Eriko easily looked amused by the Matsu's defense and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know...seems kind of fun all of a sudden to rub it in here and there. Maybe I'm kind of envious to be able to know that many people have them help you out like that. Then again, maybe it's actually a curse you have that I don't know about. Again, I'm kind of surprised that we didn't get swarmed at the club."

She bopped the reaver again. "So, why should I take you? You're pretty quiet for having much to say, I can tell by your snout!"

“Hey now, you got four people to do some pretty crazy stuff for you. I should know, I was one of them.” Hide waggled her brows in a ridiculously silly manner as she flashed Eriko a grin. “I only had three overzealous friends decide they wanted to help my poor awkward ass with this whole thing. Probably out of pity.”

Reaver-san’s face remained so stoic even as his gravelly voice spoke, oddly it came from the direction of Hide. “Well, because I’m so freaking adorable. Also I seem to have swallowed many rocks.”

"So you're actually saying that I'm ahead of this popularity contest? I can't say I've really been keeping score, it's just a hunch of mine that you were more popular, especially after that outing at the club more than a few days ago."

She tried to do her best to keep from laughing at the reaver voice but couldn't help but chortle. "Fine, in that case! I think I'll take this big dumb reaver with me...if only to stop it from swallowing more rocks. A voice like that must mean it can't be good for it!"

Hide had to cough a little after doing that reaver voice. It kind of hurt to do it, because unlike reaver-san, Hide hadn’t swallowed rocks and smoked for 30 years.

“Hoo... Alright, I can talk again.” Another slight cough. “Anyway, yeah, you’re pretty popular. I mean, maybe in terms of quality. I’m just amicable. Also out there more often. Actually, I don’t think you’ve met Murame Shoan yet. Who happens to be the second coolest Lion.”

Reaver-san was looking pretty smug there, held by Eriko. Hide crouched down and looked the little plush in its literal beady eyes and mock growled, “You lucky little bastard.”

"She's definitely like an Otori plushie," she said, confidently nodding as she did. "They're just.. they're such beautiful animals and the plushie's are really cute too!" she said, stepping up beside him that he might lead the way. Giving another last wave to the volunteer coverying for her. "I don't think they'd mind but.." she shook her head, shrugged. "I'm an only child, which is rare, I suppose," she shook her head, not the point. "Anyway, you probably know better than I through years of experience what a girl might not want to get from her older brother, hmm?" she laughed softly.

"It sounds like you want one too." He repleid his tone just a little teasing, as he started to lead the way towards where he remembered seeing some of the plushes. "An only child though? I suppose that is pretty rare." He agreed a moment later, looking down at the shorter woman.

He paused a moment at that, a look of shock overcoming his features. "You mean little sisters don't cherish every gift their big brothers get them!?" He chuckled softly to himself. "Well I suppose I know a few things they don't like now that you mention it.

Giggling into her hand she nodded a couple of times, "You suggested it yourself!" she said, another two notes of a giggle. Leaning up on the pads of her feet she took a sweeping glance around the area, getting a sense of where they were positioned among all the stalls. Seeing they were going in the right way she slipped back down onto her feet and kept up.

"I always kinda wondered what it'd be like to have a brother, or a sister maybe.. wonder," she shook her head.

"I don't think I've met a lot of Lions, now that I think about it. Talk around town says that the Lion are pretty popular around here too so many it's just a Clan thing that I haven't noticed until now," she nodded thoughtfully.

When Hide approached the reaver, Eriko extended the plushie forward so that it bopped Hide right in the face. "Sorry, must be his gut primal instincts. I can't say I've had experience taking care of a reaver before...but didn't know you were so envious of a plush, Hide-san."

"Its tough being on the shorter side sometimes isn't it." Hayato observed his tone a bit teasing as he looked over at Ichika. He'd adjusted his own face so she didn't have to struggle to keep up, which was easy enough when you weren't in a hurry.

"I think it's a bit different for everyone. I get along with my sisters for the most part even if they are a handful. They're nice to have around though regardless. Even if they are just two more people to miss most times."

Hide rubbed at her nose that was an unfortunate bystander in her confrontation with reaver-san. She then stood back up straight, arms crossed over her chest as she grinned like an idiot. “Well, maybe a little. I mean, how could I compete with such an adorable little rock swallower?”

"You're actually doing better than you think, Hide-san..." she chuckled as she placed the reaver under her arm, squeezing its head in something of a headlock against her body, "unless there you have a history of swallowing rocks I should know about? While adorable, I might think twice about you."

“I am?” Hide’s brow rose substantially, eyes wide in a look of surprise. She brought up a hand to run at the back of her neck, perhaps a nervous tick? “As for rock swallowing... Nah, I might be from a mining planet but that doesn’t mean that I have decided rocks look tasty.”

"Awww," Ichika leaned into the sound a little. Leaning forward she scrunched her nose and shook it a little in a tease. "Better to have someone to miss than to not have them at all, yea?" she said with a little smile.

"What have you been up to since.." she laughed, "well, last night!" she laughed a little more.

"Well. I spent most of the morning tracking down a kitten with Shiba Atsumori-san." He paused well, at least the morning before the races. "I went out to see that nearby lake? With it's non existant beach too." That had certainly been a bit of a disappointment.

Arriving at one of the plushie displays he started looking through them. "What about you, didn't spend all mornign hungover, did you?"

At the question she just laughed awkwardly, walking up to the display and picking up one of the Reaver ones which had a cute smile on it. "They probably don't actually look like this, huh?" she asked, a small chuckle as she showed it off to him.

"And you're telling me more about that kitten.." she said, softly, as she started looking back at the rest of the plushies to see if there was another. Still holding the reaver one so that Hayato could look at it.

"I don't think so?" He offered going to look at the reader plushie. "I know the drifter one isn't this cute either." Hayato picked up a drifter plush and made a motion as it it was pouncing at the Crane.

He took a moment to inspect the reader plush for a moment before shaking his head. It was the wrong kind of cute. "Oh, I saw a kitten at the firing range the other day, and tried to catch it. I'm not too good with cats though and it got away. Luckily though Shiba Atsumori-san was kind enough to help me track it down and catch it earlier today."

His lips curled into a soft smile. "We took him back to the inn, earlier today. I won't be able to keep him though, so I'm looking for an owner while we domesticate the beast."

Leaning a little back with the motion, like it was actually pouncing, Ichika giggled into her hand. Eyes widening as she made a little soft pitched sound, bringing her hands together. "Oooooo, you have to let me see it, Tsuruchi-san," she said, laughing a little. "W-wait, why can't you keep him?"

"Sure, he's at the kennel back st the Wisteria. He's a cute little ball of fluff." The drifter was set aside and Hayato picked up a rather large plush of a Screamer. Looking at it and then looking at Ichika with a questioning eyebrow raised.

"Oh? I hadn't told you? I'm allergic to cats, being around them too long makes my eyes water and my nose get all stopped up. If I get em against my skingbi can get a rash too. It's not the worst, but best I'm not around em for long."

"Awww, I'm sorry to hear that Tsuruchi-san," she said, a little pout that lasted for but a moment. Smiling a little, and then brighty, "That's actually pretty amazing then. Considering how you've been trying to take care of him and train him give the condition you're in," she laughed a little, a little nod.

Glancing to the plushie she regarded it for a moment, "I think that one's cute," she said, a soft little smile.

"It's not much really." The mantia offered perhaps a touched embarrassed by the praise. "Just about anyone would do the same thing."

He looked at the plush and nodded, handing it to her. "For you then." Hayato waited a moment to make sure she took it, or tried to refuse.