"This critter didn't do nothing wrong," she said as she tried to get a better look but didn't want to get ahead of the Kitsune's enthusiasm over it. "If anything, probably saved this drone from getting a kick for being so damned stubborn. We can build these things to vacuum the floor but water is too tall of an order, strange."

"Stiil," she shrugged. "I'd rather be stuck with a kid than suffer another uncontrolled decompression."

“It’s just a moving vending machine. Probably only stocked with pre-made tea that it heats up and serves. Or something like that. I don’t actually know how these things work, just that they work about as well as the tea machine at a Grab-n-Go.” Hide couldn’t help but smile a bit at the frustration the Kuni had over the little drone. “I never trust on-board serving, regardless if it works or not. It’s always better to get a bottle of water or something before the ride or you run into these issues. But, then again, it sounds like you also had quite the day and don’t really need to hear it from me.“

The Matsu glances over at the tiny monkey and smirks. “Though, for saving the machine, I think this little guy deserve a reward. I would offer some of the dried fruit that I packed, but I seem to have misplaced it at some point.”

Jin nodded furiously while trying to gather his wits about him. "Ha, no Yube is on a diet. One too many nuts last time." He eyed the little monkey who was trying to look innocent. Jin was having none of it.

"Oh, the tea is nice. I had like three cups already, to keep awake." Surely that will not wreck havoc on his system!

"Ujina Jin, nikutai of the 101st Drop Trooper squadron." He introduced himself to the Crab and Lion.

Eriko held up a hand to make her point. "Look, there's some pretty important people going to this miai," she said as she looked to the Kitsune and Ujina. Important Minor Clanners, that sounded weird to say. "You'd think that they'll go bananas if they found out that they were being served pre-made tea in a heated can. I'm pretty sure water isn't too much to ask. I think we would know for sure after I found out with my foot but that's going to be a mystery now."

She gave a hapless shrug, realizing that she was probably getting caught up with a stupid drone and that was something likely a more uppity Clan samurai would do.

"Cute monkey, does it stay this small forever?" She said, regarding Yube.

Was that a pun from the Kuni? Hide could not believe her ears, nor hide the giant grin spreading ear-to-ear. “You’re right, it was berry foolish of me to assume that they’d just warm up canned tea.”

“Awww, he’s on a diet? Must be driving him nuts.” That one seemed to be unintentional on Hide’s part.

"Hey, let's not get too carried away," she smirked back at the Matsu. "But, I do appreciate the effort there."

Izumi ceased his fascinated staring at the little monkey and realised there was a conversation going on over his head . . . literally, he managed an almost polite bow, better than the one he'd managed for Jin, but only just.

"I'm Kitsune Izumi, managerinKitsuneBiopharmaticalsperfumesdivision. Pleasedtomeetyou."

The rapid fire speech was back

Jin nodded briefly. "He is... an adult, or near enough for one, from my limited understanding. I also need to keep an eye on his eating, as I am told foreign food could cause problems for him."

Meanwhile, the relevant little monkey hopped down from the drone and started climbing up on the Kuni, heedless of any objections that may come.

"Kuni-san and Matsu-san are coming to the miai as well? Or other business?"

Hide couldn’t help but watch Izumi with fascination. How can someone even talk that fast? Was this kid on all the caffeine? “Pleasure to meet you all.”

She relaxed into her seat, her attention turned towards the Ujina. “Oh, yeah, here for the miai.”

"Nice to meet'cha," Eriko said back to the Kitsune, giving him another bow in case he wanted one.

She said as she allowed the small monkeyling to climb up her but she kept her eyes on Yube. "That small for an adult? Did you have to take care of him as a child with a magnifying glass? And what sort of problems are we talking about? Like stomach problems or unforeseen biochemical problems? Where is Yube from?"

"Oh yeah, I'm here for the miai," she confirmed.

"Thelocalplantsmightbeverybadforhim. I'vereadtheecosystemherereliesonfungalgrowthalotmorethanstandardphotosynthesizingplants."

He was still watching the monkey.

"You'll have to be real careful with him, Ujina-san."

Once again, interest in the monkey slowed down his speech a little.

Hide was a bit surprised the little Fox could speak normally. But also, her mind was on exactly how someone could care for such a small monkey. "Yeah, Kuni-san has asked some important questions. Did you have to feed him with a... A... Uhhhh... That thing that you use to pick up fluids and squirt them back out?" She made the hand gestures of squeezing an eyedropper for emphasis.

And she certainly was struggling to find the word 'eyedropper'.

Eriko slowly turned to Hide and looked at her with an inquisitive look, wondering exactly what she was getting at. There was a wrong way to take that, that was for sure. "What? Are you talking about a toy squirt watergun? I think Ujina-sama would want to feed the critter, not drown it."

"No, no... Not a squirt gun." Hide brought a hand up to her hair and ruffled it in frustration. She was trying her best to remember the name. "You use it for medicine. Not a syringe, but the one that is just for dropping fluids."

The Nakuchi in the corner cracked an eye again, then sat up with a grin. "Yuuuubeeei! Buddyyyy!"

"Listen to the nice Kitsune. The fungus here isn't for the unprepared."

She calls the little drone over, or tries to. Without a standard name, she just kind of tried guessing until something made its fire perk up. "Dispenser, Hospitality drone, Teacup, Teadrone.... just a cup of genmaicha here."

Something must have worked, because it scooted over with a rattle that didn't bode well for something inside, or maybe that was just the heating element getting fired up. Mumei takes the time to stretch arms and shoulders, knees braced in the restraints.

She offers as much of a seated bow to the assembled in greeting, including everyone whether or not they'd met before. "Honored to meet everyone, Kitsune-san, Matsu-san, Kuni-san. This one's Nakauchi Mumei, most lately posted aboard the Far Winds Caravan*."

The search for the missing word though, she just watches, with a slight tilt to her head.

-------
*A Moto trading vessel, if anyone's familiar with them.

"Something like one of those medical drips for intravenous therapy. Again, a very strange thought, Matsu-san," she said with a tilt of her head. "Now I'm starting to wonder how you've kept pets, if you every had one. I don't know if I should concerned or impressed."

She bowed politely to the Osprey after she perked up and got her drink of choice from the drone. Her gaze did follow it as it moved. Her business wasn't quite finished with it just yet. "Pleased to meet you, Nakauchi-san."

Hide gives the Osprey a respectful bow from her seat. "Pleasure, Nakauchi-san."

As far as the case of the missing word, it wasn't quite solved yet. "No no, that doesn't sound right. Haven't you seen people feed kittens with them? Little handheld... Droppers? You use them for like, if you have an ear infection."

She waits for the cup to dispense with its substandard tea. But at least substandard genmai beat substandard sencha any day of any week.

"No need for droppers," she pauses for a long sip of the tea and moment to savor the heat if not the flavor. "Yubei's just fine dippin' from a cup or such," she says slowly. "Not sure he's allowed tea though..." The Hare'll have to weigh in on that.

With a slow, careful look around the cabin, she adds, "none of you local then. Anyone read up on the Otori? Pretty safe?"

_______
(*grumbles at too smart forum formatting taking out all the random spacing in Mumei's talking bits.* So much for that effect. She sounds much more stoned than the forum let on. XD)

"I have read something about them on the long trip, had to keep something off of the cramp quarters of the ship...They are more or less the beetles and horses of other worlds, I think the locals use them in the same way as ox and mounts. I don't think they are exactly waging a war with them, they can't be that bad. It would be something if the Phoenix found themselves battling the local bird population. Would have warned us long in advance, no?"

"hmmmm, safe. But, like....safe like horses...might kick you, might bite, but probably not. Definitely not carnivores." Another long sip of bad tea. "Or...safe like the giant bugs of Kuwagata. Mandibles that might snip your head off, because some of 'em definitely are carnivores. Or if they're in need of a wing-trim, might just slice into you if frightened and they spread 'em to take off." She offers a slow shrug, as she leans back into the uncomfortable seat. "Least that's the kind of tale a Moto I traveled with liked to tell."