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Argent Princess	It's early in the morning, and Argent Princess finds herself acting very strange indeed. Tucked into an alcove a street across it, she peers with a sort of intensity that ill suits her usual distracted mien, her painted lips moving as she seems to keep some running commentary up silently to herself. She seems to be observing a small shrine to some strange fat-bellied godling. The Temple district is busy enough, priests going to their morning duties late for them, and dutiful worshippers showing up much more punctually by contrast. But the worshippers passing by this particular shrine seem few and far between, and quick to move away after leaving some scant offering or prayers behind.
Drifting Petal	Standing out in the crowd, Petal makes her way through the throng of priests and pilgrims, though her journey as a slow one, as she occasionally stops to bow her head to various and sundry shrines and gods, desperate for worship. It is not long, though, before her nose picks up on exactly what she was looking for: a scent she can't ignore and can't miss for the world. Her target now found, she weaves through the crowd with a much greater purpose, slipping this way and that, 'scuse me's and 'pardon's firing left and right. Eventually, she finds her: Argent Princess, the target of her desires. Petal is not a stealthy woman, not by any means, but as she approaches, she keeps her mouth shut, until she's right up next to the woman, squatting next to Himiko and announcing, "Found ya!"
Argent Princess	Argent Princess is doubly distracted, and flustered even before Petal is in place, two worshipers arriving at the shrine at once seem to flummox her somehow, and old man and a young woman. She hisses to herself softly as if this ruined some plan of hers, and she's partway through a resigned slump with the brassy voice of Petal shocks through her and straightens up her spine. You would think she might be annoyed or shocked, but within a heartbeat her expression melts to pure joy, and as she turns her gaze back to the shrine with a smile again she demurely slips two fingers into Petal's hand. "Light of my heart, you scared me half to death." She says, though her demeanor says otherwise. "That's fourteen, and three pairs. I was sure it would be a pair on the fourteen and fifteenth." She murmurs, secretively. "He would have to show himself then..." She adds, as if this made sense.
Drifting Petal	Petal wears a face that says she has no idea what's going on, but she seems happy to be there, nonetheless. She gives Princess' hand a squeeze when it finds her, nodding greeting to the pilgrims, and then changing her focus to be solely on Himiko. She grins wide, extricating her hand, and digs in a small pouch at her waist, carefully retrieving... A handful of leaves, each from a different tree and season. She holds them out to Argent Princess like a dog who's found a very cool stick, and smiles almost bashfully. "I felt bad fer not gettin' it, the other day..."
Argent Princess	Argent Princess is still distracted as she gropes blindly for Petal's hand again, most likely looking for a return to that one bastion of publicly acceptable intimacy rather than a handful of leaves. But she grasps them and holds them with the aimless ease of someone who is used to having things handed to them while distracted and smiles graciously to Petal. As the woman across the way departs before the man, she signs and takes a moment to look quizzically down at her tiny delicate hand and it's cargo of leaves. She turns her cloudy-grey gaze onto Petal with a pleased and quizzical smile, and gently fans herself with the leaves as she admires them. She seems to have to think this through, charmed enough by Petal's smile not to question her actions. "Very good leaves." She says, seeming to all at once lose interest in whatever had her attention with that fat little godling's shrine. She takes her time to look through each one, shuffling through them like a stack of cards, glancing up at Petal to smile with each. She presses a kiss to each before tucking it between a page of her journal, which she had been making some notes in at some point earlier.
Drifting Petal	Petal nods as though she understands what's happening. She's proud of her gift, and slips her hand back into Himiko's, gesturing at the shrine. "So, what're we doin' today?"
Argent Princess	Argent Princess smiles and squeezes Himiko's hand, and peers across the way once more. "That shrine across the way. The cities confectioners all offer to him." She says, in a hushed tone. She seems a little giddy at this revelation. "But he... Is very elusive." She adds with a squint of her sleepy gaze.
Drifting Petal	Petal narrows her eyes, following her paramour's gaze and spotting the correct shrine. She tilts her head to the side, as though thinking, then opens her mouth to speak... then closes it again, requiring more thought. She plants a hand on her hip, then, without any shame, she approaches the nearest pilgrim cold, grabbing him by the shoulder and demanding, "What's a confectioner?" "U-uh!" the pilgrim responds, hands up. "S-sweets! They make sweets!" Petal releases him without a second thought, turning back to Himiko, even though she's now standing in the middle of the road and impeding traffic, folks all-too-happy to give the swordswoman a wide berth. "Alright! So you wanna offer somethin'?"
Argent Princess	Argent Princess bats her long dusty lashes at that question, ever able to be surprised by which the quickness of Petal's uncomplicated mind flows, and in the manner of people without any suitable payment that spans worlds, she pats at places on her kimono that pockets may never have rested upon her immaculate form as she searches for a suitable offering. "If I had sweets..." She says, hushed still, "I would not be trying to find him. For some reason all the confectionery shops have been closed..." She says, some gentle strain in her voice revealing how deep a burden this is upon her. "I saw a grey cat fall off the roof of one." She adds, pertinently.
Drifting Petal	Petal furrows her brow in sudden concern, asking loudly to be heard over the crowd. "Was the cat okay?!" She realizes quickly that she's going on a tangent, though, and instead turns and marches to the shrine, brute-force clearing a path through the crowd for Himiko to follow, if she's quick about it. "Tryna find him, huh? Well, let's see what we can do." Petal kneels by the shrine, peering at it closely, looking over every inch of it - what is she seeing?
Argent Princess	Argent Princess drifts up behind her, unable to resist dragging her long silvery fingernails through Petal's sunflower bright hair, scratching gently as her scalp as she seems less inclined to instant reverence. A small bowl is affixed to the base of the statue, handfuls of shiny candies and tiny palm sized cakes and cakes, some very fussily constructed with artistic flower shapes and symbols painted or formed into the shells and doughs, others the humble sort of sweet morsels a street vendor might peddle.
Argent Princess	Argent Princess says, "I might wish to speak to him, none of his.. Worshippers... Will tell me why their shops are closed." She murmurs."
Drifting Petal	promptly folds up, dropping from standing to cross-legged sitting in an instant. She retrieves her shamisen, slung across her back as it was, and begins to pluck at the strings, tuning the instrument while looking at Himiko expectantly. "C'mere, then! Our god of harvest, may he ever be hale, liked music. I'm willin' to bet other gods, do, too."
Argent Princess	Argent Princess stifles a far too energetic giggle, as she produces her Shinobue from nowhere, dusting a spot perfunctorily with a small handkerchief before kneeling beside Petal and running her elegant silver-nailed fingertips over the holes of her flute reverently. "What a wonderful idea." She softly enthuses, lifting her flute to her lips and airily trilling out a short bit of high pitched music.
Drifting Petal	Drifting Petal begins to play, once Princess is with her, expecting the woman to simply fall in line with her own tune. After plucking a few strings, satisfied that the instrument is tuned enough, she begins a slow, melancholy melody, humming very gently in time with it. The tune is reminiscent of the fall, of those quiet, rainy days after the harvest is done, and there's a sense of accomplishment in the air. Farmers take time for themselves, bakers use their excess ingredients lavishly, and everyone has enough food to eat. The tune tugs on nostalgia, for anyone who has seen or lived that sort of rustic life, and soon, Petal even mutters rustic folk lyrics to the song, a tale of love and simple living. As she continues to play, she seems to get more and more into the song - soon, the shamisen is ringing out across the crowd, and people are stopping to look and listen. A few nod along, some know the tune and hum, and many of the older folk stop to place small coins near Petal, giving thanks for the tearful nostalgia she's brought.
Argent Princess	Argent Princess seems shocked by Petal's beautiful and rustic music, and it takes her a few moments to gather herself to join in the unfamiliar style. She sighs a soft breath and starts to play along, drifting hauntingly though Petal's folk tune accenting it with an ethereal grace and gravitas. You can see her eyes widen and then soft tears seep from the edges of her eyes as she regards Petal in a new sort of way makes her own music soars joyously like a bird passing over and looking down at her humble farming village from above. Argent Princess looks heartbroken and her gentle features gaze upon the shrine in entreaty, her wide and soulful grey eyes glimmering with her tears.
Dutiful Cricket	The musical prayer draws the eyes and ears of passersby who would otherwise overlook the little shrine, a veritable crowd formed for the impassioned performance, many holding offerings for other, more significant gods of the temples. With a last flourish of string and windsong, a white powder bursts from the tiny shrine's sculpted figure, and an equally tiny and gnomish god stands with a haughty, nose-upturned satisfaction, holding a confection on a stick as a monk may wield a war-glaive. "I hear you, I hear you!" The little god assures them, to the impression of the crowd who likely previously would pass up the shrine for neglect. "What's the idea with honoring us with a performance as that, then? Pure flattery won't take you everywhere, but it certainly is sweet!"
Argent Princess	Argent Princess lowers her shinobue slowly, fishing out a handkerchief to dab tears from her eyes and faintly flushed cheeks, as she spares a fair share more awe and wonder for Petal than the godling. She bows with gracious respect and graces the divinity with a dazzling smile still fraught with the emotions the song inspired. "You honor us." She assures him, pressing a hand to her lips as she smacks her lips as if tasting sweetness upon the air.
Drifting Petal	Drifting Petal finishes playing her song when Princess does, plucking a last few notes on her shamisen and looking up to find a tiny little god before them. She bows her head, then stows her shamisen and raises herself to a squat, making sure she's eye-level with the tiny god. "Yer lordship!" she begins, rustic accent taking over. With a gesture to Princess, she adds, "She wanted to speak with ya about why all the sweet shops're closin'."
Dutiful Cricket	"Ah, that... I can't leave you empty-handed, in that case," they reply, fishing into their apron and drawing out wadded sticky rice which, conceptually, should be gross, but they're pretty expectant about the girls taking their just rewards. "Truth of that is, and I'll say it 'cause I hate how true it is, the mercantile divinities always talk of how sweets shops are only successful in times of idle prosperity. It kinda stinks, doesn't it?!" The child-like godling huffs and bites on their own staff out of frustration as they ponder the dilemma. "There were a few who'd make regular offerin's too! Had shrines in their workshops, they did, that's how devoted they were to the art...." They shake their head, sitting on the candy-filled hands of their shrine. "But this very shrine came from one of those workshops, fallen to disuse! Seems using kilns for firedust and artificial flame crystals is more important to men than brightening their days..." The little god mopes saying so, before trying to cheer up by viciously gnawing on their staff again.
Argent Princess	Argent Princess graciously accepts the offered sticky-rice, no hint of displeasure but that of a wrinkled brow of commiseration and gentle aghast at the state of the world as she cups the gift in a tiny perfectly manicured hand. "Surely it cannot be simply that? With so many people and so varied a populace... I witnessed fourteen visitors to your shrine just this morning, eighteen yesterday before the larger temples opened, thirty two the day before." She delicately runs a thumb across the stone affixed to her front of her Kimono as she tilts her head in inquiry, spilling moonsilver bright hair across her features as her brow arches eloquently in inquiry. "There must be something going on beyond just that..." She trails off leadingly.
Drifting Petal	Drifting Petal pops the sticky rice into her mouth without a second thought, not one to decline a gift from a god. Being who she is, she smiles at it, too, enjoying a nice treat in the middle of a day. As she chews, she listens to Princess talk, and nods her head enthusiastically. "I didn't see anybody, but I saw those shops closin' up. Are they outta supplies? What gives?" She frowns, seeming sort of... personally offended that there aren't any good shops open to buy presents from. "Maybe we can help ya out somehow," she adds, helpfully.
Dutiful Cricket	The impish god's got a good way of diverting gazes, it seems, focused more on making sure the two actually accept her offering. As Petal chews whole-face on the treat, their spirit counsel Reads the Wind, assessing what she can about Drifting Petal.... And instantly vanishes in another puff of white powder. "H-H-Help me, huh...?" The voice comes from behind the little shrine, staff poking out the back as the god suddenly seems averse to Petal. "This one doesn't.... Ahem. Doesn't want for much...! Yes, it's true that we receive offerings, and businesses devoted to us have been doing less-than-exceptionally in mercantile endeavors, but a small station befits a god of this domain, too...!" They poke out a bit more. "A-after all...Sweets are best when enjoyed as a rarity, isn't that right...?"
Argent Princess	Argent Princess purses her painted lips in a dangerous bow of a pout, leaning forward in a gently entreating bow as she presses her hands together daintily, careful to avoid sticking them together with the candy. "We love sweets so much, I've simply been beside myself since we came here. Please. I know there must be something we can do to help." She murmurs in a captivating and sweet tone, her large grey eyes fathomless in their entreaty, dark lashes batting as she seems suddenly on the precipice of tears.
Dutiful Cricket	The little goddess audibly gulps as Argent Princess gives her plea, Petal still chewing on the dense, sticky rice, she the object of the spirit's worry at the moment. "R-right, right! Of course you both are...! But... I cannot change the hearts of men on whim, they must settle their own decisions! And..." The godling glances around as the crowd begins to disperse, not from disappointment but because they were entranced by the music that's since stopped. ".....If you insist, though, I know a way you can get what you're after..." With another puff of sugar-cloud, she's back to sitting on the head of the shrine, more composed, this time, tapping the base of her rock candy staff against the stone ground. "My favorite worshipper.... Not to say I prefer them to all others, but the one who put his whole spirit upon worshipping me, the creator of this very shrine you call me with... He has been gone for months, now. I've spoken with his daughters, who tell me he was conscripted for a war effort in the Hundred Kingdoms. Gave himself so his daughters could stay here." She grimaces, cupping a little baby hand to her baby chin. "The daughters cannot manage confections the way their father could, so they resigned to preparing mochi and baking as trades instead...." She sighs, shaking her head. "They still do their due diligence with offerings, and sweet rice and bread treats are still popular, but they are not their father."
Drifting Petal	Drifting Petal slaps a closed fist into an open palm, an aha moment if there's ever been one. Her face lights up with the light of innovation and realization, and she exclaims, "Oh!" She's on her feet in a whirl, then, now wildly excited. Her movements are sharp and graceful, a far cry from the movements of her mind, and she jostles Princess lightly, as though to get her attention. "So all we gotta do is go pluck him outta the war and bring him back here!" she exclaims, declaring an impossibility as though it were simple. She snaps her gaze back to the little god, now, a wide grin splitting her face. "Right? Would that be enough for ya? I just gotta go find him and bring him home?"
Argent Princess	Argent Princess visibly pulls back from the edge of tears as the Godling relents and offers them a curious smile as the implications of what she says drawn on her and she listens attentively, allowing a hope to dawn across her features. She turns her gaze to petal and her grey eyes shine with adoration and surprise, always impressed at how quick her counterparts mind works when her own takes so long to turn over an idea. There is a sense of seasons turning as she considers Petal's brash actions, her gaze drifting across the shrine and lifting skyward with a beneficent smile. "Petal, my love. The grey cat ran east." She pronounces with such soaring and overflowing excitement that she nearly quivers with it.