(D3 MA Expecting) Wan Day More

[Matsu Masumi]

Wandering the gardens did little to put Masumi's mind at ease. Proceedings at court, even when they went in her favor, did not sit well with her. She couldn't bend it to her will, not easily at least. Breaking conventions was so much worse than breaking bones!

Masumi took a moment to meditate. Well, her version of meditating was anything but. What are my sisters doing right now? Are they laughing at me for being sent here? It wasn't a joke, there's no reason anyone would send someone here as a joke. One time her sisters had trained her wrong purposely as a joke though... If only someone could save this Matsu in distress!

[Doji Shinnosuke]

Something bumps against Masumi's shins, making a sort of snuffling noise that probably rudely interrupts her meditations.



"Hey, stop that! Leave the lady alone, you little cad," comes a pleasant voice from a short distance away.

Shinnosuke is beginning to think it's a bad idea to ever let go of Haku's leash in this garden, with all these exotic women from foreign clans around.

---
Should be Day 3, right?

[Matsu Masumi]

Matsu training had taught her not to break composure under pressure. This creature composed entirely of cuteness, however, was an entirely different challenge from big muscles and roaring. Every fiber of her body wanted to scoop him up into her arms and snuggle him. Even if he wanted to squirm away she could still cling to him very easily. Oh what an adorable little fluff ball.

And some guy. Well, he actually was quite a pleasant looking guy. Is he prettier than I am? She supposed she shouldn't be surprised. Sometimes Crane men ascribed to what she knew as the southern mode of doing things. When she thought about herself...

Well she was chaste and never had impure thoughts! "He may be a sign to be less intrusive in my own investigations," she announced with a smile, showing off her Yoriki status with pride. Her eyes then refocused on the fluff ball. Truly it was love at first sight. "He must be excited to be so far away from home, Doji-sama."

---

Masumi has not yet unlocked time travel. Haku, maybe. Anyhow I corrected the title!

[Doji Shinnosuke]

Haku meets Masumi's eyes with his own round, slightly bulbous ones, panting beseechingly. One tufted front foot reaches out as if to paw at her leg but stops just short.

A short silken leash trails a few feet behind the little dog, its end on the ground; the Crane had evidently dropped it to let him run a little bit ahead, not realizing there was another person behind the next bit of shrubbery.

"Truly, I think he's a better traveler than I am," Shinnosuke agrees, his relief that Masumi isn't annoyed by the doggy interruption giving his melodic voice an especially warm note. "While I was complaining of saddle sores on the road here, he's just been happy to expand his circle of acquaintance. Especially among beautiful women, for some reason." He chuckles. (Perhaps this gentleman's tastes are not of the southern sort after all. Or possibly a breeze from one direction is as good as any other.)

[Matsu Masumi]

Maintaining eye contact with a dog was certainly not rude. Well, at least she didn't think it breached any etiquette. She was a bushi, not a courtier! She held out her hand, not bending down too much as to not compromise her posture too much. Still it was a small offering to this dog that deserved so much more.

"Is he well-known as a womanizer then?" she asked, of course laden with double meaning. Still she could expect a man with such an adorable dog to have quite a way with woman. Helped that he was quite handsome too. It truly would be a shame if he was only of the southern mode... for other women of course!

"This one is Matsu Masumi," she barked out before giving a proper bow. Introductions were much better than entertaining useless thoughts.

[Doji Shinnosuke]

"Goodness, 'womanizer' sounds terribly vulgar. Poor Haku here would be blushing if he wasn't covered in hair." Shinnosuke smiles rakishly, coming closer so he can pick up the loose end of the dog's leash. "He has refined tastes and enjoys good company, that's all."

Haku tilts his head upward, but his stubby legs don't actually allow his nose to reach Masumi's hand. No problem! He bounces up, rising off his front paws (the back ones might also leave the ground for a split second) to bop his nose into her palm once, then twice.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Matsu Masumi." Shinnosuke bows smoothly back to her while Haku is performing this action-roughly-the-opposite-of-bowing. "I am Doji Shinnosuke."

[Matsu Masumi]

"Ah, yes, I must apologize to Haku for even insinuating that such rumors could exist." Masumi squatted down to give him a couple pats on the head before righting herself. That mustn't have compromised etiquette too much!

The ineffectiveness of his legs further melted her heart. She glanced around for a bench, anywhere so that they could be seated together.

Along with the Doji, she supposed. "Do you find it difficult to watch after him with all your duties in court? I could be convinced to help."

[Doji Shinnosuke]

When petted, Haku wiggles around in an extremely satisfactory manner. He definitely needs more of that!

"Oh, I have an attendant who can look after him when I'm otherwise occupied"--but Shinnosuke, himself a sensitive soul, does not fail to notice how hopeful the question seems, and pivots diplomatically "... though I'm sure young Toichi could use some relief now and then. Winter court has him run quite ragged, poor fellow. And Haku does like to socialize, as you see." He smiles fondly at the little animal. "Are you experienced with dogs, Matsu-san?"

((Seating is mentioned so I'm sure we can write in some stools or benches...))

[Matsu Masumi]

Poor Haku would have to wait until they reached the stool. Then he would earn his just reward. Pets. It was more pets.

"It would be an exercise in compassion if I afforded this Toichi some rest during this time," Masumi mused out loud. Surely someone as astute as this pretty man would see past that. "And yes, I see he does like to socialize. With beautiful woman, you said?" While she might have denied the concept of romance vehemently, she still enjoyed compliments.

Once she found a suitable spot, she automatically started walking in that direction. She looked back, mainly to make sure that Haku would come with her to the spot! The man was okay.

[Doji Shinnosuke]

"Matsu-san is accomplished in all the virtues of Bushido, not just Courage, I see," Shinnosuke observes smoothly.

Taking his cue, he follows Masumi to a part of the forecourt with seating. Haku looks carefully at his master to make sure of which way Shin is going (the correct way), then sweeps off as well, stretching out his silk leash to place himself about halfway between Shin and Masumi on the path, the better to keep his flock herded together.

"Yes, it's quite the thing. Yesterday I took him out here and he nearly threw himself at the feet of a fair Crab priestess. At home he fawns on my aunt and girl cousins, and on the road here it was post-house maidservants, when all else failed." He chuckles. "Perhaps he gets tired of Toichi and me. I shall have to be careful no lady woos him away from my service this winter."

[Matsu Masumi]

"The greatest question would be which virtue I exemplify most," Masumi said, wondering if she sounded a bit too arrogant there. Still, it was nice to brag sometimes.

It would seem that the herding attempts by Haku were completely successful. Masumi gave him much deserved pets in the middle while she spoke with the man. "Is that so? I thought his affections would not be so easily swayed. A lot of women like it when they are treated as particularly special." She dared to look up at Shinnosuke for a moment before averting her gaze, a bit embarrassed.

[Doji Shinnosuke]

Haku is happy to jump up next to Masumi and receive his due tribute. However, she might need to take care that he doesn't put his front feet on her clothing, unless she's resigned to damp and slightly muddy paw marks. It's not his fault no one in Rokugan has invented dog rain boots!

"Hmm." Shinnosuke pulls his fan from his sleeve and twirls it in his fingers. "Well, one hears about many of the great lovers in history that they excelled at making each lady they were with feel particularly special. Or gentleman, of course. What do you think, Haku?"

[Matsu Masumi]

A great way to keep a dog under control, at least from her point of view, was to barrage him with so many pets that he wouldn't get up. She was used to grappling people, after all. No paws on her clothes if he can't move! She's not so heartless as to crush a dog though, by the kami no.

"That does make him sound like a womanizer," Masumi said, nonetheless continuing the barrage of pets. "But alas, if these people only made them feel this way, then is this not fake?" Amusing as the conversation was, she was in fact entirely serious.

[Doji Shinnosuke]

Flattened to the bench by a fusillade of pets, Haku pants happily and submits, for now.

"Is a flower's scent false because more than one butterfly visits it?" Shinnosuke asks, cocking his head curiously. "Or could it be the flower has enough true perfume for more than one visitor? I think that's not impossible, don't you?"

((Apologies, end of the week really ate my brains!))

[Matsu Masumi]

If there was ever a temptation for her to forsake her honor it would be running away with Haku. Alas he would probably become too forlorn regarding his master. Such a beautiful soul did not deserve such a cruel fate.

"Hmm." This put her at a loss for words, as did many courtly talks. It was so much easier when she could just nod her head along and agree with things instead of giving her own input. "It may not be... Ah but what if the flower runs out because too many butterflies came and never returned?"

[Doji Shinnosuke]

Shinnosuke flicks his fan open and smiles enigmatically. "Alas, all flowers fade in time. If they didn't, we wouldn't value their beauty as much as we do--while it lasts."

With his other hand, he gives Haku a scritch at the base of the dog's tail, making it wag even more. There's a clean white bandage wrapped around that hand, covering up a scrape earned while trying to help at the mine collapse that morning.

[Matsu Masumi]

"Beauty in ephemerality," Masumi said with a faint nod. That was at least a concept she'd heard of before. She didn't always think about how to best break a person's bones in their body!

Sometimes she even thought a little... indecently? The bandage on the man's hand made her want to take it to inspect it. That, however, would be so scandalous. "When did that happen?" she asked, cheeks a little pink as she suppressed the silly thoughts. "Does it involve... an unwanted guest from the night prior?"

Interviewing Shinnosuke on what happened with the Crane House intrusion, of course, wasn't that important given how it all turned out in the future. What was important was giving Haku even more pets!

[Doji Shinnosuke]

"Oh, that?" Shinnosuke withdraws his hand to his lap again, not wishing to discomfit the lady. "No, fortunately, the only things hurt by our night prowlers were a few screens and the Ikoma guards' pride. That was just from, er, a sharp rock." Oh dear, it sounded pretty unimpressive when you said it out loud.

[Matsu Masumi]

For a moment she wondered if she could wipe Haku's paws clean and then scoop him up like a human toddler. She'd carried some before... The kami knew the Matsu needed helping hands.

"A Lion with wounded pride is a force to be reckoned with." Masumi would know... "But what do you mean by a sharp rock?

[Doji Shinnosuke]

"Just so: a rock that was sharp," Shinnosuke says, slightly embarrassed. "I was trying to help someone move it and it had other opinions."

Though he can't answer questions himself, Haku might like to reply that he would tolerate being picked up by a familiar person. Like maybe a Masumi on a later day, after taking him for a few walks off screen!