[Matoba listens to Aerith's gut feelings, feeling them slot neatly into his own. For a clan which prided itself on their independence and untamable natures, Matoba thinks that it was a dangerous proposition to try and bring a clan of beasts under heel. Beasts were never to be trusted- tricksters by nature and without masters- their unpredictability made them suitable acquaintances for the gathering of information, but terrible to be relied upon in times of need.]

[It was cute, when it was casual. But for Tenkohime to be trying to gather all these disparate cats into one basket, it seemed as though she must have some leverage by which to keep them there.]

Softness? [Matoba scoffs. Or the appearance of it, maybe. From his own perspective it was only logical to want to get those who knew how to keep the city's waterways running back to work., but he doesn't think she would be so practical. Disinterest, maybe. That wasn't her goal.] I doubt she's interested in their work, so I don't see why not.

What do you think she gets out of controlling the Underground? Surely you don't think all that grandeur about a brothel is by any means the true aim, hm? [He half-smiles towards her in the neon.] What do you think is down there?