"Fairly, well. I'm not any sort of record holder, but I can hold my own in the water. Fancy a race?" Hayato thought he could win, but alot depended on how well she swam.

"Not in a hundred years!" He confirmed his tone teasing. "Still thats a shame, I'd think at least one would of taken you up on that by now. I suppose if you really would like a partner sometime you could give me a call though."

Her yawn didn't go unnoticed though and after a moments hesitation he added. "Seems you're getting tired though. Should we pack it in?"

Ishiyo blushed, "The planet's day messes with me as well it seems." She yawned again and looked back up to the stars. "Maybe just a few more moments...unless you are worried of the gossip when you carry a sleeping Crane home?" She chuckled, "Maybe you could use your tarp trick to get me home without rumoh."

"Maybe." He murmured thoughtfully. "We've already comfirmed that you would look cute as a sushi roll after all." His fingers moved to his chin in a thoughtful gesture. "I think I might just go with a hime carry though." He replied a mischievious glint making it's way into his eyes. "As it was already explained that piggy back is out of the question."

"The hime position?" Ishiyo looked at the Mantis with wide eyes, "And here I thought you would be worried about rumohs. Carry me back like that and who knows what the courtiehs would be saying."

She sighed, "I guess you have forced me walk back afteh all."

"To be honest, my first instinct was to just throw you over my shoulder like a bag of rice." Hayato explained, but of mischief behind his eyes. "I thought it might further damage your tender ribs though."

His sigh followed her own. "So it seems walking is for the best indeed."

"Throw a Crane maiden oveh you-eh shouldeh like a bag of rice?" Ishiyo laughed, then begrudgingly sat up. "I definitely need to walk on my own then. Least Tsuruchi-san revive all the worst stereotypes of his clan in the minds of gossipy courtiehs. 'Mantis pirate kidnaps vulnerable Crane maiden'." She teased and stood up, wrapping the jacket over her shoulders like a cape.

More seriously she remarks, "Thank you for this, it was a lovely night."

"That makes it sound like I plan to take you back into my hidden ship and abscond with you into the night." He teased in return, rising to his own feet and beginning to collect the empty cans. "Still i suppose I should thank you for defending my clans reputation."

His eyes turned towards her and he smiled. "It was my pleasure, I merely hope it was a bit more memorable then your 5th dinner for the day."

Ishiyo smiled in return, "On any normal day? Of course. Today you did have to compete with me nearly getting my side caved in." She teased, "It was certainly more creative then most...I appreciate that, Tsuruchi-san."

"I hope you enjoyed yourself as well."

"Well, I admit I've been trying to plan things that will avoid me getting lost in the crowd." No reason to lie after all. His own tone turned teasing a moment later as he continued. "And at least I got to prove myself more engaging then bruised ribs."

"But yes, i enjoyed myself. Hard not to in the present company." The collected cans were dropped into the cooler, before he moved it so he could fold up the tarp.

"I suppose I am rather pleasant company," Ishiyo made a show of twirling the coat as she turned, her voice filled with fake haughtiness. "You should feel most hon...." She could not help but laugh, "Sorry. I can not keep that going long. I am afraid I am not much of a hime."

Turning back she remarked with an amused smile, "Need any help packing up?"

His laugh echoed hers his lips twisted into a wry smile. "Only on paper then." He teased, no malice in his tone. "Though i suppose thats a good thing really, if you talked to me all haughty like, I might decide a spanking was in order somewhere down the line." The Mantis joked.

"Sure, why don't you start by collecting Masu, and Nyan-kun." He gestured towards the origami animals on the edge if the tarp. "You might want to collect your wings while you're at it to."

Ishiyo blushed a dark shade of red, "Do not say such silly things."

Then with her cheeks still red she nodded, "Oh...yes of course. I had almost forgotten." She plucked the silvery crane pin and placed it back on her chest. Then gingerly picked up the two origami and carefully pressed them flat again. "I...meant to ask where you learned origami, these are very well done."

That caused him to smirk, a bit of mischievousness in his eyes. "As you wish, Daidoji-sama."

He glanced towards the origami in her hands as she asked. "I picked it up when I was a kid, can't do alot in boring events, but my parents would usually allow me some paper to fold. It turned into something I did to amuse my younger sisters in time. Though they've both outgrown asking their big brother for another butterfly now."

Her red deepened again, she mumbled, "I am not sure I like the glint in you-eh eyes, Tsuruchi-san."

Turning the paper creations over in her hand, Ishiyo let her smile return, "Looking for someone new to ask foh paper butterflies?" She carefully puts them away, "My parents would neveh have allowed me to do such during one of theih formal events. The perfect little girl so propeh and well behaved."

Her cheeks had finally faded to their natural color, or near enough, "Surely I can help with more then just Masu-san and Nyan-kun."

Hayato chuckled and shook his head. "I suppose it's not the best way to prove how reckless I can be." He conceded.

"Perhaps, though i don't know if I've found anyone yet that would be happy in reciveing them." He glanced her way and offered a warm smile. "I suppose my youth was bit easier then yours there. It sounds like yours had some difficulties."

At her question he smirked. "Well, we do have a tarp to fold." He moved to one side of it. "Likely easier to do so as a team."

"I mean...I do not want to lie and give the impression my life was some extreme hardship." Ishiyo moved to the other side of the tarp, "It was just...different, in a way that is hard to explain."

She bent down and picked up her part of the tarp. "I suppose a lot of things are easieh as a team no?"

"I dodn't think you were, but I admit to getting the impression you don't view a lot of your childhood with fondness." They were perhaps in the same boat in that one. "Though I mean no disrespect to your family with those words. I am sure you were raised with care."

He followed her lead, bending down to pick up his side of the tarp, then foldied it in half with her help. "That's one thing military hammers into you." Hayato agreed. "we'd all be worse off on out own."

Ishiyo frowned, "It is complicated. My parents loved me, they showered me with gifts and gave me just about anything I wanted." A sigh, "Except theih time. Only so many times a mountain of gifts makes up foh missed birthdays. I really only remembeh them being there at the big ones...the ones that were lavish events."

"Which explains why you don't wish for the same to happen to yourr own children." He repleid with a soft smile. "You know, it's that kind of kindness that makes it easy for a man to fall for you." The Mantis added a touch of teasing in his tone.

His hand's moved to fold the tarp again. "It's something of a shame that your birthday isn't likely in the next week or so, then I could show you how we Mantis celebrate our friends gettign older."

Ishiyo looked morose for a moment, "I do wondeh if I would be able to act on such kindness. I do not believe my parents unkind...just busy."

She shook her head to clear her thoughts, "I am going to hazard a guess that such celebrations involve drinking."