Kyuden Shika

"Well yes, her attitude is absolutely a guard against others thinking she is cute, or nice, or anything that isn't terrifying and tough", he nodded. "So really it's just her having lived with the Crab too long."

"And being a Scorpion, too. It's a lot and I wouldn't want to be in her tabi. But, either way. I do like to push people to go meet her, otherwise she'd probably just stay in her room the whole miai."

"I think for myself, it's that the Wall is very high and I'm not one to climb it for the goblins on the other side", he said. "If i had a reason, maybe."

"That's pretty fair. You don't know if there are goblins on the other side though." They teased.

"I wouldn't assume you're truly encouraging me try my luck on this", he said and finished his tea. "She is a Scorpion after all, perhaps you simply think she could use more friends?"

"Scorpions can marry Scorpions. Nothing says you can't... unless you're a Yogo, but she's not so it works out." They said, but then shook their head. "Mostly joking anyway."

Mostly.

He shrugged. "If I can somehow turn around the little interaction we've had and Seppun-sama feels there's nothing wrong, I don't mind talking to her I suppose."

He was quite surprised at himself, considering what he'd said earlier.

They blinked.

"Huh?"

What the fuck?

"And what's suddenly changed your mind about her?"

"You explained her situation a little, it made me think I'd been unfair and made assumptions that may be unfounded", he said, quite matter of fact. "Is there an issue with that? You know I do actually value your word."

They narrowed their eyes at him, trying to figure out what exactly was going on, because they certainly didn't know what was going on anymore.

"Nah. Like two seconds ago you said you didn't want to climb that Wall."