[D2, MM] Climb Every Mountain (expecting)

[Agasha Sorato]

"How do the birds tell which of us are men and which are women?" Sorato wonders aloud. "Height? That's hardly consistent." Not all women were as short as Kanna. "It's not as if we 'males' have big colorful crests," he chuckles.

"In any case, thank you for the insight, Tamori-san. I learned that prayer long ago, but I can't often get it to work so well."

[Hiruma Akiro]

Akiro grimaced. "I don't think bird testimony is anything that we need to concern ourselves with. Nor roving bands of women. Well, not especially."

He bowed to the group again. "Stay safe, and call the authorities if you encounter any trouble."

With that, he and his squad would depart.

[Tamori Kanna]

"Ah, it was a bit of an effort to make it work this time, but it is so useful!" she agreed with Sorato.

As the patrol departed, Kanna offered a bow to them.

"... I wonder why they were so upset about the birds being fed by groups of women? Though it's a good question how the jimen tori are able to tell male and female humans apart. Maybe they dress in colors similar to the plumage of their females?"

[Kaiu Ryosei]

He shrugged "could just be making their best guess I guess."

"As for the patrol, they don't like people feeding the local wildlife can make them too comfortable around people and lead to more encounters which could lead to some negative encounters if people don't know what they're doing."

[Agasha Sorato]

"That makes sense." Sorato nods. "A flock of birds that size begging visitors for food could be... a lot." As for how the birds tell men from women... "You might be right, Tamori-san. I recall the male jimen tori are the ones with more colorful plumage. Maybe they make the same assumption about humans?" He chuckles at that thought, amusement curving his slightly wide, flexible mouth.

Turning back to the path, he adds, "Not much further to the top now, I think."

[Tamori Kanna]

"Yes-yes," she was eager to follow to get to the top.

"... So the plumage of the females is less colorful, more drab? Like with most other female birds?"

[Agasha Sorato]

"That's what I recall from the data file," Sorato says, setting an easy pace up the path. Kanna's short legs don't seem to hold her up much at all compared to the taller Ryosei and Sorato, admittedly, but slower and steady progress makes it easier to look around. "The jimen tori with the multicolored plumes are the males. The plain-clothes ones are the females, so to speak."

He rubs his cheek, thinking. "I wonder if the local people use the colored feathers for anything. Crafts, I mean. Only practical if the birds shed them intact, though." Hunting the jimen tori was, after all, discouraged, as the Hiruma officer had just reminded them.

[Kaiu Ryosei]

"I've seen a few crafts here and there with some colorful feathers in them. I don't know if they were from these kinds of birds but I suppose they could be." He said with a small shrug as he followed along as they approach the peak.

[Tamori Kanna]

"I hope I can bring a feather home as a souvenir. They do have very pretty plumage!"

As they had gone quite a distance from the jimen tori, Kaida was out of his carrier again to sniff various plants and things on the ground as they went. Important dog-wellness! '

"If I may ask, Kaiu-san, what's your opinion on the gathering the governor has assembled? All the business and stuff?"

[Kaiu Ryosei]

He regarded Kanna for a moment and then had a thoughtful look on his face "It's smart. Her father was criticized for not caring enough about the island and it's commerce. I only lived here a few short months before the changing of the guard so to speak."

He smiled "I think this will do a lot to help. Some believe her to be a slightly unconventional choice but I think for positive change sometimes you have to go a different direction than you have in the past."

[Agasha Sorato]

"I didn't realize her appointment was so recent," Sorato comments. "She looks very confident in the position." Perhaps being born to inherit authority helps with that, though, he reflects. He wouldn't know!

"Ah!" Rounding a bend in the path, Sorato finds himself standing at an overlook. A ridge of the mountain rolls down below them, covered with scrubby and then more lush greenery. Beyond it is clear view down to the city, and the sparkling harbor beyond that. He stops a half pace back from the crumbly basalt edge of the overlook and gazes at the scene, absently wiping perspiration from his brow.

[Tamori Kanna]

"That makes sense! Yasuki-sama and Kaiu-san are both very wise," the Dragon nodded sagely. "I agree with Agasha-san - Yasuki-sama looks so confident and in control in her position. I don't think I would be able to manage it as well as she does!"

Following Sorato to the overlook, Kanna was actually speechless at the amazing view before them. The warmth didn't bother her, thanks to the Temperator. It was absolutely beautiful, and she mused how lucky the city was to have such a lovely mountain/volcano nearby to give them such a view.