It had been a hell of a day so far- meeting people, getting adjusted to the place, all of it.

But she figured a stroll along the docks couldn't hurt.

It was all so new to her- some of the smells were awful, to be sure, but for the most part, she simply found it exciting.

Later in the evening, she would walk along the beach, but for now... for now she heard some of the fishermen coming in for the night singing a song she knew, so she joined in.

Heimin or not, artistic expression was artistic expression, and she was always keen to help out with that.

It seemed that Yukari wasn't the only one who had a similar idea and a little ways down the dock away from the ship but sitting with one leg dangling off the edge with the other tucked under it.

Soft music accompanied the song the sailors sang as Asashi played the flute enjoying the feel of the cool air coming off the ocean while he played. He was clearly no master but he was no novice either and the playing had a rustic charm.

Wait, is that...

Someone was playing a flute, and withut skipping a note, Yukari tried to zero in on the sound.

Samurai... Minor Clan... Sparrow? No, no, that's not the mon... Fox? I think? But best not to give offense by giving a wrong guess, just in case he's a Centipede or something...

So she settled for simply drifting closer, still singing.

No sense interrupting the music anyway...

Even between the clamor of sailors working and singing and his playing the sound of footsteps coming near and a single voice drifting closer the Fox turned slowly his playing not stopping as he regarded the Phoenix his play faltered slightly as he say her but he swallowed and continued playing looking up to her eyes a small smile forming around the instrument.

As the song came to a close he pulled the instrument from his lips and smiled softly to her standing and bowing "You have a lovely voice Phoenix-sama. This one is Kitsune Asashi." His voice was soft and on the quiet side but pleasant and smooth. Some of the confidence he had while playing had leeched away as he faced her, he looked more toward the ground than her eyes as he introduced himself.

She smiled and bowed.

"A pleasure to formally meet you, Kitsune-san. This one is Shiba Yukari. IWe may have met during the voyage here, but I must ask your forgiveness if we did, for the trip... did not agree with me."

A pause.

"You play very well."

He shook his head a little "we did not, I would have remembered such a thing. Though we passed eachother a few times." He paused seeming to look for words.

"I....tended to stay out of the way on the ship. I found the common areas too crowded and cramped most of the time." He admitted.

At her compliment he inclined his head "Thank you Shiba-sama, my father taught me. He was much better than I am."

"Oh, I barely noticed the rising of Lady Sun during that voyage..."

She had, in fact, been quite green most of the trip.

"And I also found it a bit... confined. Although possibly for different reasons?"

It was hard to picture this quiet, calm guy grabbing a basin the way she'd had to do repeatedly during the crossing.

"In any event... your father must be gifted indeed."

He smiled slightly amused "No I do not think it was for the same reasons." He said with a knowing look a mixture of sympathy and light heartenedness. The ship was not so big and his ears were quite sharp.

"He was." Came the reply calm with little change in expression or tone "It is not something I practice for proficiency but rather a way to enjoy down time. The flute also tends to disturb the forest less than other instruments like drums or shamisen. It can blend with the sounds of the woods even."

He chuckled a little "Though I am sure Shiba-sama has better things to do rather than listen to a minor clan scout talk about woodwinds." He smiled to her "what brings you to the docks tonight?"

Yukari kept smiling as she held up an index finger.

"All right, first of all, Kitsune-san, I'm no 'sama.' Second, listening to people talk about their chosen arts is never, ever a bad use of my time. Third... I am on the docks because I am curious about them. They're quite unlike anything in my experience to date."

Asashi seemed a little taken aback "oh um..sorry? Shiba...san" He said uncertainly at her gentle rebuke. "I uh most major clan samurai I have met prefer to be addressed as -sama." He said a little more quietly.

But then he cleared his throat and looked about the dock "Do they not have many docks in the Phoenix lands? I admit I am not so well traveled. I have spent most of my life in the Kitsune mori."

"Most Great Clan samurai are far more sure of themselves than I am, then."

She chuckled.

"We're too few on this island for you to be regarding me as your superior, Kitsune-san. Especially since I think your skills are more likely to be appreciated than mine."

She exhaled.

"Anyway. We absolutely have docks back home, but I never went anywhere near them. My various sensei would have had a fit."

There was a pause possibly the Fox struggling with what words to say as he seemed to be thinking but there was a small shake of the head and a slight up turning of the lips.

"And what exactly are your skills Shiba-san?" He asked giving her an appraising glance actually looking at her now seeming to settle into the more defined roles.

"Arts and illusion, Kitsune-san. I have some small skill at communing with the kami, as one of Shiba Tsuna-sensei's Tejina, and a broad training in the arts- with an emphasis on gardening, ikebana, singing, and storytelling."

Asashi's eyebrows rose as she piled more duties and talents on "Wow well you certainly seem like a skilled samurai. It is a wonder your Lord sent you away to such a dangerous and untamed land. With so many skills in the arts and being able to talk to the spirits." He shrugged

"But who am I to second guess your lords wisdom." He gave her a quick look and a small smile "I for one am glad they saw fit to send you here. I hope we can get to know each other better in the coming days Isawa-sam-san." He said correcting himself mid honorific.

She almost winced. He was doing so well, working quite hard at coming out of his shell, but...

"Shiba-san, actually... but as you say, Kitsune-san."

She smiled and nodded.

"I confess to being somewhat uncertain as to what I'm doing here, but hopefully something will present itself..."

The light blush that had brushed his cheeks bloomed into a full red at his verbal misstep he bowed his head low "Apologies Shiba-san." He said with a somewhat shaky voice. He seemed truly cursed in interacting with people, especially ones that already made him nervous.

He cleared his throat a little "Well, certainly entertainment and distraction will be useful while we work to explore and possibly try to tame this island. I'm sure we will all be grateful to have you here." He continued not quite able to look to her eyes right now though the fierce red had abated to a bright pink in his cheeks.

"Oh, you say that now, Kitsune-san..."

She very carefully had a seat on the dock next to him.

"... but I imagine after a couple of weeks of my not being of much practical help,that the gratitude will be somewhat muted..."

Asashi chuckled as she sat and resumed sitting next to her "I highly doubt that. All contributions are important, we need people to entertain or else moral will get low and people won't want to work."

He smiled to her "we may be samurai but we are still humans, we need something more than work, eat, Sleep, repeat. What you do will be very important. We all have our part to play, Miya-sama wouldn't have wanted us here otherwise."

"I suppose we'll see."

She glanced at him with a wry smile.

"But then we have samurai who can scout and play music, don't we?"

The almost completely evaporated blush resurged a bit, only a light pink dusting on his cheeks this time "My playing is modest at best Shiba-san, surely it will pale in comparison to your artistic skills."

if you art is even half as beautiful as you are... came an unbidden thought that the Fox had to shake off gently

"But I am glad you like it, I'd be happy to play for you anytime we are both free. Or we could do a song together if you like as you mentioned singing."