Dark Edge Village

Tsukimi was transfixed with the lambs. She was out walking to clear her head, her smoking pipe between her teeth, and came across the pens. The Hare decided she would like to pet one.

And so there she was, crouched down, trying to lure a sheep over, making kissy noises. All animals liked kissy noises. Right?

Akil had made his way to the pens. Admittedly, this was a pit stop to seeing Setem so he could have his evening ride, but passing through the pens was never bad. Of course, this meant that he was in full view of kissy noises. Why was a Samurai making kissy noises at a sheep?

"Um... Samurai-sama?" His tone was rather curious.

"Yes, sheep-san?" she replied, "Come here!" she wiggled her fingers like they were a treat.

And then realized it was not the sheep who spoke, but...

oh dear.

She looked over her shoulder, and spotted the Unicorn. She rose from her crouch, and bowed to him. "Good evening, Shinjo-san."

He just chuckled as he bowed. "Good evening. I am not quite sure that kissy noises are the right way to persuade a sheep to come meet you. He just as well may think that you are weird."

"Maybe I am weird. But that is for me to know, and him to find out." She smirked a little, brown eyes glinting. "This one is Usagi Tsukimi."

"We all are, at least a little," his eye glinted in response. "This one is Shinjo Akil." He reached to a nearby bag, pulling out some food for the sheep, also making a clicking noise. The sheep approached him easily, taking food out of his hand. He spoke again as he pat the sheep. "Food is much more reliable for persuading sheep to do what you want than noises."

"Oh!" She let out a delighted chirp at the approach of the sheep, and crouched down to him again, looking up at the Shinjo with a grin, then back to the sheep.

She held out a hand to it. "Here, boy."

"They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. I see that holds true for sheep, as well."

"In a lot of ways, yes," he nodded his head, "though if the food is shellfish, I'll pass thank you."

"Oh no! Did the first night's feast not agree with you, either? I was ill, so very ill... Soooo very ill." Her nose wrinkled at the memory ... of the cheese ... so good, but so terrible at the same time.

She pet the sheep, feeling its wooly coat under her fingerpads.

"It seems the shellfish did not agree with me," he nodded and laughed a bit, "though it did accidentally bring some blessings, I suppose." He watched the sheep with an amused glint.

"For me as well, there was a silver lining to my stomach being in knots. Were you nursed back to health by a saint in samurai's clothing?"

"Not so much that, but it did serve as an opportunity for me to learn about Ekibyogami-no-kami." And meet the woman who likely will be my wife.

"There are worse things to learn about, Shinjo-san." She offered him a knowing smile, and pet the sheep, rustling behind its ears some.
"Say, do you think I could smuggle this sheep into my yurt?"

"I would not advise it," he shook his head, "of course, it is not my responsibility to tend the sheep tonight, so I do not think I would be the one to ask. What would you do with a sheep in your yurt, besides wake up to all of your clothes being eaten?"

"It's cute! I was thinking, I'd like one as a pet. Do they eat clothing? Oh no. That's not good. Are they easily trained?" She considered with a frown upon her lips, nuzzled the sheep, and then stood up to look at Akil once more.