(D0, MM) A Purrfectly Run Inn

[Renjiro]

To be honest, while her crouch would lend itself well to some sort of leap, it was going to take a second to rise if she wanted to follow them normally. And leaping at the cat seemed likely to scare it, so that wasn't ideal.

"Training a cat to...really?" She watches Daichi, eventually rising to trail behind at a bit of a distance, blinking rapidly as the cat pops open a door.

“I’m surprised, too. I never realized you could get a cat to do this. Cats are very independent creatures, so it should be pretty hard to do so.” Daichi steps into the room that the cat welcomed her into. “Thanks, cat friend. I hope you get some real nice fish from the innkeeper later.”

"Nyaa"

One Crab settled, Renjiro went to claw open the next door room's door. With that room opened, Renjiro looked expectantly at the Kuni. Apparently, he wanted her to be next door to her travelling companion.

[Usogawa Emiko]

HIs eyes scrunched like he was smiling beneath his mask, but the nervous laughing didn't stop. "Heh...right? Uh...we should get settled then, Usogawa-san."

Apparently the inn was getting busy. He dropped his bag in his room.

"Hai! Please excuse me a moment" Emiko bowed, and went to step away before stopping and turning back.

"Ano, please forgive me if you hear music from your room, I will try not to play too late into the night."

With another bow she moved to her room.

[Shosuro Hikimasu]

"Hai! Please excuse me a moment" Emiko bowed, and went to step away before stopping and turning back.

"Ano, please forgive me if you hear music from your room, I will try not to play too late into the night."

With another bow she moved to her room.

He knew she played, he'd seen it, and in that moment his brain which pays too much attention to detail recalled every moment of that time. He shut his eyes as she went to the door of her room. Could he call out? Should he? He thought about every time he'd tried before, the darkened glance over the shoulder at him he was accustomed to was a very strong image in his mind. Was that something he could handle right then?

But he found his mouth opening anyway and speaking. "Usogawa-san...uh...I could listen to our music every day."

Yeah, it's not miso soup, but really? Did Benten have to go that far?

"What about later? I...kind of...well, can play, a little." If she turned around, he wasn't making eye contact. He didn't want to see the look from someone like her.

[Usogawa Emiko]

But he found his mouth opening anyway and speaking. "Usogawa-san...uh...I could listen to our music every day."

Yeah, it's not miso soup, but really? Did Benten have to go that far?

"What about later? I...kind of...well, can play, a little." If she turned around, he wasn't making eye contact. He didn't want to see the look from someone like her.

She didn't come back, not immediately. Which might be worse or not worse for him. After what may or may not feel an eternity there was little feet back at his door, and a smile on the little Otter girls face.

"I would love to Shosuro-sama. Where would you like to go? Maybe some music in the evening before finishing the day? That would be really nice, ne?"

[Shosuro Hikimasu]

She didn't come back, not immediately. Which might be worse or not worse for him. After what may or may not feel an eternity there was little feet back at his door, and a smile on the little Otter girls face.

"I would love to Shosuro-sama. Where would you like to go? Maybe some music in the evening before finishing the day? That would be really nice, ne?"

She'd love to, this evening.

Well, it's a miai, but seriously. If you be too nice I'm going to get the wrong idea.

"Right, ahem...well...", he looked down the hall and saw the Phoenix and the Renjiro, then eventually the two Crab and Renjiro, as they went down the hall. He nodded his head to them. Maybe he was stalling because he really had no idea of what to do. Usually he'd have some contrived reason to invite someone out, so it isn't a big deal. This is a miai, as he kept telling himself. There really was no other reason. Internally, he sighed heavily. On the outside, maybe he looked cool and calm, petrified can be mistaken for that when you heave dead eyes.

"After dinner then, maybe in the garden."

[Usogawa Emiko]

"Right, ahem...well...", he looked down the hall and saw the Phoenix and the Renjiro, then eventually the two Crab and Renjiro, as they went down the hall. He nodded his head to them. Maybe he was stalling because he really had no idea of what to do. Usually he'd have some contrived reason to invite someone out, so it isn't a big deal. This is a miai, as he kept telling himself. There really was no other reason. Internally, he sighed heavily. On the outside, maybe he looked cool and calm, petrified can be mistaken for that when you heave dead eyes.

"After dinner then, maybe in the garden."

"Mm, hai. That would be nice, I had planned to spend time in the gardens. I know it'll be different during the day and the evening, so perhaps I need to see both?" Emiko said with a nod and a smile "I look forward to it Shosuro-sama! Shall I let you finish packing then? I apologize for my interruptions" she bowed to him.

[Shosuro Hikimasu]

"Mm, hai. That would be nice, I had planned to spend time in the gardens. I know it'll be different during the day and the evening, so perhaps I need to see both?" Emiko said with a nod and a smile "I look forward to it Shosuro-sama! Shall I let you finish packing then? I apologize for my interruptions" she bowed to him.

"That's hardly a problem at all, though I think my armor is trying to get off of me on it's own, so maybe i'll go do that." he laughed a bit nervously again, managing to not ask for her assistance with that.

See, you can actually not say the thing sometimes!

"It's been nice...umm...seeing you again. I wasn't sure I'd get to."

and sometimes...really?

[Usogawa Emiko]

"That's hardly a problem at all, though I think my armor is trying to get off of me on it's own, so maybe i'll go do that." he laughed a bit nervously again, managing to not ask for her assistance with that.

See, you can actually not say the thing sometimes!

"It's been nice...umm...seeing you again. I wasn't sure I'd get to."

and sometimes...really?

"It was lovely seeing you again too Shosuro-sama. See you in the evening" Emiko bowed "have a lovely day!"

With that, unless he said something more, she would make her way back to her room to unpack and prepare for the day.

[Shosuro Hikimasu]

Hikimasu shut his door, promptly laid on the floor tried to still his heart.

Only moments of eye contact could kill him in a place like this, and she was next door to him. There were also untold other candidates for him to possibly marry here. How would he possibly survive?

Sleep wasn't an option then, he shed his armor and unpacked.

[Kuni Yasu]

“I’m surprised, too. I never realized you could get a cat to do this. Cats are very independent creatures, so it should be pretty hard to do so.” Daichi steps into the room that the cat welcomed her into. “Thanks, cat friend. I hope you get some real nice fish from the innkeeper later.”

"Are we sure it's a trained cat and not some kind of spirit? Or..." Yasu looks thoughtful, digging through a mental trove of childhood stories. "There's curses and spirit tricks said to make people into animals...could be the innkeeper's afflicted with such. Be sure to check your futon for anything odd laid under it."

"Nyaa"

One Crab settled, Renjiro went to claw open the next door room's door. With that room opened, Renjiro looked expectantly at the Kuni. Apparently, he wanted her to be next door to her travelling companion.

Despite any concerns about the cat, Yasu wasn't going to turn down the chance to have a known, and reliable, neighbor next door. So she thumped over to the other door. "Thanks, puss." Even if it was a spirit, it never hurt to be polite. Leaning the tall weapon to bring it through the door, she lays it upon the ground, remaining in that crouch with her hand extended again, in case the cat was allowed normal interactions once its work was settled.

There could be some danger in touching it if there was something spiritually amiss, but Yasu had her jade and there could also be something to learn in the contact. While she was pretty sure her master would say the proper contact was roping the cat into a cage for study, that seemed like a bad idea when not in Kuni lands.