Beat the Heat (D2, EA)

[Yuzuki]

"Well, Kon is kind of dumb for a cat. I don't think it'd be too hard to catch him. But still, you'd think they'd know what a cat was."

[Matsu Kogo]

"Ah, yes. Of course." Noticing the slight change in her demeanor, he tried to perk himself up a little. Showing weakness was quite unbecoming, after all.

After a stern look to his horse that clearly told her to stay, he moved slightly toward the warcat, reaching out towards it slowly. "Do many in your clan train cats such as Noburu here? I'm aware that the Lion are one of the strongest, but how much of a role do they play in that ?"

"The Matsu family are those who train the Beastmasters, as well as other schools, so yes, there are a good number of them. The Matsu clan is a large part of the Lion's feriocity on the battle field, particularly the cats. Some say that the Akodo are the brain, but the Matsu are the heart of the lion."

[Ryuuta Tsume]

"Well, Kon is kind of dumb for a cat. I don't think it'd be too hard to catch him. But still, you'd think they'd know what a cat was."

"I guess they have a lot of horses, so maybe they don't think they need smaller pets. Hmm...I wonder if on their return that fashion will change. That would be quite the market..."

Tsume ponders the possibilities.

"Though I would want to explain about not eating them...perhaps we could start with something like lucky crickets..."

[Kitsune Takeo]

"Perhaps cats are just regarded differently outside the Empire?" Takeo offered, "It is a very different world out there apparently. There is a desert, far more vast than anything we have here, for example."

[Yuzuki]

"Crickets might just confuse them. Although I did talk with a Shinjo last night who named her horse after the cockroach."

She nodded toward Takeo

"It is hard to imagine, a sea of sand."

[Ryuuta Tsume]

"All sorts of terrible things exist outside the Empire. I'm quite glad our cousins are home so that they don't have to experience such horrors."

Tsume nods sternly.

[Shinjo Hanashi]

"We do," the flustered Phoenix explained, still covering her face. "But I haven't spent much time there myself to know. My family has a few horses, but not enough to overpower the senses."

"Not sure how you can live like that; but then I suppose we all have our own traditions." He stops to look at her a moment.

"Something in your teeth?"

[Asako Yuki]

"We do," the flustered Phoenix explained, still covering her face. "But I haven't spent much time there myself to know. My family has a few horses, but not enough to overpower the senses."

"Not sure how you can live like that; but then I suppose we all have our own traditions." He stops to look at her a moment.

"Something in your teeth?"

"Hmm? Oh! Ummm." The Phoenix continued to fluster, unable to think of anything else she eventually just went "Hai, hai. Yes. Just ate. A little while ago. Have, cheese, stuck. Didn't want to be rude. Yes." Yuki obviously wasn't very good at this as she kept the fan up, somehow managing to get even more red.

"Umm, well, hai. There is not a large dedicated cavalry in the Phoenix. For swift travel we often rely on our Shugenja."

[Shinjo Hanashi]

His brow furrows. "I don't have any toothpicks with me. But your shugenja are that strong?"

[Moshi Asakiko]

The tiny Moshi just kept quiet in a corner of the picnic staring at her bowl.

[Asako Yuki]

His brow furrows. "I don't have any toothpicks with me. But your shugenja are that strong?"

Yuki paused. "Hai, some of them." She finally admitted. "The Master of Water, for example, is capable of taking herself an others across nearly the entire empire in moments. Well, from what I hear anyway."

[Kitsune Kumahime]

(Kumahime disregards the Moshi's protests, "You have been traveling, Moshi-san! It is important to get your strength back up!" Unfortunately for some, the large woman serves everyone her idea of what a bowl should be, serving herself last and adding a healthy portion of the cheese to it as the topic of cats arises.

"It seems strange that he would not know what a cat is. I should think cats would be important to travelers; they defend food stores from pests, and need little attention. Maybe this Unicorn was not familiar with the breed?"

[Ichiro Daisuke]

"I don't know if I would want to marry someone who would eat a cat." Daisuke said with a small frown. Perhaps he had found a new criteria to look for in any future wives. A lack of a desire to eat someone's pets.

[Shinjo Hanashi]

Yuki paused. "Hai, some of them." She finally admitted. "The Master of Water, for example, is capable of taking herself an others across nearly the entire empire in moments. Well, from what I hear anyway."

An eyebrow and an eyepatch raise up. "That....is certainly something. Horses must seem quaint, next to that kind of traveling if it is that reliable."

[Shinjo Taichi]

"The Matsu family are those who train the Beastmasters, as well as other schools, so yes, there are a good number of them. The Matsu clan is a large part of the Lion's ferocity on the battle field, particularly the cats. Some say that the Akodo are the brain, but the Matsu are the heart of the lion."

He smiled while crouching down not too distant from the big cat, eyes on it. "I have heard many tales of your family, yes. Your heart and passion is one thing that never fails to be mentioned." He extended his hand slowly towards the cat, but not too close. He thought that seemed appropriate.

"Our clan has a similar arrangement, as I guess most do. The Shinjo lead, the Moto and Otaku strike, the Iuchi support us, and the Ide speak for us." He paused for a moment to look up to her, smile still in place "I guess our families have a quite similar role."