[D2, MM] Climb Every Mountain (expecting)

[Agasha Sorato]

"The planetary encyclopedia says they're not aggressive." Sorato nods at Ryosei. "But also that they'll defend themselves if threatened. Best to leave them their space." The scene of tiny Kaida tensely standing down and going into his 'house' makes Sorato's lips quirk in a smile. It probably is for the best, though. The encyclopedia also says the birds are omnivores...

"Ah, good morning, Hiruma-san. We're still in the public recreation zone, aren't we? I checked the maps this morning..." Remembering himself, Sorato bows to the Crab squad. "Agasha Sorato, at your service."

[Hiruma Akiro]

The Hiruma returned bows, each just as crisp and precise as the last.

"Indeed." He said. "The mountain is suitable for recreation, although please do be careful. Less competent visitors do sometimes become lost. It's our duty to assist, of course, but rescuing unprepared hikers is one of the less popular ones. Indeed, some of the troops... well, that's neither here nor there." He waved a dismissive hand.

Turning, Akiro looked at a pair of the nearby birds, who seemed to be watching the samurai just as the samurai were watching them. "Ah, the jimen tori. Curious things, aren't they?" Akiro said. "They're docile enough, so long as they're not provoked." He frowned. "I recommend against feeding them, too."

[Tamori Kanna]

Kanna noticed the bows, and followed suit. "Tamori Kanna. I'm sorry if we strayed too close to off-limit areas." Kaida gave a small whimper from all the tension, but he was settling down a little bit now that he was in his 'house'.

"Is the volcano currently active?"

[Hiruma Akiro]

Kanna noticed the bows, and followed suit. "Tamori Kanna. I'm sorry if we strayed too close to off-limit areas." Kaida gave a small whimper from all the tension, but he was settling down a little bit now that he was in his 'house'.

"Is the volcano currently active?"

"You didn't." Akiro said, turning his attention to the small woman. "Our patrol is just to insure the continued safety of our citizens and our guests."

He turned, squinting up at the volcano. "Yes. But only lightly." He turned back to the samurai. "Don't worry. It's closely monitored. If anything dangerous were to happen, we should have plenty of warning." His brow creased a tiny bit; should wasn't a word he liked using there. He offered a slight smile. "Sometimes a bit of steam does erupt. It's quite a sight. Keep an eye on it."

Nearby one of the birds honked, setting off a round of honking in its group.

[Agasha Sorato]

"I hope we get to see that show," Sorato says, evincing the attitude you would expect to see from an Agasha with regard to harmless volcanic activity (positive!). "We will do our best not to need rescuing, Hiruma-san, but it's good to know the island looks out for its visitors." Patting his forehead with a handkerchief extracted from his pocket, he adds, "It must be easy for you security officers to stay fit, climbing up here often."

The honking birds attract his attention again. What were they communicating? Warning the humans to keep a safe distance, perhaps? Interesting creatures.

[Tamori Kanna]

Like Sorato, Kanna was of Tamori blood and also though it would be super neat to see the volcano let off some steam, and she cast a very hopeful glance toward the summit. Hopefully.

As the cacophany of honking began, she too wondered what the purpose was. "... Don't be alarmed, I only want to attempt to communicate with the," the short woman announced as she brought up the correct holoslate. No need to make people panic, thinking she might do something harmful!

However, the honking was very disturbing... and as she didn't want to get too close to the Poultry Of Unusual Size, the magic didn't quite work. "Eh... once more with feeling!"

On the third attempt, the air kami managed to carry her command all the way to the birds! "Greetings, glorious feather-sama!"

----

D2 MM Casting Nature's Touch. 2 raises to increase range by 20 feet. | 5k3 ⇒ 14 (TN: 20)
D2 MM Casting Nature's Touch. 2 raises to increase range by 20 feet. Trying again... | 5k3 ⇒ 17 (TN: 20)
D2 MM Casting Nature's Touch. 2 raises to increase range by 20 feet. Last attempt! | 5k3 ⇒ 27 (TN: 20)

[Hatoful GM]

Like Sorato, Kanna was of Tamori blood and also though it would be super neat to see the volcano let off some steam, and she cast a very hopeful glance toward the summit. Hopefully.

As the cacophany of honking began, she too wondered what the purpose was. "... Don't be alarmed, I only want to attempt to communicate with the," the short woman announced as she brought up the correct holoslate. No need to make people panic, thinking she might do something harmful!

However, the honking was very disturbing... and as she didn't want to get too close to the Poultry Of Unusual Size, the magic didn't quite work. "Eh... once more with feeling!"

On the third attempt, the air kami managed to carry her command all the way to the birds! "Greetings, glorious feather-sama!"

----

D2 MM Casting Nature's Touch. 2 raises to increase range by 20 feet. | 5k3 ⇒ 14 (TN: 20)
D2 MM Casting Nature's Touch. 2 raises to increase range by 20 feet. Trying again... | 5k3 ⇒ 17 (TN: 20)
D2 MM Casting Nature's Touch. 2 raises to increase range by 20 feet. Last attempt! | 5k3 ⇒ 27 (TN: 20)

There was a brief pause as one of the birds looked around, then it made a low warbling sound to its presumed mate not far away.

"Blimey, I think that thing over there is talking to me." Of course, only Kanna could understand.

Another brief pause, then it honked again, flapping its flightless wings a bit.

"Hello there. Very nice day we're having, innit?" It said, very politely. At least, for a bird.

[Tamori Kanna]

"Blimey, I think that thing over there is talking to me." Of course, only Kanna could understand.

Another brief pause, then it honked again, flapping its flightless wings a bit.

"Hello there. Very nice day we're having, innit?" It said, very politely. At least, for a bird.

"It is indeed a lovely day!" she agreed. "How are you and your fine friends today? You were chatting a lot earlier."

[Hatoful GM]

"It is indeed a lovely day!" she agreed. "How are you and your fine friends today? You were chatting a lot earlier."

"Very well, thank you." The bird replied, still quite polite. "And how are you and your flock? That's what you are, yeah?"

The bird sort of wobbled back and forth on its slightly awkward feet. "Yeah, just the usual. Good morning, have you had your fish today, shall we get some more fish, maybe in a bit, there's some of those strange creatures, no offense..." It warbled. "Should we scamper back, nah they seem like a fine lot. All that sort of thing."

[Tamori Kanna]

"Very well, thank you." The bird replied, still quite polite. "And how are you and your flock? That's what you are, yeah?"

The bird sort of wobbled back and forth on its slightly awkward feet. "Yeah, just the usual. Good morning, have you had your fish today, shall we get some more fish, maybe in a bit, there's some of those strange creatures, no offense..." It warbled. "Should we scamper back, nah they seem like a fine lot. All that sort of thing."

"Oh, I see. And we are well, yes. Me and my flock! We are a flock of humans," she said with an affirming nod. Which probably sounded strange to the other ones listening in on the conversation.

""Are we the strange creatures, or is it something else?"

---

OOC: Pretty sure people can still understand what Kanna is saying even if she's talking to the bird with magic!

[Hatoful GM]

"Oh, I see. And we are well, yes. Me and my flock! We are a flock of humans," she said with an affirming nod. Which probably sounded strange to the other ones listening in on the conversation.

""Are we the strange creatures, or is it something else?"

---

OOC: Pretty sure people can still understand what Kanna is saying even if she's talking to the bird with magic!

"A flock of humans!" The bird flapped its wing again. "Well, how about that! I'll remember that, I will."

It wouldn't.

Honking turned to warbling. "Um. Yeah. No offense? But most of you are alright, really. Sometimes a group of your females will come through, and we have to go back to our home for a bit. But most of the time, they seem happy to see us. Sometimes they throw food to us! We haven't really got it figured out." He wobbled his head a bit.

[Agasha Sorato]

Sorato watches with interest as Kanna converses with the jimen tori, glad that it seems to be an amicable interaction. He's familiar with the prayer that allows them to understand her--has even managed to invoke it a few times himself, under exactly the right circumstances when the air kami weren't feeling as mischievous as usual--but that doesn't mean he can follow the bird half of the conversation, so he has to guess at that. Birds usually aren't very complicated, though.

[Tamori Kanna]

"A flock of humans!" The bird flapped its wing again. "Well, how about that! I'll remember that, I will."

It wouldn't.

Honking turned to warbling. "Um. Yeah. No offense? But most of you are alright, really. Sometimes a group of your females will come through, and we have to go back to our home for a bit. But most of the time, they seem happy to see us. Sometimes they throw food to us! We haven't really got it figured out." He wobbled his head a bit.

"A group of human females come through, and they sometimes throw food to you? Do they chase you back to your homes, or do you choose to leave them alone?" Kanna asked, while also trying to convey to the others what the birds were saying.

Hadn't the Crab samurai samurai told them to not feed them?

[Hatoful GM]

"A group of human females come through, and they sometimes throw food to you? Do they chase you back to your homes, or do you choose to leave them alone?" Kanna asked, while also trying to convey to the others what the birds were saying.

Hadn't the Crab samurai samurai told them to not feed them?

The warbling grew uncertain.

"Uh... I mean... one of you looks pretty much the same to me as the next, don't you? So maybe some of the females chase us, and others feed us. We like those." It flapped its wings again. "Maybe those others are from a bad flock! You should watch out for those. Maybe merge with the nice ones. They're lovely."

[Tamori Kanna]

The warbling grew uncertain.

"Uh... I mean... one of you looks pretty much the same to me as the next, don't you? So maybe some of the females chase us, and others feed us. We like those." It flapped its wings again. "Maybe those others are from a bad flock! You should watch out for those. Maybe merge with the nice ones. They're lovely."

Fair enough. Most of these birds looked the same to her too, so she didn't take offense!

"We will watch out for those bad ones, thank you for the warning!" She flapped her hands a little bit, mimicking the jimen tori's movements. "Do you know were these females go when they come here?"

[Hatoful GM]

The bird flapped back. "Hey, look at that! We're flapping together! Flapping buds!" It honked cheerfully. The other birds honked, too.

This took a minute or two.

Finally, they all settled down. "Uh... where were we? Right." It bobbed its head a few times. "I dunno, they come and go from different places. You guys flock together in weird places. You should find yourselves a place like we've got. Not the same place, though." It warbled apologetically. "You could come visit sometimes, maybe! Just don't bring any of the bad females. Or those weird solo males."

[Tamori Kanna]

The bird flapped back. "Hey, look at that! We're flapping together! Flapping buds!" It honked cheerfully. The other birds honked, too.

This took a minute or two.

Finally, they all settled down. "Uh... where were we? Right." It bobbed its head a few times. "I dunno, they come and go from different places. You guys flock together in weird places. You should find yourselves a place like we've got. Not the same place, though." It warbled apologetically. "You could come visit sometimes, maybe! Just don't bring any of the bad females. Or those weird solo males."

All Kanna could do was smile to assure the others that the honking was not threatening at all. This specific prayer to the kami demanded that she keept her attention focused on the animal, so she wasn't able to speak to the others either.

"Thank you for the invitation. Hopefully another time! For now, we must continue on. Have a continued good day, friend!" she bowed gently to the jimen tori. And would stop her focus on the creature once they had given their goodbye too.

"So, uh, it seems like 'groups of females' come up here, some chasing the jimen tori and others feeding them." She looked to the Crab patrol. "Would these be trespassers or regulars who care for the native creatures?"

[Hiruma Akiro]

Akiro frowned. "What? That's what it said?" He stared at the bird a moment.

Then he shook his head. "I don't have any clue what it means. Maybe... some of the villages send out groups of women? I haven't seen anything like that. Maybe someone else...?" He looked around, but the rest of his patrol all shrugged.

He cleared his throat. "Anyway, some people harass them, but not many. They're supposed to be good luck."

[Kaiu Ryosei]

He had watched the proceedings with rapt attention not dating to interrupt the exchange. The work of kami would never cease to amaze him

"Huh why would you send specifically groups of women to chase away the birds? That seems...specific. Like a plan or tradition or something. Did they say anything else of note?"

[Tamori Kanna]

Kanna pondered Ryosei's question. "I asked where these women would go, but the birds didn't really know, but said we humans flock together in weird places - probably weird to giant birds!"

She looked between all the Crabs there, and Sorato. "I'm sorry their answers aren't very helpful, minna-san. Animals don't think about things the way we do." Even she could pick up that Hiruma Akito seemed a bit on edge with the information from the birds. "Is there anything we can assist our noble hosts with? I can't speak for everyone, but I'm a trained diviner for the Dragon, and could perhaps be able to see something..."