Dark Edge Village

After having a nice filling meal, Iuchi found herself wandering the streets of the village looking for the kitty from yesterday. The evening was pleasant, so she was in no hurry.

After a bit of time she spotted him, majestically perched on a pile of rags.


Approaching him more slowly this time so he wouldn't run, she pulled out some cheese she'd saved from her meal. The unnamed cat sniffed the air before wandering over to the squatting young woman, licking at the cheese where it stuck out of her fingertips, Yukarin giggling softly.

Yuuru walked through the streets of the village following his match against Butaj. It certainly hadn't gone as he had expected, but his opponent had been quite strong. He saw the Iuchi who had drawn considerable attention that afternoon in the event held by the Ide and smiled slightly as he approached.

His vision on her partner was obscured until the last moment when it was too late to turn around. He glared down into the eyes of the small cat with apprehension. "G-good evening Iuchi-san..."

Yukarin looked back over her shoulder with a smile at the sound of someone's voice, leaving the cheese where it was so the cat couldn't simply take it and walk away... even if it did mean a few experimental nips at her fingertips.

She was about to greet the man when she noticed how blanched he looked, which changed what she was about to say, "Good evening, Scorpion-sama; Is there something wrong that I can help you with?"

Yukarin wore summer lavender priest robes, light and airy and coming up to about her knees as she squatted there.

He shook his head, shifting his eyes back and forth between the Iuchi and the cat, "No. I merely wanted to introduce myself. I am Soshi Yuuru. I hear you were quite impressive at the event today. You had quite the buzz surrounding you."

"I recall hearing your name in those being talked about as well, Soshi-sama. I take it you also figured out the somewhat lazy six step transposition formula they were using?"

She noticed he kept looking at the cat, but said nothing for now so as to not interrupt the conversation, even as her free hand started petting its back.

He smiled and nodded, "Uhh.. yeah if that is what it is called."

He crouched down to be at the same height as the Iuchi but didn't make any movements to engage the cat, "So I take it language acquisition is something you're quite into?"

"No clue; I've never tried to learn another language before."

At this point the cat was on its back, cheese finished and belly being scritched.

"Mmm... sorry Fluffyhair, I have company."

She smiled at the cat before standing up and turning to directly face Yuuru, "Apologies Soshi-sama. I am Iuchi Yukarin, if you did not already know that. Learning a language might be pretty interesting though."

"That was your first such attempt?" He looked surprised. "I'm quite impressed then."

Yukarin chuckled softly as the cat slinked off into the shadows, shooting what he could swear was a venomous look at him. If so, Yukarin seemed unaware of it.

"Well, who knows how it differs from learning a real language. I was just treating it as a mathematical problem or cipher. Those I know I'm good at."

He nodded and smiled, "It was an interesting puzzle of sorts wasn't it. Still, that's quite the remarkable intellect you possess to be able to master that so quickly. Do your duties lay somewhere close to that kind of work?"

"I am trained in the Ide courtier school, though I suppose I DID pay more attention to mathematics and negotiation than more 'sophisticated' courtly arts. As to yourself... you are trained as a priest then?"

He shook his head, "No, I'm trained in my family's magistrate school after the teachings of Soshi Saibankan."

Yukarin put her hand to her chin.

"Oh? I am starting to think the information my Family has is wrong; I had heard the Soshi were a family of mystics, but you are the third Soshi I've met here... and no shugenja so far. Not that I should be one to speak on such things, rebelling from my family's traditions."

He chuckled, "I wouldn't say I was 'rebelling' per se, but I simply wasn't born with the gift to speak to the kami. My mother is a priestess, but my father is not. Even if there are many from the Soshi who are indeed gifted, not all of us are unfortunately."

"Ah, right. I suppose it is a bit different with my Family, since you don't need to be born with special knowledge to learn to use Meishodo. So I had a choice in the matter..."