Cagey tigers

He heard paws crunching on the gritty sand behind him, but didn’t immediately respond. If it was one of the clan, well, he wouldn’t expect to hear them coming, so he decided whoever it was, was likely no threat to him. An ear turned when a feminine voice crossed the distance between them, his head turning with a tilt to take her in. His surprise was hardly masked, a brow raising at the vibrant purple of her coat. He had of course seen those marked like the sakura at home, and there were no shortage of vibrant oranges, golds and blacks, but purple? He allowed a smile to tug at the corner of his mouth, half lidding his eyes more sleepily now he had processed her appearance.

He wasn’t unfamiliar with other groups, and how readily they trusted and gave out names. He very much doubted she had a job for him, she didn’t carry herself with that same wary, twitchiness of one that knew just what his coat marked him for. He supposed it was only polite to offer his own name back, especially if he intended on passing as a trader in these lands. He finally turned to face the woman, his shoulders slumped, and eyes still half lidded, giving the man the appearance of being half asleep. "You can call me Kyoichiro, or just Kyo if that is too much of a mouthful." This time his smile made it to both sides of his mouth. "You must forgive my surprise, it’s not often I get blessed with such a stunning sight before the sun has even reached its peak." He spoke the language more smoothly than others might, his voice deep and rich, and carrying just a hint of arrogance to give him away. Flattery was all part of good business after all.

"speech".