Floyd
The little white rabbit that emerged from one of the private quarters in the embassy though a small crack in the door lifted its head, sniffing the air. He had not had the opportunity to wander the halls freely before, usually kept under close supervision. Yet with his owner distracted with that colored cloth she was always so interested in, Fuji decided now was the time he would no longer be denied. He was going to satisfy his curiosity.

He hopped out into the hallway. Slowly at first; his ears twitched and rotated slightly as he listened to the footsteps around him. Once he was satisfied he was not being pursued, he took a few more hops outward. And then a few more. He rose up onto his hind legs and back on all fours every now and then as he continued his journey, trying to get a better view of what lay ahead.

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Heather
The sound of Tabi and silk gliding on hardwood flooring filled the hallways of the Embassy. It was a a sound that came and went as long as the sun's light stood in the sky and the Samurai, and their servants milled around. And of course, the soft sound also followed Kitsune Meiko as she moved towards the private quarters. She definitely was a new face in the Embassy.

As she turned into the hallway that Fuji currently was exploring the sound of her shuffling footsteps stopped as soon as she noticed the furry little critter, raising to its hind legs to look around and then hopping on a little. Some might shriek in surprise as they spied the small animal, but Kitsune Meiko only smiled, ever so slowly making two steps before she lowered herself to kneel, reaching out a hand very slowly towards the small ball of white. The Brown of her Kimono and the forest green of the Obi might only appear as shades of yellow to the small creature of the fields and light forests.

The hand just waited, the fingers together, a little bit over the polished wood floor, and offering a new smell to explore... Or if Fuji was very adventurous, the inside of a the Furisode's long sleeves.

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Floyd
There's a click of Fuji's nails on the hardwood floor as he approaches the new person curiously, ears turning to face forward as he sniffed the offered hand. After only a few moments, this was evidently enough for the rabbit to decide that the new person meant well. He lowered his head, his expression as expectant as a rabbit could manage. For one familiar with woodland creatures, it was evident that he expected grooming. Or pets, in the case of people!

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Heather
It's a low chuckle that shows the amusement of the young Kitsune, her fingers rising to just a little above the rabbit's fuzzy little head. A heartbeat or three later, the second hand moved to hold the long sleeve of the Furisode back as she extended the first, so she could reach the back of the little bunny's head without shoving the sleeve in its face. "Ahw... You look like you know humans mean you no harm, aren't I right?"

Her musing is accompanied by the fingers seeking to brush the fur between the small one's ears, her position slightly bent over forwards, a lock of her hair escaping the tight confines she had tied them into to make a good imression. "I wonder, have you escaped from soneone's room or did you get lost from your owner as they looked the other way in the garden? I hope you have not lost them out there in the streets. That would be quite a trouble to find them..."

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Floyd
Fuji tucked his legs beneath him and got comfortable, starting to resemble more of a loaf as he did. His ears relaxed and flopped back against his shoulders, and he began gently grinding his teeth; a purring sound that would have been audible to Meiko. The bunny's eyelids even looked like they might get heavy for a moment as he enjoyed the pets and attention given to him. He didn't look *Too* Grateful, of course; one should feel privileged to pet a coat such as this, after all!

The reverie would be broken by a sudden shout of "Kuso!" And some panicked footsteps emerging from one of the rooms. A dimunitive samurai, fox-colored hair tied into several braids, rushed out, as though looking frantically for something. Or someone.

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Heather
With the bunny apparently getting quite comfortable, the young Kitsune shuffled forward just a little bit more, so she could better reach the back with the second hand, using both to floof through the little loaf of white fur. "You must make someone worried with you taking this little expedition." The sound of her voice is slightly chiding, but then again, one doesn't expect the bunny to fully understand.

Then, the loud sound of someone shoving a door open violently, the sound of anger and the panicked footsteps emerge from somewhere down the halls. Fearing someone might need the space and would stumble over them, the hands repositioned to lift the little loaf of Bun, and a moment later she pulled Fuji up and against that brown Furisode she wore. Holding the bunny and giving him little scritches, she shuffled to the side of the hallway, making sure that it was free for whoever seemed to need it in a hurry.

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Floyd
Fuji would tense up at the sudden lifting, his eyes getting wide and his ears perking up. He would soon recognize that no, no hawk was coming to scoop him up and make him their dinner, but for a rabbit, it was still rather frightening for a moment! With the woman's handling skills, though, he would not put up much of a fight, calming down fairly soon.

The red haired woman's eyes darted from left to right as she made her way down the hall, looking to Meiko in concern. "Excuse me, have you seen- FUJI!" She cried out in relief, letting out a breath she had evidently been holding for some time. "Fuji, you know you're not supposed to sneak out..."

If the rabbit showed any sign of regret, it was not present here.

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Heather
Caressing the little bundle of fur and suppressed panic, Kitsune Meiko gently breathed down the back of the little critter, calming him and soothing the little one's nerves. But when the woman with the hair the color of a fox's pelt arrives, she looks up, her own black hair ever so slightly out of its confines.

That's when the woman clearly realizes that the bunny she is holding seems to be the reason of the concearn the red haired one has. "He was out alone in the hallway. I hope it is okey that I reached out for them?" She repositioned her hands a little, making sure to hold him nicely but also allow her to offer the unrepentant bunny to its owner.

"You might get Fuji a band that tells who they are. As the name sounds, maybe of Wisteria color, so everybody can recognize their name without needing to read the message it carries?"

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Floyd
"Oh, yeah, of course!" She replied. "He's kind of a brat, but he loves attention." She seemed to calm down fairly quickly once she realized her little companion was safe. "If you want, I can give you some dried fruit to feed the guy. He'll be all over you then."

"Oh, right, sorry. Manners and all that." She tucked a braid behind her ear and bowed to her. "Kitsune Tsuta. Nice to meet you. Thank you as well for wrangling Fuji. I was a little sloppy with the door, and he was a little bored waiting for me to finish painting. If you haven't quite noticed yet, he's got a bit of a need to be the centre of attention. Not a bad idea with the band, though!"

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Heather
As Tsuta spoke, Meiko noded, taking in the introduction and bowing in return while keeping the bunny halfway embraced and halfway pampered on the arm. "I am Kitsune Meiko. Please be kind to me. It's a pleasure to see another member of the family so far out from our forests."

"It's nothing. He was looking so lost in the hallway, I couldn't help but offer them a hand and some pets. If there would be proper forest here, a stroll in it would be nice, but I heard that there is only little woodland around." Chuckling just a tad, the voice almost like happy little bells, she groomed the head of the bunny, carefully even toying with the ears.

"You are painting as a pasttime? I do have an interest in it myself, though I can't say I am skilled in any means."

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Floyd
"Likewise! For a while I was thinking the closest we'd get to another Kitsune was that magistrate from the Dragon. Been here for very long? How are you finding the city?"

Tsuta reached out her hand to give the little explorer a few pets. "Well, that's awfully nice of you. If he's not supposed to be someplace, then that's *Exactly* The place that he wants to be." Her tone then grew more wistful as the topic came to the woods. "Honestly... Closest thing we got around here to some nice woods is the target range at the Tsuruchi dojo. Just... Well, gotta make that koku somehow, I suppose."

Whatever melancholy she felt though, seemed to fade at the mention of painting. She leaned against a pillar. "I'm pretty decent at it. Probably not going to be doing any work for the Emperor, at least not today, but I think I do well," She noted with a smirk. "As for yourself, well, you ever try it?"

Fuji, in the meantime, seemed to relax a bit more, the ears seeming to do the trick.

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Heather
The young shugenja shook her head while she gave the bunny's head a good scratching behind the ears while she maneuvered him to rest on one arm. There was enough space to reach the bun without touching skin, though it might get a little tight in some moments. "Very... Different to Kyuden Kitsune. There I could make no step and not see a tree older than the elders preaching and teaching in the temples and shrines, and here the oldest I have seen seem to be planted at best by our parents' generation."

"I did however hear someone mention a large garden of sorts. I haven't had a chance to see this with my own eyes though. But then again, I have not spent not even two days in the city."

The topic of painting again earns a smile. "I dabble with the brush, but the Ambassador seems to have liked my amateurish impression of our common home."

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Floyd
Tsuta listened to her description, feeling a sort of melancholy as she did. At the very least, it seemed she wasn't alone. "I know exactly what you mean... Back at Kyuden Kitsune, my auntie would tell me stories about some of the trees we'd climb up, and how they watched over my great, great, great grandparents. How many creatures they gave homes to, and all the stories that they witnessed in their lives. There's just not the same history here. There's some absolutely beautiful places, and I got an invitation to some kind of fancy garden, but it's not the same, you know?"

Fuji seemed rather uninterested in the story, grinding his teeth in delight. If one listened closely, they might even hear a soft little "Oinking" Of sorts.

"So, you have tried then. And the boss lady likes it! That counts for something, right? If you'd like, I'd be happy to take a look myself."

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Heather
Petting the little creature as she held it, Meiko smiled a little sadly. "That seems to be how the Scorpion shape the land they were given. Their plans and designs touch even the way the trees are allowed to grow. Our family embraced the land as it was given and just took and shaped what they needed." Inhaling a moment, the head of the young shugenja tilts just ever so slightly. "Do you happen to mean a large garden or one of those fancy yards, as they had in the waystations I had seen on the way to here."

Even as Fuji was wholly uninterested in the talks of the humans, the fingers kept toying with his soft fur, stroking the ears and the back of the head, like there was nothing to it.

"Sadly I did not bring inks and paints in my traveling pack for fear of water turning them into smudges on the books of tales I have brought. If only I had known that I might meet someone interested in it, I had packed them and some of my tries."

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Floyd
"Yeah... I don't know what all that buzz in the city is about how the kami don't approve of the Scorpion losing governorship. Maybe it's because I'm no shugenja or anything like that, but I can't imagine the Kami being like 'yeah, no, just exploit the land, don't care for it.'" She shook her head, seeming genuinely bothered until she was snapped from it by the question. "Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to get too much on a rant there. Uh, yeah! I think it's actually a garden of a good size that's part of a teahouse. I'll make sure to give you the full report afterwards. Though you also gotta let me know if you see anything!

Fuji's eyes by this point were completely shut, the oinking just the slightest bit louder as he was completely lost to a bunny trance.

"Really? That's too bad, you got my hopes up," She replied, smiling to let the Shugenja know the comment was made in good humor. "I'd be more than happy to let you borrow some of mine though, if you ever wanted to have a session."

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Heather
"I don't understand the will of the kami at all times, but treated correctly, the kami might allow for widespread change to their homes. It would be a large task, and include not just a little making up for it, but..." The young Kitsune shrugged a tad as she played with the trancy bunny. "They might have found a way long ago."

"I will look out for the gardens, and maybe even try to get permission for that fabled one that they say is as large as a small hamlet. That is by far not the vastness of the Kitsune Mori, but maybe they have managed to get some inspiration into it."

Smiling with the head slightly tilted at the humorous note, Meiko nodded. "If you would be so kind to let be borrow your colors, maybe I can try to indulge you. Maybe a session together?"

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Floyd
"Perhaps you're right. I knowmI'm certainly not in any position where I could just up and ask them. Still... Hard to imagine the scorpiom being the ones who found a way." She chuckled a bit at the thought.

"Wait, there's some gardens the size of a hamlet here?" Tsuta's eyes grew wide with excitement. "Oh, you *Have* To tell me if you find out where it is! And yeah! Yeah, a painting session together sounds like it would be great!"

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Heather
"You know what they say abotu the scorpion, right?" Kitsune Meiko smiles as she steps just a tad closer, checking if noone else was around before she whispered. "Trickery might be afoot."

"It is decided then! We will have to explore that garden together, once we find it and put our inspirations onto paper!" Looking down at the critter on her arm, she smiled and gave him a tiny little bob. "Would you... Like to take Fuji now? I think he is having a nap."

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Floyd
Tsuta shot her a knowing smirk, keeping her voice in a whisper as well. "Trickery? From the Scorpion? In the city of lies? That's a pretty bold claim, Kitsune-san," She joked.

"All right. I guess I can take the little guy, though he did look pretty comfortable..." She reached over to take the rabbit into her arms, Fuji giving no indication of his awareness beyond a twitch of his nose. She cradled him in her arms as though she were a baby, her eyes soft as she looked down at him. "Who'a a good little bunny..." She murmured.

Raising her head up, she nodded in agreement. "That sounds like a great plan. Two birds with one stone!"

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Heather
Answering with a chuckle that some might connect to little bells, Kitsune Meiko was clearly amused. "I think they prefer City of Stories, Kitsune-san."

Giving up Fuji is by far not that easy without making any contact, and as there was a short moment of fingers touching, Meiko's cheeks did fluster. It couldn't be helped, but still, that was almost scandalously public! Yet, there was at least a good excuse: To not hurt the bunny. "Fuji is a good little bunny. Though, he's also a good big bunny." She muses, trying to play over her embarrassment.

Even as it was a proverb about the two birds, Meiko's nose twitches and a tiny bit of dismay starts to show around her eyes. "Two birds in one tree, if you will. Killing them is such a waste..."

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Floyd
"Well, I know what they prefer," She chuckled. "But I get the feeling you're not the type to let the Scorpion ambassador know!" She teased.

As Tsuta accepted the rabbit back, she couldn't help but smile a little bit at Meiko getting flustered, but immediately bowed slightly. "My apologies," She spoke, hoping that it would help ease her sense of embarassment. "He is on the big side, that's for sure." She craned her head to look Fuji in the eye. "That's because *Somebunny* Eats too many treats.*"

Fuji could only make a tiny, indignant little growl in response.

"Truly, though, if you have any fruit around him, there's a decent chance he might steal a bit right out of your hand, it you let him!"

Tsuta rubbed the back of her neck though, noting Meiko's displeasure at her expression. "Yeah... I do agree, sorry. Just my auntie used to say that a lot. When we were training, she taught me the importance of survival out there and what needed to do. Still, I never liked the idea of an animal dying just so I could have a meal."

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Heather
"Wouldn't that be because somebunny has access to too many treats?" Meiko answered, adding some genuine laughter, though she did raise her hand to cover her lips for a moment. "So he is a little gourmet!"

"I... I know. But the proverb is so crude." Inhaling, she brushes the bridge of her own nose a moment. "I have learned the ways to follow the tracks of animals and even how to sneak up to them but... I also learned the prayer to calm them. Even if it might save a life, it would be a terrible thing, would I harm an animal that I have fed from my hand and brushed the head of. It... It might be a crime against Chikushudo to do so without dire need if I did so."

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Floyd
Tsuta burst out laughing. "Hey! Could you resist a face like that?"

She held up Fuji so that she would be eye-level with Meiko. Fuji's nose twitched, looking completely resigned to the fact that for now, he was there to be shown off.

Tsuta's laugh trailed off as the conversation steered back into more serious territory. Her expression, though, actually seemed to brighten. "Oh, fortunes, you have no idea how great it is to have someone who feels the same way. I know that we're higher on the celestial order, but the lands, and the animals? We're all connected. If we can live without causing undue harm to that, then I feel like it's our *Duty* To do that."

The usually cocky smile the Kitsune wore seemed softer now, more genuine, as they continued to speak. She had yet to encounter anyone who shared her philosophy since coming to the city.

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Heather
"You can never be sure if an animal is not a spirit wearing it either, unless you ask, and they answer only to few." Meiko answered, solemly nodding. "Is, compassion, even with the beings of the forest, so rare in this town? I mean, it's common enough to find such at home I thought..."

"But indeed, it's pretty hard to resist a munching face such as Fuji-sans. He makes me want to find a seamstress that might make him a little Haori."

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Floyd
Tsuta could only nod in response. Not being a Shugenja, it was a possibility she hadn't considered before, even as she knew that spirits often assumed such forms. "Some would tell you different, that animals are treated well enough. Yet there's still plenty on the market, even when as far as I can tell, there's no shortage of soybeans or any other crops." She sighed. "It's a reminder just I guess how special home really is."

The sour mood would be lifted, however, by the mention of an outfit for the regal little bunny. "I think he would really like that, actually! Not at first, he'd throw a big fit, but when he realizes how important it makes him look..." She giggled, rather than chuckled this time.

"What about you? Any little companions of your own?"

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Heather
"Some people also test their blades on convicts or dogs, or so they say." Meiko remarks, sighing a moment. "But at times it seems like we are the only family that actually practices compassion..."

A shudder runs through the young Shugenja's body, then the giggle about the suggestion to dress Fuji and how he might struggle against it proves to be contagious. "And once he realizes how much more pets he gets wearing it, he might demand to have it put on. Or he secretly hides it away to not be confronted with it again."

"I have none that took the long trip with me, but I believe that I was pretty liked by a family of foxes that was living close to the Shrine of Inari, and who enjoyed taking pieces of fish from my fingers and little pets on their heads."

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Floyd
"Yeah..." She shook her head. "Got a reminder of that the other day at the market. Wanted my testimony so they could beat some poor kid to death for not even actually managing to steal anything. Even offered to let me do the *Honors*," She continued, the contempt plain in her voice.

"But I don't want to bring the conversation down too much." She offered a bit of a smile, happy for the change of topic to a potential outfit for Fuji. "Honestly? Once it's done, he can probably go either way. Only one way to find out..."

The oblivious little bunny's nose twitched.

"Oh, that's great! I can imagine they probably didn't take too long to warm up to you. If today was any sign, you're great with animals."

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Heather
Extending a hand to boop the twitchign bunny nose, Meiko offers a little chuckle and smile. "Well, we might want to look for a seamstress for the little lord Usagi then, unless you know one already. And if it is just to see how he reacts to it."

"I hope so, but you seem to be not bad with them either."

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Floyd
"Unfortunately, I'm not sure of any seamstresses that work on such a small scale. For that matter, I'm not certain I can find one that wouldn't try to laugh me out of a building. Though..." She smirked. "Part of me does want to at least ask around. Both to see if we can get something for Fuji-san, and then to see what their reaction would be to the request."

"As for myself... Well, I'm not gonna be asked to tame wolves or bears or anything like that, but I've learned enough about the importance of respect for animals, care for them, and especially when it comes to this one."

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Heather
"Hmmm, that might make things a little more complicated. But I doubt they would deny a honest Samurai's request for such an item, especially if you tell them you are with the embassy and to... What was it... To just put it on its bill? Though, I haven't yet understood how that is supposed to work. I never needed to do so in the Palace of the Fox, only ask my instructor and have the request denied or accepted and dealt with if I needed something." Offering a little smile, she tried to fix a lock of hair that had escaped.

"I wouldn't try to tame such a majestic beast if it isn't necessary, but the prayer for it is one I almost know by heart."

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Floyd
"Hah! Y'know, the boss might get mad at me if I did that. So Fuji better be working on his best pleading face if I'm gonna get any hope of getting away with it." She laughed. "Tell you what, though, if you ever find someone good with that kind of thing, let me know, and I'll do it. At this point? We've talked about it enough that we have to go through with it, y'know?"

"Prayer, eh? You're a shugenja, then?" She asked, visibly curious. "Shoot, I guess I should have been saying Kitsune-sama then..."

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Heather
"Some day I will understand how this works, and then we shall try to get Fuji-san dressed. Or I look into learning the path of the needle myself and see if a piece of clothing that is past its years can turn into such a garment, as it is custom to turn them into clothes for the younger."

There's almost a flush on her face as she shakes her head at the suggestion that Tsuta overstepped. "Nono, I am not worthy of that much praise! And besides, we are of the same family, if extended. To the others serving at the shrine, I was often enough Meiko-san to those close to me, while Kitsune Meiko-san for everyone else. Calling me Kitsune-sama always reminds me of people kneeling to ask to receive my aide. Would it be asked too much to just see me as someone of roughly equal status, especially since you seem to be the more veteran between the two of us?"

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Floyd
"Awww... I'm sure he appreciates you suggesting that for him. Even in jest." She continued her laughter at the idea. "Would you like that, Fuji-san?" She asked, her deeper, more relaxed voice raising an octave as she cooed at the rabbit.

The rabbit made a tiny little oinking sound.

"And got it, no -samas. Honestly, I'm a little bit grateful for that myself. Makes it easier to remember. Kitsune Meiko-san it is. Though... I'll remember that -sama if I ever do need to get on my knees and ask for aid," She joked.

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Heather
"We will have to figure that out some day. Oh, do you happen to know where the embassy's roomservant can be found? I need to inquire with them about my room and such." There's an apologetic smile on her lips, as they offer the oinking Rabbit a little head pat.

"Please try not to. I still wear Furisode and you want to call me an older lady?" She tries to counter the joke, a little flush on her cheeks as Tsuta suggests to beg for her help.

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Floyd
"Woah, woah, woah! I would *Never*!" She insists, winking. "Have a little more faith in my manners than that. I'd just want to make sure if there's ever a situation where you'd be saving my life, that I'd be showing the proper respect, is all!" The Kitsune continued without seeming to miss a beat. || Advantage: All In Jest || "That said, Furisode? That's a little surprising. Not that I'm really in that different of a boat..."

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