In an effort to expand your swiftly-growing enterprise, you have decided that moving down into Marukani lands would be the most profitable next move. Looking over the options, you fins Mishaka to be the most productive way to go about this expansion. So you set out with a caravan of Tenders to begin a local business. Wanting to establish the presence securely, you decide to travel there yourself. Before setting out, an individual offers to help guard the caravan as payment for traveling with you. You graciously accept.

After the long, uneventful trip, you bid farewell to the individual and go your separate ways. After finding a suitable stable and ordering your Tenders to begin preparations, you wander into a tavern to relax and enjoy yourself and the generous tips people often give when in the presence of Cheeky.

And so you find yourself hanging from one of the rafters in the tavern drinking a pitcher of tea as Cheeky happily wanders around the crowd.

Hukah Anashot sat comfortably from his position upside down from the rafter, sucking down tea at an expedient rate, as the betting was on if he could finish it within a minute whilst upside down AND drinking through a straw, so he was guaranteed a goodly portion of the money. He grinned around the straw, watching Cheeky go about his business of cute little dances and squeeks to eke out the few coins not riding on bets currently.

This was a good choice...seems to be most of the more major local persons in here... He swapped Cheeky's sense of hearing for his own so he could hear the general small talk and possibly glean any useful information passed between mugs of ale as the little Tree-Singer merrily bounced around from table to table.

As you finish your pitcher of tea in seemingly record time, you idly notice the man that rode into town with you pull up a chair at a table nearby and pull out a deck of cards. He begins shuffling and then playing with the first man who sits in the seat opposite him.

It seems your and Cheeky's antics are somewhat well received as tonight is turning out to be quite profitable.

Hukah finished his deed by flipping forward, turning in midair and landing with a solid THUD with both feet on the floor and making the motion into a sweeping bow as he stood upright, twirling his Straw in a flourish with his fingers to set it in place behind his ear. He then hopped up onto one of the barstools to sit cross-legged and order yet another tankard of tea, as though the first was not enough. His eyes gaze drifted lazily across the room, watching Chikiboro ply his trade and thinking about who he should speak with to bring Business underway.

Cheeky scampered about the room still, making daring leaps from table to table, swinging along the wall furnishing and the like, then decided he was highly interested in the card game being played and so quickly ran over to the men at the table and sat himself down cutely in between the two men off to one side so he wasn't obscuring any veiws. From time to time, he'd peek at either man's cards and sniff at passing trays of food or drink.

Hukah kept his focus in Cheeky's hearing, hoping to maybe pick something of importance up in such a crowded tavern.

The man with the cards watches you for a moment as you leap down from the rafters, but then turns his attention back to his game. He grins and laughs along with the rest of the patrons at Cheeky and your antics.

"Another tea?" the bartender asked, somewhat surprised at your request. "Alright, comin' right up." After a few moments, he brings you another full tankard of tea, to the bemusement of the one Cheeky has taken a special interest to.

When Cheeky lands on his table, you find that the conversation is utterly boring. One man is speaking of horses and the differences between most normal varieties and Marukani Steeds while the other is responding in a quite disinterested manner.

Hukah sat and let his eyes wander as he sipped lightly at his tea trying to think of what to do next. The thought sudden struck him and he turned to the bartender to collect the bets, as he hadn't done that yet.

Cheeky climbed up onto the man's shoulder and sat down staring cutely at his cards as though the little Tree Singer was playing himself.

"Aye, good sum ya have here. A koku's worth of yen and siu. Even a quian in here! Alright, here ya go," he happily observes while handing you the money.

Hukah smiled to the man and pocketed his winnings before leaning back and watching the man at the table for a few moments and then walking casually over to the most crowded table of onlookers with a generous smile. "Hello, boys, how are ya this evenin'?" He asked with a warm clip to his accent, making him sound more familiar than the normal Nexusan gait he usually had. He pulled a joint from his pocket. "Ya don't mind if I smoke, right?" He pull a match from behind his ear and, after spinning the Straw through his fingers and placing it deftly behind the same ear, lit the match on the table and lit up his joint, thereby officially starting his business campaign proposal, which would involve walking around the tables, smoking the best smelling weed currently known in Creation and developing comraderie by generously handing out additional blunts, joints, piles, papers and pipes as 'try it, you'll like it better than that old leaf you're burnin'' statements, quickly filling the room with the sweet white-grey smoke and a renewed vigor to everyone's laughter and tables emptying as strangers squeeze together with each other to share stories.

As the hours went by, the crowd grew with more of the nightly patrons entering. Everybody seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves, having a wonderful night unlike what they may have expected normally. Cheeky, of course, was having a great time as well, jumping back and forth, hopping onto random peoples' shoulders and performing his usual tricks and antics.

Suddenly, as the night begins to draw to a close and the patrons are dispersing back to their homes, shouts in the street shatter the joyous mood you've created. Some, you can make out...

"Where did the Anathema go!? Answer me, peasants!"

Going outside to observe more closely, you see a group of four colorfully armored men crowd around some villagers menacingly. The men, obviously Terrestrials by their demeanor and armor, are undeniably on the hunt. You aren't certain whether it is a Solar or a Lunar they hunt for, and are unsure of what to do. Come to think about it though, you would like to find another Lunar you could use to further your ambitions.

If Hukah had fur that moment, all of it would have ruffled in annoyance. After excusing himself and venturing outside, he quickly scaled the side of the tavern to sit on the edge of the roof and observe the Terrestrials. After a few moments, he leaned forward slightly and called out to the Dragon-bloods, Straw back in his mouth. "Excuse me, noble Dragon-Blessed. You seem to be disrupting the general populace in your investigation. Mayhap 'twould be better if you were to ask folks who might know the answer, eh?" He grinned playfully and lay down lazily across the lip of the roof, his weight balanced precariously on the terra cota tiles as he swung one leg back and forth propper on the knee of the other. He noted with amusement the smoke drifting out the now open door of the tavern, a fog-bank of Monkey Weed smoke drifting towards the roudy armored men.

Turning around to glare at you, one of the Terrestrials belts out accusingly, "And who might that be? You? Don't get involved in matters that don't concern you. You may find them to be beyond your league."

Hukah spins about and hangs dangerously from the roof by his legs, which cling to the flattening lip of the roof. "Well, of course, me. " He retorts gleefully. "And all matters of the area I entertain are my concern and thus 'in my league'" He said with a mocking tone in imitation of the Terrestrial. He crossed his arms and scowled playfully at the Dragon-bloods, raising a single index finger. "Although, as a performer, I cannot simply TELL you in base and plain tongue, for something of this grand, heroic caliber needs a proper medium! And that MEDIUM....!!!" He suddenly flipped up to a standing position on the rooftop, somehow having turned midair to face the crowd again, the Straw having become a Flutein midflip so as to raise no suspiscions. "Is MUSIC!!" He brought the Flute to his lips and began tapping out a slow beat with his foot, Cheeky hopping from a man's shoulders and scampering up onto Hukah's to bob cutely back and forth while the tempo was reached and began to sing a melody to the Flute's tune, which bespoke high adventure and the allure of reaching the destination.

Tree-Song 14 die against MDV of all who hear; Success takes away 1wp from targets; Wit + Integrity, dif 4 to notice loss at all ('attacks' each minute)

Herd-Reiforcment Stance to establish Music Intimacy in Dragon-blood group

4m and 1wp spent

Grunting in annoyance at your presumption to delay them, they walk closer to listen. The one in exquisite crimson armor that had spoken before and was harshly interrogating the peasants looks away, obviously not amused at your antics and impatient to continue. Another wearing a light blue tunic adorned with intricate swirls of gold seems enraptured by the performance, listening intently to the words as they are sung. The others, one in a deep emerald armor and the last owning a breastplate similar to the first in both color and design, simply listen to the music as it drifts throughout the neighborhood. They aren't particularly interested, but at least they don't look bothered by it. All the villagers are standing around listening to you, thoroughly enjoying it. Nobody seems to notice that the singer is, in fact, a lemur.

You regain either 4m or 1w for the successful 2 die stunt.

Hukah smiles slightly behind the flute as he continues playing, watching the movements of the Dragon-bloods carefully and looking about for any other persons of note. He walks slowly along the lip of the roof and then skillfully slides down a nearby bamboo pole that was leaning against the building without breaking his tune. He wandered back towards the front of the tavern, the smokefilled building giving the proper glow to he warmth of his song as he stood just shy of the rolling fogbank of potsmoke that slowly crept out of the opened door.

As you play your music, the smoke wafting around you, all attentions captured, you notice that not all attention was in fact captured. The man who'd played cards a few hours back walked up to the annoyed Child of Hesiesh and began speaking quietly. The Dragonling responded softly, quite out of character from what you'd observed of him before. You hear only something about the Realm and monks from where you are standing.