[Day 8 - Early Afternoon] Caffeine and Cats

[Matsu Eriko]

"To be honest, it kind of felt like a conversation I got a few times prior to the wedding at Matsu Prime," she chuckled as she rubbed her shoulder on an anxious note. "Although, I'm sure they were either curious or trying to train me to become a better Matsu. I'm sure you've got the worse of it with the third degree and all that. Our Clans don't exactly have a great relationship? But if that were enough of an excuse, I'd bet the embassy streets would be far more red and not because of the Scorpions."

"It's probably my line of training where I'm told to not make full assumptions out of everything. Sure, you can assume certain things but that just ends up giving you certain blind spots in other areas in life. My former Family doesn't always get along with each other but that's considered a plus than a minus. Don't want to assume everyone's a friend, for reasons...but shouldn't that mean you don't want to assume everyone's an enemy, eh? Honestly, I like actually getting my sleep at night." She gave a shrug of her shoulder.

"So! How come you aren't surrounded by people wanting to take a picture with you?" She brought up as a topic change.

[Susumu Yakumo]

Streets would be far more red and not because of the Scorpions... yikes! That thought did fill her with some dread. It reminded her of the words of how honor was the social contract all samurai adhered to, and she wondered just how many samurai out there just wanted to forget that for a few moments and put all her kinsmen to the sword... Yakumo forced down that shudder and focused on her coffee instead for a moment.

"Ah... that does happen on some occassion, but on the whole I find people are respectful enough to give me some room and privacy, even when out in public. Not that I'm not happy to stop for pictures or sign autographs," she added with a cheerful smile, "but I think people understand that sometimes I just want to get from point A to point B and don't have the time to stop for everyone. That, or they are worried my bodyguards are hiding in the shadows, ready to leap out to my defense and block overeager fans."

She was probably joking. Right? That smile looked like she might maybe be serious...

[Matsu Eriko]

Eriko couldn't help but look around at the shadows for those supposed bodyguards. Joking or not, it was a bit in the Kuni instincts to for such things. She chuckled back. "Well, I'm sure a large number of them are trying to ID you. People kind of get stunted when something is so obvious and in front of your face. They probably think you're a lookalike or Yukumo. Either way! You don't have to worry about me being overeager or anything!"

She looked up with a chuckle. "I kind of wish I had something for you to sign to make the most of this opportunity but I have to admit that I don't really keep an extensive collection of your stuff. Actually, probably just your newest thing. I'll admit it, I'm more of a bandwagoner, so to speak. Things started to get a bit bummed out ever since they kicked out Yoritomo Akane from the Heavenly 9. And hey, you just came back from said tour too, right? Still, amazed you're just chatting here with me but of course, I think I have to thank our mutual friend, Mold, for getting me acquainted with you." She smirked and reached out to give Mold his share of scritches in thanks.

[Susumu Yakumo]

"Yes, he is very precious, isn't he?" Yakumo said with a laugh and picked up her efforts on awarding the cat with scritches. Being given attention and pets from two humans had the happy tabby hurr-purring like a happy bulldozer.

"Mm, but yes, I recently finished the tour and since my contract then is up for negotiations - which doesn't really involve me a whole lot," she chuckled a bit at that, but ultimately it came down to discussions between her lords and the Miya, "so I'm here for the winter court. Closest thing I get to a vacation I suppose."

Which meant that she was still free to go around and get into trouble like she was doing these days. And oh dear, she had to live in a luxury suite the whole time too. Truly life was hard.

"It's a small world though, Matsu-san. I'm sure we could meet again, and I could sign something for you then. I don't mind at all." There was a warm sincerity to those words, as she clearly seemed to be pleased with meeting her fans, especially those from more unlikely corners of the galaxy, such as a Kuni-turned-Matsu.

[Matsu Eriko]

"The fella is as adorable as he is friendly," she chuckled as she nodded in agreement. "If only the cat matron over at the embassy was just as friendly but I'm hoping one day!"

"I don't know how anyone would consider spending time during Winter Court by any stretch of the imagination but I know that Akodo Reki-sama is on vacation herself. When you find yourself on a lighter workload, suddenly everything else seems easy, huh? If they like you that much, did you think they'll try to do one of those two for one deal and get you hitched with an Imperial spouse? I know rumour is that most of the members of the Heavenly 9 have such a deal, although they don't say that part in public. Maybe some of them are already married to an Imperial and we don't even know it, but that's all tabloid talk! You didn't hear it from me!" She took a sip of coffee soon after that thought.

"Hm?" She said as she looked a bit uncertain as she looked about. "You're talking to me? Would we have to run into each other at a Cat Cafe by coincidence or are we talking about a meeting-meeting? I guess I'd have to dress extra nicer in the future!"

What would the tabloids say if Yakumo was caught with a Kuni-looking woman, anyway?

[Susumu Yakumo]

"Oh the Lion embassy has a cat?" Why didn't the Spider embassy have a cute pet? She might visit more often then except when she had to.

As Eriko jumped into the very highly-speculated private lives of Heavenly 9, Yakumo couldn't help but to be kind of impressed that she seemed to be so up to date on celebrity gossip. "Mmm... who knows? I can honestly say I haven't received any such deal yet!" Maybe the Imperials wanted to see if she could have the star-power of Heavenly 9 before doing something like that?

A shame if those tabloid rumors were true though, because that meant the hunky bad boy Daigotsu was unavailable. Siiiigh... he's so hot.

Yakumo had to snap herself out of that particular day-dreaming. "Oh, well I was mostly thinking since you're here on official business for your clan, and so am I so, I suppose we'd run into eachother at one of these soireé's?"

[Matsu Eriko]

"Oh yes, Chiyo! This very majestic black cat with a long coat and golden eyes. Probably the first sort I've seen like that but I'm not too acquainted with cats." She smirked as she gave a few pets and a stroke of Mold's fur before she stopped. "I've been trying to get on her good side ever since I moved into the embassy for my new duties. She's been dodging me or hissing every time I try to approach her for a pet. I think I've pretty much deduced that she'll only hang out with uniformed, important, and more cat-like people."

"Well, maybe that's just the rumours, anyway! I've never exactly done anything in showbusiness before. The closest thing is probably one of those draw-lot plays while I was in mandatory military service. Those were pretty painful to be in or sit through. It's like people go into them with the assumption that everything they do is going to be wild or fun, turns out if you too hard, you're going to end up looking like you've tried too hard." She smiled sheepishly with a shrug before taking a sip from her mug. "I'll leave singing and performing to the professionals."

"Soireé, huh? I've kind of non-verbally assumed that my wife was going to hit all of those parties without me cramping her style," she chuckled as she looked up in consideration. "I guess I'll have to find a nice suit or dress somewhere."

[Susumu Yakumo]

What a shame that she wasn't going to make a friendly visit to the Lion embassy anytime soon, because this Chiyo-nyan sounded very cute and fluffy... if a bit spicy. Yakumo liked to think she was more of a cat-like person than a dog-like person herself. "Ah, cats can be rather peculiar I've found," she offered for Eriko to not be too down about not being like by the royal Chiyo-nyan.

Mold was peculiar in that he was an absolute glutton for attention and pets. Which he was still receiving plenty of.

"Oh, I've heard of these draw-lot plays. Am I to understand correctly that anyone could be acting in a play, and the audience gets to interject frequently during the act?" it sounded to her like an abomination of all the acting she had been taught. It should absolutely be left to the professionals!

"And absolutely! You should dress up and come enjoy it! Like one of the parties were a launch-party for new types of sake, and... well, endless drinks the entire evening. It was pretty great."

[Matsu Eriko]

"Believe me, I'm finding out every day." She chuckled on that topic, although she might have meant Lion rather than cats. "Well, I guess I'll always have Mold-san here if he's not recharging on sunshine or doing his best loaf impersonation."

"Yeah, something to that effect," she nodded on that topic. "I guess it's meant to be sort of an active sadane and interactive experience where the play's outcome is shaped by what's being offered. No scripts and things are done in whatever way the players feel like. Every one of them is different, although the ones I've been in are done in the mess hall where we get our rare shipment of beer. With everyone loaded on alcohol, you can sort of imagine how those typically go, badly! I'm sure the interactive cultural aspect is great on paper but I've yet to be in one where I've walked away with a smile on my face. Feels like I'm doing it wrong, out of everything I've heard."

"Oh right, that one. That one I was around for!" She said with a quick snap of her fingers. "I guess I was chatting it up with Hotaru-san and didn't do that much mingle. That's all right. It was still pretty fun. Okay then, which one should I keep my eye out for next?"

It might have been a late question, considering a few of them have come and gone by the time this post was made.

[Susumu Yakumo]

"And they are so cute when they do loaf impersonations," she said with a small laugh, scratching Mold underneath the chin. He looked at her with almost closed eyes, and seemed as content as a cat possibly could.

It didn't seem like he would tire of this anytime soon.

"Ahhh, I see. Yes, yes, I see what you mean. That is a better explanation of draw-lot-play it seems, thank you." Her sensei had called it absolute trash which didn't seem inaccurate, but more lacking in substance. But Eriko's explanation at least made it clear why it was trash.

"Hmmm... there is a party tonight, and one scheduled for tomorrow night. After that though, it's going to be a couple of days until the next one again, I think. The dates seem kind of random for when they decide to throw these gatherings, so I wish I could give you a clearer idea of the dates. Your embassy might have a list of the upcoming social events though? Wouldn't hurt to check."

[Matsu Eriko]

"Aw, shucks. Tonight, I'm pretty booked up and tomorrow, well..." She said with a moment's consideration as she took a quick sip of coffee from her mug. "I'm probably planning to hit the town with a few friends and pleasant acquaintances to do some urban diving. I would be a pretty lousy guest if I had to duck early."

She reached over and snuck a few quick scratches to Mold's back. "I'll just have to hope for another shooting star to shoot over at a cat cafe, I guess! Just remember that I'm the girl with the face paint if I ever approach you with an album in hand. Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll get to bud in at the front of the line and upset a few folks in line. I really wonder how you or any celebrities can sit through a signing, I'd get antsy after a while but I guess I'm not made of stern stuff that makes stars."