>What was our relationship like with this Kichigo?
>For that matter, are there any other distinctive youkai we recognize in the room other than the prismrivers?
>You never really had much of a relationship with her, as such, though you've interacted numerous times and she was always pleasant enough. She's technically older than you, though mental age and chronological age can be quite disjoint in youkai; she's always had a sort of lightsome innocence about her that you're inclined to think you outgrew fairly quickly. Sometimes she would drop by the orphanage, frequently with pie or muffins in tow, and play with the children for a while. You tended to consider yourself too old to join in, but the food was always a welcome treat. Otherwise, she could be seen buzzing around town on occasion, though she spent much of her time in the apple grove she calls home, in a sheltered field on the edge of town, past most of the cultivation.
>Scanning the room, you recognize at least two more. The first is easy to spot, being seated only a few chairs down from you and not at all the type to blend. Leaning an arm idly on her weathered shovel, but with an intense expression on her face is Chihiro Sukimoto, a shovel tsukumogami. She works as a laborer around town, in completely predictable fashion specializing in excavation, though you think she's half-decent at construction as well. You know she takes her work seriously, but is otherwise fairly easy-going, if a little brusk.
>The second seems nearly to be hiding away from the bulk of the gathering. You almost find yourself frowning a little as you spot her, despite yourself, and despite anything she's ever actually done to you.
Sitting in the corner, her black hair split in the middle by a distinctive lock of white, and looking just a bit uncomfortable is Shiori Niomaru, a skunk youkai. You suppose her presence isn't entirely surprising, though. You know she does some trapping, and probably spends more time in the forest around here than most.
>You know Ichirin had a hand in helping both of them get adjusted to their new lives, though this was also before your time. In Shiori's case in particular, you're quite happy you missed this, at least from some of the stories you've heard...
>"The little ones are definately poisonous. One of em bit me and practically paralyzed my arm. I talked to Minoriko before I came here, and she wasn't having a great deal of success at working on it. Said she'd keep trying, though."
>"And how much worse does that make it for the rest of us?" a voice calls out, followed by a small chorus of approval.
>"I'm afraid that's outside of my expertise," Lunasa says, frowning. "You would be better asking Minoriko, I think."
>"Meaning we might just drop dead if one bites us, right?" another says, more than a little confrontationally.
>"No," Lunasa continues coolly. "I mean that it's outside of my expertise."
>The man starts to protest again, but is cut off by a surprisingly firm voice from her side.
>"She's already answered your question, Genichiro," the councilman says. "Now, if anyone else feels they have actual expertise to add, feel free to do so. Otherwise, we still have more productive things to cover."
>There is a brief silence, and then a soft-spoken voice issues from the other corner of the room.
>"I- I don't think anyone can answer that," Shiori says, turning a few heads in her direction. "Not without someone being poisoned first. Every poison's a bit different, sometimes a lot different, and different creatures don't always feel it the same way, either. It mightn't hurt you any worse than it hurt Nazrin."
>"Or it might," Genichiro counters. Shiroi seems to shrink back a little. You can practically feel the councilman's glare, though your angle prevents you from seeing it. He opens his mouth to speak, but a brusk voice cuts him off almost before the sound is formed.
>"Then we just gotta make sure no one gets bitten, eh?" Chihiro interjects.
>"Easy for you to say," you hear someone else mutter under their breath, though you're inclined to think it was too faint for Chihiro to catch.
>"Indeed," Lunasa says, nodding. "As I said, they didn't seem aggressive unless they were positioned to ambush. If you stay away from the forests until this is resolved, you should probably be safe. And in any case, I'm sure none of us intend to let things stay this way for long."
>"As for their numbers, it's hard to say. I killed what attacked me, but I didn't see their entire complex." Pause then. Not sure we should anounce the details of the hatchery to the general public, either, yet, at least. "I know there were a good many more in there than what I saw, but I couldn't guess how many."
>"How many did you kill then, at least?" Lunasa asks.
