The New Winds

"Wha'?" Kokyou glances toward the bath entrance at the Inn. "This is fo' real!"

Amazed that the Crane would be so thoughtful as to place a mixed bath area at their inn, the Mantis takes his sandals off and enters. He takes a small stool and starts to soap him up good.

From under the water Kaidan rises besides the Mantis. "Yo ho... Kokyou san."

"Thunderer!"

Kokyou shouts as he gets spooked with the sudden voice and trips himself out of the stool making the bucket fly up to later land over his head.

Half muffled by the bucket, hald audible as he takes it off, the Mantis curses the sneaky appearance, "Thar be seven seas, like the number o' teeth ye'll 'ave, ye plagued, mangy, yellow-bellied, bloomin' parrot! Gangway!"

Showing a fist to the presence and noticing it is Kaidan, he narrows an eye to say, "Bucko. Ye 'ave t' stop doin' that kind o' shite around me."

"It is fun." The Scorpion chuckled. "You rowed your boat too early yesterday. The north winds came and well didn't go gently down the stream. I tried to plea a case I needed your back up. So let call this one even, for leaving me yesterday."

Kokyou tilts his head at Kaiden's antics, asking, "Wha' ye're natterin' about?"

He lifts himself up and refills the bucket to take the soap off before dousing into the warm bath. "If ye needs me backup ye gotta tell me so. I be nah an Oracle, yet."

Kaidan smacked his forehead. "Chen... do you remember him? The guy who took the bread." Kaidan sighed.

Kokyou stops before he's fully into the water to reply, "Aye. His sister be comin' t' th' in th' morrow. Wha' about 'im?"

"He has been taken into custody and will be in a cell for a few days. I told him that when he got out to come find me." He combed his hair back. "If he tells me that he wasn't fed while in his cell... Inari's wrath will befall this place." He smiled.

"Don't say I told ye this, but th' Crane, well, they be good at keepin' appearances. They be nah that good in stocks 'n resources aft th' tsunami. No good t' call them on that. Best we can do be help by providin' wha' we can without drawin' too much attention." He mentions as he gets water up to his neck in a sigh.

"I be jus' disappointed wit' Kenji-san. Flawed Compassion be jus' ego, 'n that, Bucko, I know quite a lot."

"Seemed he sided with the Lion, for honor and all that weird stuff, you know." He shrugged. "That is why I have digress on being his friend." He sighed.

Arriving at the bath with a small bottle of.. something that smells strongly of cinnamon and cloves and a cup is Ikoma Eichiro. He sets the cup and bottle at one of the stations, takes a seat and begins scrubbing off the dirt and sweat of a day well lived.

"Ahohoho,

There once was a man from Ol Rich Frog,
That found himself in a big ol bog.

He struggled and strove to make his way out,
but the old bog hag just said with a pout.

'You can't leave unless you give me your love,
So stay here with me!" and she gave him a shove.

Ahohoho.

Ahohoho."

Eichiro chants in time as he scrubs and finishes by dousing himself with a cold bucket of water.

Kaidan looked at the arriving young man. Ooooooooookay.... When he finished his song. Kaidan greeted the man. "Konichiwa sama."

"And a good evening to you!" Eichiro gathers his bottle and cup and makes his way to the tub. He pours a cup of the pungent drink into the cup and places the bottle on the edge. "Quite a day, wouldn't you say?" he seemingly toasts the day and takes a sip. "Eichiro of the family Ikoma, at your service. I saw your match today. Well fought." He grins and takes another sip of his drink.

Kaidan nodded. "If you think so." The Scorpion motioned to the Mantis. "This is Kokyou of the Mantis." Then he paused. "I am Kaidan, that arrived from Shinden Asahina." Said the Crane looking boy.

"Aha, and I from the vicinity of City of the Rich Frog." Eichiro sips his spiced tea, "Kokyou-san, I hear that Mantis often take the name of their kobune when they complete their gempukku. Is that true?"

Kokyou grins as he hears a shantie and then nods to the new arrival, greeting him, "Aye. 'tis true. I grew fond o' yer shanty, matey. It looks like ye already 'ave one sheet at th' wind. Let's sin' more and hoist the remainin'."

"This?" Eichiro offers the bottle, "Just spiced tea. Practice for proper bottle etiquette. Sensei said to avoid the sake until after gempukku."

"Didn't say anything about the shochu I had on the road here though." He smiles conspiratorially.

Kaidan sighed. "Things that impedes performace should not be ingested unless it is by the enemy." Kaidan shook his head. "That doesn't mean we can't have a good time singing."

Yo ho, yo ho, a sailor's life fer me
We kindle 'n char, inflame 'n ignite
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho
We burn up th' city, we be really a fright
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho

We be rascals, scoundrels, villans, 'n knaves?
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho
We be devils 'n black sheep, really bad eggs?
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho

Yo ho, yo ho, a sailor's life fer me
We be strugglers 'n fighters, ne'er-do-bad cads
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho
Aye, an' we be loved by our mommies 'n dads
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho

--
D2, EE, Fluff Perfomance (Sing)/Awareness: 5d10 39

Eichiro toasts the performance, "A classic shanty, best enjoyed in it's mother tongue."

"Now Kaiden-san, you are the odd one out. What song can you bring us from Shinden Asahina?"