Kuroneko decided to visit the temple to pray to the greater fortune. He seeks wisdom from them. He knelt and offered a prayer to the eight and the Lady Sun. He didn't feel quite right though. It was weird... He lowered his head trying his best to understand what was wrong.

Kasumi had, well... gotten lost.

She still didn't have Tsuma figured out, and she'd wanted to hit up the bazaar, but, having lost her bearings, she'd fallen back upon one of her ironclad rules of navigation, and headed for a nice, prominent landmark that could steer her right.

Ordinarily, she kept well shy of temples- the Fortunes could handle themselves, and it wasn't like she needed to be in some building for them to hear her.

But this place was certainly fancy, so she decided to do a bit of sightseeing.

Being as spiritually sensitive as a particularly dense rock, she didn't notice anything odd, except that someone in Phoenix colors was present and looking a bit out of sorts.

Maybe something he ate?

He turned around and saw the Mantis girl. "Oh..." Do I know her? he shook his head lightly and smiled. "Good afternoon. Have you been blessed? "

Kasumi blinked.

"Well, nothing awful's happened lately, so... probably? Yukikaze no Kasumi, of the Mantis Clan."

Kuroneko chuckled and shook his head. "My apologies Mantis san..." He bowed. "This one is Shiba Kuroneko of the Phoenix Clan." He bowed again. "The blessing should be from Inari no Kami... Hopefully you have eaten today." He smiled.

"Oh that? Yeah, th' Crane're makin' sure nobody goes hungry, s'that's pretty sure. So I figure you're covered too?"

He smiled at the girl. "I am... and so are my furry friends." He chuckled. "I will probably arrive at Kitsune Mori with a chubby cat though."

"Fox lands? What're y'headin' there for?"

"In search to see if some of the children bear the gift. Also visiting friends and family." He explained. "Where are you headed after this?"

"Th'gift? Wait, never mind, some shugenja thing, right? Anyway, I'm likely back to sea, unless I'm much mistaken. Back to Yukikaze, this time as an officer, not just a student."

"Yes a shugenja thing." He chuckled. "It sounds like a better life being an officer... or would you prefer to have your own Kobune to command?"

"Any Mantis doesn't dream of bein' a skipper's somethin' of an oddity. We all wanna be a cap'n, or leastways, that's what we all say."

"I don't know what I want really." He sighed. "Things move so fast and slowly at the same time. It is weird."

"Well, what seems likely t'be your duty? Could always start there..."

"Well...find new prospects for our school thus shugenja things." Then the small Sable peeked from his sleeve and he scurried up like telling him don't you dare forget about me. "I have this little guy that also seeks my attention." Tori sit on his shoulder proudly.

Kasumi's eyes got very wide at the sight of the strange little creature.

"Oh? Whazzat? Never seen anything like it before."

"This is Tori kun, my friend from Kitsune Mori. I found him and nursed him from a little kit. His mom was taken by poachers." The Sable growled. "I know friend. " Kuroneko patted the little guy. "He is a sable."

"A what?"

She blinked.

"Looks a bit like a mongoose?"

"It is a sable kind of like a marteen. He is not really bad luck like many people think marteen are." He explained

"From what i heard,a mongoose was always good luck, so I'm prepared t'believe ya."