the shortest koi around anymore? His injured pride at getting lost was bolstered a bit at that knowledge. Her words also soothed it a bit. Well if everyone got turned around, then he supposed as a newcomer it wasn't as embarrassing as he was making it out to be. "It is... a puzzling place to live in," Hage said tactfully, his pride still not letting him admit out loud it was confusing and he was lost. She could infer that if she so desired. "I am Akizora Hageshī," he said after a moment, respectfully dipping his head in greeting, and sparing a glance at the bird and cat beside the other koi.

Fuji allowed her smile to grow when the new guy introduced himself and her posture relaxed. For all he was clearly taller than her, he didn’t tower over her like the rest, so she supposed that was a point in his favour. “No need to be so formal, I’m Fuji.” She introduced herself, and then her companions, “Kenta,” she gestured to her golden cat, “and Kuzu.” She gestured to the ibis coloured like an oil-slick. “I’m on my way to let my mother know I plan on finding a trader, you’re welcome to tag along, I’d like the company.” She left it open to whether he’d like to tag along to the medical room at the front of their dwelling, towards the centre of the bamboo, or to come along with her to the trader. “I need to buy a sword.”

“Speech”

Just move those left feet, go ahead, get crazy

He merely blinked at Fuji as she introduced first herself then her two companions. The idea of not being formal was a preposterous thought to him - even just thinking about it brought up a sour taste in the back of his mouth. Hage had been raised to always be formal and polite if he were to say something aloud, which perhaps was one of the reasons why he was generally a quiet wolf. His golden ears flicked forward attentively as she continued to speak, brows furrowing slightly as he thought over her offer. Straying too far from pack lands while still a newcomer was not ideal to him, but he figured it would be good for him to make some connections, and what better way than to help someone with a quest. Perhaps he could even pick something up for himself, though that meant he would need an item or two of his own to barter with. He'd work on that if he had the time. "It would be good to have someone give me the lay of the lands around here." Not to mention that given their smaller sizes it would be far too easy to be overwhelmed by the larger predators - together they would have more of a chance to defend themselves. Though she did have a large cat to protect her. He idly wondered about getting a large companion of his own as he glanced at whatever it was she was packing away, mildly curious, but not curious enough to actually ask what she was doing.

It seemed the newcomer was willing to take her up on the suggestion that she didn't explicitly ask and she gave a smile and a nod in response. She was so used to everyone towering over her that it was a nice thought that maybe between encounters with others she might be able to pretend she was a normal height, like the rest of them.

“It's a long way, and winter on the mainland. I'll have to grab some extra provisions.” She was sure it would put her mother's mind at ease to know she wasn't going alone. She rose to her feet and turned down one of the bamboo corridors. “This way then, I'll show you where to go if you ever get injured. My mother is the Yakuzaishi, though her bedside manner is a bit rough, she knows what she's doing. My big brothers built our home, and ma has a workroom in the front.” Had she stopped to think about it, she might have grown hot under her fur. Whoever would have thought she'd be taking a boy to meet her parents the first day she met him?

“Speech”

Just move those left feet, go ahead, get crazy

A small shiver ran down at his spine at Fuji's mention of the more northern lands being under the cold spell of winter. He had very little excess fat on his body, and so the colder months were not a time he generally enjoyed much. Or at all, really. Snuggling up in a warm winter coat was his only real option unless he wanted to freeze his extremities off, but as long as they made only a brief trip he supposed it would not be too bad. Fuji continued to speak and began to move off down one of the pathways. Wordlessly he followed, half his focus on paying attention to what she was saying, and the other half doing its best to memorise the route as they walked. Hage hummed softly in acknowledgement of her words. It seemed her family was all interconnected. While that likely would have put off most wolves, since they were all koi he was not bothered by it. At the very least it meant they still held tightly onto family ties which could only be a good thing to him. "And what is your role here?" There was a note of curiosity in his voice, wondering if she had chosen to follow her mother's pawsteps in becoming a healer of sorts, or if the ingredients she carried around were simply a hobby.