Dinner and Sake Ima(Now)... ne? (D5, EE)

[Doji Ameka]

"Ah, if only it were that simple. My problem is more related to embodying the delicate Crane stereotype with a little too much emphasis on the delicate," she says, smiling ruefully.

[Soshi Yuuru]

He matched her smile, "How so?"

[Doji Ameka]

"My health is a bit on the weak side," she admits with a shrug. "Though it hasn't stopped me from contributing, so... Speaking of which." She opens a pouch attached to her kimono and takes out a detailed, tiny sculpture of a scorpion on a stick. It smells sweet, and a little bit like plums. "Would you like one?"

[Soshi Yuuru]

He smiled and looked at it curiously, "What is it? It's quite curious."

[Doji Ameka]

"Candy sculpture," she explains. "Edible art. I liked the idea of an art you can experience with almost all of your senses. I may be able to figure out how to make it audible, too, someday."

[Soshi Yuuru]

He smiled and reached out two fingers to pluck it up. He examined it for a few seconds and nodded, "Very interesting... life-like almost... Looks like it'll sting me."

[Doji Ameka]

She handed it over and smiled while he examined it. "It's not quite that accurate, but you could always eat the dangerous part first, for safety's sake," she agrees with a soft chuckle.

[Soshi Yuuru]

He smiles and takes a bite of the treat. He chewed it for a few moments and then nodded, "Mmmm. Plum flavored. Quite good Doji-san."

[Doji Ameka]

"I'm glad you like it," she said with a warm smile. "After the feast the other day, I might toy with some new flavors. So, Soshi-san, what do you do? You have the air of a bushi, and I mean that in the best way, but there's a lot of room for variation there."

[Soshi Yuuru]

He smiled and nodded, "I am indeed a bushi. Trained in the magistrate school of my family. My current duties find me as a yoriki for a magistrate whose duties cover the Shinomen forest."

[Doji Ameka]

"Oh, is that the reason for the Naga netsuke? It sounds like interesting work," she says, leaning forward a little, curiously. "Any interesting stories, if you don't mind me asking?"

[Soshi Yuuru]

He nodded and put his hand to the netsuke, "It is.. got it from one of them."

He then looked up and smiled like a rogue, "I have a good story or two... Depends on if you like stories about wrestling giant snake men and tigers.."

[Doji Ameka]

There was a joke in that somewhere. "I haven't heard many of either to know. I'd love to find out if I like them, though," she agreed with a light grin.

[Soshi Yuuru]

He smiled and nodded, "The tiger then I guess."

He paused and leaned forward a bit, "So I was out in the woods one day doing my work of map-making and general rounding up of the bad guys. I climbed up a tree... it must've been 100 feet tall.. So I was up there, and thought that I could get a better view by moving over to the tree next to me and climbing up a bit. So I jumped from my branch, but in mid air a bat flew out of nowhere and hit me right in the chest."

He leaned up a bit in mimicked surprise, "It threw me off my jump and sent me plummeting to the forest floor. I thought I was done for, but when I landed I was surprised at the softness of the ground. I had landed in some type of animal nest or something... and after looking around for a moment I found a baby tiger nearby. The baby walked over to see if I was alright, and I started to play with the beast... but apparently mama tiger didn't appreciate that. I heard her cry as she jumped out from the bushes. She slashed me across my chest and bit down into my shoulder.... Fortunately for me I'm used to close combat, so I took my knife out and jammed it into the beast's ear. She ran off with her cub behind... but I didn't want to lose my knife so I chased after..."

He pulled out the knife still in its sheath and put it on the table.

[Doji Ameka]

She raises her eyebrows, looking amused. "What happened then?"