The New Winds

More Cleaning.

Twice a day for a week, with many students helping. Otoko was fairly certain everything had been cleaned nine times over. Perhaps the trees would need a good cleaning?

So, she climbed a tree.

Of course, Kokyou was at the top of the tree. He frowns as he notices someone detected him. Scolding for his slacking would commence. Unless...

"Avast ye! Naught sighted at the foremast. Crow's nest be secured." He says, looking forward with a hand over his eyes as if checking out for danger. "No creatures comin' since last night."

There was no one else outside. Otoko felt safe expressing herself as she looked up. "...Kokyou-san, you are very strange."

"I be mighty a lot o' things, aye aye! Comin' from a Scorpion. A Yogo, actually. I can only be happier fer the compliment." He says, offering her his hand to climb up to his section.

Perhaps in a more normal situation she would have had some propriety, but Otoko was hardly one to care for proper etiquette. She rook the hand and pulled herself up a bit more. "I am uncertain if it was meant to be, but am content to have it seen that way. Why are you up here?"

"The earth be a bit louder lately. I also like the wind on me face. Here the walls can nah block 'em gusts." He says, dusting off his hands as soon as she fixes herself at the branch just in front of him.

Otoko looked lost a moment before deciding to just roll with it however she could. "Ah.... Ano... would not the roof be a better place for that? I had heard there were many students going up there for some reason or another, and the wind would certainly be one of them."

"The roof be too trendy, now. I rather be original 'n explore places yet unvisited." He says, nonchalantly.

A thoughtful pause. "...Has no one else been up this tree then? I... suppose I climbed it for just that reason. Perhaps it needed cleaning."

"Swab? Well, lovely, thar are two bugs o'er it ye could swab off. That's a fact." He mentions, grinning.

She glanced over, then shook her head softly. "...They have more right to be here than we do. I would not disturb them."

Kokyou starts to laugh with hands on his stomach. He gets some air to explain in the middle, "Ye're mighty, mighty lovely indeed. I was natterin' about us, silly. Mantis 'n a Scorpion."

Otoko didn't look too offended, instead looking thoughtful. "Eto.... I am not certain a scorpion is an insect Kokyou-san."

"O' course nah. 'tis a Clan!" He looks to her, trying to play serious.

A pause. "...So that is a clan on the branch behind you?"

There wasn't anything there, and certainly not a scorpion. Her tone was the same soft blandness too. Could Yogo joke?

That... confuses Kokyou. He knows he can't trust a Scorpion, but he also can't really put in his head that Otoko, being so serious, would joke.

He battles his own mind to decide. Sweat forming on his forehead. Would he get stung by a poisonous bu... arachnic, or would be fooled around?

He looks back. There's nothing.

A grunt!

"Ah... good, it is gone. That was a close one Kokyou-san." Otoko nodded softly. "You will have to keep an eye out in the future. You never know when and where they may strike."

He slowly turns his narrowed, sharp eyes, back at her while mumbling some curses that do not get to entirely audible. "I'll keep an eye, aye! Both eyes, in fact."

The tiniest of smiles showed through Otoko's mask. "I never doubted you for a moment... though if you wish to keep an eye on yourself as well, you might need that mirror. I assume it was your own."

"Aye, 'tis. But I rather keep 'em at ye, though. Much lovelier t' watch. I am too full o' meself anyway." He says, smirking back.