Inspecting the Competition [D1/EE/OPEN]

[Yogo Kiuchi]

Kiuchi took Sato in for a walk into the market. Thankfully, Sato was well-trained, but even so, Kiuchi made sure they did not linger near any stall selling food.

[Doji Shinnosuke]

Someone else had not been quite as successful at keeping his faithful companion hound away from temptation.

"Don't fret, To-kun, it's just a little dried fish. It certainly won't do him any harm," Shinnosuke was saying, airily, crouching down to offer a flaky morsel to a creature which could probably best be described as a dog (insofar as it wasn't quite right for a bolster or a footstool).

Haku--that was the dog's name--snorfles the treat from his master's fingers with more eagerness (and saliva) than dexterity. "It's a healthy snack."




The boy Toichi has his own hands full paying the vendor, but might be heard from very close-up muttering to himself, "Easy for you to say, Tanaka-sama. I'll the one cleaning up if it disagrees with him..."

[Yogo Kiuchi]

Kiuchi notices the dog and approaches the pair. He bows and then snaps his fingers and points down, causing the dog that followed him to bow as well. "I am Yogo Kiuchi and this is Sato. It is pleasure to meet you here today." And of course, the dog.

[Doji Shinnosuke]

Shinnosuke stands upright again with hasty grace, while cleaning the drool off his fingers with a fine handkerchief. "Oh, good afternoon." He bows as well.

"I am Doji Shinnosuke. This is Haku." Prudently, he shortens the white dog's leash just in time to stop it from making a beeline toward Kiuchi's feet. If Sato clocked the much smaller Haku as a threat--or an annoyance--the confrontation would surely be over in two mouthfuls. Haku strains in that direction anyway, snuffling audibly. "Sit, Haku."

"Haku won't learn to bow," he adds, looking back up at Kiuchi. "I choose to assume the best of him--perhaps it means he is noble among dogs?"

[Yogo Kiuchi]

Sato sits after his trick. He shows no sign of aggressiveness towards the smaller dog, though his tail can be seen to be wagging.

Kuichi chuckles. "He certainly has the looks of one. I saw him and couldn't help but come over." Before his words can be interpreted incorrectly, Kiuchi clarifies. "My House, the Itoh, breed dogs for guarding and hunting. I'm interested in seeing dogs from other Clans. A professional curiosity you could say."

[Doji Shinnosuke]

"Oh, I see." Shinnosuke loosens up on Haku's leash, allowing the silky little creature to bobble its way over toward Kiuchi with its moplike tail oscillating wildly.

"I'm afraid I don't know his lineage, myself," he explains. "My aunt had him from a friend of hers who keeps dogs--an Asahina, I believe. She said an actor is out in town at all hours and ought to have a guard with him," he laughs, "though as you see, he's not very wary."

[Yogo Kiuchi]

Kiuchi kneels down and pets the dog. He smiles, though his mask does not show. "I'll just choose to assume he's good judge of character."

Sato moves over to the Crane wagging his tail. "I see Sato is getting jealous. Don't worry. He won't bite. Unlike Haku, he's not a trained guard dog. He was trained as a hunting dog."

[Doji Shinnosuke]

"Ah, well, understandable," Shinnosuke chuckles. Who wouldn't be jealous of the fabulous Haku and his at-least-equally-glamorous master? He reaches out and offers Sato his hand to inspect.

"And do you hunt with him? What sort of quarry?"

Haku is in classic small-dog-being-petted wiggle mode, writhing around happily and probably licking at Kiuchi (with breath smelling of his dried fish snack) if allowed.

[Yogo Kiuchi]

Sato sniffs and then tries use head to nudge the hand to pet him.

Kiuchi, currently being licked by the smaller dog, looked up at the Crane. "Sato was actually trained by my father. He usually hunts foxes or raccoons in the woods. Whatever is bothering the peasants and interfering with their work. Our forest has some deer, but the population isn't large, so usually we just use them for training, and try to leave alone so we don't over hunt them. Once, he used Sato to find a peasant child who got lost in the woods."

[Doji Shinnosuke]

"Well, that's a charming story," Shinnosuke says, his voice warming. "I hear you're a clever boy"--clearly speaking to the dog now, while delivering the required scratches around his ears with both hands--"aren't you? Yes, you clever boy." Even if you do have a face like a charcoaled oni mask... on a dog, it's sort of charming.

"When you said your House raised them, I assumed--I didn't realize you meant this clever fellow was personally trained by a nobleman. No wonder his manners are so good."



Toichi, the servant, is not totally unfamiliar with the sight of his elegant young master acting a bit goofy in public, so he just remains impassively in the background.

[Yogo Kiuchi]

The loose skin on Sato's head shifts as he's being petted to give more or less wrinkles depending on Shinnosuke moves his hands. He's clearly enjoying the ear scratches.

"Mostly, we are overseers for the peasant trainers, but we usually train a few select puppies ourselves. Some our kept for ourselves, like Sato. Some go to noble patronages who deserve, or at least demand, the very best."

[Doji Shinnosuke]

"Hmm. So it's something like marriage diplomacy... but with a shorter waiting time," Shinnosuke suggests with a rakish smile. "And no need to get the Four Temples involved."

Eventually, if Kiuchi goes on petting Haku, the little dog will get overstimulated and start bouncing around him in a joyfully erratic circle with his tongue hanging out.