The New Winds

Soaked in the warms waters of the humble bathing area –– or was it just a big bucket-like onsen? –– Kokyou chants a lullaby his mother used to sing rather passionately while raising his hand up.

"Come me love be one wit' th' sea. Rule wit' me fer eternityyyyy."
"Drown all dreams so mercilessly, 'n leave thar souls t' meeeeeee."

He knocks the wooden bucket twice and goes,

"Play th' song ye san' long ago, 'n whatever th' storm may bloooooow. "
"Ye will find th' key t' me heart. We'll ne'er be apaaaaaaart."

He knocks the wooden bucket twice again, and continues,

"Wild 'n strong ye can nah be contained. Ne'er bound, nor ever chaaaaaaained."
"Wounds ye caused will ne'er mend, 'n ye will ne'er eeeeeeeeend."

With a lower tone of voice, Kokyou finishes,

"Cruel 'n cold like winds on th' sea. Will ye ever return t' meeeeeeee?"
"Hear me voice. Sin' wit' th' tide. Our love will ne'er diiiiiiiiiie."

--
D1, Hare, Fluff Perform: Singing/Awareness Unskilled: 2d10 17

Rini was moving to enter but paused for a moment to listen to the end of song, letting the last note hang for a moment. With all the wood, and water, and the quiet, the acoustics were pleasant. She stepped forward, giving a small nod of acknowledgment to Kokyou as she descended into the water. It's hard to get a read on her, depending on the person the cursory acknowledgement and at least temporary avoidance of eye contact could be either insulting, or perhaps dismissed as self-consciousness. She crossed her legs beneath the water, letting out a small sigh.

"Nice voice." she said plainly, and given the lack of intonation it was difficult to discern if it was teasing or sincere.

"Reminds me of home with the Hida when they're celebrating, but more... melancholy. And you sing better than they do, they're not always the best, but they enjoy it."

Kokyou's eyes glint up as he sees a girl walking in the bath area. He gives a nod and puts his eyes down respectfully, with the occasional peek, until she lowers herself into the water.

At the compliment, he fills his lungs with air and proudly says, "I know."

Rini rolled her eyes a bit, though there was at least a brief moment of an upturn at the edge of her mouth. Full of himself, he really could have been a crab.

"I don't know that song, but it seemed nice. I'm Yasuki Rini." she said softly.

She spoke fairly plainly, and was in anything a bit curt which might be off-putting to some. The occasional glance showed a build that was fairly lean and athletic, not as overly bulky as some of the crab, but absolutely a bushi.

He smiles, explaining with a smug. "'tis a chanty me mother sang t' me wailin' n' wailin' fer me ole scurvy fart o' a cap'n t' return home. I be happy ye enjoyed it, beauty."

"Beauty?" she repeated, looking up at him for a moment, little expression on her face. She was analyzing his, to try to see if he was teasing her, but it didn't seem like it, at least not at first glance. She wasn't always great at discerning such things. She certainly wasn't the ideal epitome of beauty, she was no crane, not delicate, not silver-tongued, it was an odd thing to hear. "Mph..."

"I like songs, but I feel strange singing around people." she admitted. "If I'm out fishing, or cooking, I will..." she gave a small shrug. "You never did say your name, but... " she gave him a once over. "The chanties, the way of talking... Mantis?"

He was waiting for her to mention it. He didn't want to be rude, or arrogant, after all.

Kokyou lifts himself up dashingly out of the water as it splashes out everywhere with droplets colored by the ray of Lady Sun coming to greet them in the morning. In his abdominal area, just under his belly-button, there's a mysteriously long PG flash of light covering his modesty that cross the whole vision to any onlooker.

He boasts, raising a hand up and looking to the wall behind Rini, "I be the breathin' ambition o' discovery, wealth, glory an' conquest. The seed o' the storm, soon the become the mightiest gentleman o' fortune this world an' that 'as e'er known! Kokyou is the name I be given."