"They're travellers, too, do you think he could be the kind of guy to explore the big out there with?"

"He's not entirely decided on what he hopes to do in the future, but I think he may be good for exploration." she nodded.

Moriko smiled and nodded in satisfaction. Finishing her cream bun, she licked her fingers and picked up a napkin.

Hoshiko sipped her tea. "When you need me , I'll be there."

Moriko gave her sister a querying look and picked up the last item her tray (apart from Ten’s treat, of course), it was a squat red-skinned sausage, wrapped up in dough and baked like a bread roll. “So,” she started, and it was obvious that she was waiting for her sister to ask her something.

"How are things with Bayushi-san?" she asked, with a smile.

Moriko was thoughtful for a moment, "you know, I haven't heard from him. I suppose I should get in touch, I did invite him to an evening ride. My thoughts have been elsewhere," she hinted coyly.

"Oh? Where else?" she asked with a mischievous grin.

A giggle escaped the young Phoenix, "well, I do have a date tonight." Moriko definitely hadn't expected to feel something for her future spouse, she had thought she would be content as long as she didn't hate them. Finding someone that she wanted to see again had come as a surprise.

"Go on." she encouraged. "Tell me more."

"So, don't freak out," Moriko cautioned, picking up her tea and sipping it, "but it's Daigotsu Ryuu." Even if Hoshiko wasn't familiar with man himself, the family name alone would speak volumes.

"Really?!" Her surprise was impossible to hide. "He must be pretty special, for you to even consider going on a date with a Spider."

Suddenly nervous, Moriko took a bite of her ‘hot dog’ and chewed carefully before responding. “He doesn’t exactly look like a Spider,” it was a weak defence and it occurred to the girl that he looked exactly how one might imagine a half-Crane, half-Spider: attractiveness and refinement colliding with stern dread. Beneath the surface, however, Moriko believed she saw more Crane than Spider.

"Is that why you're interested in him?" she asked. "I don't think I'd believe that."

“No,” she protested, “I just mean it’s less weird.” Moriko shrugged sheepishly, “it doesn’t exactly, you know, hurt if he’s kinda cute.” [i]When he’s not smiling like that,[i] she silently appended, “okay, fine, it’s weird. He’s weird,” the younger twin blurted, covering her face with her hands. Ten woofed, a soft and breathy woof, like he didn’t want the other customers to hear, his little forehead furrowed with concern.

"Weird can be good." she assured her. "It's better than boring."

Moriko was significantly less upset than she was dramatic, glancing at Ten and shushing him, but the attention only made the pup think it was finally time to eat and stood up, tippy tapping excitedly. “I don’t even know what happened,” Moriko admitted, “sometimes he’s creepy, like his face is being controlled by something else, and sometimes he’s imposing, but when he’s not that,” the girl shrugged, unsure how much she found him handsome because he was interesting, and how much he was interesting because he was handsome.

"As long as he's kind to you." Hoshi smiled. "If not, I'll hit him with lightning."

Ren had now begun staring at Hoshiko in anticipation.

Moriko hadn't finished her 'hot dog', and the dogs watched her eat attentively, "well, that's kinda it. We got talking about duty, and what we expected from this miai, and I found his attitudes to the matter rather complementary to my own." In part based on the twins own parent's matching, and part based on growing up among breeding otori, Moriko's position on things had been very passive.

Hoshiko had much the same attitude. Love was a nice idea, but compatibility was her main concern.

"That sounds promising, then."